Give our all and challenge the top-ranked Urawa!

Sec. 21 of the league is held. We will face Urawa Reds at Ajinomoto Stadium. In the Emperor's Cup match against Dai MATSUMOTO, Kono and Hirayama scored goals for victory. We continue to maintain a clean sheet and have not lost in the official matches since the break, with an unbeaten streak of 8 matches. However, this match comes just two days after the Emperor's Cup. Therefore, the starting lineup will prioritize "condition (Coach Massimo)" and will once again change the combination of the attacking players. The forwards include Kono, Hirayama, and Muto, with Kono positioned as the attacking midfielder. In the midfield, Hanyu will play, and Morishige, who was substituted due to injury in the match against Matsumoto, is also fit to start.

Urawa currently sits at the top with 40 points. In the Emperor's Cup 3rd Round, they made significant changes to their lineup and lost, which can be said to contrast with Tokyo's situation. However, their total goals in the league are 27, and they have conceded only 14, the fewest, indicating that they have steadily accumulated victories with solid and skillful gameplay.

Manager Massimo said, "Urawa has been competing for the championship for several years, and this season, the team has been built for that purpose. Both in defense and attack, as well as individually and as an organization, they are well-rounded." However, he emphasized that "the same three points are available in every match. If we become rigid and say, 'It's Urawa, so we're at the top,' and allow the opponent to find their rhythm, it will be difficult to win." This is a match where we want to show an aggressive attitude at home and secure a victory against Urawa, who boasts high precision and quality in both defense and attack.

Although the extreme heat until yesterday has eased, the humidity remains at Ajinomoto. The match started at 18:34 with a kickoff in Tokyo.

A fast-paced and aggressive exchange unfolds

From the start, both teams fiercely battled each other. In the first minute, Muto, trying to receive a feed from his own half, was fouled in a contest for the ball, earning a free kick. In the fifth minute, Yonemoto attempted to steal the ball on the right side of his own half but couldn't secure it, leading to Urawa DF Makino making a move on the left front and delivering a cross. In response, MF Umezaki slid in at the near post, but the shot went wide of the target.

However, in the 6th minute, from the right side, Urawa MF Hirakawa passed to the center where MF Suzuki spread it to the left. MF Umezaki made a move into the area and scored a shot into the lower left corner, threading between Tokunaga and the covering DF. Tokyo allowed the first goal and conceded a score for the first time in 6 matches.
However, in the 8th minute, Muto applied pressure on Urawa MF Suzuki to win the ball and charged towards the goal. Although he only managed to earn a corner kick due to a sliding tackle from Urawa DF Moriwaki, Takahashi jumped in at the near post to connect with Ota's right corner kick and scored with a powerful header, GOAL!! They equalized early in the match.

In the 15th minute, Ota stole the opponent's ball in a low position in his own half, connecting with Hanyu on the left side and then passing to Hirayama in front, leading to a through ball to the front line. Muto, who advanced inside, utilized his speed to dribble into the left area and calmly slotted the ball into the far side to score an additional goal! In the 21st minute, Urawa midfielder Moriwaki committed a foul against Kono, who was trying to receive Tokunaga's feed in the area, resulting in a penalty kick. In the 23rd minute, Kono himself calmly converted this penalty kick, widening the lead to a two-goal difference.

In the 26th minute, Kono on the right flank passed to Hirayama in the center, who then made a direct pass to Muto on the left. Kono broke through again and found himself one-on-one with the GK. He took a decisive shot, but it was thwarted by a great save from Urawa's GK Nishikawa... After that, there were moments when they were pushed back by Urawa's attack, which frequently utilized side changes, but Yonemoto and Hanyu responded well with persistent sliding, leading to effective counters. However, in the 33rd minute, Hirayama was fouled by an opponent and injured his foot, resulting in an unfortunate incident that forced him to be substituted.

Therefore, in the 34th minute, Edu came on. While they had not allowed Urawa to create any clear chances, in the 42nd minute, Moriwaki slid in against Urawa FW Koroki's dribble into the area. Unable to reach the ball, he committed a foul and gave away a penalty kick. This was converted by FW Koroki himself, allowing them to close the gap to one goal. Both teams prided themselves on their defensive records, but unexpectedly ended the first half in a back-and-forth battle.

Muto scored two goals with sharp movements! They succeeded in taking the lead, but...

The focus was on the strategy in the second half, but they were pressured from the beginning. Tokyo was unable to advance the ball, while Urawa created opportunities on the sides and attacked wide. In the 60th minute, Urawa attacked from the left side, and DF Makino entered the area. Tokyo's DF tried to stop him by putting their bodies on the line, but the loose ball was taken by the following MF Umezaki, who was in a shooting position in the area. This was blocked, but the ball spilled again and flowed to the right area. Here, MF Hirakawa ran in and they conceded the third goal...

However, without losing heart, they expressed a strong desire for victory. In the 64th minute, Ota on the left side passed to Kono, who made a step forward and then passed to Mutou in the center. Mutou dribbled sideways, slicing through the opponent's defense in the center of the area and struck the ball into the bottom left corner for a goal! With Mutou's stunning shot, they successfully took the lead again.

However, in the 71st minute, Urawa brought in MF Marcio Richardes in a shadow position. MF Abe moved to the defensive line, MF Kashiwagi took the holding midfielder role, and DF Moriwaki shifted to the right wide position. Tokyo also tried to counter Urawa's attack by having Takahashi take care of the defensive line in the second half. However, Urawa further brought in FW Lee in the 78th minute. Immediately after, a foul was called when Tokunaga raised his foot to stop Lee, resulting in a painful penalty kick. In the 80th minute, this was converted by FW Lee... and the match was once again brought back to square one.

As fatigue set in, both sides aimed for a comeback, leading to intense battles in the final stages. Tokyo substituted Watanabe for Muto in the 81st minute and Mita for Kono in the 87th. In the 89th minute, Urawa launched a vigorous attack, stealing a clearance from MF Sekine in the area, and MF Marcio Richardes took a decisive shot from directly in front of the goal, but Morishige covered just in time! In the 90th minute, they initiated a counterattack from their own half, with a direct pass from Yonemoto to Watanabe, allowing Mita to dribble forward and earn a corner kick from the center. However, during the corner kick situation, a foul occurred in front of the goal, preventing a finish. In stoppage time, Tokunaga made a vertical run, delivering a short pass close to the goal. Edu slid in but was stopped by the Urawa goalkeeper, and time was up...

They fought with all their might until the end, and the intense back-and-forth action was unmissable, but the tough battle ended in a 4-4 draw.

【Player Comments】
《Muto》
"We conceded a goal first today, but everyone had the mindset of 'let's equalize and go for a second goal,' and we were able to turn the game around in the first half. (Regarding my first goal) I'm good at breaking free from the left. The Urawa defense line was high, which allowed me to get through. I had missed quite a few chances in similar situations before, so today I kept telling myself to 'stay calm.' (For the second goal) Kono made a great play and sent me a nice pass. I just had to watch the opponent's movement and finish it off."

《Morishige》
"If we could have ended the first half at 3-1, the second half might have developed differently. I believe this result came about because I gave away the penalty. In that situation, I had pushed FW Kuroki to the side, so there was no need to slip. I have a lot of regret about that, and conceding four goals is disappointing for the defense. It's frustrating and I feel sorry, especially since the attacking players did their best. I want to make sure we can utilize today's result and content for the next match, so I want everyone to prepare well again and face the Kashima game."

[Summary of Coach Massimo FICCADENTI's Press Conference]
"One regret is that Hirayama got injured. He suffered a rather severe foul, and we need to conduct tests like an MRI, but it seems to be a bigger problem than expected. It would be unfortunate if it turns out to be an injury requiring more than three months to recover. In the match, we played wonderfully in the first half. We created many chances and effectively filled the spaces. After conceding the first goal, we were able to equalize quickly, and after the second and third goals, if Kono had converted a decisive chance, we could have made it 4-1. Urawa is a team competing at the top, so when they scored a penalty to make it 3-2, I thought the match would become difficult. As expected, they caught up to equalize, but we could have pulled away further. However, the match ultimately ended 4-4. Including the fans and supporters, I believe everyone had a strong desire to win this match, and the players gave their all both mentally and in their play. I still feel this team has a lot of room to grow."

[Summary of Urawa Coach PETROVIC's Press Conference]
"It's difficult to comment after a 4-4 game. However, I think it was a wonderful experience for the stadium supporters, those watching on TV, and everyone involved. What worries me is that articles will focus on conceding 4 goals. Up to today, we have conceded 14 goals, and Tokyo has conceded 15. I believe both teams expected a tight game. After scoring the first goal, we were equalized and then conceded more goals. Until it became 3-1, the players were in shock. They were in a difficult situation where they couldn't grasp what was happening. But after that, the players did what they had to do and managed to make it 3-2. In the second half, we outperformed the opponent and showed our attacking football. After equalizing at 3-3, we had two chances but couldn't finish, and then conceded from one chance by the opponent. We caught up again afterward, and MF Marcio Richards had a close chance, but unfortunately couldn't score, ending in a draw. I think all four goals conceded were naive mistakes, but from being down 3-1, we caught up, then after falling behind again, we firmly equalized and continued to aim for victory. The players fought well. I believe there were plenty of chances to turn the game around. It was a good performance for an away match. It must have been a dynamic and good game for those watching."