With aggression and fighting spirit, aiming to defeat the leaders!

In Sec. 20 of the league, we will continue our away battle against Sagan Tosu. The match against Cerezo Osaka was plagued by bad weather, resulting in only one point earned. However, the team demonstrated calm situational judgment and resilience at key moments, achieving four consecutive matches without conceding a goal. Since Sec. 13, we have only conceded one goal in the last seven matches, showcasing outstanding stability.

On the contrary, in terms of offense, they ended without scoring, and Muto reflected, "There were issues in situations where we should have changed our judgment from a fast attack to a slow attack." However, Coach Massimo commented, "The team has definitely not taken a step back. I am satisfied with the players' desire to score goals," and spoke about the importance of gradually building up while addressing the issues for improvement.

Tokyo has changed its front line members, with forwards Muto and Watanabe starting for the first time since the match against Tokushima in Sec. 13, and midfielder Hirayama starting for the first time since the match against Sendai in Sec. 17. Hanyu, who missed the last match, has also returned to the starting lineup. On the other hand, Higashi, who is dealing with an injury, and Edu are not included in the squad.

Tosu, welcoming a new coach, has approached the last two matches with the same starting lineup as before the coaching change. Currently, Tosu is tied with Urawa in points, total goals, and total goals conceded, both sitting in first place (12 wins is the most in the league). Although they lost to Hiroshima in the last match, they maintain good form based on a solid defense centered around goalkeeper Hayashi, utilizing dynamic attacks and the scoring ability of FW Toyota.S.

Above all, after the sudden change of coach, this match marks the second game with new coach Megumu YOSHIDA. The team is expected to approach the game with a strong attitude to enhance their unity and motivation, aiming to stop the losing streak at home. Attention will also be focused on the solid defenses of both teams. Although it is an away game for Tokyo, they aim to defeat the leaders with greater aggressiveness and fighting spirit than Tosu.

Tosu's Beasta covered in clouds. Although there is humidity, the temperature is not high, and the match started at 19:04 with a kickoff in Tokyo.

With a cohesive defense, they held on and went into the second half with a one-point lead.

The match has just started, 5 minutes in. Following a left throw-in, the ball was connected in the opponent's half, and Hanyu, slightly to the right in midfield, passed vertically to Watanabe in the right area. Watanabe made a move forward and delivered a negative cross. The ball slipped through the central space, and Yonemoto, just in front of the area, rushed in and precisely placed a controlled shot into the bottom left corner for a GOAL!! They take an early lead.

In the following 7 minutes, Tosu's left back Yasuda advanced high up the field and delivered a cross. Forward Toyota.S jumped in front of the goal, but Gonda jumped first to catch it. There was a collision here, and Gonda fell to the pitch and sat down. After that, Gonda stood up without any issues, and the match resumed.
　
In a back-and-forth battle, Tokyo's attack in the 17th minute. Muto breaks free on the left side and boldly makes a move into the area. Utilizing his ball control, he skillfully evades two opposing defenders and breaks free for a moment, but his shot, attempted with a slight lift, was off balance and couldn't be completed. It ended up hitting the goalkeeper from close range.

In the 22nd minute, Tosu's left midfielder Kani broke through behind the left area defense. Yoshimoto stretched out his foot to cut it off, but it spilled into the left area, and Tosu's forward Ikeda took a decisive shot. However, it was saved brilliantly by Gonda, resulting in a corner kick!

With 35 minutes gone, the time continued where Tosu had possession of the ball. However, Tokyo remained calm, pushed up their line, and in the midfield, Hanyu, Yonemoto, and Takahashi worked in unison. They stayed focused and effectively suppressed Tosu's counterattacks.

In the early stages, Yonemoto scored the opening goal from the combination of Hanyu and Watanabe! However, after that, they were often pushed back by the strong attacks from Tosu.
However, without panicking, we will endure with focused and cohesive defense, maintaining a one-point lead into the second half. In the second half, we want to score additional points from effective counterattacks.

Seizing victory with skillful game management!

Entering the second half, at the 52nd minute. Ota made a precise cross shot from the left side, from a distance. It flew just over the bar, and the opposing goalkeeper Hayashi managed to deflect it, but Watanabe quickly reacted to the loose ball in front of the goal. He calmly pushed it in for an additional goal. This marks Watanabe's first goal in the league in about a year (since August 31, 2013).

In the 66th minute, Muto pressed the opponent in their half, stole the ball, and passed it to Hirayama in front. Hirayama advanced freely and took a decisive shot from the area, but it was blocked by a quick sliding tackle from the returning Tosu defender, resulting in a corner kick... In the 68th minute, the ball was passed around in the Tokyo half by Tosu, and a shot from the advancing right back Niwa was taken on target, but Gonda caught it!

In the 72nd minute, Mita was brought on to replace Hanyu. In the 75th minute, the ball was once connected to Tosu, but we regained possession in our own half and launched a counterattack. Mita advanced into the right area and sent a final pass to Muto, who was just in front of the center of the area. Muto aimed boldly while losing his balance, but the ball grazed the opposing defender and went out of bounds. During this play, Muto seemed to be in pain for a moment, but he quickly got back up and there was no serious injury. In the 77th minute, Ishikawa came on to replace Muto.

In the 87th minute, Ota from his own half passes to Ishikawa, who runs down the left flank. Ishikawa collects the ball near the touchline and passes to Watanabe, who followed up. In the next play, Watanabe on the left switches the ball to Mita on the right, and this time it goes to Tokunaga, who followed up. Although they couldn't finish, they didn't rush their attack and carefully looked for gaps in Tosu's defense. In the 88th minute, Kono comes on for Watanabe.

In the second half's added time, a feed to the front line of Tosu is headed back by forward Toyoda, who is in a high position in the right area. From here, a header was taken by midfielder Okamoto, who was free in front of the goal, but Gonda caught it.

In the second half, early on, Watanabe scored his first league goal of the season to secure an additional point! As they widened their lead, they stifled Tosu's attacks with quick defensive plays, continuously repelling crosses centered around Morishige. In the final stages, Ishikawa returned to the pitch for the first time since April 2! While targeting Tosu's weaknesses, they shut down any counterattacks. They also displayed skillful game management and secured the victory.

[Player Comments]
《YoneMoto》
"I thought it was about time I needed to score... I'm glad I was able to achieve that today. I believe the running and the efforts we've put in during the training camp over the break are now showing. It didn't go well in the practice matches, but we've been discussing things among the coach and the players. I think that's now showing positive results."

《Kazuma WATANABE》
"(It's been about a year since my last goal in the league, hasn't it?)
It was a long time... I hadn't been able to contribute to the team for a while, so I'm glad I could contribute in this way today. But one goal is not enough. I want to work harder to score more. Everyone said, 'Kazuma's goal was significant,' but given how tough it was, if the players behind me had worked harder, we could have scored another goal sooner or even a third goal, which would have helped even more. There were other chances today as well. I want to capitalize on those opportunities and work hard to score more goals to help the team."

《Ishikawa》
"(Regarding participation)
I was able to organize what I needed to do for the team, separate from my own feelings. At that time, there should be space, but first, I pressed from the front line and aimed to exploit the gaps in Tosu. Of course, if we could score the third goal, it would make things much easier, but if we concede one goal, it becomes difficult. That's why I started from defense. I have the desire to play in the match, and participating is important to me, but I understand that within the team, there are individual roles such as starting positions, deciding the match, changing the flow, and closing out the game. Right now, I want to fulfill what is required of me and fight for the team while showcasing my own characteristics within that. The calls from the stands after the match really made me happy. From here, I will build up step by step!"

【Summary of Massimo FICCADENTI's press conference】
"First of all, we were able to play very aggressively from the start of the match. The three forwards applied pressure from the front, aiming to prevent the opponent from easily passing the ball from the back. After we scored the first goal, there were chances for Muto twice and Hirayama twice, and even after the additional goal in the second half, we had three or four decisive chances. Although we created some dangerous situations from crosses, I think that's part of what makes Tosu unique, so there are aspects that can't be helped. However, I believe the players read the situation well and responded accordingly. Taking three points away from the top team, Tosu, carries double the weight. I think the players performed exceptionally well."

【Press Conference Summary of Megumu YOSHIDA, Coach of Tosu】
"First of all, I am filled with regret for losing a match where so many fans and supporters came out to cheer for us for 90 minutes. I feel very sorry for the supporters. Regarding the match, I believe it was a loss that can lead to future improvements. While it is disappointing to have lost, there were areas we were able to correct from the previous match against Hiroshima leading up to this FC Tokyo match. We showed many good aspects in our attack, so I am viewing this loss positively."