In the middle of a three-game series, return to the basics for goals and victory

The weekday match of League Sec. 23 will be held at the National Stadium, facing Sagan Tosu. The previous match ended in a scoreless draw, and in the last three matches, there have been 2 draws and 1 loss without a victory. At the same time, there have been two consecutive matches without scoring. This match comes in the middle of a three-game stretch, but we want to make some adjustments to score and seize the victory.

However, Yonemoto is suspended due to accumulated warnings. Therefore, the midfielders will be Takahashi and Masaru HASEGAWA. Continuing from the previous match, Ishikawa will start as the right midfielder. On the left side, Mita will be used as a starter for the first time since Sec. 16 (July 13 match against Niigata). The center-back formation will consist of Morishige and Kaga.

Sagan Tosu is currently in 14th place with 23 points. Until now, they have struggled to stop conceding goals and have suffered many losses in close matches, but they reinforced their squad with DF Kikuchi and GK Hayashi during the season. They have accurately addressed what was lacking in Tosu's football, and they are currently on a two-game winning streak. It can be said that they are regaining their form and gaining momentum.

Of course, the focal point of the attack is FW Toyoda. His strength in heading and the powerful attacks that utilize everyone's movement are undoubtedly a weapon for Tosu. If we lose in terms of quickness, the opponent will gain the rhythm. To suppress the energetic runs of FW Ikeda and MF Mizunuma, we want to fight actively without reducing our movement and without becoming passive.

In order to leverage Tokyo's strengths, this match aims for victory by demonstrating synergy supported by hard work and quick decision-making. Under the harsh lingering summer heat, the Japan National Stadium finally felt a slight breeze as the match started at 19:04 with Tokyo's kickoff.

Allowed an opening goal from a chance by Tosu, and then conceded another goal in quick succession

At the start, Tosu came out with great momentum. In response, Tokyo calmly dealt with it. Gradually, they gained control of the ball and found their pace. In the 7th minute, starting from the left side, Ota advanced into the middle. The cross was cleared by the opponent, but Ishikawa picked up the loose ball and took a direct shot from just outside the left area. In the 12th minute, from Hasegawa's switch of play, Mita, who received the ball, boldly attempted a dribble and aimed for a low trajectory shot.

In the 26th minute, Takahashi made a side change to the left front. Higashi received the ball, brought it inside, and after a one-two with Mita, who moved up the center, he took a shot after receiving the return pass. In the 35th minute, Takahashi ran to a loose ball in midfield, persisted, and connected it to the front line. Ishikawa, positioned just outside the area, turned and took a shot in response to a one-touch pass sent to the center by Higashi, but he lost his balance and couldn't make solid contact.

In the 39th minute, unable to capitalize on their chances, Tosu's left side back DF Kan advanced and delivered a cross. It initially hit a Tokyo DF player but was picked up again for another cross. This time, Tosu FW Toyota made a clever move to get in front of the Tokyo DF and scored with a header. Just after conceding the first goal, in the 41st minute, a loss of possession in midfield allowed Tosu FW Ikeda to make a speedy dribble and enter the left area unmarked. Kaga attempted to cut it off with a sliding tackle but was turned inside, and the ball was driven into the net on the opposite side, allowing a two-goal lead before heading into the second half.

Hirayama scored a goal for the first time since November 2010, Watanabe pressed on, and they made a fierce pursuit, but...

It was a second half where they wanted to launch a counterattack, but it was Tosu who first found their rhythm. They allowed the opponent to control the ball by losing the second ball. Still, Tokyo wanted to score first, and in the 61st minute, Takahashi switched the play to Watanabe on the right, and Tokunaga, who overlapped, provided support. From there, after a series of precise passes between Hasegawa and Watanabe in the center, Tokunaga took a shot just in front of the right area. However, it went well over the bar, and in the 62nd minute, Hirayama and Lucas were brought on. This successfully helped them find the rhythm for a counterattack.

However, although they attacked mainly through crosses, they struggled to take decisive shots against Tosu's quick defense and strict marking on the final line. Nevertheless, they persevered, and in the 81st minute, after a left cross from Ota following a pass from Morishige, Hirayama dove in from the far side with a powerful header! This grazed the opposing goalkeeper's hand, hit the left post, and bounced back in!! Scoring his first goal since November 2010, Hirayama closed the gap to one point.

With this, the signal for a counterattack was raised, and as they pressed against Tosu, in the 84th minute, Watanabe received a pass from Higashi on the right side at the penalty arc, turned around to face the goal, and struck a sharp shot that pierced the bottom right corner. With this magnificent goal, they equalized, and the mood for taking the lead intensified.

However, just after that, in the 85th minute, after a struggle in the right area, a free Watabe took a decisive shot from a ball connected to the center, but was thwarted by a great save from the Tosu goalkeeper. Conversely, taking advantage of the opening, Tosu launched a counterattack. Tosu's right side back DF Niwa passed to right MF Mizunuma for a grounded cross, which was slid in by FW Toyota from the far side. Although Gonda initially came out to make a save, he was pushed in a collision and allowed the opponent to take the lead.

After that, including 6 minutes of added time, Tokyo continued to attack without giving up until the end, but it was in vain. They suffered a defeat with a score of 2 to 3, resulting in four consecutive matches without a win.


[Player Comments]
《Hirayama》
"Regarding my participation, I was instructed to play in front of the goal and wanted to work centrally without drifting too much to the sides. Our wingers have great breakthrough ability, so there were several crosses before the goal. I felt it was a matter of my movement and precision. The goal came from a pinpoint good ball from Ota, which allowed me to score even after the goalkeeper touched it. However, I want to contribute with goals and assists for the victory. Next, I want to work hard to ensure we can win."

Mita
"I had the feeling that I wanted to do well in my first start in a while. I think the start of the match wasn't bad. However, I lost the ball, and that led to the second goal against us. I want to work on correcting those kinds of mistakes."


[Summary of Coach Ranko POPOVIC's Press Conference]
"I think it was an interesting match for everyone watching. The progression of the scores and the flow of the game were enjoyable. However, for us, we couldn't secure the 3 points, so we are not satisfied. In the first half, we were in control, but the opponent scored 2 goals from 2 shots. The first goal was supposed to be the first shot from Tosu. They scored the second goal with their third shot. While our mistakes contributed, we needed to be more effective in our play, especially in crucial moments, as we allowed 2 goals from 3 shots."

In the second half, we lost control at the start, but we managed to control the game with substitutions and created many chances. We had opportunities to score two goals and turn the game around. Although we couldn't finish, I want to commend the players for their fighting spirit. I also want to thank the fans and supporters for being our strength until the end. Congratulations to Tosu on their victory.


[Summary of Coach Yoon's Press Conference - Tosu]
"Despite it being a weekday, I am truly grateful for the many supporters who came out to cheer for us. We faced a challenging situation with a short turnaround before the game, but the players started very well and fought hard. In the second half, we allowed two goals amidst some disarray, which put us in a tough spot. The nightmare of last season crossed my mind, but the team fought until the end without giving up. I believe that contributed to our victory. However, with players accumulating warnings and injuries, we cannot dwell on this situation as we prepare for the next match in two days. We want to focus on getting ready for what comes next."