Today, I want to break through the wall of Urawa at the National

The league matches resume after the Emperor's Cup. In Sec. 25, we will face Urawa Reds at home in National. In the previous league match, we achieved victory against Hiroshima. Additionally, in the Emperor's Cup, despite struggles, we secured a win in extra time with Hirayama's goal, achieving consecutive victories. We will build on the gains from this victory as we enter the final stages of the league. However, in matches against Urawa, we have drawn all three encounters since last season, and in league matches, we have not won against them since 2005, with 15 consecutive matches without a victory. Today, we want to show Tokyo's pride at home in National and aim to seize three points.

Urawa, on the other hand, is currently in second place with 46 points. Their record in August is 4 wins and 2 losses, boasting an impressive scoring ability with a total of 46 goals, which ranks second in the league after Kawasaki. In contrast, Tokyo has faced three opponents with a three-back formation, including Hiroshima and Yokogawa Musashino, and this match will also see Takahashi serving in the central defense of a three-back setup.

The match against Urawa has been a fierce contest many times before. It seems that it will be a heated game where both teams are tightly matched, but Coach Ranko POPOVIC stated, "In such matches, even a slight difference can determine the outcome. Therefore, what is necessary for victory is to maintain concentration for 90 minutes and minimize mistakes. By keeping mistakes to a minimum, we want to surpass Urawa and seize victory." It appears that the outcome will be influenced by the battles in key moments.

The humidity was so high that it seemed like it would rain at any moment, and the weather was muggy, but with a season-high of 34,756 people gathered in the stands, the match started at 18:35 with a kickoff in Tokyo.

Taking advantage of a set-piece opportunity, Morishige and Hyun Soo JANG score their first goal of the season!

The match started to move early. In the 8th minute, Lucas received a kick from Gonda and was fouled, earning a free kick on the right side of the opponent's half. From here, Ota sent a sharp kick forward, and Hyun Soo JANG dove in to score with a dynamic header. Despite struggling against Urawa's fluid positioning and unique passing, Hyun Soo JANG scored his first goal of the season, taking the lead. In the 12th minute, they launched a counterattack, and from a pass by Hayato HASEGAWA, Higashi advanced into the right area. He took a decisive shot, but it was blocked by the opposing defender, resulting in a corner kick.

However, after that, Urawa dominated possession, creating chances through MF Kashiwagi and the attacking participation of DF players. In the 13th minute, Urawa MF Nasu's middle shot was spilled, and DF Makino entered the left area. He feinted past the DF and brought it to a finish. In the 19th minute, Urawa FW Koroki evaded the press and entered the left area → he sent a last pass to MF Kashiwagi, but FW Haraguchi in front of the goal was just barely prevented from shooting. The final line responded calmly. By moving Takahashi up to midfield and pushing the whole team forward, they gradually created rhythm.

In the 31st minute, Lucas cut in from the right side, received a return pass from Higashi in the area, and moved further to the center. Just before the area, he played a one-two with Watanabe and took a shot. In the 36th minute, Lucas was fouled on the right front line, resulting in a free kick. This time, Higashi took the kick, and Morishige, free at the far post, powerfully headed it in! Morishige also marked his first goal of the season, extending the lead in exactly the same manner as the opening goal, and the first half came to an end.

Hirayama scores a valuable go-ahead goal! Securing a dramatic match for the first victory in 9 years

The formation was changed to a 4-back, and it seemed like they had grasped the flow of the game, but just 6 minutes into the second half, they were hit by a counter from Urawa, with MF Kashiwagi dribbling through the center. Moriwaki managed to hold him off with his body, but a foul was called, giving Urawa a free kick. When MF Kashiwagi took the kick, DF Makino surged in like a wave at the far post and scored with a header. In the following 53rd minute, Tokyo lost another duel in a similar situation when they failed to defend against a right cross from Urawa's MF Hirakawa, allowing MF Nasu to score and quickly equalize the match.

However, they continued to attack without ever looking down, leading to a tense back-and-forth. In the 60th minute, Urawa's MF Haraguchi utilized his speed to break into the area and took a decisive shot, but Gonda saved it with his left hand! After surviving that crisis, Tokyo created a scoring opportunity in the 63rd minute. They connected from the right side, and Watanabe in the center received a through pass to the right flank. Azuma broke into the right area and faced the GK one-on-one. However, the shot was saved by the GK. In the 68th minute, Ota cut in from the side, and Watanabe connected with the last pass in front of the goal, but the shot hit the DF and resulted in a corner kick.

In the 73rd minute, Hirayama and Ishikawa were brought on. Urawa's intensity began to drop, and they tried to change the game with substitutions, but with space opening up, the match became a back-and-forth affair. In the 81st minute, Yonemoto intercepted a goal kick from the opponent and surged forward. A long pass was sent to Hirayama, who had broken free, but the trap went awry. There was a hint of a draw, but they did not give up, and in the 90th minute, Nemanja VUCICEVIC was brought on. It was right after that. They earned a free kick near the halfway line on the right side, and Ota delivered a long kick forward. Hirayama met it with a low header in front of the goal to take the lead.

In stoppage time, Urawa's chance was concentrated on Gonda, Morishige, and Hyun Soo JANG, who defended firmly, while Ishikawa and Nemanja VUCICEVIC launched a counterattack to conclude the match and time was up. This victory marked Urawa's first win against the league since the 2nd stage in February 2004, after 9 years and 16 matches.


[Player Comments]
《Hirayama》
"From the first half, Kosuke was taking good free kicks, and I thought there would be scoring opportunities, so I was conscious of getting into a position to score. We were equalized, but the supporters kept cheering us on, and there was no atmosphere of being okay with a draw. I wanted to meet the expectations of those around me, and I’m glad we could win amidst that support. Today's victory is important, but this is not the end. I want to score again for the team to win next time."

《Hyun Soo JANG》
"In the end, we were able to win, but it wasn't perfect. I have always been conscious of scoring since training. A good ball came from Ota, and I was able to time my entry well. At first, we approached with a three-back formation, and I thought that taking care of the back and having more one-on-one situations would make individual responsibility important. I believe everyone was able to demonstrate their strength, and even after switching to a four-back formation, we were able to slide and defend well. After winning three consecutive official matches, my desire to win the next one is even stronger. I want to do my best for the team to win."


【Summary of Coach Ranko POPOVIC's Press Conference】
"It was a typical match between Tokyo and Urawa. Both teams showed high-quality play, and it was a back-and-forth game, but in the end, we emerged victorious. I tell the players that soccer is a game that requires thinking, and today they scored with their heads, just as I said (laughs). Looking back at the overall match, we struggled to find our rhythm at the start. However, we took the lead early on, and after changing our system, the momentum shifted in our favor. Even after switching to a four-back formation, we didn't encounter any issues, and I believe we were able to show our true style of play. The goals we conceded were due to careless fouls, but there are also points for reflection in our one-on-one play.

We took a 2-point lead but allowed the opponent to come back. However, after it became a tie, we controlled the match. Urawa had only one chance from midfielder Haraguchi, but that was brilliantly saved by Gonda. On the other hand, we created about three clear chances but couldn't capitalize on them. It looked like Hirayama scored from Tokunaga's cross, but that was not recognized. Still, I am satisfied that we ended with a victory. I believe it is important for Japanese football to have quality matches in such an atmosphere, and I want to continue having many such matches. There are 7 years until the Tokyo Olympics. If we can keep showing matches like today, I am confident that the J-League will become more exciting and that fans and supporters will increase even more than now.


[Summary of the Press Conference of Urawa's Coach Zoran PETROVIC]
"Since we lost, anything I say will be criticized, but I believe that Urawa played better. It was a match where the movements and timing off the ball were executed well. We conceded three goals in a similar manner, but there is no end to assigning blame or finding mistakes, so I would like to comment that we were unlucky. We tried several new things in the Kawasaki match and today, and they worked very well in both games. This should be an important point as we continue to compete, and it should strengthen us. We had an interesting and good game. I am concerned that some players' energy levels dropped in the last 15 minutes, but that is something I want to work on in the future. We also need to make corrections regarding set pieces, but I believe that by continuing to play games like today, we will move in the right direction."