A match against the top teams that tests the team's growth

Sec. 21 of the league is being held. We will face Yokohama F. Marinos at home. In the previous match, although we fell behind twice, we fought tenaciously and managed to draw. At the same time, we have gone six matches without a loss, and it can be said that we are gradually developing a resilience that is not easily broken. With that 'accumulation', we aim to secure three points at home in this match.

However, in the first half of the league, we were unable to earn 3 points from teams ranked above us, including Tokyo. In particular, we suffered a bitter comeback loss in the away match against Yokohama FM. The players all stated, "Although it is just another match, this round is truly an important game," and it is also a match that will test the current strength and true value of the team.

Yokohama FM is currently in 2nd place. They have managed to achieve 4 wins and 1 draw in the last 5 matches, maintaining good form throughout the season. With a lineup of experienced players, their skill in managing matches and their ability to perform under pressure are characteristics of Yokohama FM. In contrast, the key will be how to avoid showing any weaknesses and, conversely, how to exploit the opponent's weaknesses. A tense battle is expected against the match-savvy Yokohama FM, but above all, this is a home game. Tokyo wants to boldly challenge with the soccer they have built up so far and bring in 3 points.

Tokyo's center-back Kaga started for the first time since the match against Kofu on July 17. Higashi, who has completed his suspension, also returned to the starting lineup. Additionally, Hayashi made it to the bench for the first time since the match against Kashima on May 25 before the break. The daytime sunlight was harsh, but there was a breeze, hinting at the lingering summer heat at Ajinomoto. The match started at 18:34 with Tokyo's kickoff.

Conceding the first goal and losing control...

From the start, both teams fiercely pressed and fought for the ball. In the 6th minute, Kaga persistently won the ball and passed it to Hasegawa in the center of the area. Hasegawa then made a run to send a through pass into the area, and Higashi tried to break free while competing with Yokohama DF Dutra, but he couldn't get a shot off. Yokohama FM also approached the Tokyo goal from the restart, but they maintained their concentration in defense, leading to a situation where both teams were looking for opportunities.

In the 16th minute, Yokohama's FW Marquinhos takes a shot from the right side, but it goes wide. This was the first shot for both teams combined. In the 18th minute, Tokyo also made a side change from the left → Lucas spread it to the right, and Tokunaga advanced deep into the right area unmarked. However, there weren't enough players in the center. Tokunaga sent a backward pass to the center, and Takahashi, who ran in, took a shot from the middle, but it went wide.

While continuing to defend fiercely, mistakes in attack prevented the creation of any real chances as time passed. In the 31st minute, on Tokyo's right side, Tokunaga lost a cleared ball, and Yokohama exchanged passes on the left side. FW Marquinhos → to MF Nakamura just outside the left area → to MF Hyodo at the corner of the left area. MF Hyodo passed to MF Hando in the center of the area, advancing towards the goal. Tokyo's DF could not keep up. After being dropped with a heel by MF Hando, a one-two pass allowed MF Hyodo to score on the right... conceding the opening goal.

This forced Tokyo to go on the attack. In the 32nd minute, Higashi's vertical pass was dropped by Watanabe with a heel flick, and Yonemoto, who ran in, took a shot from outside the penalty arc with speed. It created a good opportunity, but the ball went wide to the right. After that, Yokohama FM took control of the ball and seized the initiative by capitalizing on a single chance. In the 40th minute, Yokohama FM's left-side MF Nakamura passed to the inside MF Nakata, who aimed for a through ball behind Tokyo's defense. MF Hando sent a cross into the middle, and FW Marquinhos made a direct shot after running in from the far side. It created a decisive opportunity, but it went off target, escaping the danger and ending the first half. Expectations were high for a turnaround in the second half.

Changed the flow, but conceded an additional goal from a counterattack

In the second half, Tokyo substituted Mita for Takahashi, deploying him as a right MF. Lucas moved to the left, and Hasegawa took up a position as a defensive midfielder, preparing for a counterattack. This change brought momentum and rhythm to the team, allowing them to advance the game within Yokohama FM's territory. In the 50th minute, Yonemoto persistently intercepted a ball from Yokohama MF Nakamura in midfield. He quickly sent the ball forward, where Mita caught up near the sideline, evading Yokohama FM DF Nakazawa to earn a right corner kick. However, they were unable to convert the corner kick taken by Azuma into a finish.

In the 57th minute, Kaga advanced along the right sideline → Mita, who moved inward, dribbled past the opposing defender and entered the right area. However, the cross sent from here was caught by the GK. In the 61st minute, inside the opponent's territory, Kaga's left throw-in → Ota sent an early cross. Mita, who broke free in the right area, attempted a header shot but it went over. In the 66th minute, Lucas's shot-like pass from the left side was trapped down by Watanabe in front of the goal, and Higashi followed up with a shot from the center, but it was caught by the GK.

In the 76th minute, Ishikawa was brought on as a left midfielder in place of Higashi. Lucas was positioned as an attacking midfielder, initially aiming for the equalizer, but the accuracy of the last play was lacking, leading to a counterattack from Yokohama FM. In the 84th minute, Lucas's vertical pass in the center was dropped by Mita in the area, and Ishikawa, who was behind, took a step forward and unleashed a well-controlled powerful shot, but it just curved slightly to the left. In the 85th minute, Tokunaga slid to redirect a pass sent by Lucas into the space on the right front line, but it could not be connected inside.

Unable to capitalize during the rhythmically good time, conversely, in the 89th minute, Morishige's pass was cut by Yokohama FM's MF Nakagawa in the opponent's territory, leading to a dribble by right MF Ogura to FW Marquinhos, who passed to central MF Nakamura. The Tokyo defense could not take the ball from Nakamura's dribble, which was like keeping possession just before the penalty arc, and after being feinted left and right, a magnificent shot was scored in the upper left corner... and that was the end of it. In the second half, despite pressing forward, the lack of precision in front of the goal resulted in no goals, leading to a defeat as Yokohama FM had intended.


[Player Comments]
《Lucas》
"Regarding today, I felt that the opponent was superior. The ability of Yokohama FM's defense is very high, and they created a block that left us with no space. We tried to break through by passing the ball around. However, after conceding the first goal, we had to push forward, which I think gave the opponent space. Still, there are wins and losses. We must not dwell on this defeat and need to start over."

《HASEGAWA》
"I was thinking about receiving the ball in places that would make it difficult for the opponent, but in the first half, there were few balls that came to those areas, and I couldn't show my fearlessness. After moving to the defensive midfield position, I focused on pushing forward and drawing the opponent in to make passes. The whole team pushed forward, but we still couldn't finish when it mattered, and instead, we ended up conceding on the counter. Still, I want to use this loss as a stepping stone for the next match."


[Summary of Coach Ranko POPOVIC's Press Conference]
"A painful defeat. Yokohama FM scored firmly when they needed to, while we created chances and took control in the second half, but we couldn't finish when it mattered. That's where the result was decided. I understood the high level of Yokohama FM's ability from before the match. I made the players aware to play tightly, not to let the opponent face forward, and to avoid giving them space to think."

However, there were moments when our concentration slipped. Yokohama FM has many strong players, and if we give them space to operate freely, they will capitalize on it. In the second half, we had the chance to take control and turn the game around in a good way, but we couldn't finish. If we had been able to do that, I believe the result would have been different. As planned, we created numerical advantages on the opponent's side and were able to fluidly exploit the spaces behind them. We broke through well and created significant scoring opportunities, but there were also moments at the end where we lacked courage and decisiveness.

There were parts where we lacked precision in the final pass and shots. Normally, we would create a clean break on the side and be in a high-probability scoring situation, but today we missed several chances and couldn't finish. I think that was due to a lack of courage and decisiveness. Yokohama FM is a team with top-class experience in the league, so when they have a lead, they can skillfully manage the time. There were aspects we need to learn from them. I believe experienced players earn respect from everyone, including the referee.


【Yokohama FM - Coach Higuchi's Press Conference Summary】
"Despite being away, over 5,000 supporters came, and we were able to deliver 3 points and a third consecutive victory. I want to celebrate that together. In today's meeting, I strongly emphasized that we should first focus on keeping a clean sheet in controlling the game. We aimed to become a team that can secure the game by scoring the second goal. The players expressed that on the pitch. I want to commend the players who fought with dynamism and unity for 90 minutes.

In terms of content, it was about how much we could disrupt Tokyo's combinations. That was the theme of our defense, and we approached the ball holder without showing any gaps for the full 90 minutes, repeatedly closing in and successfully regaining possession of the ball. On the offensive side, we were able to score the first goal through a coordinated combination involving the third and fourth players, which took away Tokyo's advantage. We had been very conscious of trying to execute such plays during this week's training, so it was a very gratifying goal in that sense.

I want to be happy that we were able to play a game that matched the content and results, but since we have consecutive matches, I want to recover properly and maintain our form even in this hot summer.