Facing Hiroshima with the goal of achieving our 100th home victory in the J1 league

League Sec. 29 will be held at home Ajinomoto, facing Sanfrecce Hiroshima. In the previous Sec. 28, we lost to Omiya. After the Sendai match, we suffered two consecutive losses against lower-ranked teams. Although the two matches had different game contents and ways of losing, we want to fix the issues that arose and stop the losing streak in this Sec.

Hiroshima, who they will face, is currently in 7th place with the same 42 points as Tokyo. Since September, Hiroshima has been in a situation where they couldn't win, with 1 win, 2 draws, and 2 losses in the previous round. However, on October 9th, they secured a spot in the final round of the Nabisco Cup, and in the previous round, they had a big win of 4-0 against Nagoya. With the recovery of forwards Sato and midfielder Aoyama, it can be said that the team's situation is improving. Above all, they have the ability to seize the opponent's weaknesses and finish with one shot. In the first half of the away game, they lost with just one goal from a corner kick, so it is key for them to not repeat the same mistake and bring their own game. They want to play aggressively while maintaining balance and not getting caught up in Hiroshima's calm pace.

Tokyo's Edu, who has finished his suspension, returns to the starting lineup. Canini is also used as a center back for the second consecutive game. Hayabusa enters the midfield, and the front line is led by Watanabe, Edu, and Muto. Hiroshima sticks to their usual 3-6-1 formation with FW Sato at the forefront. MF Shimizu and Kashiwa play on the wings, while MF Aoyama and Shibasaki play as defensive midfielders.

If we win this round, it will be our 100th home victory in J1, making it a milestone game. It is expected to be a tense battle where one mistake could make all the difference, but we will push forward with our fighting spirit and aim for victory while maintaining our focus for the full 90 minutes. Unfortunately, the weather is cold and the rain is pouring down, but the match started at 7:04 pm with Hiroshima's kickoff.

Watanabe scores the long-awaited opening goal! Gonda makes a great save to avoid danger.

Immediately after the start, Hiroshima was able to attack vigorously. However, in the 5th minute, Muto broke through the left front line as if swapping with the opponent DF. Furthermore, he sent a last pass to the front of the goal, bypassing the Hiroshima DF. It didn't quite reach Edu, but Yonemoto connected with the loose ball and finally, Watanabe in the center took a decisive shot, but was blocked by the Hiroshima DF who had just entered the goal line. In the 7th minute, Muto broke through between two opponent DFs and rushed to the front of the goal. He tried to break out into the area, but was crushed by a sliding tackle from three Hiroshima DFs. Edu ran in for the loose ball and tried to take a shot, but the angle was not good and it went across the goal.

Mutoh created a scoring opportunity from his breakthrough, but after that there were also missed passes, making it difficult to keep the ball in the front line. As both teams tried to take control and attack each other, there were many instances where Hiroshima picked up second balls and attacked. In the 18th minute, Hiroshima's right MF Shimizu's cross was blocked by Tokyo's DF. However, with momentum, Hiroshima's FW Sato reacted to the ball that flew into the far area. He took a free header, but Canini cleared it at the drop point and escaped with a corner kick.

In the 25th minute, after aiming for a counterattack from a calm defense, MoriShige from their own side passed to Ota on the left front line. Ota then made a precise cross to the goal area. The ball went over the center Edu and was headed in by Watanabe from the far side, who jumped in with a low posture from a close distance. GOAL!! Watanabe scored his first goal since the September 23rd game against Tokushima, giving Hiroshima the lead and preventing them from gaining momentum.

However, in the 29th minute, Hiroshima DF Shiotani was able to advance into the area and Morishige, who was covering from behind, was judged to have committed a foul, resulting in a PK. However, in the 30th minute, GK Gonda saved Sato's PK with his right hand! Gonda's great play saved the team from danger. In the 39th minute, they were able to get a FK from the opponent's side line near the right side of the field, and Ota made a long kick to the far side. Edu slid in to make the shot, but the GK saved it. Watanabe followed up on the ball that fell in the right area, but his direct shot grazed the opponent's DF... Although they were unable to score an additional point, they maintained a 1-point lead and ended the first half.

Hiroshima pulls away with Muto's goal, but is caught up in a tie!

In the second half, both teams aimed for each other's weaknesses and attacked from the beginning. In the 46th minute, Hiroshima crossed from both sides and left MF Kashiwa aimed for a sharp middle, but Gonda saved and FW Sato was offside. In the 49th minute, Watanabe from their own side to the center, Mutoh directly to the right front Edu. However, he couldn't escape from the marked DF and the one-touch shot lacked power and went to the GK. In the 54th minute, Hiroshima was given consecutive CKs. They had been defending well until then, but in this situation, Edu's header trying to clear against Hiroshima MF Takahagi's kick and Gonda trying to catch overlapped, and the ball spilled to Hiroshima FW Sato who kicked it in... and they conceded a goal.

Conceded another goal from a CK, the game is back to square one. However, in the 58th minute, Mutoh turned and evaded Hiroshima DF Shiotani while being pressed, and broke through the left front line. He sent a ground pass into the area, but it flowed between Edu in front and Watanabe in the back, and was cut off by Hiroshima. In the 63rd minute, Mutoh sprinted down the left side. Watanabe, who had entered the near side, let the pass through to the center, but it did not reach Edu on the far side.

Tokyo, who launches a counterattack with Muto as the starting point, gradually allows Hiroshima to dominate the ball and is attacked. In the 65th minute, Hiroshima's substitute left MF Yamagishi crosses between Tokyo's DF who tried to mark him. Hiroshima's FW Sato tried to score in the left area near the goal, but couldn't make it. In the aftermath, MF Ishihara reacted to the loose ball. He was shot directly, but Gonda saved it! In the immediate 67th minute, Mita was substituted for Edu and played as the left MF. Watanabe and Muto formed a 2-top, with Hayabusa on the right side and Takahashi and Yonemoto as a double pivot in a 4-4-2 formation. However, in the 70th minute, Hiroshima's MF Aoyama passed to FW Ishihara who had moved up the center and was able to take a decisive shot in the area. However, it narrowly missed to the right and avoided a dangerous situation.

Hiroshima's FW Minagawa came in at 71 minutes. In the 74th minute, Tokyo also changed to Kono as a top substitute for Hanyu. The formation was changed again, with Watanabe at the forefront, Muto on the left, and Mita on the right. Before this substitution, Muto received a foul on the left side and won a free kick. Ota sent this free kick to the front line, and Muto, who jumped into the near side, headed it in. The ball hit the opponent's DF and was sucked into the net for a goal! Muto's 12th league goal was a success in overtaking.

In the final stage, Hiroshima, who launched a fierce attack, continued to be pushed in, but they did not lose their focus on defense. They took advantage of the gaps and launched counters. Although they couldn't take the third goal, they held off Hiroshima's comeback and the time was up. They grabbed their first win in three games and achieved their 100th J1 home win. They also accumulated 45 points, widening the gap to 15 points with 16th place Kofu (30 points) at the end of this round. However, since there will be matches between lower-ranked teams in the future, they will not be able to surpass Tokyo's points. With 5 games remaining, it has been confirmed that they will continue to fight on the J1 stage next season.

[Player Comments]
《Watanabe》
"Today, we tried to put pressure on the opponent with a front three. There were some moments where we did well and some where we didn't, but I'm glad we were able to get a result. I was aiming for the space behind Edu for the goal. I was able to connect well with the ball that came as I intended. We were conscious of the three players in front of us moving simply into the middle against crosses. In terms of attack, we didn't have many opportunities to create a shape with the front three, but I think it's good for the team to have variations as an option. I want to continue contributing to the team by producing results."

"Canini"
"It was a very tough battle, but there were also great opportunities and plays that saved us from danger. It's really great to be able to win. Today, we were on a losing streak, so we only focused on winning as a team when we stepped onto the pitch. Of course, my motto is to give my all and play for victory. Against Hiroshima's attacks, we emphasized holding them back with combinations, and with the help of my teammates, we were able to seal them off in the flow of the game."

[Summary of Massimo FICCADENTI's press conference]
"It was a difficult game for both teams as we both wanted to win. However, we believed in victory even during tough times and our mental strength was amazing. Hiroshima is a great team, as shown by their back-to-back league titles. They may be struggling a bit this season, but there is no doubt about their quality. We played a deserving game against such opponents. Our tactics with a front three were solid and we created many chances while keeping possession. In the second half, even after changing our formation, we were able to score and then hold on firmly."

[Summary of Hajime MORIYASU's press conference]
"Today was a battle between 6th and 7th place, with equal points. We knew it would be a tough fight away from home, but we approached it with the mindset of winning and moving forward. In terms of performance, we attacked with courage from the first half. We conceded a goal, but we fought tenaciously and defended with our bodies, working hard. We also challenged in attack and I am satisfied with the players' efforts. However, we created many chances but couldn't finish them off, and ultimately lost due to the opponent's superior finishing. Many Hiroshima supporters came to the away game, and I wanted to give them not just a good performance, but also 3 points. Unfortunately, we couldn't do that, but I want to thank them for their support today."