Home Opening Match, Pursuing Victory

In the home opener, we will face Ventforet Kofu at Ajinomoto for Sec. 2.
The opening match against Kashiwa ended in a draw, but we practiced fighting according to the situation. To make the away point we earned valuable, we want to maintain the attitude of not giving up until the end and aim to secure 3 points at home.

This week, Morishige and Gonda will be active as members of the Japan national team until the 5th. Training in Tokyo will only be for two days. Additionally, Hiraoka and Yukino have been called up to the U-22 selection team for the J3 League, Sec. 1, and will head towards this activity. The starting lineup for this match will be the same as the one against Kashiwa. Meanwhile, on the bench, Yonemoto, who has recovered from a shoulder injury, and GK Kawai will also be available.

Kofu, under Coach Jofuku, is entering its third season. The opening match was held at the National Stadium due to the impact of snowfall, which made the home stadium unusable. They lost to Kashima, conceding four goals, but Coach Massimo tightened his resolve, stating, "Kofu functioned well in both offense and defense for about 20 minutes until they conceded the first goal. I believe that is their true strength, and they are certainly not an easy opponent to defeat."

Kofu will use FW Morita at the forefront this match, with the shadows being filled by the newly joined FW Cristiano and Shimoda in a 3-4-3 formation. Originally, they excel in ball movement, and their individual tenacity and defensive awareness are high, making them a team known for their solid defense. For Tokyo, the key will be how to break through that. They want to unify everyone's intentions and reduce mistakes to surpass Kofu and lead to victory.

Although it was a calm and sunny day, the wind was cold at Ajinomoto. The match started at 15:03 with Kofu's kickoff.

Edu scores his first goal! His bold attitude brings the opening goal.

Kofu created a chance right after the start. Right midfielder Fukuda's cross found central forward Cristiano, who headed the ball. Although he was free to shoot, Gonda caught it firmly. In the 5th minute, Tokyo exchanged passes between Watanabe and Azuma on the right side, and midfielder Takahashi passed it forward. Edu, who circled in from the right to the center, received the ball and dribbled it out to take a mid-range shot. It was blocked by the opposing defender, but the deflected ball rolled to the feet of Kofu's GK. It seemed like it was controlled at first, but the ball spilled from the GK's hands and rolled into the goal. Edu's bold attitude produced his first goal since joining, giving Tokyo the lead.

They took the lead early in the match, and after that, the game settled into a calm flow. There were moments when Kofu's DF line allowed possession, but they did not let the ball advance forward, managing the game without any danger. However, Tokyo, while controlling the ball, lacked coordination and connection, failing to create chances. In the 20th minute, Muto broke free from the opposing DF on the left side and advanced powerfully. He broke through to the edge of the line and sent a negative pass to Edu in the center of the area, but it was slightly off target.

In the 33rd minute, Kaga stole the opponent's ball and quickly connected with Edu, Watanabe, and Muto from his own half, but Higashi's right cross went into the center where there were not enough players to touch it. In the 35th minute, Kofu FW Morita received a vertical pass, turned around, and shot. It missed the target, but in the closing stages, Kofu connected passes smoothly and gained rhythm. Still, they were not allowed to finish. In first-half stoppage time, Takahashi passed to Mita, who set up Muto on the left, leading to Ota who advanced on the outside with a heel pass. Ota picked up speed and cut into the side, delivering a last pass to Watanabe in front of the goal. They created a decisive opportunity, but Watanabe's shot was blocked by a sliding tackle from Kofu's DF.
As a result, the number of shots in the first half ended with both teams having 2 each, and they went into the second half with a 1-point lead.

Conceded a goal in response to Kofu's counterattack, ending in a draw

In the early stages of the second half, Tokyo launched an aggressive attack similar to the match against Kashiwa. In the 46th minute, Moriwaki sent a ball forward, and Higashi reacted to the loose ball. He took a direct shot from just outside the area. In the 47th minute, Mita passed to Muto, who sprinted down the left side. He entered the area and cut back past the opposing defender to create a scoring opportunity. Just before the shot, he slipped and couldn't take the shot, but he picked up the second ball and persistently attacked, with Takahashi unleashing a powerful shot from the left side that hit the post...

Kofu brought in midfielder Mizuno in the 58th minute. Tokyo also substituted Ishikawa for Watanabe in the 61st minute. Shortly after, in the 63rd minute, Takahashi, Mita, and Muto connected closely along the left sideline, and Ota delivered a cross. Higashi collected the ball that flowed to the far side just in front of the right area and took a shot, but it was blocked by the goalkeeper's one-handed save. After the 65th minute, they had consecutive corner kick opportunities but were unable to capitalize on them.

In the second half, Kofu applied pressure from the front and approached aggressively, but Tokyo's defense responded well and did not allow them to enter dangerous areas up to this point. However, in the 72nd minute, during a right throw-in for Kofu, MF Mizuno's long throw was headed down to FW Cristiano, who ran into the goal area and set up a shot for MF Marquinhos Parana. This hit the left post, but the rebound was taken by MF Mizuno again, leading to a cross. From here, FW Cristiano, with his back to the goal, executed a bicycle kick and scored... conceding a goal.

Immediately after conceding a goal, Yonemoto was brought in to replace Muto. He formed a double pivot with Takahashi, while Higashi and Ishikawa played on both flanks. Then, in the 80th minute, Hirayama was brought in. They aimed to take the lead with a total effort, but in the final moments, shots from Yonemoto and Ishikawa failed to hit the target. They were caught off guard for a moment and conceded an equalizer, ending in a disappointing draw at home.


[Player Comments]
《Edu》
"At home, I could hear the voices of many fans and supporters. I am happy to have received their support. It wasn't a wonderful goal, but a goal is still a goal. I think I was finally able to open the door, so I want to score more from now on. Next is away, but I want to seize victory to ensure a connection for the future."

《Morishige》
"It would have been better if we could have finished with a score of 1-0, but we conceded a goal when our pace dropped in the second half. If we could have scored an additional goal early on, it would have made things easier. We took the lead, but then we ended up slowing down our own pace. We struggled to press the ball and spent too much time on the back foot, which allowed Kofu to attack. I think it's necessary for us to increase the number of times we go to win the ball back ourselves."

【Summary of Massimo FICCADENTI's Press Conference】
"In the first half, we were able to do what we wanted, and in the second half, we were able to do even more. After conceding a goal and equalizing, we became overly aggressive in our desire to score a second goal as a team. I think it was necessary for the entire team to remain calm and maintain balance from that point on. I wanted to achieve victory for the fans and supporters who created a wonderful atmosphere in the stadium, as well as for everyone involved with the club, so it's disappointing. However, it's still just the beginning, so I believe we can instill what needs to be done in the team from here and definitely produce results that will make everyone happy."

[Summary of the Press Conference by Kofu Coach Hiroshi JOFUKU]
"Due to the snow, we were unable to conduct most of the desired practices this week, and the challenging two weeks of preseason have been extended further. However, I believe it was good that we were able to focus on getting the team into a state where we can play matches rather than being weighed down by the shock of the opening game. Yesterday, midfielder Jiushinho got injured, and we had to change the lineup at the last minute, but the players did what they needed to do. Many supporters came from Yamanashi, and it was great to earn one point together with them. However, if we do not become a team that can win when we do what we need to do, like today, we will be caught up in a tough relegation battle like last season. I want us to become a team that creates more scoring opportunities than our opponents and can earn three points."