In the league match held two days later, let's secure 3 points at home!

　The league battle moves to the next stage, with Sec. 19 being held. We will face Albirex Niigata at home. Although there were some issues remaining from the Nabisco Sendai match, we took an early lead with goals from Watanabe and Ishikawa. Now, just two days later, we face this match, but Coach Popovic stated, "It is important to continue the good performance from the Sendai match. We want to express our true selves, fully demonstrate our capabilities, and strongly focus on ensuring that the results reflect the quality of our performance on the pitch," reaffirming his determination as we strive for victory.

　Preparation for this match was effectively only one day, but Lucas, who was substituted during the Sendai match, did not suffer any serious issues. The starting lineup will be the same as in the Sendai match. Kajiyama will return to the bench for the first time since June 23.

　Niigata, currently with 17 points, is in 16th place. Although they have not completely escaped the lower ranks, they welcomed Masaaki YANAGISHITA as their new head coach midway through the season, and their subsequent record is 2 wins, 2 draws, and 1 loss, with only one defeat (against Kobe on June 23). Originally a team known for sharp counterattacks from solid defense, they have increased their resilience and can be said to have developed the ability to secure narrow victories or force draws.

　Especially for Niigata, there has been a two-week interval since the last league match, and they must have been preparing with their sights set on this match. However, for Tokyo, this is a home game, and they are certainly required to secure three points in this match. The key will be whether they can maintain their defense without creating gaps for the entire 90 minutes and, conversely, continue to exploit any weaknesses from Niigata. This match is being held at Ajinomoto, with the positions of home and away reversed for the first time. Even as the sun begins to set, the pitch temperature exceeds 30 degrees, and the match started at 18:34 with Tokyo's kickoff.

Struggling to break through Niigata's solid defense

　Tokyo created a chance right from the start. In the 2nd minute, Shiota's kick was headed forward by Watanabe in midfield, and Tanizawa ran in for a shot on the ball into the area, but he was contested by the opponent and couldn't control it, sending it over the bar. As a result, Tokyo had only this one shot in the first half. They tried to establish a rhythm not only with short passes but also with long plays, but they struggled against Niigata's quick start.

　In the 15th minute, when Niigata attempted a counterattack, Nakamura intercepted the ball and dribbled forward, but was fouled by Niigata and lost the ball. In the 16th minute, Hasegawa from the midfield sent a no-look pass into the area, and Ishikawa ran in from the right, but the timing was just slightly off, allowing the Niigata goalkeeper to intervene.

　Tokyo controlled the ball and passed it around, but was unable to make effective movements. In the 28th minute, they were caught off guard when Niigata MF Michieu targeted a long pass between Tokyo's defenders. This allowed MF Tanaka to break into the central area. The ball grazed his head, narrowly escaping a crisis, but in the 32nd minute, a pass from Morishige to Takahashi was intercepted by Niigata MF Mikado, allowing an advance into the frontline.

　Niigata MF Sakamoto passed to the FW Michieu, advancing into the area. Tokyo was unable to contain MF Michieu here, allowing the play to connect back into the area, where MF Sakamoto exploited a defensive lapse to take a shot, resulting in a goal. In a situation lacking offensive options, a mistake led to a counterattack from Niigata, conceding an opening goal that should not have been allowed. After that, Niigata took control, and the first half ended in a lackluster manner.

Kajiyama makes his return but allows Niigata to score an additional goal, resulting in back-to-back losses in the league...

　In the second half, Edmilson was brought on for Tanizawa to launch a counterattack. In the 47th minute, Watanabe carried the ball down the left side and delivered a cross from the touchline. Edmilson attempted to connect at the near post but was blocked by the DF, resulting in a corner kick. However, after that, Niigata created consecutive chances. In the 52nd minute, Tokyo lost possession, and a through ball was sent behind the DF, leading to a decisive shot from left back Kikuchi, but Shiota made the save to keep it out.

　Therefore, in the 55th minute, Kajiyama was brought in to replace Kaga. Takahashi moved to defense in an attempt to equalize. This began to establish a rhythm, and in the 57th minute, Ishikawa on the right side passed to Edmilson in the center, who then connected with Lucas on the left. However, Lucas's shot with his left foot could not find the target.

　In the 58th minute, they pressed Niigata, and Hasegawa followed up on a loose ball from a crowd in the front line. The play was spread to the left side, earning a right corner kick from Edmilson's cross. In the 59th minute, Edmilson intercepted a pass from the Niigata DF. He advanced with a dribble and created a decisive moment, but the opposing DF quickly returned, contesting the ball and the shot was weak, right in front of the GK.

　Unable to capitalize on opportunities during a rhythmic period, they were instead caught off guard in the 67th minute. Tokyo's left throw-in was headed forward by Niigata DF Oi. The central MF Mikado connected directly to the forward FW Micheu, who then passed to FW Bruno Lopes on the left. In response, substitute MF Alan Mineiro surged into the left area. He evaded Nakamura, who had returned to cover, and confidently scored into the far net. They conceded the second goal in a counterattack from Tokyo's throw-in situation...

　In the 72nd minute, Yonemoto was brought in as a defensive midfielder in place of Watanabe. Kajiyama and Masaru HASEGAWA were pushed forward to press Niigata, but they couldn't create any decisive chances against Niigata's solid defense. Then Lucas and Ishikawa aimed from mid-range, but their shots were blocked by the quick defense, and they couldn't score before the time was up. They lost at home, suffering their second consecutive defeat in the league.

　[Player Comments] {Kajiyama} "It was good to be back in the match, but we couldn't achieve the results. Overall, there was a heavy feeling from the first half, and there were many moments where we rushed too much. In terms of my participation, I wanted to make the opponent run in the heat, so I was conscious of calming the game down and connecting passes properly. It was painful to concede an additional goal in that context. Personally, I believe I need to make plays that directly lead to scoring, and as the heat continues, we need to reassess our way of fighting as a team and unify our intentions."

　"Edmilson" "Since we lost, there are many points for reflection. In terms of offense, the number of shots was low, and we couldn't score. We conceded goals within that context, but it's not solely the fault of the defense. The midfield and we forwards also need to make corrections. Above all, I believe we must score the first goal. I had chances to score as well, but I couldn't convert, and I feel sorry about that. However, we are a strong team. Today is very disappointing, but we need to keep our heads up, practice well next week, overcome our challenges, and strive to win."

　[Summary of Coach Popovic's Press Conference] "I don't feel good about the result of 0-2 at home. We conceded the first goal from the opponent's first shot, and we were also nervous at the start of the match. I need to talk to the players about that. We need to fight patiently and tenaciously, but it seemed like we lacked confidence today. The opponent simply had more sharpness and energy. However, we cannot allow that and we must not make excuses."

　I want to create a team that can excel in any match through physical exertion, mental strength, and competitiveness. It is true that we have injuries and cannot rotate players, but I still want to think about what we should have done in terms of movement. What was it like when we won? In comparison, what was lacking today, and what should we have done? I believe it is necessary to reflect on our attitude and actions when we were winning and to regain that as we continue to fight.

　【Summary of Coach Yanagishita's Press Conference】 "Tokyo had a game with only two days in between, and I thought the players would struggle to move at the start, so I told them to push the opponent back and overwhelm them from the beginning. We couldn't score in the first 15 minutes, but the Tokyo players seemed heavy, and their transitions between offense and defense were slow. We managed to score first, but if we had quickly added a second and third goal, the game would have been much easier. The key point was the first 15 minutes of the second half. When Tokyo came forward at that time, our team came together and managed to keep the score at zero, which contributed to today's result. The players were highly focused and fought aggressively. I felt that we can move forward with confidence from here on."