Under the pleasant weather welcoming spring, aiming for consecutive wins in the home opener!

The league's Sec. 2 is being held. As the home opener, we will face Kashiwa Reysol at Ajinomoto. In the previous match against Oita, although we allowed the first goal, we showcased our Tokyo style in various ways and secured a comeback victory with goals from Watanabe and Hayato Hasegawa. Coach Ranko POPOVIC stated, "We had a good start to the season, and I believe the start is important, but what is more important is how we can accumulate points with good performances throughout the season," emphasizing the need to aim for victory in every match while keeping the long season in mind.

Kashiwa, having demonstrated their strength by winning the Emperor's Cup Final on New Year's Day this year, has welcomed new players including FW CLEO, DF SUZUKI, and MF KANO this season. Under coach NELSINHO, the team has increased its depth with consideration for the ACL, creating a well-rounded squad. Additionally, ahead of the league opening, they have already started with the Xerox Super Cup and ACL. Although they did not achieve results in the cup competitions, they showcased their ability to adapt, and in the last match against Kawasaki, thanks to the performance of new FW CLEO, they secured a convincing victory. This indicates the team's good condition.

The key to this match is how Tokyo can surpass Kashiwa with their style. As shown in the match against Oita, expectations are high for Watanabe's positioning and Lucas as the starting point, along with the high-quality movements and precise passing from Higashi and the Hasegawas.

Tokyo will be without Kaga, who injured his back in the match against Oita. Hyun Soo JANG will start. Additionally, Nemanja VUCICEVIC has made it to the bench, and the team will approach the game with an offensive lineup. Kashiwa will be missing MF Jorge WAGNER. The formation will be a 4-2-3-1, with MF Kano and FW Kudo on the flanks, and MF Leandro DOMINGUES in the center. Unlike the match against Oita, the temperature has risen, giving a feeling of spring at Ajinomoto. The match started at 14:04 with Kashiwa's kickoff.

Watanabe scores 2 goals! Just as planned in the match strategy

From the start, both teams attacked and fought for the ball in a tense match. In the 6th minute, Tokyo pushed into the opponent's territory, and Yonemoto intercepted a clearance from Kashiwa's DF and sent a pass behind the DF. Timing his run perfectly, Watanabe caught up and took a precise shot from just left of the penalty arc. The ball went through the goalkeeper's legs and into the goal. Watanabe, who had mentioned before the match that "the first goal would be key," scored his second consecutive goal following the last match, giving his team an early lead.

In the 14th minute, Kudo from Kashiwa, with a skillful dribble, slipped between two Tokyo defenders and took a shot from the right area, but Gonda made the save. Although Kashiwa maintained possession of the ball for a while afterward, they quickly regained the ball through aggressive defense centered around Yonemoto and transitioned into a swift attack.

In the 22nd minute, Higashi broke into the right area from quick passing work and passed to the free Takahashi just before the central area. They showed good coordination, but Takahashi's shot went wide of the target. However, in the 28th minute, Takahashi connected to Hasegawa, and Ota, who advanced up the left side, delivered a cross. This was cleared by Kashiwa, but Ota persistently connected the loose ball to Higashi in the left area. From here, the ball Higashi sent in front of the goal seemed to be mishit, but it was delivered in front of the goal, and Watanabe reacted sharply to score with a direct shot from his left foot! He converted the chance reliably and extended the lead.

In the latter part of the first half, Kashiwa's defense was strict, making it difficult to advance easily, but Tokyo was quick to react to second balls and pressed forward with secondary and tertiary attacks, finishing the first half by pushing Kashiwa back.

Masaru HASEGAWA marks his second consecutive goal. He was active in both offense and defense, leading to a great victory!

Kashiwa made two substitutions in the second half in an attempt to regroup. In the 49th minute, from a right corner kick by Kashiwa, midfielder Kano took a shot from the right area, but it was blocked and ruled offside. In terms of ball possession, both teams were nearly equal, but Tokyo took control in defense and created chances from their speedy attacks.

In the 58th minute, Takahashi spread the play to the right front line. Hasegawa brought the ball inside and sent a last pass to Higashi at the near post. However, Higashi's shot from close range was saved by the GK... The loose ball was chased by Higashi, who took another shot, but this too was thwarted by the GK's brave defense. In the 69th minute, Lee came on for Watanabe. Lee brought the ball into the area from the left side in the 74th minute and took a bold shot, but it grazed the hands of the Kashiwa GK and hit the bar...

In the 75th minute, Kashiwa launched a counterattack, and FW Cleo took a powerful shot, but Gonda caught it. Tokyo calmly transitioned from defense to attack, and in the 78th minute, Tokunaga's vertical pass was connected by Lee, then Yonemoto passed to the left side where Hasegawa brought it into the center of the area and controlled the shot with his right foot! This went into the top left corner, securing the third goal to pull ahead of Kashiwa.

In the 82nd minute, Ota sent a left cross, and Lee tried to connect in front of the goal, but the shot did not hit... After that, they made substitutions, bringing in Ishikawa in the 83rd minute and Kono in the 87th minute. Tokyo launched sharp counters from a calm defense. Although they could not score the fourth goal, they were active in both offense and defense. They closed the match with the game plan they aimed for, securing 3 points in the home opener and achieving consecutive victories.

[Player Comments]
"Yamamoto" said, "Being able to keep a clean sheet against a team with high attacking power like Kashiwa gives me confidence. With Takahashi, it’s fine for either of us to push forward, and when I go up, I feel secure knowing he covers for me. I think I was able to show that movement today. The coach always tells us to 'extend after winning the ball,' and I’ve been conscious of that in our daily practice, so perhaps I was able to demonstrate that accumulation today."

Takahashi: "This season, we are differentiating between pressing from the front and retreating to defend, depending on the situation. I think that worked well today. The entire team is trying to switch quickly from defense to attack and from attack to defense. I feel that our quick counterattacks after regaining possession have improved compared to last season, and I believe we were able to showcase what we've been trying to achieve."

[Summary of Coach Ranko POPOVIC's Press Conference]
"No matter what kind of match it is, a result of 3-0 is pleasing, and it's not easy, but especially since today's opponent was Kashiwa, it means even more. Today, we fought tough, and each individual had a sense of responsibility and a strong attitude. Throughout the match, we did not give the opponent space and time, and we did not allow high-skilled players like MF Leandro DOMINGUES and FW Cleo to play freely. We were able to perform like today against an opponent with such talented players, but we want to continue that and we should be able to. We cannot let our guard down in any match.

I believe it is important to approach every match as usual, but since this is the home opener, many fans and supporters came to the stadium. We were able to show solid soccer and achieve good results. I think that by focusing on winning with our style of soccer, we can fill Ajinomoto Stadium. I am glad we were able to demonstrate that attitude today.

[Kashiwa - NELSINHO's Press Conference Summary]
"Today, the opponent had more determination and a higher quality of skill and organization than we did. I believe they were a team deserving of victory. We were not the usual team that we always are in the J-League. We were defeated by the opponent's organization and determination."