Despite ongoing injuries, aiming for consecutive wins for the first time since May

　The league Sec. 24 is a match against Yokohama F.Marinos. Time flies, and about two-thirds of the league matches have been completed, with 11 matches remaining. In the previous match, we won against the league leaders Hiroshima away, bringing our head-to-head record to 10 wins, 3 draws, and 10 losses. Building on this victory, we aim for consecutive wins with strong support at home.

　However, Edmilson and Nakamura have once again been sidelined with injuries, making it difficult to organize practice matches this week. Additionally, Ishikawa has developed a migraine and will be excluded from the lineup this match. On the other hand, Hanyu has returned to the bench for the first time since May 6 (Sec. 10). Although he stated, "I still can't play for 90 minutes (Coach Popović)," it is encouraging to see a strong player back in the squad.

　Yokohama FM is currently in 6th place with 35 points. Although they lost to C Osaka in the last match, they had been unbeaten for 15 consecutive matches since April 28 (Sec. 8). In addition to their solid defense, they have been steadily accumulating points by scoring from set plays that utilize the finishing ability of FW Marquinhos and the kicking accuracy of MF Nakamura. In this match, MF Nakamura starts on the bench. The two forwards are FW Marquinhos and FW Ono, with Nakata used as a defensive midfielder.

　Tokyo, having lost without being able to do anything in the previous away match, is looking to show their soccer and achieve revenge in this match. Kajiyama and Tanabe will play as attacking midfielders, and they will approach the game with a 3-4-2-1 formation, following the match against Hiroshima. The heavy rain that had been falling intermittently since morning has stopped, and the match started at 18:34 with Yokohama FM's kickoff at Ajinomoto.

Tanabe capitalizes on the mistake and scores first! Lucas extends the lead with his second consecutive goal.

　At the start, Tokyo was pressured by Yokohama FM's momentum. In the 4th minute, from a right corner kick by Yokohama FM, MF Nakazato's left cross was redirected by FW Ono, and FW Marquinhos made a run into the center, but Tokunaga cleared it. After that, Tokyo gave away several set pieces, but they responded with focus. They also applied pressure from the front line, winning the ball centered around Yonemoto, leading to a fast-paced attack.

　In the 11th minute, Kajiyama made a strong dribble into the left area, and Lucas took a shot from the center just outside the area, but it went wide. In the 22nd minute, following a play by Hasegawa, Tokunaga initiated a counterattack, advancing up the right side, with Kajiyama in the center and Tanabe also making a run to the far post, but the final pass was blocked by the opposing defender. Although Yokohama FM dominated possession afterwards, they were resilient in their defense and did not allow any significant chances. In the 32nd minute, a free kick was awarded to Yokohama FM from the right side of Tokyo's half, but the quick shot taken by FW Marquinhos went wide to the left.

　In the 35th minute, a back pass from Yokohama FM's left back Dutra was received by the GK and connected to DF Nakazawa, but Lucas intercepted the pass and found himself one-on-one with the GK. The shot was saved, but Lucas fought to regain possession of the loose ball, and Tanabe, who was following up, pierced the net for the goal! While Yokohama FM was dominating, they did not miss the opponent's mistake and precisely converted it into the opening goal.

　In the 42nd minute, the left side's Yonemoto passed to Lucas with a speedy combination, and Kajiyama turned skillfully to face forward, sending a low pass to Tokunaga on the right with the outside of his right foot. Tokunaga took a step forward and sent a ground pass to Lucas, who was advancing towards the goal. Lucas connected with it directly to score. Lucas extended the lead with his second consecutive goal, ending the first half.

Lucas scored a brilliant free kick to pull away from Yokohama FM, achieving consecutive wins!

　Yokohama FM brought in MF Nakamura in the second half. This allowed them to once again lose ball possession. In the 51st minute, Yokohama FM's MF Saito cut into the left area, and FW Marquinhos' shot was blocked by Morishige, but the rebound was regained, and a shot was taken from outside the area, which Gonda saved. Just after that, in the 55th minute, Mukuahara sprinted up the left side and entered the left area freely. He took a shot himself, but it was saved by the GK, resulting in a corner kick...

　Then, in the 66th minute, Yokohama FM started with MF Nakamura, and MF Hyodo on the left side of the penalty arc aimed for a pass behind Tokyo's right side. Left back Dutra made a run, and the low cross found MF Hyodo, who was free in the area. He scored with a sharp direct shot... and the goal was conceded.

　In the 69th minute, Hanyu and Watanabe were brought on. Immediately in the 70th minute, a counter-attack was initiated by Yonemoto to Watanabe, who charged forward with a dribble but was brought down just before the area, earning a free kick. Lucas aimed directly for the free kick from just in front of the penalty arc, and the opposing GK couldn't move an inch due to the fast shot, which went to the right. With a brilliant direct free kick, the lead was extended to two goals again.

　Yokohama FM made offensive substitutions with FW Daikuro in the 75th minute and FW Dai Matsumoto in the 84th minute to attempt a counterattack, but Tokyo also brought in Nemanja VUCICEVIC at the top in the 80th minute. In the 86th minute, VUCICEVIC broke free after winning a midfield battle and advanced into the left area with the ball sent forward. His shot was blocked by the GK... but Watanabe headed in the rebound, which was also saved by the GK...

　Although they couldn't score the fourth goal, they connected opportunities from effective counters and limited the opponent to the minimum goals in defense, leading to the time-up. They achieved consecutive wins in the league for the first time since May 20.

　[Player Comments]《Lucas》"Scoring is important, but the most important thing is that the team wins and achieves consecutive victories. I wanted to score from a free kick since before the match, but in that moment, it naturally became my turn to take it. There isn't really a difference even if the formation changes. I often play close to Kajiyama, and since we've been playing together for many years, we can make eye contact and understand what kind of plays we want to make. Today, I think we created chances with good passes a couple of times. Tanabe also played well, and we are starting to build good momentum."

　"Tanabe" said, "By freely changing positions with Kajiyama, both Lucas and Kajiyama created space, making it easier to play. However, I felt there were many issues in this match. I need to show myself more in the midfield to receive the ball, and conversely, there were too few moments where I boldly made runs behind the defense. Recently, the coach has pointed out that 'we're still not at our best,' and my condition wasn't perfect, but I'm glad I was able to score a goal despite that. I want to use this as a good opportunity to contribute to the team's victory moving forward."

　[Summary of Coach Ranko POPOVIC's Press Conference] "It was a match that was satisfying not only in terms of results but also in terms of content. I apologize for the way we lost in the previous away match, but I believe we were able to repay that today. Yokohama FM is a wonderful team that plays good football. I think we were only broken down by that team once when we conceded a goal. We also made sure to score when we needed to and achieved results. On the other hand, there are defeats like the one against Omiya, and it is not easy to play good football and achieve results. I hope everyone can cultivate the ability to judge not just by the results, but also by the spirit and quality of the football being played.

　Due to injuries and national team activities, half of the players have been absent for the past two and a half months. Nevertheless, we have continued to play our style of football and have remained committed to it. I believe that our efforts are starting to show, and for those players who have had fewer opportunities to play, chances are now coming their way. Since the beginning of the season, I have been saying, 'Opportunities come equally to everyone, so don't miss them.' I wanted them to seize those opportunities firmly, and even with half the players missing, each one has filled the gaps, and I feel that the results of our consistent efforts are starting to show.

　I would like to express my gratitude to all the fans and supporters who have continued to support us without giving up during difficult times. Many people have visited us in distant away games, including Hiroshima, and we are encouraged by this. I would like to take this opportunity to express my gratitude once again.

　【Yokohama FM Coach Higuchi's Press Conference Summary】 "The result is truly disappointing. We couldn't respond to the loud cheers of many supporters. We have lost consecutively, but I feel that this loss has a slightly different meaning compared to the previous match. In the last match, we couldn't take action ourselves to win the ball and move it, which we had been working on since camp. However, today, from the start of the first half, the players showed an aggressive attitude, and I believe that was reflected in their actions on both offense and defense. Of course, there are issues with how and when we conceded goals that need to be corrected, but I see this loss as a way to build towards the next matches. I want to fight strongly in the remaining 10 matches."