The J1 League returns after two years, and a long season begins

　In the 2012 season, Sec. 1, we will face Omiya Ardija away. Tokyo is returning to J1 after two years, but this season has already seen matches against "FUJI XEROX SUPER CUP against Kashiwa" and "ACL against Brisbane," so we can say there is no unique stiffness typical of the season start. Especially in the match against Brisbane, we showcased Tokyo's style of football away and won comfortably, creating a very good atmosphere within the team. However, we will face our third match within a week, confronting a tough schedule of consecutive games.

　As preparation for this match, there is essentially only one day. Coach Ranko POPOVIC stated, "The lineup will prioritize condition above all else," and the starting members will be based on those from the Brisbane match, with Lucas and Kajiyama returning after missing that match to focus on the league opener. Watanabe and Ishikawa will start on the bench.

　Omiya, on the other hand, finished 13th in last season's J1. This season, under the leadership of Jun SUZUKI in his third season, they have added MF Cho Yong-cheol (transferred from Niigata), DF Shimohei (from G Osaka), and MF CARLINHOS JUNIOR from Brazil, aiming to improve the quality of their soccer and target a higher ranking.

　FW Rafael, top FW Higashi, and side MF Cho Yong-cheol are players who can break through individually, but in response, we want to suppress the distribution from the holding MF CARLINHOS JUNIOR to prevent them from gaining momentum. It can be said that the current challenge for Tokyo's offense is how to increase the number of chances.

　The start of a long league season. 34 matches, not a single one can be lost. United as one, we aim for victory with our soccer, giving it our all. Although the rain from last night has finally stopped, the cold is harsh at NACK. The match started at 19:04 with Omiya's kickoff.

Gonda delivers a series of super plays, preventing Omiya from scoring as they gain momentum.

　Right after the start, Kaga, who received a pass in the DF line, was targeted by Omiya FW Higashi while trying to connect the play, resulting in a loss of possession and allowing the opponent to enter the area freely. They faced a major crisis immediately, but Gonda made a save, avoiding a goal. Nevertheless, without losing composure, in the 6th minute, Tokunaga passed to Kajiyama, who exchanged passes with Hayato HASEGAWA on the right, and Kajiyama advanced forward dribbling through the center. Just before the right area, he sent a last pass to Tanizawa, who was making a run on the opposite side, but it seemed the pitch was slippery, and neither could control it properly.

　They try to take control, but their coordination is off, and gradually the momentum shifts to Omiya. In the 12th minute, they are attacked from Omiya's left side. The cross is cleared by Tokyo's defense, but the loose ball is picked up, and a shot is taken from a free position. In the 22nd minute, there is another decisive moment for Omiya. A vertical pass from right back Murakami allows forward Azuma to break through, and a low cross is sent in. Omiya's midfielder Cho Yong-cheol takes a decisive shot from close range, but Gonda makes the save! The loose ball is targeted again, but Gonda saves it once more!! Thanks to Gonda's consecutive fine plays, the goal was not breached.

　Unable to find the rhythm, after 25 minutes, Kajiyama switched positions to play as an attacking midfielder, while Hasegawa took the position of a defensive midfielder. This finally allowed Kajiyama to have more opportunities to receive the ball up front. In the 41st minute, Takahashi made a long pass to Tanizawa on the left flank. Tanizawa brought the ball forward and took a shot before the opposing defender could close in, but it went to the right.

　In the first half stoppage time, Ota connected with a clearance ball, and Kajiyama dribbled forward. He advanced into the left area and sent a final pass in front of the goal, but it didn't reach Lucas at the near post or Tanizawa, who jumped in from behind... Throughout the first half, Omiya targeted the back and forced us to run, but Gonda stood firm against Omiya's scoring chances, successfully weathering the crisis and ending the first half.

Lucas scores a stunning opening goal! Securing victory and starting with a win

　In the second half, after attempting to regroup, right after the start, a vertical pass was made to switch the play, and from KAJIYAMA's setup, TOKUNAGA made a timely run into the area and took a controlled shot, but it was caught by the GK. In the 47th minute, LUCAS stole the ball from the OMIYA defender and sprinted down the right side. However, his shot was blocked by the GK's save... In the 50th minute, HASEGAWA, from the passing play with KAJIYAMA, aimed for the goal, but the shot lacked power.

　Gradually started to take control, but Omiya seized the second ball and launched an attack, and after clearing it, they regained possession... there were also moments of being pressured. In the 58th minute, Omiya midfielder Cho Yongcheol broke through, and forward Rafael jumped in front of the goal, but... the shot was once again saved by Gonda with his body!!

In the 61st minute, after overcoming this pinch, Ishikawa and Tokunaga, who had just come on as substitutes, connected directly, and Hanyu persistently linked up with Takahashi's vertical pass to Kajiwara just in front of the right area. Kajiwara passed to Lucas at the left penalty arc. Lucas controlled the ball with a trap and struck a stunning shot with his right foot into the net for a goal! With Kajiwara's calm pass and Lucas's skillful goal, they brilliantly took the lead!!

　In the 70th minute, Ishikawa's shot from a combination with Lucas shook the net, but it was offside. Omiya aimed for an equalizer, bringing in the tall forward Masaru HASEGAWA in the 71st minute, followed by the precise-kicking midfielder Hashimoto, launching a fierce counterattack. Tokyo also substituted Watanabe for Hanyu in the 72nd minute. They countered with Lucas shifting to the side.

　In response to Omiya's long throw, Tokyo still raised the line and responded compactly. In the final stages, they couldn't calmly connect their possession, leading to a heated exchange of attacks and defenses. However, they maintained their concentration in defense, shutting down the counterattacks and reaching the final whistle. They secured the precious goal scored by Lucas and snatched the victory, starting the J1 League this season with a win!

　[Player Comment]《Lucas》"It was a very tough match, but we all helped each other. The goal wasn't scored solely by my own strength; if you look at the process that led to it, you'll see it was the result of everyone's cooperation. Omiya's pressure was intense, and we couldn't seize the flow in the first half. I think we managed to create the flow a bit better than Omiya in the second half. I believe that should be recognized. The goal was a difficult shot, but I think it was a memorable and good goal in my soccer life. I will do my best to score again at Ajinomoto!"

　Gonda: "(It was a series of wonderful saves, wasn't it?) We need to make sure we don't create those kinds of situations. Even if they do arise, I think there might have been better ways to respond, reflecting on the match. This season, I am also trying to expand my defensive range and make sure to step up when the defenders can't cover. (Did we manage to hold on in a situation where we had to endure?) This season, Tokyo aims to take action ourselves and seize control in both defense and attack. Today, I think the spectators felt that Omiya was more exciting. I want to work hard so that we can achieve that."

　[Summary of Coach Ranko POPOVIC's Press Conference] "In the first 30 minutes, we were not awake. The opponent was better organized, and we allowed them to create two decisive chances from our mistakes. Gonda saved us from those. Only Gonda knows how he managed to prevent that crisis. It was an incredible save that is hard to explain. Towards the end of the first half, we started to move the ball and play our style of soccer. In the second half, both teams played a high-tempo, aggressive match. Both teams displayed good soccer, and I believe it was a game that everyone watching could enjoy. Considering that we turned such a development into a victory, I think it was truly a wonderful match. We were also greatly helped by some luck.

　Today, I told the players, "You may be tired from long travels, but throw that out of your mind. Just prepare the best you can for today's match." As a result, even in the second half, we were outperforming the opponent and showed our evolution. Moving forward, what we need to do is control the game and play attractive football. I want to make the most of today's match to continue that. Last week there was snow, and this week we had long travels, so we couldn't train satisfactorily, but starting tomorrow we can train again. The season has just begun, and we can't afford to say we're tired. I want to improve on the areas that need correction and connect that to the next match.

　[Summary of Coach Suzuki's Press Conference] "Both teams played aggressively, applying pressure and attacking... I am disappointed that we couldn't secure 3 points. There were several decisive moments in the first half that we couldn't convert, and I feel we lost momentum in the second half. It's unfortunate that our attack became monotonous, but overall, it wasn't such a bad performance. I believe we fought with confidence."