Ishikawa, Lee, and Hirayama bring a fresh breeze and dramatically bring it to a draw.

In the second half, Tokyo dominated the ball, but struggled to attack and in the 59th minute, Ishikawa and Lee were substituted. Takahashi dropped back to defense and Hasegawa moved to midfield. Ishikawa and Higashi tried to break through the situation by moving to both sides. This gradually led to a more speedy attack.

66 minutes, Ota's left cross, Lee and Iwata DF competing for the ball at the far post, Ishikawa with a direct shot from the ball that spilled just behind. In the 72nd minute, Hasegawa aimed for the back of the opposing DF and sent a sharp floating pass, which was followed by a deep run from East in the left area, but he couldn't control it with his trap. Immediately after, Hirayama was substituted in and this would soon prove to be successful.

73 minutes, connect from a throw-in, Yonemoto makes a vertical pass to the area. Hirayama, who received it on the left area, uses his strength to get past the opponent, brings it to the sideline, and makes a minus last pass to the center space. Ishikawa, who ran in freely, stabs the net with a goal. With Ishikawa's first goal of the season, the stand also heats up as they close the gap to one point. As the mood for a comeback rises, they launch a fierce attack.

In the 82nd minute, Ota passed to Nao on the left side, who crossed the ball. Hirayama headed it from far away, but it lacked power and went wide. In the 88th minute, Tokunaga passed to Ishikawa, who ran up the field. Ishikawa received the ball and brought it inside, shooting towards the goal. Lee reacted with one foot, but it went wide. Despite putting pressure on Iwata in their own half, they were unable to score in several close opportunities.

Then, in stoppage time, Ota, who had made a move on the left flank, was initially dispossessed by the opponent, but he pressed and regained possession, and Ishikawa, who had followed behind, crossed from the left. In response, Hirayama jumped in with a header in front of the goal, but the Iwata GK punched it away in a collision. However, Ota in the left area calmly did not stop playing and made a direct ground pass to the center. Lee then kicked it in for the equalizing goal.

After trailing by 2 points, we dramatically caught up at the end and achieved our first draw of the season. Although we were unable to turn the game around, we showed a never-give-up attitude until the end and earned a valuable 1 point.


[Player Comments]
《Ishikawa》
"I received instructions to 'aim for the back more and more' and stood on the pitch, trying to use the space. While utilizing my own characteristics, I also paid attention to the ball side and the overall positioning. It was all about being conscious of connecting to the goal. The goal was like 'a good ball has come!' I think it led to a goal thanks to Hirayama creating opportunities up front. The goal was my determination, Lee's determination, and the team's determination."

"Lee"
"I am aware of what I need to do as a FW and I am focused on continuing to do it well. Today, I didn't drop back too much and I was thinking about making a move in the final moments. I think I was able to show my strengths with that goal. However, there were also chances for us to turn the game around, including my own header... We wanted to score one more goal and win. I think I can do more and I am not satisfied. It is difficult to produce results in a limited time, but I want to continue contributing to victories."


[Coach's Press Conference Summary]
"Coach Ranko POPOVIC"
"It was a game that made my heart ache, but I can appreciate that we were able to catch up after being down by two points. Today, it wasn't something we could be satisfied with compared to our usual state, but when we were able to move the ball quickly and make effective side changes, we were able to create chances."

However, we lacked aggressiveness compared to usual. We couldn't pick up second balls and couldn't connect our attacks in the first half. In the situation where we conceded, everyone just stood and watched, which created an easy opportunity for Jubilo, a strong opponent, to score.

At halftime, I told the players, "If we can play our usual game, including winning the ball, switching between offense and defense, and improving our precision, we can win this match." For that to happen, everyone needs to fight and increase their movement. We need to be more aggressive than in the first half. And instead of dropping back, the back line needs to control the line compactly and pick up second balls. In the second half, I don't think the opponent picked up any second balls, and we had a lot of possession. There were also moments where we picked up second balls and created scoring opportunities.

Our players fought without giving up and caught up to a tie in the very end. Among the many people who came to watch during Golden Week, it was also a message to the children. We really wanted to win, but if we don't give up until the end, we can still get a good result. So we have to keep fighting until the end. I think it was great to be able to show our fighting spirit."

"Head Coach Iwata Nagasawa"
"Last week, something big happened, but the supporters came to the stadium and supported us until the end. I am truly grateful and thankful. As for the analysis of the game, it was expected that Tokyo would have some initiative at the away Ajinomoto Stadium. In order to bring the game to our pace, we prepared ourselves. We only had one training session, but the players did more than enough. In the end, we were caught up by Tokyo's determination, but I am grateful to the players who gave their best without any negative thoughts and played their best away from home."