A crucial match that we want to win by playing at our own pace.

Entering the 33rd round of the league, we will face Ventforet Kofu away. In the previous round, we took the lead but were pushed back by Niigata and suffered our first comeback loss of the season. Manager Massimo reflects, "We have been pointed out for motivation and mental issues, but we cannot blame it all on that. We need to review everything, including physical, technical, and tactical aspects." Still, he continues, "We have a responsibility to respond to the support of so many fans and supporters who came to see us. We must show on the pitch what we want and where we are heading." and heads towards this week's training.

Tokyo's anchor, Kajiyama, will start for the first time this season in place of Takahashi, who is suspended due to accumulated warnings. This will be his first appearance since the Sendai match on October 5th. Higashi will be in the midfield and Nakajima will be in the front line. Nozawa will also be on the bench, as the team approaches the game with a new combination.

Kofu, on the other hand, is currently in 13th place. They have 39 points, but after 2 draws, they have achieved 3 consecutive wins and have secured their place in J1 for next season. They have a patient defense that eliminates space and has a low shot rate against. MF Mizuno is starting in the lineup, playing on the side. DF Hatao is on the bench. They want to contain the sharp attacks from FW Ishihara, Abe, Morita, and others, who start from the side, and lead the game in their own rhythm to secure a victory.

At the same time, Tokyo has been conceding goals in the last six games, so it will be important to take care of counterattacks led by Kofu FW Ishihara and Takuma ABE, and how well they can do so will also be a key point. We want to maintain the compactness of our formation, prolong our time, and respond to it.

The morning was filled with heavy rain, but the weather cleared up at the Yamanashi Chuo Bank Stadium. Despite the time of year, the cold was not as harsh as expected. The match started at 5:04 PM with a kickoff from Kofu.

Unable to create an effective form...returning scoreless

3 minutes into the game. The ball was being fought over, but Tokyo's DF Morishige fouled Kofu's FW Morita who was trying to receive a long ball. A FK is given from just outside the right area. From here, MF Mizuno takes a direct shot, but it is blocked by Tokyo's DF wall. Kofu is pushed back into their own half and Tokyo attacks from the left side, but Kajiyama and then Kono cover well, preventing Kofu's side attack from being successful.

At 11 minutes, MF Marquinhos Paraña intercepted a lateral pass from DF Morishige to Ota in the DF line, and Kofu FW Ishihara broke through into the area. He cut back Ota and sent a right cross, which was calmly directed to the center by FW Takuma Abe. MF Marquinhos Paraña, who had advanced forward, took a shot but it went over the bar, avoiding danger.

At the 15-minute mark...the game started off with a strong press from both sides, but as the game progressed, small mistakes and gaps began to appear, giving Kofu a slight advantage. At the same time, Kofu's MF players, Sho Abe and Mizuno, were unable to effectively attack the 5-back DF line.

27 minutes, Kofu's right MF Mizuno cuts back Ota and brings it inside, with a precise cross. FW Morita jumps in at the far post, facing Yoshimoto, but is persistently hit with a header shot. However, it narrowly misses to the left and they escape unscathed. Immediately after, they lose the ball in midfield and Kofu quickly sends it to the front line. If FW Ishihara had escaped in front of the goal, it would have been a decisive pinch, but Yonemoto slides back with all his might! They escape with a throw-in.

After that, Tokyo gradually connected passes and created time, and the number of opportunities to attack increased. However, they were also vulnerable to counterattacks due to mistakes, wide plays, and set pieces, and were brought to the brink of conceding. They were saved by Kofu's missed shots, but they were still overwhelmed by the number of chances created by Kofu.

In the first half, thanks to Kofu's lack of precision, they have not conceded any goals, but they have created many chances from speedy ball movement and crosses. On the other hand, Tokyo has been able to connect passes and create time, but they have failed to synchronize their timing and have ended up making mistakes. Against Kofu's defensive strategy of pulling back and closing spaces, they have not been able to create any effective opportunities and have ended the first half.

The focus on defense never wavered, but the game ended with no points...

In the second half, 49 minutes in. Kofu FW Ishihara uses his speed and allows a breakthrough on the right front line. The cross to the center is not passed to FW Morita, and Kajiyama cuts it off. On the contrary, Tokyo also brings it to a counterattack, and in the end, the pass goes to Nakajima who went up the right side, but Kofu DF quickly returns and is surrounded, and the shot is blocked.

In the 54th minute, Kofu's left area FW Ishihara cut back against Yoshimoto and advanced. Inside, FW Takuma ABE cut in and received a direct pass to FW Morita on the far side. Kofu's front line of three players created a decisive opportunity, but in the end, the timing was slightly off and Tokyo managed to avoid danger... In the 55th minute, Kofu substituted FW Cristiano in for FW Morita.

In the second half, they started with momentum and tried to approach the Kofu goal, but couldn't break through. As time passed, there were more opportunities for Kofu to launch aggressive attacks. In the 61st minute, Watanabe replaced Nakajima. Then in the 66th minute, Higashi was substituted for Hayashi and sent onto the pitch.

68 minutes, from the flow of a left throw-in, Yonemoto and Kono in front of the area persistently pick up the loose ball and connect it finely, and finally Ota crosses from the left. Kofu GK Ogi flew out but couldn't touch it, the ball went to the far side and grazed Watanabe, crossing the line for a Kofu ball...

In the 75th minute, they were robbed while attacking and couldn't stop Kofu's counterattack. Kofu FW Cristiano was freed on the right front line, but Yoshimoto chased after him and made a desperate sliding tackle in the area! It goes out for a corner kick!! After that, Tokyo gradually held onto the ball and started to create more opportunities to push Kofu back. However, Kofu's concentration and quick transitions remained unbroken. The flow of the game was back and forth.

In the 79th minute, Nozawa replaced Kono! Kajiyama and the defensive midfielder formed a lineup with Yonemoto and Hayashi on both sides. In the 84th minute, Kofu's left side FW Cristiano passed behind the DF. FW Abe Taku was released on the left area and crossed to the center. The ball was crossed in front of the goal and Kofu FW Ishihara was pressed on the right area, but Gonda made a save. They were unable to intercept the ball against Kofu's wide development and were shaken and pushed in. However, they were able to defend with their bodies centered around Yoshimoto on the final line.

In the second half, we gradually tried to hold onto the ball and aim for the goal, but we were unable to make a shot until the end due to Kofu's solid defense. Our focus on defense did not waver, but we were unable to score. This season's match against Kofu ended in a draw for both home and away games.

[Player Comments]
《Kajiyama》
"We knew that Kofu would come out with fighting spirit for their final home game. I think we were able to play with our hearts as well. However, we were unable to achieve the result of victory."
(Was it the first start of the season?)
After recovering from a major injury, I had a few muscle strains. But recently, I was able to have good practices. With Takahashi's suspension, I saw this as an opportunity and wanted to give my all in what I have been working on. As for the team tactics, they haven't changed, so I wanted to contribute by playing to the best of my abilities. I think we were able to defend as planned, but when it comes to scoring, I felt that we needed to take some risks at the end. Even if we lost the ball in the front, I wish I could have played more aggressively. Today, many fans and supporters came to cheer us on, and we definitely want to win the next game to respond to their support throughout the year. We all want to go for 3 points and win."

《Yoshimoto》
"The time we could hold the ball has increased, and there were times when we could use the things we practiced. We were able to keep the goals conceded to zero in defense, but Yamanashi's defense was also strong and we couldn't break through. It would have been great if we could have all gone for the goal and won with a strong 1 point... As for scoring, we also need to build up from the back. In that sense, I regret not being able to contribute."
(Is the sliding tackle on Kofu FW Cristiano possible?)
I had confidence that I could get it, so I slid. It's my job, so I don't think it's a special play. We made adjustments and regrouped from the previous match, and there were times when we were able to play our own soccer, but next time we want to have a game that is recognized by those around us and win."

[Press Conference Summary by Massimo FICCADENTI, Manager]
"Kofu tried to counterattack by closing the space. In the second half, there were times when the opponent took control, but we also had many moments where we were able to eliminate their strengths and bring the ball to the attacking zone. However, we lacked the quality in the final 20 meters, whether it was through one-twos or dribbling. Today, Nakajima started and I am very satisfied with him. He is an interesting player. Also, I am happy that Kajiyama has returned, as he allows us to keep possession. I don't think there is an easy game. Even looking at the results from other matches today, it was not something that could be predicted."

[Kofu - Manager Hiroshi Jofuku's Press Conference Summary]
"Although it deviates a bit from today's match, 3 years ago we played against C Osaka in the spring camp and suffered a 5-0 defeat in a game that felt like adults vs. children. 2 years ago, when we played against Tokyo, it was a game where we couldn't win even if we played 10 times. Today, we were able to have a game that made me want to play again. I am truly happy to see their growth, and because we have built something together, I strongly wanted to get 3 points today. However, we ended up with only 1 point, so of course there is room for reflection, but today's match was a result of wanting to show their growth, regardless of whether there was a ceremony or not."