The 2013 season has begun! A match we want to win to gain momentum in the first game.

The long-awaited 2013 J-League season has begun. This marks the second season under Coach Popovic, facing Oita Trinita away. This season, Chun Son LEE, Keigo HIGASHI, Hirotaka MITA, and Hideyuki NOZAWA have joined the team. The team started training on January 20 and has been preparing with camps and practice matches in Okinawa and Miyazaki. Building on what was developed last season, we aim to enhance quality and precision, connect it to 'results' with attractive soccer, and strive for title acquisition.

Oita finished 6th in last season's J2, but after a series of victories in the subsequent playoffs, they dramatically secured promotion to J1. Under the leadership of coach Tasaka, who has been in charge since last season, the goal is to implement a philosophy of "all-out attack, all-out defense" through hard work. This season, that mindset has permeated the team, and with a formation of 3-1-4-2, their quick transitions between offense and defense, along with solid defense and sharp counterattacks, will be significant assets. For Oita, this is the first time in four seasons returning to the J1 stage after overcoming various challenges. Starting this season at home should be a great advantage.

Tokyo has reunited with Shiota and Lucas, who had left the team, and the members are now complete. Today, Morishige and Kaga will play as center-backs, with Yonemoto and Takahashi as double defensive midfielders. Hasegawa and Lucas will be positioned as left and right midfielders, with Azuma playing just behind the striker and Watanabe as the lone forward. Morishige, who has been appointed as the game captain this season, declared, "A strong start is important for winning the title. While taking care of Oita's counterattacks, we will focus on good ball movement and attacks, and we will fight with determination to win."

The East said, "It's the opening match, and it's a match against my former team Oita, so there's a lot of excitement. It's important not to do things halfway and to go all out. Even if we lose the ball, we need to switch quickly and continue our desired play for the full 90 minutes. If we do that, the results will definitely follow." He promised to express the confidence he has gained so far on the pitch. Aiming to showcase Tokyo's style and fiercely compete with determination, we will bring home 3 points! The match started at 19:04 with Oita's kickoff at Oita Bank Dome.

Watanabe's skillful shot scores, and the first half ends in a tie.

From the start of the first half, they calmly circulated the ball and took control. In the 9th minute, Tokunaga's long feed was cleared by the opposing defender. Hasegawa picked it up in the center of the area, advanced to draw in the defenders, and found Higashi free on the left side. He cut back to evade the approaching defender and took a shot, but it hit the crossbar. In the 13th minute, Tokunaga advanced on the right side after exchanging passes with Hasegawa and Higashi, delivering a vertical pass to Watanabe in the center. He received it perfectly at his feet and immediately turned to shoot, but it went over the crossbar.

Creating multiple scoring opportunities and advancing at Tokyo's pace, they allowed the first goal due to a momentary lapse. In the 17th minute, from a left corner kick by Oita, MF Kimura connected with a short pass, and from the left edge of the area, MF Che Jong-han delivered a cross that went into the goal without being touched by anyone. Oita capitalized on their one chance. However, Tokyo, without rushing, continued to attack with their usual passing play. In the 25th minute, Lucas broke through on the right flank and passed a floating ball to Takahashi in front of the goal. Hayato Hasegawa attempted to connect but couldn't finish.

Then, in the 26th minute, Takahashi's cross, which flowed to the right, was received by Watanabe, who had dropped back. He carried the ball from right to left just before the area, passed it to Hasegawa inside the area, received the return, and shot directly. This beautifully pierced the bottom left corner, equalizing the score. In the 35th minute, Lucas on the right flank delivered a cross. Watanabe in the center headed the ball at the perfect timing, but it went straight to the goalkeeper. They continued to create scoring opportunities but couldn't shake the net, and the first half ended as it was.

Hasegawa's comeback goal was scored, celebrating victory in the opening match

The flow continued to favor Tokyo in the second half. In the 51st minute, Hasegawa sprinted down the left side. He delivered a negative last pass into the space opened in the center of the area. Rucon made a run from the opposite side but just missed it. In the 56th minute, Tokunaga broke through on the right side, resulting in a right corner kick. From Higashi's kick, Takahashi attempted a header but it was saved by the GK. However, from this situation, Hasegawa intercepted the ball thrown by the opposing GK and lifted it over the advancing GK into the empty goal, unexpectedly securing an additional point.

Then, after that, they were pushed back by Oita's vigorous attack. In the 62nd minute, Oita had a free kick from the right side. MF Kimura kicked in front of the goal. DF Takagi made a high header, but it went wide, avoiding a crisis. In the 70th minute, Oita's MF Che Jong-han utilized his ball retention in the left area, and FW Nishi made a left cross. However, it did not connect in the center. Tokyo tried to change the flow in the 72nd minute by substituting Watanabe for Lee. Immediately after that, Lucas broke free in the right area and made a negative last pass to the center. Lee connected with it and took a decisive shot, but it was blocked by the goalkeeper's great save, resulting in a corner kick.

In the final stages, Tokyo replaced Higashi with Ishikawa to counter Oita's relentless attacks. They created a scoring opportunity from a counterattack. In the 90th minute, they intercepted the ball in their own half, and Ishikawa made a through pass behind the DF. Lee chased the long ball and found himself one-on-one with the GK, but his shot was saved. Furthermore, Lee evaded the DF from the right side and brought the ball inside to take a shot himself, but it went wide to the left. After that, Ishikawa created chances with his sharp dribbling, but they couldn't capitalize on them. The match ended as it was, with Tokyo fighting calmly despite the struggles and securing a comeback victory in their opening match.

[Player Comments]
《Watanabe》"Everyone was able to connect and create an attacking play. In the opening match, every team comes in with high motivation, so it will be a tough game. Given that situation, it was good to earn 3 points away, and amidst the difficulties, the responsibility of the FW... if the FW scores, the team can get into the flow. Overall, it was good that we could play aggressively. (Regarding the goal) First, I received the ball outside the penalty area and was able to face forward. I saw Aria, so I passed the ball, and when it came back, I tried to stop it once. However, I could see the path, so I decided to shoot boldly. I think it was the best decision in that moment. (About myself this season) There are many good FWs in the team, and since I joined last season, there has been fierce competition. I have the feeling that I can't lose in that situation, and I wanted to deliver results today."

"Hasegawa" said, "I think we were able to create good attacks, including the third player's movement from good passing, using post play, and mid-range shots, in addition to the scoring scenes. Personally, I was thinking that if I play further forward (than the defensive midfielder), I want to focus on scoring and assists. I think it was good that I was able to do that in the opening match. However, I knew that Oita would use trick plays and set plays. Last season, we conceded many unnecessary goals from set pieces, and that is something to reflect on and a challenge for today. We need to increase our concentration and maintain it. I feel that I am in good form, as my mind and body seem to be in sync. However, while I think we can be happy today, I want to strive to win with even better content without being satisfied with this result as we head into a long season."

【Summary of Coach Popovic's Press Conference】
"I think it was a very good match. However, it was unfortunate that we conceded a goal due to a momentary lapse. I knew from the beginning that Oita's set pieces were highly accurate, and I feel that losing focus in that moment and conceding a goal is an issue we need to address moving forward. However, regarding the content of the match and how we played, I believe we deserved to come back. I think we managed the game calmly and intelligently, and I believe we executed what we have been working on well on the pitch. We created many decisive chances from the flow of the game. It's unfortunate that we couldn't convert those chances. Looking at the number of opportunities, I think we could have scored more goals.

Oita is a dangerous team that has a well-organized defense and can launch precise counterattacks. I believe that teams facing Oita will experience the fear of being close to those counterattacks. There was an unexpected injury substitution for Kaga, but Hyun Soo JANG, who came on as a substitute, played solidly. This is what I always demand from the players: to be prepared to perform well in any situation. I think it showed that not only the starting eleven but all the players fought together. The substitutes Ishikawa and Lee were the same. I believe they sharpened their focus to perform as if they were starting from the beginning.

【Oita - Coach Tasaka's Press Conference Summary】
"If I may say so, I wanted to win, but I think it was a match where ending in a draw wouldn't have been surprising. Of course, we are fully aware that we will be pushed back, and we must fight this season. Both in the first half and the second half, we made efforts to defend by putting our bodies on the line at the last moment, which is commendable. We were also able to approach the goal effectively with counterattacks, and after conceding the second goal, we were able to attack with the width that is characteristic of us. The fact that we had fewer opportunities is something we need to address next. Throughout this season in J1, we must fight as challengers against any opponent. This was a match that allowed us to recognize that again. I believe the players understood through experience that it is not easy. I told the players, 'Never look down. Since we are fighting on this stage this season, we must keep our heads up and improve our quality beyond what we have now.'