Focus on the battle ahead and aim for 3 points away from home

In Sec. 30 of the league, we will face Ventforet Kofu away. In the previous match against Niigata, we endured well when necessary and achieved victory with Ota's free kick and Lucas's goal. This match also demonstrated the team's accumulation in terms of balance between offense and defense, as well as play according to the situation. Tokunaga stated, "Regardless of opponent strategies or formations, it is important to judge the situation and play according to the flow," emphasizing the need to further enhance maturity and concentrate on the next five matches one by one.

Kofu, currently in 15th place with 30 points, suffered an 8-game losing streak during the season. However, after the addition of FW PATRIC and MF Jiusinho, they changed their formation to a 3-back setup. They have worked on restructuring both offense and defense, defeating top teams such as C Osaka, Hiroshima, and Kashima. Particularly since August, they have not lost any matches, and their total goals conceded so far is the same as Tokyo's at 39, placing them 5th in the league (tied with Tokyo and Niigata). In this match, FW PATRIC will be suspended. Additionally, MF Hanyu, who is on loan from Tokyo, will not be able to play, but even though they are at the bottom, they are definitely not an opponent to be underestimated.

Tokyo sees the return of Hyun Soo JANG as a center-back. The key point will be how to break down the opponent's solid defense, but Takahashi said, "It may not be easy to break through a five-back defense, but I don't want to enter the match with the image that 'breaking through is difficult.' I want to continue doing things that the opponent dislikes, such as not only passing but also dynamic plays and quickly exploiting the gaps between the opponent's defenders and wing-backs after winning the ball."

In response to Kofu's counterattacks, it will also be necessary to manage risks and switch to offense. Utilizing past experiences, it is essential to read the flow of the match and respond flexibly. If we concede the first goal, there is a possibility that they will further strengthen their defense, so we want to seize the opening goal and aim for victory. The match started at 13:04 with a kickoff from Tokyo at Yamanashi Chugin Stadium.

The match progressed at the opponent's pace throughout, allowing them to take the lead and go into halftime.

From the start of the match, Tokyo lacked aggression and became passive to Kofu's momentum. In the 4th minute, Kofu MF Yamamoto sent a right free kick to the front line, which was cleared once but picked up again by MF Yamamoto, who took a shot from distance that was caught by Gonda. In the 6th minute, Kofu's MF Jiushinho stole the ball on the left side, allowing him to advance with a dribble and take a shot, but Gonda made the save. In the 15th minute, a counter-attack connected with Kofu FW Hiramoto on the right side, but Tokyo DF managed to contain him.

Tokyo struggled to maintain tempo in their movements and passes even after regaining possession of the ball, ultimately failing to establish any rhythm due to a mistake leading to a counterattack. Then, in the 28th minute, they cleared a right corner kick from Kofu once, but the second ball was picked up by right-side midfielder Jiushinho, who delivered a cross. A low header in the center missed the target, but Kofu forward Hiramoto, who followed up on the far side, shot from the left area. This allowed them to score first. They were unable to cut off the chances from Kofu's consecutive corner kicks.

After 30 minutes, Tokyo gradually begins to circulate the ball. In the 31st minute, Yonemoto steals the ball just before the area and advances down the right side with a dribble. He sends a cross into the middle, Lucas lets it pass, and Higashi shoots, but it results in a corner kick due to a great save by the opposing GK. In the 45th minute, from Lucas's drop, Takahashi sends a vertical pass into the area. Hasegawa stretches out while losing his balance, and his direct shot is blocked by the GK's save. In the end, the first half concludes like this. They head into the second half having allowed a lead.

Although we created several scoring opportunities, we couldn't convert them and ended in a draw.

As the second half began, Tokyo quickly took control. In the 48th minute, Lucas broke through the opponent's defense and faced the goalkeeper one-on-one. He timed his shot with the bounce of the ball, but it went straight to the goalkeeper. In the 53rd minute, he intercepted in midfield. Watanabe, trying to launch a counterattack, was brought down, but from there, Hasegawa quickly initiated a play to Lucas on the right. He then switched sides, and Higashi in the left area tried to control the ball with a trap and aimed for the goal, but was blocked by Kofu's defense.

Kofu solidifies their defense with everyone and thoroughly aims for counterattacks. In the 62nd minute, Hirayama was brought in to replace Watanabe. In the 68th minute, Hirayama's attempted long shot hit the opponent's hand, earning a free kick from the penalty arc. Ota pretended to take the kick, and Higashi aimed from behind, but it went wide of the target. In the 72nd minute, Tokunaga dribbled up the right side and delivered an early cross. Higashi received it in front of the goal, controlled it with a chest trap, and took a volley, but this also went off target. Shortly after that, Nemanja VUCICEVIC was brought in to replace Lucas.

The match is completely progressing within Kofu's territory, with Tokyo launching fierce attacks one after another. In the 77th minute, Ota's left cross finds Higashi, who is free on the opposite side. He controls the ball and takes a precise shot, but it is blocked by the defender who covered the goal. Then, in the 80th minute, Tokunaga dribbles forward, receives a return pass from Higashi on the right flank, and boldly takes a shot from inside the right area. The powerful shot grazes the left post and finds the net, marking Tokunaga's first goal of the season and equalizing the score.

Furthermore, Tokyo replaced Higashi with Kono. In the 87th minute, a pass reached Kono, who had burst into the left area, and he immediately turned to shoot directly at the goal, but was blocked by the opposing goalkeeper who had rushed out. In the 89th minute, from VUCICEVIC's left corner kick, Takahashi at the near post redirected the ball, and Morishige's header at the far post hit the crossbar. Hayama picked up the rebound and unleashed a powerful shot from close range, but was narrowly denied by the defense that put their bodies on the line in front of the goal, resulting in no goal. Although they managed to equalize, they couldn't score an additional goal against Kofu's solid defense, and the match ended in a frustrating draw.


[Player Comments]
《Tokunaga》
"The shot was as I aimed. The opponent was defending deep, so I thought about bringing the ball up high and advancing myself. Besides that moment, I could have created a 2-on-1 with Keigo. I saw the opening, so I struck the ball. There was no pressure from the opponent, and I wasn't putting much power into it. If I can shoot that relaxed, it will go into the goal. I think I was able to equalize and give the team some momentum, but we couldn't turn it around."

《YoneMoto》
"The opponent is also thinking and coming up with various countermeasures. So I think there are some things that can't be helped, but I wish we could have been a bit more creative ourselves. Since they were so defensive, we were thinking of targeting behind the opponent from the first half. We were also considering picking up the second balls from there, and I think when we actually managed to take them, it led to chances. However, in the first half, it felt like we were well trapped by Kofu. Still, I thought we could push them back in the second half. It turned out that way, and we were able to score one goal, but with that momentum, we needed to turn it around..."


[Summary of Coach Ranko POPOVIC's Press Conference]
"Looking back at today's match, we weren't fully in the game during the first 30 minutes. Whether it was due to the weather or being a bit sleepy, I think that expression applies. In the following 60 minutes, we controlled the game well and fought aggressively and offensively. I believe we were able to show the attitude needed to win. I think the problem was that we were passive during the first 30 minutes, and we conceded a goal during that time. We managed to equalize afterward and had chances to turn the game around, but today we couldn't capitalize on our scoring opportunities.

There were parts where luck was not on our side. I think today was one of those days. However, in the next match, I believe we need to improve our precision in converting scoring opportunities as a team. I think the attitude of continuing to aim for victory until the end and expressing that in our play is something that will connect to Tokyo's future. Today, our desire for victory was strong, but I now feel that perhaps that desire was too strong and we couldn't control it. While having a strong desire for victory is very important, I believe it is essential to control ourselves in order to play efficiently and calmly on the pitch.


【Kofu - Jofuku's Press Conference Summary】
"Many supporters came, and we were able to play in front of a nearly full crowd. I hope this can happen every match, but among the many games, today the players showed their heartfelt play, and I believe that if we win, we can create a cycle where soccer thrives in this area even more. Honestly, it's disappointing that we couldn't secure the win.

I admit that there were moments in the last 10 minutes where we had to stop the ball on the goal line, but considering the clear difference in strength from our last match against them, I believe the players have been training hard while facing various challenges since that game. I thought they would be a perfect opponent to measure how much we have progressed since then. Of course, there was a possibility of losing, but I want to commend the players for the chance we had to win, and I wanted to reward those who gave their all with 3 points.