Sec. 17 of the first round of the league, aiming for consecutive wins to continue into the second half

League Sec. 17 will be held at Ajinomoto Stadium, facing Ventforet Kofu. As the final game of a 4-game stretch, and also the end of the first round of league matches, we aim to continue our winning streak from the previous game and start the second half of the season on a good note. However, Mori Shige will be suspended due to accumulated yellow cards. As a result, Kaga and Hyun Soo JANG will be starting as center backs. Lucas will also be starting for the first time in 3 games. Yonemoto and Ota, who were injured in the previous game, have not fully recovered and will be starting as well.

Kofu, on the other hand, is currently in 14th place with 14 points. Under the guidance of manager Kiyotaka Shiofuku, Kofu returned to J1 this season and has been able to dominate the ball and put up a good fight against any opponent. However, they have lost 6 consecutive matches since Sec. 11. In particular, in the 3 matches after the break, they have suffered close defeats. However, they will surely be desperate for a result in this section.

It's been since the final match of 2007 that we've faced Kofu, but we'll aim for a consecutive win by playing aggressively and staying focused on both offense and defense for the full 90 minutes, as is typical of Tokyo. The rain has been getting stronger since before the match at Ajinomoto. The match started at 19:34, a little later than usual, with Kofu's kickoff on Wednesday.

Despite conceding a goal right after the start, Lucas' goal equalized the score.

The match started with a lot of movement. Kofu DF Tsuchiya → FW Hiramoto made a play on the left side of Tokyo, and from there a ground pass was sent deep into the right area. Kofu midfielder MF Sasaki dropped the ball from the sideline, and MF Kashiwa followed up with a minus pass to the center. FW Hiramoto was left free to score a header... In the beginning, they were caught off guard and their defense was broken down by a direct pass, resulting in a goal being conceded.

However, Tokyo calmly counterattacks without being shaken. Although they have some time with the ball against Kofu, they defend without panicking and try to create chances by moving forward. In the 7th minute, Lucas' cross is cut off, but they connect with a second pass and Lucas once again cuts into the right area and takes a shot. He had aimed for the goal, but the goalkeeper made a great save. In the 17th minute, they intercept in the midfield and move forward, and Watanabe steals the ball from the feet of the Kofu defenders and takes a shot from the left area.

And in the 18th minute, the ball was passed around in the midfield, with Yonemoto → Takahashi → Ota, who went up the left side, sending a high cross to the far side. Lucas then competed with the opposing defender and headed the ball into the left net, equalizing the score! It was a skillful header by Lucas that brought the team level.

At 27 minutes, Kofu's pass was intercepted by Yonemoto. He passed it to Watanabe and together they launched a dynamic counterattack. Watanabe dribbled up and passed it to Yonemoto on the left side. Yonemoto took the ball with speed and shot from outside the left corner of the area, but it was saved by the goalkeeper. After that, there were some mistakes and they couldn't take the lead, but they didn't allow any chances for Kofu either. The game was carried over to the second half.

Filled with dynamism, Nema's first goal and Watanabe's two goals push Kofu ahead!

In the second half, both teams quickly attacked each other. In the 52nd minute, Kofu connected from a throw-in and Kofu FW Kaneko broke through the right side. Tokyo DF was barely able to defend and the ball was passed to the center, where Kofu MF Sasaki jumped in... a decisive moment was created, but Tokunaga managed to block the shot with his body and it ended in a miss.

In the 53rd minute, Tokyo brought in Nemanja VUCICEVIC. They then launched a faster attack. In the 69th minute, Ota ran into a loose ball that had spilled from the opponent's DF on the left front line and crossed it. In the center, Watanabe headed the ball with a high point. The floating ball was out of reach for the Kofu GK and was sucked into the net, scoring a winning goal. They successfully took the lead.

With this, we completely gained momentum and in the 74th minute, Ishikawa came in. Starting from the left side, we were able to connect to a powerful attack. In the 82nd minute, we connected from our own half, with Jang Hyun Soo sending a vertical pass to Ota, who broke through on the left front line and sent a low cross to the center. East let it go through and Vucicevic, who had circled around from behind, confidently struck the ball with his right foot and scored. Nema's first goal of the season was born, and we took the third goal.

Kofu had no power to counterattack, and in the 89th minute, Mita, who came on as a substitute, received a pass from Yonemoto from the right side of his own goal and turned towards the right side of the field. Watanabe received the ball and dribbled into the area. He feinted and cut inside the opposing DF before taking a shot. The ball bounced off the covering DF and into the net. With 3 goals in the second half, they secured a victory with a season-high of 4 goals. They continue their winning streak and finish the first half of the season with 26 points in 8th place.


[Player Comments]
《Watanabe》
"The shape from crosses was not enough as a team, so I always wanted to score. I was able to match it well. From practice, I have been discussing with Ota about timing and other things. For the second goal, I tried to go by myself and dribble. I think my greediness worked. I have scored 12 goals so far, but there were scenes where I could have scored more, and the future is important. I will aim for the next one without thinking too much. Above all, it is most important for the team to win and it also gives me confidence. I want to fight not only for the content, but also for the result."

"Lucas"
"As soon as the cross from Ota player went up, I felt a good ball coming and jumped in. I was able to win against the opponent's DF and bring it to a header. The whole team wanted to continue winning and I was also motivated. We conceded first and I wanted to catch up as soon as possible. There is a little gap from here, but I think the team's condition is gradually improving. We want to aim for a higher position and keep working hard without letting our guard down."


[Coach Popovich's Press Conference Summary]
"There was a difference in content between the first and second half. I think the early goal we conceded had an impact. We challenged for goals offensively, but in the first half, there were many instances where we lost the ball to the opponent due to missed passes and easy mistakes. In the second half, we were able to make corrections. We organized our thoughts and were able to threaten the opponent's goal with quick decision-making and ideas. We need to continue playing like we did in the second half, and I believe we have the ability to show that."

In the tight schedule of playing four games in a short period of time, they showed great play even in the fourth game. It was a physically and mentally exhausting schedule, but I am satisfied that they were able to show such a game as the finale of the four-game series. I want to say "well done" to the players. Not only the starters, but also the players who came off the bench, I think it was a victory that we all won together. Also, I would like to express my gratitude for the fact that so many fans and supporters came to the game despite the bad weather. We want to continue to show soccer like today and repay the support we have received."


[Kofu Castle Fukudome Coach's Press Conference Summary]
"Despite the very difficult team situation, the supporters of Kofu gave us warm and passionate support. We will never forget this. We want to repay their feelings. As for the game, until the 70th minute when we conceded the second goal, it was a good performance that I want to praise. However, as a result, there have been several games where we cannot be praised for our performance when the 90 minutes are over. The challenges are very clear, so I will continue with this football. There may be changes in the squad. We want to show a new Kofu after the 18th round."

(When I saw Tokyo players and supporters on the pitch, my feelings were) When I had to leave Tokyo three years ago, I left without being able to greet the supporters who had warmly supported me. So I decided to bow as a sign of gratitude. So I bowed. It was to express my gratitude for everything up until now. However, only during that time of bowing. Otherwise, I am with the Kofu players and supporters.}