Aim for victory with proactive and calm play, even as the away team!

The league Sec. 16, coming just three days after the last match. We will face Albirex Niigata away. In the match against Kashima, we took the lead with a wonderful goal from Mita, but we were equalized just before the end, resulting in a draw.

While the players reflected on their inability to secure a win, they also noted, "As a team, we are starting to show what we have been working on during the break." Coach Massimo emphasized the importance of continuing to grow through experience, stating, "The match against Kashima was a wasted opportunity. We should have secured additional goals to close out the game, but we need to grow with consistency. Patience is also necessary, and we want to move forward with confidence." This week’s training focused on improving the team’s situational judgment and precision while getting into shape.

Niigata is currently in 8th place with 22 points. In their first match after the restart, they lost 0-1 to Urawa, but their total goals conceded so far is 13. Although their total goals scored remains at 14, they can be said to be steadily accumulating points with a "compact formation and a well-organized team (Coach Massimo)." During the break, DF Kim Jin-Soo transferred to Germany, but MF Yamamoto from Iwata and FW Ibusuki from Spain have joined the team, aiming for further improvement. Up front, they have speedy FW Suzuki and powerful MF Tanaka A, making their attacking strength not to be underestimated.

Tokyo will approach the match with the same starting lineup for the third consecutive game in the Emperor's Cup. Niigata will also have a starting lineup similar to the previous match. Lee will be used as a side back. Forward Kawamata is not in the squad. If they win today, it will be an important match that could change their ranking. Despite being away, they aim for victory with proactive and calm play.

Thick clouds covered Niigata's DENKA BIG SWAN. Although the temperature is not that high, occasional light rain mixes in, and the humidity is high. The match started at 19:03 with Niigata's kickoff.

Despite being pressured by Niigata throughout, we maintain a one-point lead into the second half!

In the early 7 minutes of the match, a loose ball was taken by Niigata MF Leo SILVA after a mistake in their own half, and it was quickly carried to the goal area. Just before the box, Tokyo's DF responded, but Niigata FW Suzuki followed up and stepped into the box, preparing to shoot. However, this was also blocked, and the high ball was caught by Gonda. In the 9th minute, Tokyo's Mita attempted to shoot from just outside the right area, but it was blocked by the opponent. Connecting the loose ball, Yonemoto and EDU linked up, and finally, a cross from Kono on the right was attempted to be headed back by Yonemoto on the left side of the box. However, he couldn't make contact due to losing his balance.

After that, a back-and-forth battle continued, leading to Tokyo's attack in the 17th minute. They created a play on the right side, with Kono moving to the left in the center, becoming free outside the left area, and delivering a fast, low cross in front of the goal. Musashi, who slid in from the far side, touched it first while competing with the opponent and scored a GOAL!! Furthermore, in the 20th minute, Musashi seized a loose ball from the Niigata DF line and charged into the left area while holding off the Niigata DF. No one was following on the far side, and Musashi chose to shoot, but it had no angle and went to the opposing GK.

Around the 35th minute, Muto was involved in a challenge and was hurt but did not suffer any serious injury, quickly returning to the pitch. However, in a subsequent challenge, both players got entangled, and Yoshimoto and Niigata MF LEON SILVA received warnings. After that, they were unable to win the second ball and struggled to move forward, finding themselves under pressure from Niigata.

From the beginning, Tokyo was dominated by Niigata in ball possession, but in the 17th minute, Kono cleverly exploited a gap in the opponent's DF, and Muto capitalized on a one-chance opportunity to take the lead. After that, they couldn't win the second ball and allowed Niigata to keep attacking, but they held firm in the DF line and maintained a one-goal lead heading into the second half.

Show determination for victory and seize valuable 3 points!

At the start of the second half, the opponent created chances through corner kicks and other plays. However, in the 54th minute, Tokyo launched a speedy attack, with Muto running down the right flank, bringing the ball into the center and attempting to shoot from the middle of the area, but was blocked by Niigata defender Oi's desperate defense.

In the 56th minute, Niigata FW Suzuki made a breakthrough on the left flank, but Yoshimoto responded. However, the clearance from this point was too short, allowing Niigata to connect, and through MF Tanaka, it reached the free MF Kobayashi on the opposite side. The shot deflected off FW Okamoto's foot just before the goal and went to the right... They avoided the crisis, but were left at the mercy of Niigata's quick passing.

65 minutes have passed, and Tokyo is trying to maintain a high line to prevent Niigata's attacks, but when they switch to offense, they lose possession quickly and are countered by Niigata... A difficult period continues. In the 68th minute, Edu received a warning, his fourth overall. He will be suspended for the next match.

In the 73rd minute, the left corner kick was taken by Yonemoto. Chima chased the ball to the far side, delivering a low pass into the central space. It was a decisive opportunity, but there was no one there to connect with it. In the 76th minute, Higashi was brought on to replace Kono. In the 82nd minute, Higashi and Tokunaga tried to maintain possession on the right flank to create time, but they lost the ball here, and Niigata quickly transitioned to attack. The ball was switched to the right flank, cutting through the middle, and MF Leo SILVA's shot in front of the goal grazed the Tokyo defense and went out for a right corner kick.

In the 83rd minute, Higashi broke through behind the opponent's DF and calmly tried to slide the ball into the empty goal after evading the GK, but was blocked by Niigata DF Matsubara, failing to convert the scoring opportunity into an additional goal... In the 85th minute, Hanyu came on as a substitute for Mita. Shortly after, in the 87th minute, they gave Niigata consecutive right corner kicks. The third clearance was also picked up, and a cross was sent in, but they managed to deflect it and showed resilience. As they entered stoppage time, Higashi pretended to keep the ball on the right flank and broke through vertically. After getting past the opponent's DF, he delivered a negative last pass from the right area in front of the goal. Edu's shot, which was perfectly timed... was decisive but skimmed past the opponent's DF and the bar, resulting in a right corner kick.

Niigata, who launched a counterattack in the second half, seized the pace of the game. Tokyo tried to respond without lowering their defensive line, but they were unable to connect after regaining possession, leading to a difficult period where they were constantly pressured. Nevertheless, they maintained their concentration in defense and managed to hold on. Although they couldn't capitalize on the counterattack opportunities in the final stages and failed to score an additional goal, they fought hard and secured a valuable 3 points away from home.

[Player Comments]
《Muto》
"In the last match against Kashima, I lost two points due to my own responsibility, so I wanted to score and lead the team to victory. Regarding the goal, I had two defenders from Niigata closing in on me, but I believed my speed was superior. I thought that to get a touch before the opponent in front of the goal, I had to use the sole of my foot, so I focused on not lifting the ball and pushed it in firmly. I am the type to take on defenders with dribbling, but the coach told me, 'When a cross comes in from the far side, with your speed, you can definitely get in front and score,' and I was asked to dive into the cross. I think being able to do that has broadened my options and helped me grow a bit."

Gonda
"It would have been great to score an additional goal, but winning 1-0 turned out to be quite tough... This match became that way. However, I think we maintained pressure until the end, and the three substitutes worked hard and fulfilled their roles properly. That shows how well everyone prepared. It was good that everyone stayed focused and defended until the end, but I believe we shouldn't settle for 'this is okay.' If we don't continue winning, it means nothing, and we need to correct the points that need fixing as we head into the next match against Sendai."

【Summary of Coach Massimo FICCADENTI's Press Conference】
"We were able to approach the match cautiously. I believe we played a very good game, not giving the opponent time and space easily and preventing them from creating decisive chances. Regarding Niigata, they hadn't been getting results recently, but I had the impression that they were continuing to play very good football. In the previous match against Urawa, although the result wasn't there, I felt the performance was good. From that perspective, I thought this would be a difficult match. The only thing missing in this match was that we couldn't score the second goal to make it easier to finish the game. We want to address that issue as a team moving forward. That aside, I think today's match was truly wonderful and had a perfect performance."

【Niigata Coach Masaaki YANAGISHITA's Press Conference Summary】
"Technical mistakes in the final parts are unavoidable, but we need to correct the judgment errors or the plays where movements are predetermined. Those areas were disrupted, and we couldn't break through effectively in the end. However, what we are trying to do is not bad, so I want to continue. With the next match coming up in three days, I want to improve our condition as much as possible to prepare for it."