Approaching one-third of the league season, aiming for 4 consecutive home wins

Entering the 6th round of the league, which accounts for about a third of the 1st stage, we will face Sanfrecce Hiroshima at home. In the previous round, we won 1-0 against Shonan, following our victory against Kofu. We have accumulated 11 points and are now tied for first place (with Urawa). However, the players all agree that "the results are only for each game, and we are not conscious of our ranking at this stage." However, this round is a crucial one for achieving our 4th consecutive victory, which we were unable to do even during last season's "14-game unbeaten streak." Furthermore, we will have 7 consecutive games in the next 2-3 days, including the Nabisco Cup, but Massimo Tokyo's attitude remains the same: "We will only focus on the game in front of us and give our all."

Canini, who injured his right calf, will be absent. As a result, Yoshimoto will be used as a center back. Takahashi will also make his first league start, with Takahashi as the anchor in midfield and Yonemoto and Kajiyama as inside halves. Nara will also make his first appearance on the bench. Higashi will also return to the bench for the first time since the March 28th Nabisco Matsumoto game.

Hiroshima, on the other hand, is currently in 10th place with 7 points. In the league, they have lost to Kobe and Nagoya, and are on a 2-game losing streak. So far, they have scored a total of 4 goals and conceded 4 goals, but they are a well-developed team with high individual skills. This season, they have been averaging 15 shots per game, and there is a possibility that they can gain a big momentum with just one "trigger". The key to the game will be how Tokyo can create a rhythm from their defense and connect it to their attack without giving Hiroshima that "trigger". They want to surpass Hiroshima with their balance and quick transitions, and take 3 points.

It was a sunny but windy Ajinomoto Stadium, and the game started at 4:03 PM with Hiroshima's kickoff.

Muto scores first just after the start... but Hiroshima seizes the rhythm

Immediately after the kickoff, Hiroshima took the ball and pushed it in, connecting with the opponent's clearance again, and Kajiyama on the right side sent it to Ishikawa in the center. Ishikawa sent it directly to the right side. The opponent's DF tried to clear it with a header, but it hit the Hiroshima DF in front and spilled into the right side. Mutoh, who was in position, calmly shot the ball between the goalkeeper's legs and scored! They took advantage of the opponent's opening right after the start and scored the first goal.

After that, there were many scenes where Hiroshima had the ball, but Tokyo also launched quick attacks. However, in the 11th minute, Hiroshima took the ball from Takahashi -> Kajiyama's pass in their own half. Right side MF Douglas initially connected with MF Mikic behind him, received the return pass and dribbled towards the right front line. Yonemoto chased from behind, while Takahashi tried to sandwich him, but he was powerfully able to break through. From here, MF Shibasaki received a negative pass in the center and his shot grazed the bar and bounced down, scoring... Immediately, they were caught up to the same score.

At 16 minutes, Douglas quickly connected to the front line and Ishikawa on the right sent a long cross to the left area. Mutoh tried a direct volley but missed to the left. However, Hiroshima gained momentum and at 19 minutes, Kashiwa from the left area cut inside and took a shot. The ball went over the head of MF Douglas who had jumped out in front of the goal and shook the net, but MF Douglas was involved in the play and it was ruled offside. While avoiding conceding a goal, Hiroshima gained control of the rhythm and continued to create danger from attacks starting from both sides.

Therefore, Tokyo tried to cope with Hiroshima's side MF by pushing up both side backs and having Takahashi take care of the DF line, while the midfield was a double pivot of Yonemoto and Kajiyama. However, in the 33rd minute, Ishikawa on the right sent a pass to the center space from a counter, and Muto's decisive shot hit Kono in front. Both teams tried to create chances with quick attacks, but were unable to score another goal, and the first half ended in a 1-1 tie.

Unable to make a comeback, first loss of the season with a reversal defeat

Substituting Hanyu in the second half for Yonehara, who hit his head in the first half. With Kajiyama as the anchor again, Kono and Hanyu take on the sides in a 3-5-2 formation. Tokyo also attacks from the sides, and in the 55th minute, Ota receives a foul on the front line and earns a free kick from the left area. Mori Shige jumps in from the header to the sharp kick of Ota, but the ball bounces off the bar and is pushed in again... The first play is judged as a foul, and it's no goal.

After that, the game became a back-and-forth counterattack, but in the 69th minute, East came in for Ishikawa. Gradually, they started to increase their attacking opportunities by connecting passes. In the 72nd minute, Mutoh stole the loose ball in the midfield and dribbled it to the left side. He then aimed a precise cross from outside the left area towards the goal. East jumped in with his body on the back of the defender, but... he couldn't find the target.

In the final stage, we tried to break through the Hiroshima DF by pushing them forward, but there were also scenes where we were counterattacked without being able to attack, and the tense development continued. In the 82nd minute, Kajiyama → passed to Higashi, who opened on the left side, but was cut off, and Hiroshima MF Douglas → to central FW Asano. FW Asano advances through the center with dribbling. The Tokyo DF was all together, but couldn't take the ball. Yoshimoto and Morishige stretched their legs as they entered the area, but were avoided by sliding sideways, and the ball was passed to the right area and a sure shot was scored... We lost the second goal. In the 84th minute, Maeda was thrown in. We launched a power play and earned a CK in additional time. Kanda went up to the front line, and Kajiyama floated the ball to the area from the clear of the left CK. Kanda headed it, but it was offside.

With a change in formation, player substitutions were also used, and they went on the attack while maintaining possession of the ball, but were unable to stop Hiroshima's counter. They suffered their first loss of the season in a come-from-behind defeat.

[Player Comments]
《Ishikawa》
「After taking the lead, I wanted to control the game a little more. I wanted to calm down both our defense and offense, but...
I may have been well prepared for Hiroshima, but they may have dealt with it better. As a FW, I am ultimately looking for goals, but I don't think that's my only role. I want to have a broad perspective and contribute to the team not only through scoring, but also through other plays. We lost, but we have a strong desire to make corrections and challenge in the next game as soon as possible. I want to make the most of the Nabisco Cup as well."

"Yoshimoto"
"I wanted to get 3 points, but unfortunately, I feel disappointed that I couldn't do it. The team's victory was more important than my own play, but in the end, we conceded 2 goals and I regret that I couldn't fulfill my role."

[Summary of Massimo FICCADENTI's press conference]
　"We took the lead early on, but after conceding an equalizer, the flow of the game completely changed. Despite this, the team continued to play with determination and regained their rhythm, but there were some imbalances that needed to be adjusted. Takahashi was responsible for both the midfield and the DF line, but we put him in the DF to bring stability. Yonemoto suffered a head injury in the first half, so we had no choice but to substitute him. In the second half, Hiroshima created a block at the back and had a clear intention of counterattacking after winning the ball. We fell into their trap and conceded a second goal. Hiroshima is a strong team with a history of achieving results. In a game like today's, a few events can change the flow of the game. However, I want to tell the players to "keep their heads up." I have been telling the players to never give up until the end, and they have responded to that. To create a true spirit, it is necessary to "keep going." It is because we have this feeling of frustration that we must not stop here."

[Hiroshima - Hajime Moriyasu's Press Conference Summary]
"We were prepared for a tough away game against the top-ranked Tokyo team. We conceded an early goal and it became a difficult match, but the players fought until the end with a strong determination to win. There were some close calls and stoppages during the game, but we stayed focused on what we needed to do and were able to secure the victory. In the end, we were pushed back by Tokyo, but the supporters who came to cheer us on gave us the extra push we needed and the players were able to fight with all their strength. We haven't been able to deliver the desired results so far, but we are grateful to our supporters. Also, despite not getting results recently, the players have continued to prepare for each game. I believe that our perseverance has led to today's victory."