Overcoming adversity, aiming to end the losing streak at the difficult Saitama Stadium

　League Sec. 20 will be held. We will play against Urawa Reds away. In the previous match against Niigata, we were unable to show our strength both offensively and defensively, resulting in a disappointing loss at home. Coach Popovich said, "We cannot use the schedule as an excuse, and we want to develop the strength to overcome tough environments such as the heat. We have to reflect on our performance in the Niigata match, but we want to see it as a step towards becoming stronger. We will not be pessimistic and will continue to focus on what we need to do, aiming for more progress and victories."

　Urawa, who are currently in third place with 34 points, will face Yokohama FM on May 3rd. They have not lost since then, with 4 wins and 6 draws in their last 10 games. Although they have more draws than wins, they are in good form. In this match, MF Kashiwagi will be suspended due to accumulated warnings, but MF Marcio Richardes and MF Umezaki will be used in the second row. They have been playing with MF Hirakawa and MF Uga as the wings.

　In the first half against Urawa, we showed an excellent game but ended up with a draw, and we have yet to achieve a victory against Urawa since 2004. Also, at Saitama Stadium 2002 (against Urawa), we have only won twice in the past, so it's understandable that it's considered a "difficult place". However, we will go back to the basics of our soccer and dominate the game to secure a win. We hope to break various data and jinxes with our strength in this match.

　Tokyo, with Tanabe starting as attacking midfielder and Yonemoto as defensive midfielder. At the same time, the positions have been swapped, with Lucas on the left side, Takahashi as center back, and Kaga as right back. The game will be played in a humid climate at Saitama Stadium, despite the rain that fell earlier in the day. The match started at 6:04 PM with Tokyo's kickoff.

Unable to grasp the attacking rhythm, we conceded 2 goals...

　Urawa was actively aiming for shots from the beginning. In the 10th minute, Tokyo's Lucas sent a clear to the front line, Ishikawa connected it, and Yonemoto took a middle shot. As both teams tried to take control, Urawa's MF Hirakawa was able to break through on the right side, but it was cleared for a corner kick. However, in the 11th minute, Tokyo's DF cleared the corner kick once, but the ball fell to MF Ugajin just outside the penalty area, who then struck a powerful shot into the top left corner... Urawa conceded the first goal early on.

　Still, Tokyo did not panic, and in the 13th minute, Watanabe took a powerful shot. The strong shot surprised the Urawa GK and the ball fell to Tanabe, but the opposing DF closed in and the ball went wide. In the 27th minute, they faced their biggest chance of the first half. From a left throw-in, Lucas passed to Tanabe in the center area, but the ball was contested by the opposing DF and fell to Watanabe in the left area. He took a step and shot freely, but it curved to the right.

　Tokyo tried to attack with a compact formation, but was countered by Urawa after losing the ball. In the 35th minute, Urawa's midfielder Suzuki broke through Tokyo's defense and sent a high ball to the right side. MF Umezaki followed and passed to MF Marcio Richardes who scored in the center... Tokyo couldn't establish their attacking rhythm and instead gave Urawa opportunities by being caught off guard by their high defensive line, resulting in 2 goals conceded before the end of the first half.

Take advantage of the lineup change and ride the momentum to secure 1 point with goals from Mokuhara and Hasegawa!

　In the second half, in an attempt to turn things around, Nakamura was substituted in for Watanabe. The formation also changed to a 3-back with Morishige, Takahashi, and Kaga in defense. In the midfield, Nakamura and Mukuhara were positioned on both sides, ready to counterattack in a formation close to 3-4-2-1. Early in the second half, Nakamura attempted a direct free kick. In the 55th minute, Tanabe ran up the right side after receiving a pass from Lucas. Although the pass to Nakamura was unsuccessful, in the 58th minute, the ball was passed from Ishikawa on the right to the center and then to the left, where Nakamura received it and turned towards the goal, increasing the team's tempo and momentum.

　In the 59th minute, Kajiyama was substituted for Tanabe. This quickly changed the flow of the game, and in the 60th minute, Mokuhara on the left side passed to Kajiyama in the left corner of the area, who then made a shot fake and passed to the center to Hasegawa. Hasegawa took a step forward, drawing the defender, and passed to Ishikawa on the right side. Mokuhara then made a run to the goal and scored!! With quick passing, they closed the gap to one goal!

　At 64 minutes, Ishikawa sprinted down the right side. He cut back against the opposing DF and passed to Hasegawa, who had moved up on the inside. He took a shot from close range on the right side with great speed. Although it was blocked by the Urawa GK, Tokyo's fierce attack continued. Then at 70 minutes, Kajiyama passed to Hasegawa, who dropped it to Ishikawa on the right front line. Lucas broke free from the opposing DF and fought hard to get to the center. Hasegawa closed in on the ball and tied the game!

　Tokyo, who continued to gain momentum, aimed to take the lead. In the 80th minute, Nakamura took a shot from a free kick by Ishikawa on the right side, but it narrowly missed to the right. In the 83rd minute, Edmilson was brought in. While taking risks to attack, both teams had chances in a counterattack, but neither could score in a decisive moment. In stoppage time, Edmilson broke through the area and took a shot, but it went over the bar.

　On the other hand, they remained focused on defense until the end. In the second half, they showed a spirited fight and were able to take one point at the difficult Saitama Stadium, stopping their losing streak.

　【Player Comments】《Hasegawa》"I had the intention to go forward in the first half, but I wanted to keep the ball moving and keep the score at zero, and connect in the second half. In the midst of that, Urawa's two shadow players squeezed into the center, making it difficult to respond, and we ended up conceding on the sides. I had a sense that we were able to move the ball in the first half, but it wasn't effective. In the second half, we changed our formation and I think it worked well. We were able to connect good defense to good offense. Lucas and Kajiyama were targets up front, and we were able to create chances from various combinations, such as Ishikawa's drop. The goal was also scored in that way."

　"Mukuhara" "In defense, I was conscious of sliding to the side, but in the first half, it didn't fit well and I was caught behind. I still have regrets about that, but isn't it a little bright material that I was able to rebuild from there? In the first half, there was also frustration in defense. So I changed the formation and there are clear parts like winning against the opponent in front of me, and not losing in the race. In attack, when I passed to Lucas or Edmilson, I was also actively trying to jump forward. As a result, I also jumped out with that in mind for the goal."

　[Coach Popovic's Press Conference Summary] "I think we were able to have a game that everyone could enjoy today. We were able to show an attractive and offensive style of soccer, and I want to congratulate both teams for being able to show such a game. What I told the players before the game was to be patient, persistent, and fight without panicking. Urawa has a sharp counterattack with high precision, so we didn't want to let them take advantage of us when we rushed forward. In terms of passing, we wanted to use the width effectively and shake the opponent to make vertical passes. We kept saying that, and if we couldn't move the ball forward, we would patiently and persistently move the ball and look for opportunities to make forward passes."

　The start was not bad, but we lost our pace due to careless goals. We were scored on first and then rushed to 2-0, but we changed our system in the second half and were able to move the ball in the opponent's half and show a more attacking style of soccer. Urawa's counterattacks were truly amazing, with high precision. We were cautious of that, but our players did not give up even with a 2-point deficit and fought courageously until the end. Of course, I think both teams played well today. In the end, it was a bit unlucky... but even if the third goal didn't go in, I am satisfied with the play and attitude shown by our players."

　[Urawa Petrovic's press conference summary] "I think we played a good game as planned in the first half. In the second half, our physical strength dropped and we were pushed back by the opponent, resulting in conceding a goal and ending in a draw. There was a scene where the opponent handled the ball in the area, and I think it could have been a penalty... At halftime, I told the players that a 2-0 score was very dangerous. Unfortunately, we didn't have enough strength to go for the third goal in the second half. However, I am taking this result positively. FC Tokyo is one of the strongest teams in J1 in terms of player quality and quantity. They have spent money to strengthen the team for the new season. Looking at their progress, they should be competing for first place in J1. We drew against such a team and considering that we were able to surpass them in the first half, I am not pessimistic about this result."

　Players give more than their own strength in every game. In the second half, our physical strength dropped and we were pushed back, but that is understandable. We are a team that did not reinforce with new players and rather lost some, but last season, a team that was in danger of being relegated is now competing for the top. This is the result of the players' hard work. And we can see the direction and goal we should aim for. We may be able to achieve something this season, but for now, we just have to keep moving forward. We have not lost in 11 consecutive games, but that is not something many teams can do. I want to continue fighting with this team."