Can we overcome the difficulty of facing Omiya away and competing against lower-ranked teams!?

After a two-week interval, the league Sec. 28 will be held. We will face Omiya Ardija away. In the previous match, we allowed Sendai to take the lead, and with Edu's red card, we couldn't seize the momentum and lost. Our unbeaten streak was also broken at 14 matches, leaving us with issues on how to handle opponents when they play defensively. This match is against Omiya, who are currently in 15th place. They are expected to fight fiercely to escape the relegation battle, and the focus will be on how we can break through their solid defense.

Edu is suspended, so Watanabe will take his place as a forward. Additionally, due to the absence of players like Edu and Hirayama who can add depth to the front line, Massimo, the coach, wants to place an attacking player in the midfield, which is why Mita will start. Considering the upcoming series of matches, Canini will make his first start in the league as a center-back.

Omiya currently has 28 points, but since welcoming new manager Hiroki SHIBUYA in September, they have been working to rebuild, achieving 4 wins and 1 loss in the subsequent league matches. In the Emperor's Cup quarterfinal held on the 15th (Wednesday), they rotated their squad and faced defeat, but their determination to succeed in the league must be quite strong. In particular, the development from MF CARLINHOS JUNIOR and MF Ienaga, along with the bold plays from side MF Izumisawa, have been gathering the ball for the FW to score. This match will see the return of FW Murja, who missed two matches due to injury, partnering with FW Zlatan in a two-top formation.

The away match against Omiya has been undefeated in all 8 matches since 2008. Although the data shows a good matchup with 5 wins in the J1 League at NACK5 Stadium, Coach Massimo stated, "It shouldn't be an easy match. However, while Omiya's two forwards are a threat, it is really important for us to play our own game," emphasizing the need to surpass Omiya's spirit mentally and strive for victory.

Under clear skies, with the heat felt during the day, the match started at 17:04 with a kickoff in Tokyo.

Fighting with determination and attacking, but being caught off guard during the restart...

From the start, they seized the ball with quick defensive play and transitioned swiftly to attack. In the 1st minute, after exchanging passes with Mita on the right side, Muto brought the ball inside and aimed for the goal. In the 4th minute, Tokunaga overlapped, shook off the defender, and delivered a cross. Watanabe in the center made a header shot. Following that, Mita seized the second ball from a tussle in the front line and took a shot from distance. In the 6th minute, Omiya's right-side MF Enaga passed to the center after a matchup with Yonemoto. There was space in front of MF CARLINHOS JUNIOR, and he aimed for a shot, but Morishige cut it off. Omiya's attack was calmly suppressed, and they moved forward to attack.

In the 15th minute, there was an incident where Omiya's MF Kanazawa was injured, leading to a substitution with MF Masuda. Nevertheless, the flow remained with Tokyo, and in the 22nd minute, Kono connected with a clearance from the opposing defender and took a shot from mid-range, but it was blocked by the goalkeeper's save. Around the 30th minute, they had consecutive opportunities for free kicks and corner kicks, but they could not capitalize on these chances. After that, Omiya pushed their line up, and both teams engaged in intense defense and quick transitions, resulting in a rapidly changing situation between attack and defense. Omiya was not allowed to create any significant chances, but while they managed to carry the ball to the front line in their attacks, they continued to struggle to convert those into finishes.

In the 43rd minute, Yonemoto intercepted a cleared ball from Tokyo's cross and aimed for a long shot, but it was blocked and the ball spilled behind. Omiya FW Zlatan and Morishige collided as they tried to connect the ball forward, resulting in a foul by Morishige. Omiya FW Zlatan fell, and amidst the struggle between the two, Omiya quickly restarted the free kick. Tokyo was unable to recover in time. The ball was carried to the left side where MF Izumisawa passed to MF Ienaga, who delivered an accurate left cross. DF Takahashi, who had surged forward, was just on the edge of offside when he headed the ball into the net... Taking advantage of the gap, they allowed the first goal just before the end of the first half and headed into the second half down.

Continued the fierce attack until the end, but the goal was far away... 2 consecutive losses

Shaking off the shock of conceding a goal, they took control from the early stages of the second half and launched an attack. After the 48th minute, they quickly earned a series of throw-ins from the left side. However, they lacked the finishing touch in front of Omiya's tough defense. In the 55th minute, Kono made a run on a long feed to the front line but was just slightly late with his timing. In the 66th minute, Mita in the right area turned and made a move. YoneMoto, who followed up on the loose ball, took a shot from just outside the left area, but it went wide. In the 70th minute, Muto received a pass in the left area, turned, and took a close-range shot, but it was saved by the goalkeeper. Mita stole the loose ball, and Muto aimed again, but there was no angle, and it crossed the goal, resulting in a right corner kick.

In the 71st minute, they increased their presence in the front line, and Takahashi attempted a shot from a rebound off the Omiya defense, but it was blocked and they faced a counterattack. However, Canini slid in to cut off the ball intended for Omiya midfielder Ienaga, who was trying to break free on the left front line. They did not allow Omiya to create any chances, and in the 72nd minute, Nakajima was brought on for Mita. They further seized the rhythm of the attack and launched a fierce offensive.

In the 77th minute, Ota made a low, fast, and powerful shot from the left side. The goalkeeper blocked it, but Kono seized the rebound and connected the play, moving into a shooting position just before the area, only to be blocked by Omiya's desperate defense. Immediately after, Nakajima at the right corner of the area dodged the opposing defense and made a pass that was meant for a shot. Takahashi rushed in at the near post to meet it, but couldn't connect. In the 85th minute, Nakajima made a through pass to the right area. In response, Muto broke free, presenting the best chance of the day, but... the shot went wide to the left...

Still, without giving up, in the final stages, Morishige and Canini moved forward, increasing their numbers to attack, but they could not break through the wall of Omiya's DF. In added time, Canini sent a cross from the center into the area, which Watanabe headed. It seemed to hit the opponent's DF hand, but there was no whistle. They showed determination and tenacity until the end and launched a fierce counterattack, but the "goal" was far away... This was their first defeat at NACK5 Stadium, resulting in two consecutive losses.

【Player Comments】
《Canini》
"It was my first start in the league, and I think I played well personally. That's why it's disappointing that we couldn't win. Omiya's two forwards were powerful and strong in heading. As a team, we were able to defend against such opponents. We didn't allow them to create any real chances, and we created many opportunities in our attack. In that sense, I felt a sense of achievement and harvest. However, we must reflect greatly on the fact that we conceded a goal in one situation. I want to review and correct that, and make it a starting point for the next match."

Nakashima
"The coach instructed me to 'perform well in both attack and defense' when I stepped onto the pitch. I was first thinking about increasing the number of chances. I was playing with the intention of turning the game around, so not being able to do that is very frustrating. However, the fact that we ultimately couldn't win shows that we still lack the ability. I want to cherish each day and work hard to achieve results."

【Summary of Coach Massimo FICCADENTI's Press Conference】
"As you all saw, we played in the opponent's half for 90 minutes. However, the opponent effectively utilized the situation in midfield and managed to convert one chance. I think we were a bit unlucky despite creating several opportunities, such as Muto's clear chance, Morishige's header, and Ota's shot. However, the players never gave up until the very end, attacking so fiercely that the opponent couldn't catch their breath, and they gave everything they had, so I have nothing to say. One thing I want to make clear is that we have always played fairly. There was absolutely no play that caused delays. I believe that our sincere attitude towards football will not result in penalties but will come back to us in a good way."

【Summary of Omiya and Coach Shibuya's Press Conference】
"Today, many fans and supporters of FC Tokyo came, and the tickets were sold out, and of course, many Omiya supporters cheered for us. From the warm-up, I could hear the supportive cheers for the players, which was encouraging. In terms of the match, at first, we were under pressure as the opponent had the ball. However, I thought we needed to be prepared for this game. In the away match, we won with a goal from forward Hayato HASEGAWA, and Tokyo will come to fight with a sense of revenge. I had communicated to the players to be aware of that, and I am grateful for their tough fight. I knew it would be a challenging game, but I am pleased that the players fought tenaciously and patiently until the end. The goal came from a quick restart, but I always tell the players not to stop or give up on their play. We don’t practice quick restarts, but the awareness of not missing a momentary opportunity led to the goal. I am also pleased that we managed to keep the score against Tokyo, which has high-quality players, to zero. The overall defense was established by fighting tough and patiently. However, we had several close calls, so if we don’t correct that, I think the next match will be dangerous."