Facing Kobe, who is fighting for survival while pursuing the possibility of participating in the ACL

　After an interval of about 10 days, the league's Sec. 32 will be held. We will face Vissel Kobe at home. In the previous match, we conceded a goal from a set piece and were unable to break through Nagoya's solid defense, losing without scoring. However, due to the results of other matches, our J1 survival has been confirmed. Additionally, we remain 5 points behind 3rd place, which grants ACL qualification, and as long as there is a possibility, we will pursue it (Gonda). The players have renewed their determination and will fight through the last 3 matches from here.

　In this match, HASEGAWA's suspension has ended, and he returns to the starting lineup. TAKAHASHI, who has just returned from the Japan national team's World Cup qualifiers, and GONDA are also named in the starting lineup, with TAKAHASHI and HASEGAWA forming a double pivot.

　Kobe, currently in 15th place with 36 points, has not won in nine matches since their last victory on August 18 in Sec. 22, leading to the appointment of new manager Adachi after the last match. For Tokyo, the past J1 League matches against Kobe have been favorable, remaining unbeaten in 16 matches since 2002, so there is no sense of inferiority. However, Kobe is expected to come with significant determination to escape the relegation zone. The memory of the relegation battle from two years ago is still fresh, and their ability to perform under pressure and cohesion cannot be underestimated.

　The team led by the new coach Adachi is listed as a three-top formation, but it remains unchanged with FW Yu OKUBO and Tokura as the two forwards, with MF Nozawa and FW Ogawa on the wings. The double pivot consists of MF Hashimoto and Tanaka. The center backs are DF Inoha and Kitamoto.

　To surpass Kobe's fighting spirit, we want to first win the battles for the ball and the second balls, seize control of the match, and aim for victory. We will show our commitment to growth and competition, and strive to secure 3 points at home! With rain pouring down since morning, under weather that signals the arrival of winter, the match started at 17:04 with a kickoff in Tokyo.

While maintaining awareness of ball contests and transitions between offense and defense, we allowed the first goal...

　Entered the match with focus and found the rhythm at the start. In the first minute, Lucas connected with Kajiyama, and Tanabe on the left side took a step inside to aim for the goal. In the fourth minute, after Ishikawa's interception on the right side of our defense, we launched a counterattack, with Kajiyama passing to Ishikawa, who delivered a sharp ground cross from the right flank. Tanabe jumped in from the far side but just missed it. In the eighth minute, Ishikawa connected with Hasegawa, and Tokunaga advanced up the right side, dribbling into the area before delivering a final pass to the center. This was blocked by the Kobe defense, but we calmly defended against Kobe's long balls, regained possession, and quickly switched to attack with speed.

　In the 10th minute, Kobe's left back Soma advanced to the center and took a shot, but Tokyo's defense blocked it, and Kajiyama passed directly to Ishikawa on the right. Ishikawa → Kajiyama, who advanced to the center again, took a free shot just before the penalty arc, but it went well over the bar. In the 14th minute, following Hasegawa's interception, Ishikawa sprinted up the right side and crossed. They created a good opportunity starting from the side, but Lucas, who jumped in, couldn't take the shot.

　With a high awareness of second balls and challenges, they did not allow Kobe to create any real chances, but in the 22nd minute, Kobe's MF Tanaka made a vertical pass to FW Tokuura at the center just before the area. FW Tokuura controlled it at his feet and quickly turned to shoot. They created an attacking shape and brought it to the finish, but Gonda made a safe save.

　However, in the 27th minute, Takahashi's pass sent forward was cut by Kobe's right back, Okui. He dribbled forward and passed to forward Ogawa in the central front. Forward Ogawa managed to evade Hyun Soo JANG with a trap and returned the ball to defender Okui. Tokyo could not catch this attack from the one-two play. The ball was brought forward by defender Okui, who unleashed a powerful shot from just outside the area... the ball went into the bottom left of the goal. Once again, despite finding their rhythm, they allowed the first goal.

　In the 35th minute, Ota came on for Nakamura, marking his first appearance since Sec. 14 on June 16. He tried to regain the flow of the game, but around this time, the rain intensified, causing water to accumulate on the pitch. Nevertheless, during stoppage time, Ota cut in from the left side and entered the area. He delivered a last pass in front of the goal from close range, creating a decisive chance, but... Kajiyama's shot did not hit. They headed into the second half trailing by one goal.

With splashes of water, the ball stops on the pitch... consecutive losses without scoring

　In the 2nd minute of the second half, Kajiyama, who advanced on the right side, sent a floating pass in front of the goal, and Tanabe in the center took a chest trap and fired a decisive shot directly, but... it was blocked by the goalkeeper's save, and Ishikawa's shot, which seized the rebound in the area, was also blocked. In the 50th minute, Ota aimed for a long shot from a rebound of a free kick from the right side, but it veered to the left.

　After that, there was a fierce splash of water, and the pitch condition became such that the ball would stop. Both sides struggled, and it turned into a war of attrition. However, in the 55th minute, Watanabe was brought on. Despite the repeated kicking and stopping, and not being able to create a typical soccer shape, they tried to gather the ball in the front line and sought to break through.

　As intended, in the 62nd minute, Watanabe headed the ball from a right cross. In the 68th minute, Watanabe received a pass outside the right area, brought the ball forward himself, turned to face the goal, and took a sharp shot, but it grazed the bar and went wide... In the 75th minute, Ishikawa connected with a pass and took a powerful shot from the right area, but it was blocked by the goalkeeper's save, and Hasegawa couldn't react to the rebound.

　In the 76th minute, Nemanja VUCICEVIC was brought on. He further showcased an attacking mindset. In the 78th minute, VUCICEVIC quickly approached a loose ball just before the right area and took a controlled shot, but it went straight to the GK... In the 83rd minute, Watanabe broke through the right flank himself. Ishikawa and Lucas aimed for the goal in quick succession from a central cross, earning a corner kick. From this right corner kick, Lucas delivered a precise header, but... it was also thwarted by a great save from the GK.

　Continuing to push against Kobe, who tried to defend without forcing the attack, Tokyo took 9 shots in the second half compared to Kobe's 1, but could not score, resulting in a scoreless consecutive loss. This defeat against Kobe in the J1 League marks the first since August 10, 2002, and as a result, the possibility of finishing in the top four this season has been eliminated.

　[Player Comments] {Hasegawa} "We were all discussing how to be careful not to concede the first goal... However, we allowed the opening goal, and then the pitch conditions worsened, making the match difficult. This season, we often concede before we can score ourselves. That's something we absolutely want to correct. In the second half, we kicked the ball behind once, created chances from the stopped ball, and had a header shot from a set piece. I think we were able to execute well. We want to somehow turn that into goals. In the next two matches, we want to showcase Tokyo's style and win."

　Watanabe: "In a situation where the ball wasn't connecting, I wanted to show a proactive attitude and bring momentum to the team. I tried to score the first goal somehow, but it didn't go well. There may have been chances that could be considered decisive, but we couldn't convert them, and I'm very disappointed that we couldn't achieve a result. I wanted to contribute to the team by showcasing my abilities. I want to work hard to ensure we can earn three points by fully utilizing my strengths."

　[Summary of Coach Popovic's Press Conference] "It is very difficult to talk about soccer. We were not prepared to fight water polo. I want to congratulate the opponent on the result. We created chances before conceding a goal, but we could not capitalize on them. That is the challenge. However, we continued to show the attitude of not giving up and aiming for the goal until the end. We created chances and approached the goal, but we could not finish. One could say that we just lacked goals. I believe the feelings and the attitude towards the goal that the players continued to show are commendable."

　【Kobe Coach Adachi's Press Conference Summary】 "In the first half, despite the rain, both teams had their desired style of football. In the second half, due to the weather and pitch conditions, it turned into a battle of physicality. In the first half, we were able to progress the game relatively as planned. Tokyo plays fair and high-quality football. In response, we approached the game more from a defensive standpoint. Given that the pitch was wet, DF Okui scored a good shot at a good time, which became the winning goal and allowed us to earn 3 points. However, it was a very intense match, so I am a bit worried about any injuries. Tokyo often waters the pitch even during regular practice, so we prepared for slippery conditions to some extent, but we didn't expect it to rain this much, creating puddles that hindered the ball's movement."