Aiming for 3 consecutive wins, we will go on the road

Facing Shonan Bellmare away in the 5th round held on Sunday. In the previous round against Kofu, we defended the 1 goal scored by Ishikawa and grabbed our first home victory of the season. Although not being able to score additional points is a challenge, we have kept a clean sheet for 3 consecutive league matches by not reducing our physical activity until the end. This round is also a match to aim for 3 consecutive victories by expressing "what we should do" for 90 minutes.

Tokyo, as in the previous round, Ishikawa started as a FW. Muto, who was forced to be substituted in the Kofu match, also joins the starting lineup without any major issues. Nakajima also made his first appearance on the bench this season. On the other hand, Shonan won the J2 championship last season with overwhelming team strength and returned to J1 this season. They are currently in 7th place with 2 wins, 1 draw, and 1 loss. Shonan's aggressive style, such as their ability to run for 90 minutes, quick transitions, and pressing from the front, is their strength.

Especially by putting numbers in the front line and attacking, if we allow the first goal to sharp Shonan who also jumps out from the 2nd to 3rd row, they will come even more. Therefore, it is necessary to fight patiently without losing in running power. If we can score the first goal, we should be able to take advantage of Shonan's momentum and launch a counterattack. We want to connect to the first goal by any means and aim to control the game and take 3 points.

The match started at 4:04 PM in Tokyo with a cold and cloudy weather.

Gradually taking control, overcoming the early momentum of Shonan.

Shonan comes attacking vigorously from the start. In the first minute, they break through the left side. Although they were dribbled past, Tokunaga calmly escapes with a throw-in. In the third minute, they aim for the center after a left cross, but Kajiyama blocks it. From here, Tokyo launches a counterattack. Ishikawa, who has moved up on the right, dribbles into the center and aims for a shot. In the sixth minute, Yonemoto tries to volley Ishikawa's left corner kick, but both shots are off target. After the 10-minute mark, Shonan's quick passing game pushes them into their own goal, and in the 13th minute, MF Takayama breaks through on the right and takes a shot, but Gonda makes the save. In the 15th minute, they change sides from right to left and shoot at Kikuchi, who has dropped back to receive the ball, but Gonda calmly saves it.

As Tokyo calmly navigated through this time period, there were more scenes of quick transitions and moving the ball forward. In the 17th minute, they earned a free kick from the left sideline in the opponent's half. Ota's low kick was met by Muto's header, but it was saved by the opponent's goalkeeper. In the 18th minute, they showed persistence in winning the ball. Although there was a mistake in their own half, they quickly regained possession and launched a counterattack. Ishikawa made his way into the box, but was stopped by Shonan's block. In the 26th minute, Tokunaga blocked Shonan's left cross and Yonemoto quickly launched a counterattack from their own half. Hayashi in the box tried to take a shot from Ota's cross, but was stopped by Shonan's quick recovery.

As time passed, there were scenes where the ball was connected, but it was not enough to break through the quick returning Shonan DF. In the 35th minute, Ota crossed to the center of the area and Kono headed it. He tried to react to the loose ball and take a direct shot, but was once again blocked by the DF. In the following 36th minute, Muto broke through the space on the left front line and Kono was in the center. The pass there was cut off, but Muto took the ball and shot from the left area, only to be saved by the opponent's GK. In the 39th minute, they pressed the front line and the opponent's DF cleared the ball to Ishikawa. From there, Kajiyama developed to the opposite side. Ota aimed for a middle shot, but missed the target.

In the 41st minute, Shonan made a strong dribble and entered the area one after another, but Tokyo responded firmly. In the end, the ball was sent to the right area and Kanda jumped out, but the ball went out. Throughout the first half, both teams remained focused and the intense attack and defense ended scoreless as they headed into the second half.

Muto scores away goal for 3 consecutive games! Tied for first place with 3 consecutive wins

The second half started in the strong wind and cold. In the 48th minute, there was a mistake while trying to connect in their own half and it was taken by Shonan MF Nagaki. From here, a pass was sent to the right front line and a decisive shot was taken by FW Allison in the center of the area, but Mori Shige blocked it slightly and escaped to CK. After surviving this pinch, in the 53rd minute, Kono on the right changed sides and Ota overlapped and flew out to the front line with a one-two with Yonemoto, earning a left CK. Ota's left CK flowed to the far side, but Kono sent a sharp right cross. Mori Shige sent it to the center with a header, and Mutoh headed it, but... hit the bar. He persistently picked up the rebound and finally pushed it in with a header from Ishikawa's left cross, but it was judged offside....

Although they couldn't take advantage of their set piece opportunities, in the 64th minute, Ota made a run up the field from Kono's pass and crossed the ball. Ishikawa drew the opposing defender near, allowing Muto to make a low header from the opposite side and score! This was Muto's third consecutive away game goal, giving them the lead.

After that, the opponent who was preparing to counterattack was once again vigorously attacked, but in the 71st minute, Takahashi was substituted for Kono. Kajiyama and Yonemoto changed their formation to a double pivot, with Yonemoto on the left MF and Hanyu on the right in a 4-4-2 formation. Tokyo quickly took advantage of Shonan's weaknesses and in the 75th minute, Hanyu on the right side sent in a soft cross, but Yonemoto's entry into the left area was a step too late and the shot was not successful, resulting in a left corner kick. In the 78th minute, Muto broke through the left front line and received a through pass in the area. However, he slipped past Ishikawa and the ball did not reach Hanyu on the right side.

In the final stage, although we were pushed by Shonan who kept coming forward without giving up, in the 86th minute, Yonemoto took the loose ball in our own field and quickly passed it to Muto on the left front line. Muto entered the left area while carrying the opponent's DF on his back. He tried to get past the opponent's DF who had returned here, but he couldn't get past and take a shot. However, by keeping the ball without forcing it, we were able to shut out Shonan's counterattack. We achieved our third consecutive victory in the league with a 1-0 win, following the previous match. As a result, we gained 11 points and tied for first place.

[Player Comments]
"Muto"
"I think it was a goal where I was able to bring out my strengths and the team's strength well. Although it ended with only one goal, I was conscious of contributing to the team's hard work in both offense and defense, and it was good to be able to score a goal that helped the team. However, I also want to continue to improve myself."

"Ota"
"From the first half, the ball was circulating to the side and I was able to move up to a high position many times. I had a good feeling for kicks, so I was conscious of connecting to the goal. The scoring scene was a goal where everyone's strengths were shown, including the collaboration with player Kono, as we had been working on in practice. As for defense, I think everyone's strong determination to "keep a clean sheet" was shown."

[Summary of Massimo FICCADENTI's press conference]
"It turned out to be the expected development. We knew that Shonan would come up with pressure from the front line by utilizing their running power, so it was important to take the second ball first. The players understood what was necessary for this game and approached it firmly. We were able to create many chances by putting pressure on the front line. In the second half, we were able to score the opening goal in the space that was created and create a situation where we could aim for an additional goal. And the defense played a fantastic game and showed a performance worthy of victory. Our strength is always balanced in both offense and defense. Even when we are focusing on the front line, we are not giving space behind us and we are able to be tough in the ball. There was a difficult period in the first 15-20 minutes, but we were able to keep the ball and create our own time, and I think we were able to control the game as planned. Finally, I would like to praise Shonan's coach. He is the type of coach I like with a passionate heart. I don't think it's easy to take victory from them."
"I want to thank the supporters who cheered us on until the end, despite losing. I feel sorry that we couldn't get 3 points. I also have nothing but gratitude for the players who played in the game, just like the previous game against Hiroshima. They expressed almost everything we wanted to do. It's a shame we couldn't score a goal. And it's the harshness of J1 that we were beaten in the areas we were wary of. However, we didn't just run away and feel it, we went after the opponent and felt it. The players after the game had a frustrated expression, but on the other hand, they also had a satisfied face. They bravely faced experienced players and the Japan national team. We talked about the Bundesliga in the pre-game meeting today. Even in stadiums with 20,000 or 25,000 spectators, we play a fast-paced game that pleases the fans. I told them to play with the determination to catch up with those players and win against the opponent. We actually played with the intention of winning and there were many sprints. However, there were passing and shooting mistakes that didn't result in goals. But that doesn't mean we should stop running, because that's when our strengths don't come out. I think it became a very good game because they continued to do so. It's easy for people to say "this is what's missing", but as a coach, it's my responsibility to bring out their good points. They showed their good points to the fullest today, and even though we lost, it was a game without regrets. However, I still feel disappointed."