A match against Cerezo Osaka, gathering 40,761 spectators at home

The league Sec. 8, just two days after the Nabisco Cup. We will face Cerezo Osaka at home. In the Nabisco match against Kobe, Muto marked his first professional goal. Additionally, Edu and Hirayama, the "players who need to score," both found the net, and we achieved our first clean sheet of the season. Although we only had effectively one day to prepare for this match, we aim to carry the momentum and good flow into the league, working together as a team to achieve victory.

Cerezo Osaka is currently in 8th place with 3 wins, 2 draws, and 2 losses. As you know, they welcomed coach Ranko POPOVIC as their new manager this season, with new additions including FW FORLAN, MF Hayato HASEGAWA, and DF GOIKO KACAR. Under coach POPOVIC, they aim to extend their possession time in addition to their previous speedy style, and they are also targeting the league title this season.
At the same time, the candidates for the Japan national team include MF Minamino, Masaru HASEGAWA, and DF Yamashita, along with FW Kakita and MF Yamaguchi. It can be said that this is currently the most attention-grabbing team.

Whether Massimo Tokyo will try to win by defending against C Osaka or aim for a back-and-forth match will be one of the highlights. Tokyo has GK Gonda. The DF line consists of the same members as in the Kobe match. In midfield, Takahashi will play as the anchor, with Yonemoto and Azuma serving as inside halves, and up front, Edu and Hirayama will form a two-top. They will approach the match with Kono in the attacking midfield position.

Covered by clouds, there was a chill that felt more like winter than spring, but a record crowd of 40,761 gathered at Ajinomoto.
With a total attendance of 5.5 million people achieved, and with exciting matches expected, the game started with C Osaka's kickoff.

A tense and heated battle continues on both offense and defense

From the beginning, both teams utilized their strengths and attacked each other. C Osaka gathered the ball in the front line and the full-backs positioned themselves high to launch attacks, while Tokyo responded quickly with high pressing from the front line and a strong awareness of second balls, leading to a tense back-and-forth. As the battle for the ball continued, in the 10th minute, they persistently picked up an opponent's clearance, with Higashi connecting to Tokunaga, and Yonemoto taking a long-range shot. In the 17th minute, Kono's through pass reached Hirayama in the left area. In the 20th minute, a pass from Yonemoto aimed for the center where Edu was trying to score, but neither opportunity resulted in a finish.

Gradually allowing the opponent to control the ball, in the 24th minute, Cerezo Osaka's right back Sakimoto delivered an early cross, which was met by midfielder Sugimoto with a header at the near post, but was saved by Gonda, resulting in a corner kick. Conversely, in the 28th minute, Tokyo created a decisive opportunity from a quick transition. Yonemoto passed to Takahashi, who advanced to just outside the right area and played a direct ball to the center. Hirayama carefully laid it off, and Higashi took a shot from just outside the area, but it only grazed the GK and the post, resulting in another corner kick. Shortly after, from this corner kick taken by Ota, Edu aimed with a header but was blocked by the GK.

While showcasing an aggressive attitude together, they did not lose their resilience in defense. During the first half's additional time, they attempted to launch a counterattack from Kono's interception, but it could not be secured at Hirayama's position, resulting in a counterattack from C Osaka instead. FW Forlan, who had surged forward, was ready to shoot, but Yoshimoto blocked him with his body! Although Tokyo had 5 shots compared to C Osaka's 8, they prevented conceding a goal with a spirited fight, ending the first half scoreless.

Turn on the attack switch and secure victory with goals from Hirayama and Muto

The intense battle continued from the start of the second half. In the 50th minute, Higashi dribbled into the left area. He feinted past the opposing DF, but his shot hit Cerezo Osaka's DF Yamashita and went to the center of the area. Here, Yonemoto rushed in and took a shot that could have been decisive, but it went just slightly to the left. In the 55th minute, Yonemoto applied fierce pressure on the opposing DF, resulting in a throw-in. From there, they connected to EDU in the center, who was about to take a shot but was blocked... Cerezo Osaka launched a counterattack. FW Kakita was allowed to dribble freely and passed back to FW Forlan in the right area, who then headed the ball back to FW Kakita, but it went wide, escaping the danger.

Amidst the rapid changes between offense and defense, in the 57th minute, Mutou came on for Edu. Aiming to speed up the attack, in the 66th minute, from a one-two between Ota and Mutou on the left side, Ota once again broke past the opposing defender on the left side and advanced to a high position outside the area. From here, a negative pass was sent to Hirayama in front of the goal, who connected with it directly to score!! Hirayama achieved the opening goal with a consecutive strike following the match against Kobe.

Immediately after, in a similar fashion, this time Muto feinted past the opposing defender on the left side and broke through vertically. From a close distance to the goal, Hirayama again connected with a negative cross, but... this went wide to the left. In the 69th minute, Kono broke into the right area but did not shoot, passing to Yonemoto in the center. The return pass from Yonemoto did not connect... they missed the chance for an additional goal, but in the 72nd minute, Mita was brought on for Kono, switching to a 4-4-2 formation. Cerezo Osaka also substituted MF Ogihara for FW Forlan, with MF Hasegawa moving to the side and MF Sugimoto moving to the front line.

However, Tokyo increased the tempo further, and in the 77th minute, from a left throw-in, Muto utilized his strength on the left side, breaking through the defense while being surrounded. Mita, who followed up, passed to Takahashi, who advanced outside the left area with a one-touch. Takahashi made a direct heel pass to Muto, who entered the area from the inside. Muto scored a goal with a shot that precisely went through the goalkeeper's legs! From this flowing combination, Muto also scored a consecutive goal, adding another point.

In the final stages, they allowed Cerezo Osaka to launch an attack from a set piece, but everyone maintained their determination and focus to defend until the time was up. The substitutions also worked effectively, scoring two goals while keeping a clean sheet in defense, securing an outstanding three points.

[Player Comments]
《Hirayama》
"I think it was a solid start, even though both teams launched good attacks. It was good that we ended the first half at 0-0. The goal came from a good ball from player Ota. I had a strong intuition that if I positioned myself well, I could score. Today was also a special match for me. Competing against people from whom I learned a lot brought a somewhat special feeling. We were able to win, but I think Coach Ranko POPOVIC would say, 'Don't be satisfied here. Keep working hard from now on.' I want to respond not only to the meaning of giving back but also to the expectations of Coach Massimo's selections. I want to continue to score goals so that the team can win."

"Yoshimoto"
"With so many people coming to watch, I really wanted to win at times like this. Personally, I focused on not making mistakes and ensuring solid play. Regarding defense, I think the coordination between the three of us—center backs and the anchor—was good. Right now, while doing what the team needs to do, I am also trying to showcase my own strengths. Today's C Osaka had a different type of attacking lineup compared to before, with many players capable of breaking through. I wanted to contain those different types of players, and I had confidence in that."

【Summary of Coach Massimo FICCADENTI's Press Conference】
"It was a match filled with determination. C Osaka is undoubtedly a top-class team technically. In contrast, the first half and the second half developed completely differently. In the first half, we played compactly, but as time passed, both teams stretched out and space was created. At that moment, we were able to launch our attacks. We took the lead, and then we pressed close to the goal and scored a second goal as well. The players showed wonderful performances, and their desire to 'win' was evident. To win a match like today, a good performance is necessary, and the players demonstrated that."

【Cerezo Osaka - Summary of Coach Ranko POPOVIC's Press Conference】
Both teams waited for each other's mistakes in the match. However, we couldn't fully capitalize on the opponent's errors, nor could we finish the chances we created by breaking down their defense. I think we lacked the composure to seize decisive opportunities and take advantage of mistakes. Given the tight schedule, it's necessary to analyze whether accumulated fatigue or other issues are at play, but I also felt a lack of sharpness in the body when finishing or when breaking down the opponent. The players were highly motivated for this match, and in the first half, we clearly showed what we aimed for. However, in the second half, we lost the ball in a situation where we couldn't afford to, which led to conceding a goal. Excuses don't work, but the fact is fatigue has accumulated, and a lack of sharpness can reduce precision. Even so, we created scoring chances. To turn those into results, we must play more effectively. We need to be more conscious than ever of the finishing ability and decision-making to score at critical moments and improve their quality. That said, having so many supporters from both teams here created an amazing atmosphere. I believe it was a match where both sides gave their all until the very end.