Change the team composition and aim for 3 points away from home!

Last week's match against Kawasaki was a bitter defeat. We were unable to secure our first victory of the season, and it's safe to say that the team is in a difficult situation. In order to change this momentum, we need to win this match no matter what. The players calmly analyze the match against Kawasaki, saying, "We conceded a goal due to a mistake, but after that we fell apart from our own side." Coach Massimo also reflects, "It's difficult to win when something is missing, such as how the team plays, running, physicality, and not making mistakes," and continues, "That's why we can't forget our priorities." In order to correct these things, it's important for each individual to go back to the essence of soccer, such as being aggressive in challenges and running, and show a fighting spirit. We see how to fight during difficult times as a challenge and aim to raise our collective awareness on the pitch for this match.

Tokyo appoints Yoshimoto as CB. Changes the composition of the front line and midfield, with Nozawa as the anchor. Yonemoto and Mita as inside halves.
And the front line is led by Edu and Muto. They will be supported by Kono in the attacking midfield position. Additionally, there will be five youth academy graduates in the starting lineup.

On the other hand, Shimizu is currently in 15th place with 4 points. Since their victory in the opening match against Nagoya, Shimizu has suffered 2 losses and 1 draw, and it can be said that they have not been able to fully demonstrate their true strength. However, coach Massimo talks about his impression of Shimizu, saying, "They also have aggressiveness, and each individual has high abilities and is well organized." This season, they will attack with the speed and breakthrough power of FW Nagasawa, who has a tall stature, as the top, and new addition FW Novakovic as the center axis, along with FW Omae, DF Ishige, and FW Toshiyuki Takagi. It seems that they have been experimenting with the composition of the midfield so far, but MF Rokuhira and Takeuchi have emerged. At the same time, MF Honda and DF Ikije, who have been dealing with injuries, are gradually improving their condition, and if they are all together, they will boast a deep player depth.

Tokyo, on the other hand, should struggle if they concede first away. Against Shimizu's attacking line with height and speed, they want to prevent conceding by clearly defining the roles and cooperation of Morishige and Yoshimoto, and fighting tenaciously as a team. They aim to overcome Shimizu's powerful attack and take all three points away by making the most of their chances.

Although the wind has become stronger, the game started at 3:05 PM with a Tokyo kickoff at Nihonbashi in the spring weather.

Despite conceding the first goal, Kono scored just before the end of the first half, making it 1-1 at halftime.

The match started with 5 minutes, and due to strong winds, there were several instances where passes did not connect between both teams. In the midst of this, a pass from Yonemoto to Nozawa in their own half did not come together. MoriShige tried to take control of the ball in the area, but Shimizu FW Ohmae pressed hard from behind... The ball that spilled behind MoriShige was stabbed by Shimizu FW Nagasawa, and they quickly conceded the first goal.

15 minutes have passed. We struggled with the start of the game and conceded an early goal. However, we are not giving up and trying to regroup. Muto, who has drifted to the right side, creates space and passes to Kawano who has made a run behind the defense. Kawano dribbles into a high position on the right side and sends a decisive final pass to Edu, who is waiting in the far area... but the ball goes out of play and doesn't connect. After that, the game continues with a back and forth flow.

At the 24th minute, Edu received a foul and a FK from the right side. Ota sent it to the front line, but the high ball was all bounced back. From here, Shimizu received a powerful counterattack, and FW Omae on the right side → FW Takagi in the center was released freely, but... the trap was off and Ota persistently held it back and did not allow it to be finished. In the 25th minute, Tokyo quickly switched from Mita's pass, and Muto jumped out to the left area. He couldn't shoot without an angle, but Mita ran in between him and the right Edu, and there was a last pass. Mita aimed for a shot, but was blocked by Shimizu DF...

After 30 minutes, both teams have made some mistakes, but the game is filled with fast-paced attacks. Tokyo's Julian and Lins have created some decisive opportunities, but they have not been able to capitalize on them. The game continues to be intense at the 40-minute mark, with the pitch becoming rough. In the midst of this, Tokyo's defense appeared to have committed a foul on their own half, but play continued. Taking advantage of Tokyo's momentary pause, Shizuoka connected a pass and their defender, PREMIST Yoshida, was left open on the right side. He took a shot from there, but it was saved by Gonda.

The equalizing goal was born in the 44th minute. Muto, right in the area, took a powerful shot. It was blocked by the Shizuoka GK's one-handed save, but Kono, in the center area in front of the goal, followed up with a shot. The ball rolled into the lower right corner, slipping between the opponent's DF and the GK's side, and GOAL!! They conceded the first goal early on, but after that, both teams launched quick attacks and the game became intense. Shizuoka also created chances, but Tokyo also fought back with Mita, Muto, and others leading the charge. Kono scored just before the end of the first half, bringing the game back to a tie, and the second half will determine the winner.

The team came together and achieved their first victory in the league!

In the second half, at the 49th minute, Edu committed a foul in the midfield and gave a free kick to Shimizu. Shimizu fed the ball into the area. Ota, who was competing for a long ball, was judged to have committed a handball and Shimizu was awarded a penalty kick. Mori Shige, who protested this decision, received a warning for dissent, his fourth overall. He will be suspended for the next match. However, Shimizu's FW Omae took the PK and shot it to the left, but Gonda made a great save!!! This big save shifted the game in Tokyo's favor.

At the 57th minute, Muto received a fierce foul in the opponent's half, slightly to the right, and earned a free kick. From here, Ota sent a kick to the front line, and Morishige jumped in with a high header! The ball, which was quite high, hit the net and succeeded in a comeback. They now lead 2-1.

60 minutes have passed, and after a decisive pinch in the second half was saved by Kanda's great play, Morishige took advantage of a set play opportunity and succeeded in taking the lead. The game continued with both teams attacking each other. In the 64th minute, Shimizu replaced Takahashi with Takagi Yoshiaki as the right MF, thickening their attacking line and launching a counterattack.

Tokyo entered the inside half in place of Kono, who scored a valuable equalizer in the 72nd minute. Mita then moved to the top position. In addition, Hirayama took the pitch in place of Edu, who fought with abundant physicality in both attack and defense. After that, the flow was often interrupted by Shimizu's counterattacks and intense play, and the rhythm could not be fully grasped. However, Tokyo concentrated and defended against Shimizu's attacks, while also aiming for additional points.

At the 82nd minute, Yoshimoto bounced back the kick from the opponent's GK and took the ball into the opponent's territory. From a pass by Higashi, Muto broke through the right front line and crossed to the center. Although it didn't reach Hirayama in front of the goal, Yonemoto, who had closed in from the far side, calmly shot the ball into the opposite side of the net, adding another point. With this, the score became 3-1.

Shimizu's PK at the start of the second half was saved by Gonda. After surviving the danger, Morishige scored the go-ahead goal from a FK. They continued to defend against the counterattack without losing focus, and in the final minutes, Higashi and Muto's combination led to a third goal by Yonemoto, securing Shimizu's first victory in the league as a team effort!

[Player Comments]
《Gonda》
"Even though I stopped the PK, we were still tied. We know from our previous battles that just changing the flow is not enough. The important thing is the result. Today's victory was thanks to the field players who were able to surpass that. We conceded the first goal and couldn't settle down after that. Shimizu, who took the lead, also pulled back, so we should have been able to hold onto the ball and bring the rhythm closer. Our inability to create that rhythm is something we need to reflect on. Yoshimoto bounced back, picked up second balls in the midfield, and Mita and Muto were running around. It was the individual efforts that brought us the victory. But I think we could have easily brought the victory as a team. I am honestly happy to get our first win in the league, and it was great that five youth players, including Shimizu (MF Ryohei = FC Tokyo U-15 Fukagawa), were on the pitch and we were able to produce results. Many players have left the team after being promoted to the top, but I think it is also thanks to those who have supported and valued the youth team. I believe this is a step towards meeting those expectations."

"Yoshimoto"
"There are many things to reflect on, but I think it was good that we were able to fight together and get results. It was the first time I played on the same pitch as player Gonda. I realized that when Gonda told me (laughs). It was tough today too, but player Mita said, "When it's tough, let's definitely do it as youth players" and I thought, "I've grown" (laughs). We are all the same teammates and I don't have the feeling of distinguishing between "youth" and others, but of course I thought, "I have to do it." I did my best to do what I could and kept talking from the beginning to the end. I wanted to create an atmosphere where everyone could talk and make everyone's arrows one. We conceded early in the game, but I think we have become a team that can turn the game around no matter who plays. The Nabisco Cup is coming up soon and I want to continue preparing myself. I think this is my time to shine and I want the team to keep winning and riding the momentum."

[Summary of Massimo FICCADENTI's press conference]
"I had the impression that the opponent was a very well-organized and good team, and that was exactly the case. After we conceded a goal, the game became difficult, but the players showed a fantastic attitude and were able to equalize and turn the game around to a 1-1 draw. The players approached the game with a great feeling. They pressed the opponent firmly and didn't let them do what they wanted, which was very good. In the first three games of the season, we gave away the flow of the game due to our mistakes and unfortunately ended up with disappointing results, so we have been waiting for a victory for a long time. I want to congratulate the players for their excellent play and celebrate this victory."

[Post-match Interview with Manager Afshin Ghotbi]
"I think our players brought a lot of energy to the game and started off in a very good shape. We were creating situations where we could have scored, but unfortunately we conceded a goal on a counter attack. If we had been able to maintain our lead until halftime, I believe the game would have been different. In the second half, we had a very important moment, including a penalty kick, but we missed it and the momentum shifted. The equalizing goal by the opponent and our missed penalty were the turning points of the game. Our players lost their focus and the atmosphere in the stadium changed."