Breaking through adversity, aiming to stop the losing streak at the difficult venue, Saitama Stadium

　The league Sec. 20 will be held. We will face Urawa Reds away. In the previous match against Niigata, we were unable to show our strengths in both offense and defense, suffering a disappointing defeat at home. Coach Ranko POPOVIC stated, "We cannot use the schedule as an excuse, and we want to develop the strength to overcome harsh environments such as the heat. While there are reflections on the content of the Niigata match, I want to see it as a step up to become stronger. We will not be pessimistic and will focus on what we need to do." He switched his mindset and is aiming for further accumulation and victory.

　Urawa, currently in 3rd place with 34 points, has not lost since the match against Yokohama FM on May 3, with 4 wins and 6 draws in the last 10 matches. Although draws have been more frequent, they continue to perform well. This match will see MF Kashiwagi suspended due to accumulated warnings, but MF Umezaki will be used alongside MF Marcinho Richardes in the second line shadow position. They have approached the match with a formation that includes MF Hirakawa and MF Ugajin on both sides.

　In the first half against Urawa, although we showed an outstanding game, it ended in a draw, and we have not achieved victory against Urawa since 2004. Additionally, at Saitama Stadium 2002 (against Urawa), we have only won twice, making it understandable to call it a "demon's gate." Nevertheless, we want to return to the roots of our soccer, dominate the match, and expect the strength to "break through" various data and jinxes in this battle.

　Tokyo started with Tanabe as the attacking midfielder and Yonemoto as the defensive midfielder. At the same time, they swapped positions from before, with Lucas on the left side, Takahashi as the center-back, and Kaga as the right back. Although the rain that fell temporarily during the day had stopped, the climate at Saitama Stadium was humid and hot. The match started at 18:04 with Tokyo's kickoff.

Unable to grasp the rhythm of the attack, conceding 2 goals...

　Urawa aggressively aimed for shots from the start. Tokyo also connected a clearance sent forward by Lucas through Ishikawa in the 10th minute, leading to a long-range shot by Yonemoto. As both teams tried to seize control, shortly after, Urawa's MF Hirakawa attempted a breakthrough on the right side, but this was deflected for a corner kick. However, in the 11th minute, from this right corner kick, Tokyo's defense cleared it once, but the loose ball reached MF Ugakami just in front of the penalty arc, who struck a powerful long-range shot into the top left corner... conceding an early goal.

　Still, Tokyo remained calm, and in the 13th minute, Watanabe made a powerful long-range shot. The fierce shot threatened the Urawa goalkeeper, and Tanabe rushed in for the rebound, but the opposing defender was tightly marking, causing the ball to go out of bounds. In the 27th minute, they faced the biggest chance of the first half. From a left throw-in, Lucas passed to Tanabe in the central area, and the ball spilled in front of Watanabe on the left after a tussle with the opposing defender. He took a step forward and shot freely, but it veered to the right.

　Tokyo attempted to circulate the ball with a compact formation and launched an attack, but they were dispossessed and faced a counterattack from Urawa. Then, in the 35th minute, Urawa's midfielder Suzuki exploited a gap behind Tokyo's defense and sent a floating ball to the right flank. This allowed midfielder Umezak to break free, and from there, midfielder Marcio Richardes scored from the center... Unable to establish a rhythm in their attack, Tokyo conceded two goals as Urawa created chances by exploiting the gaps behind Tokyo's high line, ending the first half.

Utilizing the formation change to gain momentum, Muku Hara and Masaru HASEGAWA score to secure 1 point!

　In the second half, which aimed to make a comeback, Nakamura was brought in to replace Watanabe. The formation had Moriwaki, Takahashi, and Kaga in a three-man defense. On the flanks of the midfield, Nakamura and Makuara approached the counterattack in a shape close to 3-4-2-1. Early in the second half, Nakamura aimed for the goal from a direct free kick. In the 55th minute, Tanabe made a run into the right area after receiving a drop from Lucas. Although the pass to the supporting Nakamura did not connect, in the 58th minute, Nakamura received the ball from Ishikawa on the right, connected it centrally to the left, and then turned back towards the goal to take a shot, increasing the overall tempo and momentum of the team.

　In the 59th minute, Kajiyama was brought on to replace Tanabe. This quickly shifted the momentum, and just after, in the 60th minute, Mukuara on the left side passed to Kajiyama at the left corner of the area, who then performed a shot feint before passing to Hasegawa in the center. Hasegawa took a step forward to draw in the defender and connected with Ishikawa on the right side of the area. From here, Mukuara, who had run into the goal area, finished the play with a goal!! They closed the gap to one point with fast-paced passing!

　In the 64th minute, Ishikawa sprinted down the right side. He cut back past the opposing defender to Hasegawa, who moved inside. With speed, he shot from close range in the right area. This was blocked by the Urawa goalkeeper, missing a great opportunity, but Tokyo's fierce attack continued. Then in the 70th minute, from a pass from Kajiyama to Hasegawa, Ishikawa dropped it to the right front line, and Lucas, who broke free, battled tenaciously with the opposing defender and moved to the center. Hasegawa charged in with his body and equalized!

　Tokyo continued to build momentum, aiming to take the lead. In the 80th minute, Nakamura brought the ball in from Ishikawa's free kick on the right side and took a bold shot, but it went just wide to the right. In the 83rd minute, Edmilson was brought on. As they took risks to attack, there were counterattacks, and Urawa also created chances, but neither side could convert their decisive opportunities. In stoppage time, Edmilson's shot after breaking into the area also went over the bar.

　On the defensive side, they maintained their concentration until the end. In the second half, they showed a fierce battle, securing 1 point at the difficult Saitama Stadium and stopping their losing streak.

　[Player Comments] "In the first half, I was aware of the need to push forward, but I wanted to ensure we circulated the ball well and kept the score at zero, aiming to carry that into the second half. During that time, the two shadow players from Urawa moved centrally, and it was difficult to respond to that, which led to us conceding a goal by using the sides instead. I felt we were able to circulate 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 transition from good defense to good attack. Lucas and Kajiyama were targets up front, and I believe we created chances through various combinations, including Ishikawa's drop. The goal came from that kind of play."

　Muku Hara: "In defense, I was conscious of sliding sideways, but in the first half, it didn't work well, and we were caught out. I have some regrets about that, but the fact that we were able to regroup from there is a somewhat positive aspect. There was some frustration in defense during the first half. So, we changed our formation, and it was clear that we just needed to win against the opponent in front of us and not lose in terms of running. In attack, when I passed to Lucas or Edmilson, I was also trying to actively push forward. The goal was a result of that awareness and pushing forward."

　[Summary of Coach Popovic's Press Conference] "I believe we were able to have a match that everyone could enjoy today. I think we showed attacking and attractive football, and I want to congratulate both teams for being able to present such a match. What I conveyed to the players before the match was to remain calm and patient, and to fight with perseverance. Urawa has precise and sharp counters, so I wanted to avoid situations where we would be caught off guard when we rushed forward. Regarding our passing, I emphasized the importance of using width effectively, shaking the opponent, and trying to make vertical passes. I kept saying that, and if we found ourselves in a situation where we couldn't advance the ball forward, we should patiently move the ball around and look for opportunities to push forward.

　The start was not bad, but we lost our rhythm due to a careless goal. After conceding the opening goal, we were flustered and fell behind 2-0, but we changed our system in the second half and were able to show a more attacking style of football by moving the ball in the opponent's half. Urawa's counterattacks are truly wonderful and highly precise. We were cautious about that, but the players did not give up even when they were two goals behind, and they fought bravely and aggressively until the end. Of course, I think both teams played well today. It was a situation where a little more luck at the end could have changed things, but even without the third goal, I am satisfied with the play and attitude our players demonstrated.

　[Summary of the press conference by Urawa coach Zoran PETROVIC] "I think we played a good game in the first half as we intended. In the second half, our energy dropped, and we were pushed back by the opponent, which led to conceding a goal and ultimately 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 kick... At halftime, I told the players that a score of 2-0 is very dangerous. Unfortunately, in the second half, we lacked the strength to go for a third goal. However, I view this result positively. FC Tokyo is the team that can compete the most in terms of player quality and quantity in J1. They have strengthened their team significantly by spending money as they enter the new season. Given this background, they should be a team competing for the top position in J1. Considering that we drew against such a team and outperformed them in the first half, I am not pessimistic about this result.

　The players have been giving more than their best in every match. In the second half, our energy dropped and we were pushed back, but that is understandable. We are a team that has not reinforced with new players, and if anything, we have lost some, yet a team that faced the possibility of relegation last season is now competing for the top spots this season. This is a result of the players really working hard. We can see the direction we need to go and what we should aim for. We might be able to achieve something this season, but for now, we will just push forward towards that goal. With today's match, we have not lost in 11 consecutive games, which is something many teams cannot achieve. I intend to continue fighting with this squad.