Entering Golden Week, a crucial match to stop the losing streak

　The 8th round of the league will be held, facing Shimizu S-Pulse at home. In the previous round, they were defeated by Sendai with 4 points and suffered consecutive losses in the league. However, coach Popovich says, "We won't change anything based on that result. The important thing is to build our football one step at a time. We need to maintain our attacking mindset and fight for 90 minutes without losing focus."

　However, in the one-week interval since the previous match, Otake and Tanabe have been dealing with injuries and have been adjusting with a separate menu. In addition, four players, Tokunaga, Takahashi, Ota, and Gonda, have been selected as candidates for the Japan national team and will be attending a three-day camp, leaving the team. While it can be said that the team is still in the process of maturing, we will do our best and prepare for this match. We will aim for victory by expressing what we have accumulated on the pitch.

　Shimizu, on the other hand, is currently in 7th place with 12 points. This season, there have been changes in the team's lineup and injuries to MF Edamura, MF Kobayashi, and DF Yoshida, causing some ups and downs in their games. However, they had a 3-game winning streak in the 4th to 6th rounds. They are gaining confidence. Shimizu also applies high pressure from a high position, but they should learn from their game against Sendai and focus on extending their own time without panicking. With the presence of Kajiyama and Hasegawa, they should be able to calm the game down, but the key will be how they can switch on from there.

　Tokyo, with coach Popovich suspended from the bench, will have Hasegawa returning from suspension and Kajiyama in the starting lineup after getting his condition in order. Kono, who returned from injury, will also be on the bench for the first time since March 10th. Shimizu also made changes to their lineup from the previous match, with FW Ito, MF Ono, and DF Yoshida starting. The match kicked off at 1:04 PM at a calm and sunny Ajinomoto Stadium, with the temperature rising as the game progressed.

Unable to take advantage of opportunities in front of Shimizu's press

　In the first minute of the game, Hasegawa intercepted Shimizu's ball in the midfield and immediately aimed for a long shot, showing his determination to win this match. However, Shimizu also pressed in the midfield, leading to a back-and-forth battle for possession. In the 13th minute, Takahashi on the left side of their own half changed the play to the right, and Tokunaga, who had dynamically moved up on the inside of Ishikawa, crossed the ball, but it did not reach Lucas. In the 15th minute, Shimizu's throw-in led to a right cross, and FW Omae jumped in front of the goal, but the defense held strong and prevented any danger.

　At 26 minutes, Ishikawa received a foul and got a FK in the center of the opponent's field. However, Morishige's direct kick was saved by the GK. At 30 minutes, Kajiyama from the midfield passed a floating ball to Lucas who broke through on the left front line. Lucas controlled the ball and turned towards the goal, but his shot went wide. At 31 minutes, Ishikawa on the right passed to Kajiyama in the center, who then passed to Taniyama who had moved up to the left area. They quickly created a good attacking opportunity, but Taniyama's shot with his left foot went wide as he tried to get past the opponent's DF on the outside...

　In the 34th minute, Takahashi ran from the left area after receiving a through pass from Tanizawa and sent a ground pass to the center. Kajiyama and Tanizawa jumped in front of the goal, but were cut off just before. The ball went out for a corner kick. From this left corner kick, Tanizawa near the area took a shot, but it was blocked and fell to the feet of forward Hasegawa. However, his shot was weak and easily saved by the goalkeeper.

　Despite trying to take the lead, they were unable to pass the ball around Shimizu's press. Towards the end of the first half, they were caught off guard by Shimizu's counterattack due to a mistake. In the 37th minute, Shimizu FW Jimmy França stole the ball from Takahashi's back pass and took a shot in the box, but Gonda made the save. They managed to keep a clean sheet and went into the second half with a scoreless draw.

Shimizu, who had two players sent off, conceded a goal from a mistake...

　In the second half, Shimizu gained momentum. In the 47th minute, Shimizu's left back Li was stopped by a foul while attacking, giving a free kick from the left side. This kick was crossed to the far side by DF Iwashita, but Takahashi cleared it and Gonda caught it to avoid danger. There were also moments where Tokyo was pushed back near their goal, but they remained focused and tried to bring the game back to their rhythm.

　In the 56th minute, Shimizu FW Jimmy Franca received his second warning and was sent off. After this, Tokyo went on the offensive. In the 58th minute, Takahashi aimed for a middle shot from Kajiyama's drop, but it hit Shimizu DF and spilled to the right area. Taniyama tried to follow up, but it was offside. In the 61st minute, Takahashi passed to Ishikawa in the center, who then made a vertical pass to Kajiyama in the area, but this was also offside.

　Shimizu made two substitutions in the 67th minute, with FW Takahara and Takagi coming in. In the 68th minute, Lucas made a run down the right flank and crossed parallel to the goal. Kajiyama and Taniyama both made attempts to score, but narrowly missed... In the 72nd minute, Ota's cross from the left found Ishikawa in the right area, but his shot went over the bar... As time passed without being able to convert their chances, Shimizu's MF Alex received his second yellow card and was sent off in the 73rd minute. They would have to play with 9 men for the remaining time.

　Tokyo, who tried to take advantage of their numerical advantage, reached the 77th minute when Ota's pass reached Shimizu FW Takahara. He allowed a solo run on the right side and was passed to the center FW Takagi. FW Takagi stepped in front of Jang Hyun Soo and drove a powerful shot... They allowed a counterattack from a mistake and conceded a goal.

　In the 77th minute, Kono was replaced by Kawano and then Hirayama was substituted for Takahashi. Lucas pulled back, Kajiyama and Hasegawa were in the defensive midfield. On both sides, Ishikawa and Kawano were in charge, and they were chasing one point first. However, they were able to push Shimizu to the goal, but they were unable to score even after repeatedly crossing the ball. In the 88th minute, Tokunaga took a shot from the right area, but it was off target.

　Immediately after, Watanabe was put in and increased the thickness of the front line, pushing Shimizu in... but they were unable to make a decisive blow against Shimizu, who had pulled back and solidified their defense. They lost without any strength, making it their third consecutive loss in the league.

　【Player Comments】《Hirayama》"I was thinking of going into the goal area with determination. I don't think our attacking formation was bad, but... I want to fight with a strong desire to score a goal. I think we have made our supporters and fans very disappointed, so we definitely want to grab a victory next time."

　"Hasegawa": "In the first half, I was targeted as a defensive midfielder and couldn't connect passes easily. In the second half, the opponent's numbers decreased and we were able to move the ball around... Shimizu tightened up the middle after scoring one goal. In response, we tried to break through the sides and aim for a goal. There were crosses and opportunities to move forward with one-two passes, but we couldn't create many chances to pull the opponent forward and then attack from behind. I think Shimizu's plan was to go forward and score. So we tried to manage the risk and balance with Takahashi, but unfortunately we ended up conceding a goal. We always concede on counter attacks... However, we can't let that happen again and again."

　[Coach Hiroaki NAGASHIMA's press conference summary] "We are on a losing streak, but we aim to win at home by utilizing our reflections so far. In terms of content, I think we did not do badly in terms of aiming for the opponent's back, jumping out from the second row, and making big developments such as side changes. However, it is regrettable that we became numerically superior and conceded goals due to our own mistakes. However, this is where it is important. It is still early in the league and we have consecutive games, so we want to continue to work on our reflections. (Did you not try to power play even after bringing in Hirayama?) The opponent was trying to solidify the center, so we wanted to break through from the side. It was important not to miss the timing of crosses. We brought in players not for power play, but to score points, but there were some unclear situations in terms of decision making. That is our challenge.

　(What was the reason for not being able to score even with Hasegawa and Kajiyama on the field?) It's not just because they are there. Shimizu's two shadow players came to suppress our midfield, and there were also parts where countermeasures were taken. In such a situation, we were aiming not only to pass the ball to the midfield, but also to attack from the sides, spread the opponent's defense, and exploit their weaknesses by having the second line jump out from vertical passes. We have been training and improving, but... I think we need to improve our accuracy.)

　[Summary of Shimizu-Afshin GHOTBI's press conference] "It was a very interesting game, fighting with 9 players. We hoped it wouldn't be any less than that. Throughout the game, we didn't break our organization and didn't give Tokyo any chances. We were able to create high-quality chances and scored when no one expected it. There was not only tactics, but also a spiritual aspect. Some people believed in God, and faith is very important. The Japanese people showed their spiritual strength after the tsunami. I think Nadeshiko Japan also did the same, and today S-Pulse showed it."

　In the first half, our defense was good, but there were moments where we became too anxious after winning the ball. We lacked concentration when passing, resulting in many turnovers. In the second half, we adjusted by focusing on relaxing and making simple passes. We also talked about being patient while attacking. We were able to make good plays in the second half. It was unfortunate that DF Iwashita's header did not go in, but I believe that whether we had 11, 10, or 9 players, we were the better team today.