A match against Tosu, who we fiercely competed with last season, aiming for our third consecutive league win at home

　The league has completed one-third of the schedule, and the match against Sagan Tosu in Sec. 12 will be held. We will face them at home. In the away match against Ulsan in the ACL on 5/16, we lost despite having control and not being able to convert our chances. However, Coach Popovic stated, "The important thing is to give it your all. If we lost as a result, there is no need to look down," and immediately switched focus back to the league.

　The opposing team, Tosu, currently has 4 wins, 5 draws, and 2 losses, placing them in 7th position, just 1 point behind Tokyo. Last season, both teams battled fiercely in J2, and they were a challenging opponent due to their relentless attitude and resilience. This season, they are also leveraging everyone's hard work, with an attack centered around FW Toyota.S, which is sharp, and the team's maturity is increasing. Additionally, in the Nabisco Cup held on the 16th, they demonstrated their competitiveness by winning a goal exchange against Iwata.

　Ota, who missed the match against Ulsan, is still not in good condition and will be absent. On the other hand, Ishikawa, who injured his left knee in the Sapporo match, is in a "lighter" condition than expected and will return to the bench. The defense line will use Tokunaga as a center back, just like in the Ulsan match. Hyun Soo JANG will serve as the right side back, with Mukuhara on the left. In midfield, Takahashi and Yonemoto will form a double pivot, with Tanizawa and Hayato HASEGAWA on the wings. Lucas will play at the top, with Kajiyama in the attacking midfield role.

　It looks like it will be a tough match, but we aim for our third consecutive league victory by calmly evading the pressure from Tosu's front line and playing our own style of football. Even in this series of matches, we want to outpace our opponents and secure three points at home. The weather at Ajinomoto is cloudy yet comfortable, and the match started at 15:04 with Tosu's kickoff.

Tosu gained momentum and allowed the first goal towards the end of the first half

　Calmly entered the match and created a decisive chance early on. In the 12th minute, Hasegawa competed with the opposing defender for a feed from Morishige in the center of the area, and Takahashi rushed out to the ball that spilled to the right area, taking a decisive shot, but... it went wide to the left. However, in the 16th minute, a pass from Lucas was not connected in the opponent's half, leading to a quick counterattack. A precise early cross from the right side by Tosu found MF Kan in front of the goal, creating a decisive opportunity, but the shot went off target.

　Tokyo made some mistakes before the press from Tosu, and in the 18th and 20th minutes, they created chances from counterattacks. However, they defended without panicking, looking for a chance to counterattack. In the 23rd minute, Tanizawa passed to Mukuhara, who broke through on the left flank. He cut inside and sent a negative pass in front of the goal, where Kajiyama in the left area attempted a direct shot. However, the shot hit the lower left corner of the post and was blocked... They were unable to capitalize on the chance.

　As time passed, Tokyo began to dominate the ball, but they struggled to create effective attacking formations against the defensive block set up by Tosu. Conversely, in the 43rd minute, they lost the ball in the opponent's half and were hit by a counterattack from Tosu. Tosu moved the ball from the defensive line through MF Fujita, with MF Kan dribbling up the center. They could not stop this advance. After covering a long distance, the last pass reached the free-running MF Mizunuma in the right area, who struck with his right foot without hesitation, scoring a powerful shot that pierced the net...

　In the 44th minute, Tanizawa connected a pass and broke into the center of the area, where Lucas met the ball after he turned and dropped it. However, the close-range shot was blocked... They ended the first half trailing by one goal.

Watanabe, who came on as a substitute, scored a hat-trick! A dramatic victory with a stunning comeback!!

　Although they allowed the first goal, they did not change their style of play in the second half and connected passes to launch an offensive. However, mistakes occurred when they tried to advance. Therefore, in the 54th minute, they substituted Watanabe and Ishikawa for Tanizawa and Hyun Soo JANG. Watanabe moved to the top, and Lucas went to the side. Hasegawa played as a defensive midfielder, Tokunaga moved to right back, and Takahashi shifted to center back to prepare for a counterattack.

　However, just after that, in the 59th minute, unable to connect in the opponent's territory, Tosu's central MF Hayasaka spread the ball to the right. MF Mizunuma advanced and delivered a precise right cross. In response, Gonda rushed out but couldn't make contact. Tosu's FW Toyota.S, who dove in, pushed it in with his body... resulting in the second goal conceded.

　Still, in the 68th minute, Tokyo brought Kono on the side in place of Yonemoto. Lucas moved to the center, and Kajiwara successfully covered the defensive midfield position to seize the flow of the game. In the 75th minute, after a pass exchange between Hasegawa and Ishikawa on the left side, Ishikawa made a last pass to Watanabe, who had just barely crossed the offside line on the right side. Despite being in a difficult position, he accurately scored into the net on the opposite side, GOAL!!

　With a one-point deficit, the atmosphere in the stands intensified as they pushed against Tosu. In the 81st minute, they gained a throw-in from the left flank, and Mukuahara's throw was kept by Lucas at the near post. He turned and sent a floating cross in front of the goal. Tokunaga at the far post jumped in and Watanabe reacted to the ball he redirected. He pushed it in with his body to equalize!

　In the 87th minute, after regaining possession in their own half, Kajiyama advanced and launched a counterattack, earning a free kick from the right side due to a foul on Watanabe. Ishikawa sent a quick kick into the goal area, and the opposing defender's clearance hit Watanabe in the face and went into the net, securing the go-ahead goal! Taking advantage of a throw-in and set-piece opportunity, Watanabe marked a hat trick, achieving the team's third consecutive league victory.

　[Player Comments] {Watanabe} "I wanted to win, but I never expected to score three goals coming on as a substitute... I'm surprised myself. This hat trick is my first in the league, although I did it in the Emperor's Cup during my first year as a pro. When I came on, I tried to move forward and let Rucon drop back to support from the second line. Since we were losing, I also pressed forward to win the ball back from the front. No matter the situation, I'm always thinking about what I can do for the team. I believe that even coming on as a substitute, if I can give my all, I can contribute to the team, and I think I was able to do that today."

　Ishikawa: "It was an exciting match for me to be on the pitch. When we conceded the second goal, I looked at the stands and thought everyone might leave... but it was reassuring to have their support. I wanted to win somehow, not just settle for a draw. I think it was good that I was able to fulfill that role together with Watanabe. I want to continue playing our style of football and keep creating a sense of unity with our supporters as we strive to win together."

　【Summary of Coach Ranko POPOVIC's Press Conference】 "I am satisfied not only with the result but also with how we arrived at it. Tosu is a team with good discipline, and everyone has a sense of responsibility. In the first 15 minutes, we couldn't take control of the pace, and the opponent played more aggressively. However, after that, we also created scoring opportunities with our own style of football, but we couldn't capitalize on them. The important thing is that even after being two goals down, we didn't just kick the ball aimlessly and maintained our approach. I believe that continuing to trust in our connected style of football was a significant factor that led to the result."

　Without fear of misunderstanding, I would say that this was a match that demonstrated something for Japanese football as well. It showed how we achieved victory against a certain opponent with a specific style of play. Even when faced with a block, we had the machine to break it down today. And against a team that sat back, we were able to strategize and turn that into a victory. I believe this was a match where we could prove something for Japanese football as well.

　Since the beginning of the season, we have said that we want to play attractive soccer and achieve victory, and we were able to give the best gift to the fans and supporters who have come to the ACL and league matches so far. Today, many people came, and we were able to give back in a good way. Today, I want to say that 'soccer won.' Both teams displayed soccer filled with charm, to the point where we expressed all our emotions while watching, and I think it was a match where both Tosu and Tokyo showcased their strengths.

　[Tosu Coach Yoon's Press Conference Summary] "Many people came all the way from distant Tokyo to support us, and I feel sorry that it ended in the most disappointing way. After we scored two goals with good momentum as a team, we allowed a comeback loss, but we didn't manage to maintain the flow of the game. However, the players fought hard and showed that they could compete on equal terms or better against Tokyo. I believe that deserves praise. I want to take this result as a lesson and prepare thoroughly for the next match."