A top-tier showdown already. Challenging the in-form Yokohama FM

The league matches resume after two Nabisco Cup matches. In Sec. 4, we will face Yokohama F. Marinos. We will be playing away. In the Nabisco Cup, we achieved 1 win and 1 draw without Japan national team players Takahashi and Gonda, and South Korean national team player Hyun Soo JANG. In particular, in the last match against Kashima, Lee and Higashi marked their first goals, leading to a comeback victory. We aim to maintain that momentum while further improving our quality and precision as we head into this match.

Yokohama FM, including the Nabisco Cup, is currently on a five-match winning streak in official competitions this season. They are at the top of the league and can be said to be in excellent form. In this match, FW Marquinhos is suspended, but with FW Fujita at the top, MF Nakamura in the attacking midfield, and MF Hyodo and rookie Sato on both sides. They have lined up with DF Amano as the right side back.

Yokohama FM's set plays that utilize the precise kicks of MF Nakamura and the runs of MF Hyodo are significant weapons, but the key will be how well they can persistently contain those attacks and endure the tough moments. Maintaining quick transitions between offense and defense, sustaining their work rate, and winning the midfield battle to convert that into goals is what they aim for.

In Tokyo, Japan national team players Takahashi and Gonda are also in the starting lineup. Watanabe is at the top, and Lee makes his first league start in a formation close to a two-top. Hasegawa and Takahashi form a double pivot in the lineup. The season has just begun, but this match is already a top-of-the-table clash. The match started at 19:04 with Yokohama FM's kickoff at Nissan Stadium, where it is chilly and looks like it might start raining.

Maintaining focus on both offense and defense, we took the lead with Lee's first league goal!　

Both teams tried to take control, and in the early stages, there was a struggle for the ball. In the 9th and 11th minutes, Takahashi attempted to break the deadlock and find the rhythm of the attack with consecutive long-range shots. In the 13th minute, Lee launched a counterattack, and Watanabe, who seized a loose ball from the opposing defender in the left area, aimed with his left foot, but the ball veered to the right and did not reach Lee, who was closing in on the goal.

In the 16th minute, Yokohama's MF Nakamura made a through pass to left MF Hyodo, but Tokunaga responded perfectly. Again in the 22nd minute, a long pass from Yokohama FM's MF Nakamura allowed MF Hyodo to advance into the left area, but Kaga slid in to take the ball away. With concentrated defense, Yokohama FM was not allowed to create chances in front of the goal. From there, they connected to a quick counterattack.

In the 27th minute, after a left throw-in, the ball was passed around, and Lucas dropped it with a heel pass to Hasegawa on the left flank. Ota, who ran into position, delivered a cross directly. The powerful ball was cleared by the opposing defender's header in front of the goal, but Lee quickly reacted to the ball that spilled into the right area. He kicked it in directly, scoring a goal! Lee marked his first goal in the league and took the lead with consecutive goals in official matches!

In the 33rd minute, Yokohama FM had their first shot with a long-range effort from MF Nakamura, but Gonda made the save. In the 41st minute, a through pass to the front line of Yokohama FM allowed FW Fujita to break into the left area, but the shot was blocked. They maintained their concentration on both offense and defense, leading by one goal as they headed into the second half.

Watanabe scores the equalizer, but the team concedes three goals in the second half and loses in a comeback...

In the 48th minute of the second half, Lee in the center made a through pass to Higashi, who ran in from the right behind the opponent's defense. Lucas from the left side connected and entered the area, but was cut off by the defender just before the last play. In the 58th minute, Higashi in the center passed to Lee in front of the goal. Lee spread it to the right, and Takahashi, who moved up front, delivered a grounded cross. They approached the Yokohama FM goal with flowing passing, but the last pass from Takahashi to Higashi was just slightly off, and it was caught by the goalkeeper.

Tokyo managed to suppress Yokohama FM's attack as they attempted to counter, seemingly finding their rhythm. However, in the 60th minute, a foul was committed to stop a dribble by Yokohama FM FW Fujita, resulting in a free kick awarded in the central area of Tokyo's half. Yokohama FM MF Nakamura's direct shot hit the wall and changed direction, floating to the right and catching Gonda off guard... They were equalized due to the missed opportunity from the free kick.

The match returned to square one, and thereafter both teams utilized their characteristics to attack each other swiftly, but in the 68th minute, a gap was exploited. From a right throw-in by Yokohama FM, DF Amano broke through the defense of Tokyo and delivered a cross from the left flank. This was headed in by FW Fujita in front of the goal, resulting in a conceded goal... We allowed them to take the lead.

In the 70th minute, Yonemoto replaced Lee as a defensive midfielder. Hasegawa moved to right midfield, and Higashi took the position just behind the forwards to launch a counterattack. This paid off, as in the 72nd minute, Lucas in the left area took a decisive shot after some intricate passing, but it hit the right post. However, in the 82nd minute, during a series of counterattacks, they demonstrated strength in ball contests. Hasegawa quickly advanced after intercepting a pass error from Yokohama FM, passing to Higashi on the right, who then passed to Hasegawa in the center, allowing Watanabe to shoot with his right foot. This deflected off the opposing defender and into the net! They equalized in the final stages.

This heated up the stands and raised the mood for a comeback, but conversely, they could not stop the momentum of Yokohama FM, who launched a fierce attack at home. In the 90th minute, a shot from a right cross by Yokohama FM was blocked and initially cleared, but the loose ball was taken and connected. Yokohama MF Hyodo made a run from the right to the center, receiving a pass from Yokohama FW Fujita, who was free in front of the goal. This was struck... Despite taking the lead, they suffered three goals in the second half and lost in a comeback, resulting in consecutive losses in the league.

[Player Comments]
"Mori Shige" said, "Although the performance wasn't bad, we must firmly accept that we lost twice during this period. That reflects our current strength. Including the match against C Osaka, the reason we can't win in these types of games must lie within ourselves. While we continue to do what we need to do, I want each player to approach practice with the mindset of pursuing something more. I believe it's important to build on that throughout the season."

Ota: "We had chances to win, so it's a shame... that's my impression. (Regarding the assist to Lee) Hasegawa provided a good ball, and I could see that Lee was positioned at the far post. I was able to send a cross directly as I imagined. However, even though our attacking players scored two goals, conceding three and losing is disappointing as a defender."


【Summary of the Coach's Press Conference】
"Coach POPOVIC" said, "I believe it was a game where we all put in our efforts and entertained those watching. Although we lost in the end, I don't think we are losers. We were able to show what we needed to do and what we have been doing. Yokohama FM is also a wonderful team, and we were able to compete on equal footing or better against such an opponent. In soccer, there is also luck involved in the results, but by continuing to play this kind of soccer, there will come a day when luck will be on our side. I believe what is important is to continue doing what we have been doing and the soccer we showed today, and to further improve our quality."

"Yokohama FM Coach Higuchi" said, "I think we were able to play a good game, including the way we won, the result, and the content. Since this season, Tokyo has had player Higashi moving forward, and I had the impression that the combinations in the frontline involving the third and fourth players are at a top level. The key point was how to break that down, and we had a meeting to discuss that the battles in the midfield would be crucial as we entered the game. In the first half, the first defender approached and it became a clash, and we couldn't pick up the second ball, which prevented us from gaining an advantage. As a result, we allowed Tokyo to execute their combinations."

We conceded a goal, but at halftime, I told the players, 'We are starting to move the ball, so it's definitely not a bad performance.' Once we organized a few points, I was sure we could turn it around. In the second half, since the opponent was leading, they played a bit defensively and aimed for counterattacks. On the other hand, we were able to move the ball well and create points between the opposing players, which led to scoring. Winning a competitive game like this is something we didn't have last season. I want to highly evaluate the players, and this will give us momentum for future matches. There is also joy in that sense.