Facing last season's champion Kashiwa in the first match since the Xerox Super Cup

　The postponed 9th round of the league, which was postponed due to the ACL, will be held. They will face Kashiwa Reysol at the Japan National Stadium. In the previous round, they struggled against C Osaka's counterattacks but managed to keep a clean sheet and secure a victory with goals from Hasegawa and Lucas, moving up to 5th place in the rankings. It was a result that made them feel the weight of their first win, but in order to keep up with the fierce competition at the top, they cannot afford to lose this round. They aim for a consecutive win and also want to avenge their loss in the Fuji Xerox Super Cup on March 3rd.

　However, Kajiyama, who injured his right calf in the previous match, will be absent. On the other hand, Shiota, who had been nursing an ankle injury, will return. Hasegawa, who was substituted in the previous match, also had some time to rest, but he will start in the starting lineup. Yonemoto will be used as a starter in the defensive midfield, with Lucas as the top, Hasegawa as the attacking midfielder, and Tanihara and Tanabe on both sides. Additionally, Yukino will be on the bench for the first time.

　Kashiwa, on the other hand, is currently in 11th place with 21 points. The reigning champions had some rough games in the beginning of the season and were also eliminated in the round of 16 in the ACL, just like Tokyo. However, with the improved condition of MF Leandro Domingues and Georgi Wagner, their performance has also improved. In their recent league matches, they have been on a 5-game unbeaten streak and seem to be on the rise.

　Especially against Kashiwa's attacking power and sharpness on the counter, concentration will be required throughout the 90 minutes, but Tokyo will want to counter by controlling the ball and forcing Kashiwa to defend. The speed of attack and quick transition between offense and defense will be even more important, but we want to take the victory with an aggressive fight. The match started at 7:04 PM with Kashiwa's kickoff at the National PEACE STADIUM, which was clear and sunny during the rainy season.

Both teams create chances by utilizing their strengths, but a crucial goal is conceded just before the end of the first half.

　The beginning of the game was a close battle. Tokyo started off with possession of the ball, connecting passes and looking for opportunities, but Kashiwa also sent the ball to their FW Kudo from a calm defense, launching a counterattack. Both teams were able to showcase their strengths, but Tokyo gradually found their rhythm.

　At 20 minutes, Kanemoto launches a counterattack and Tanabe advances into the left area. He sends a last pass to the front of the goal. At 22 minutes, Taniyama takes a middle shot. At 26 minutes, Morishige aims for a direct free kick. At 28 minutes, they quickly attack from their own zone and Mokuhara takes a shot from Taniyama's side change. Taniyama then attempts to break through on the right front line and a negative cross reaches Tanabe's feet in front of the goal. However, he is unable to control it. At 30 minutes, Lucas chases the opposing DF and takes the ball near the goal line, passing it to Hasegawa who is free in front. However, Hasegawa's decisive shot is blocked by the Kashiwa DF...

　Tokyo created good chances with an aggressive approach, but couldn't finish. Kashiwa also launched sharp counters, resulting in a tense battle. However, led by Morishige, Tokyo calmly defended and it seemed like they would end the first half with a scoreless draw. But in stoppage time, Tokyo gave Kashiwa a free kick in a left-sided position inside their own half. MF Jorge Wagner sent a kick to the front line, where DF Kondo shot with his right foot. Gonda made the initial save, but the ball was picked up by Kashiwa DF Mashima... It was a frustrating goal to concede after such a focused performance, and Tokyo went into the second half trailing.

1 point loss weighs heavily, no counterattack...

　After the second half, they launched a strong attack. In the 47th minute, Tanabe stole the loose ball from the chaos near the area and dribbled into the area. He tried to get past the Kashiwa DF and take a shot, but he was tackled and couldn't regain his balance to finish the shot. In the 52nd minute, Kondo's header from Kashiwa's right corner kick found the net, but there was a foul by Kashiwa right before that, so it was disallowed.

　Both teams quickly launched attacks and the game became more intense, but gradually Tokyo started to suffer from counterattacks due to missed passes. In the 56th minute, Kashiwa's right back, Sakai, intercepted a pass and launched a counterattack. DF Sakai's cross was cleared by Morishige who threw his body in the way, but the ball fell to Kashiwa's MF Leandro Domingues who took a shot. However, it missed the target and Tokyo avoided danger. In the 60th minute, Hasegawa → Mukuhara made their way into the left area. They sent a final pass into the box, but Lucas in the center was tangled up with the opposing DF and couldn't finish the play.

　In the 72nd minute, Tanabe and Tanihara were replaced by Watanabe and Kono. Watanabe moved to the top, Lucas to the top center, Kono to the right side, and Hasegawa to the left side, and they launched a full-scale counterattack. In the 74th minute, Hasegawa dribbled and moved to the right side, and Tokunaga → Hasegawa → Yonemoto attacked from the right area, but the final cross went across the goal. In the 80th minute, Watanabe broke through the defense line with a long pass and turned to shoot, but... it went over the bar...

　In the 88th minute, Kono made a dribble and started the attack, expanding to the right. Tokunaga crossed the ball, but it did not reach Watanabe, Lucas, or Hasegawa near the goal and went out to the far side. While defending against Kashiwa's powerful set plays and counters, they did not allow any additional goals, but their attacks lacked the final precision and resulted in no goals. Ultimately, the one goal against them weighed heavily and they suffered a disappointing defeat.

　【Player Comments】《Yonemoto》"I regret giving up a goal from a set piece, and it's a really frustrating loss. Personally, it was my first 90 minutes in a while, but I was able to run more than I expected and I think I did decently on defense. However, Tokyo's lifeline is 'passing'. We needed to be more involved in that and I think that's why we ended up with today's result. We want to stick to our style of play, score goals, and win."

　"Takahashi" "To be in the top, it is not just one win, but a winning streak is necessary. It's a shame that we couldn't do that. As an overall performance, it wasn't like the Yokohama FM match where we were pushed back the whole time, so I don't think we should be too pessimistic. However, there must be a reason for becoming champions like Kashiwa, and today they played smartly, focusing on restarts from fouls."

　【Summary of Coach Popovic's Press Conference】"I think we played better football, but Kashiwa won. I can't say I'm satisfied with this result, but I want to congratulate Kashiwa. There were some situations where I felt the refereeing standards were not the same for us and the opposing players. Of course, I don't think the refereeing had any impact on the result of the game, but it may have affected the rhythm of the game."

　However, we recognize that the goals we conceded were due to our own carelessness. Still, with many injured players, everyone who stepped onto the pitch today gave their all. Watching today's match, you wouldn't have thought that our key players were missing. Even with players missing, I believe we were able to show what we needed to do. That's why, even though we couldn't get the result, I want to say "well done" for being able to compete evenly with last season's champions.

　(Yonehara and Takahashi were able to control the game by taking the ball often, but they couldn't connect with Hasegawa and Lucas. There were also mistakes on our part, and of course Kashiwa put on good pressure. However, even while making mistakes, we recognized that our team did not back down and showed a willingness to take the lead. Even though we conceded a goal in stoppage time of the first half, we did not let our mental state drop like many other teams do, and we continued to show courage and take risks to push forward. The only disappointing thing from today's game was not getting the result we wanted. We will continue to believe in what we need to do and focus on building our quality.

　[Kashiwa NELSINHO coach's press conference summary] "We approached the game with the awareness that it was an important game, and the players continued to execute the team's tactics from start to finish. The strong desire to win was reflected in our play, and although the score was 1-0, I think we were able to play a calm game for 90 minutes. Today was an extremely important game where we could approach the top by winning, so I am satisfied with the good result we obtained."

　I think the first half was a close game, but I think there was an impact on the decision from the middle. The play was interrupted and there were many scenes where it stopped, and there the advantage was not in favor of Reysol, and I think Tokyo was able to pull the flow well. I think we were able to play a good game without breaking our formation or balance in both the first and second halves, and we were controlling the game."