League match resumes. A battle to fight tenaciously and aim for victory.

The league matches have resumed. In Sec. 7, we faced Montedio Yamagata away. We made changes to the lineup for the Nabisco Tosu match, and Mita scored 2 goals. At the same time, we kept a clean sheet and achieved a victory that dispelled the momentum of our first league defeat.

However, the current league ranking is 5th, and to continue competing for the championship in J1, consecutive losses are not acceptable. This is a match where we want to earn 3 points to aim for a resurgence. By reflecting on the lessons from the Hiroshima match and maintaining our balance while sticking to our style of football, we aim for victory.

Yamagata dramatically won the promotion playoff last season and returned to J1 for the first time in four seasons. This will be their first match against Tokyo since 2010. They are currently in 17th place in the league. After Sec. 6, they have scored a total of 2 goals, indicating a struggle with scoring, but they have conceded only 6 goals, and Kono mentioned, "Yamagata has a strong impression in terms of defense." Additionally, since there was no Nabisco Cup match in the middle of the week, they must have thoroughly prepared for this match.

It was calmly sunny, but as evening approached, a cold wind gradually blew in Yamagata. For Tokyo, it will be the first time since 2010 at ND Stadium, welcoming Sec. 7. Tokyo will be without Ishikawa. However, Morishige, Yonemoto, Kajiyama, and Muto, who missed the Nabisco match against Tosu, return to the starting lineup. Yoshimoto, along with Azuma and Mita, also continue to be named in the starting lineup following the Tosu match.

Yamagata employs FW Frank ROMERO in the front line. Along with FW Kawanishi, they serve as shadows, forming a 3-4-3 formation with FW Diego at the top. Yamagata boasts a solid defense, but cannot afford to lose consecutive matches in the league. While they are expected to control the ball, they aim for victory by patiently exploiting the opponent's weaknesses without losing balance.

The match started at 18:34 with a kickoff from Yamagata.

Ota scores his first goal of the season from a free kick! Maintaining a one-point lead as they head into halftime.

The match is in the early 2 minutes. Utilizing speed to attack, Mita picked up the opponent's clearance and boldly aimed for a mid-range shot, but it went just slightly to the left. In the following 8 minutes, Muto maintained possession on the left front line. He accelerated while dropping back from a high position near the sideline. He connected with Kono, who advanced vertically and tried to take a shot in the left area, but it was blocked and resulted in a left corner kick. However, they were unable to score from the subsequent corner kick.

15 minutes have passed, and as the battle for the ball continues, Tokyo gradually began to dominate possession. In the 22nd minute, a free kick from the right side of the opponent's half. Ota delivered a sharp kick into the goal area, and Yoshimoto jumped in at the near post. The ball slipped over him, dropped sharply, bounced, and went into the net! Ota scored from the free kick, marking his first goal of the season and taking the lead!

In the 28th minute, Yamagata's left midfielder Takagi quickly advanced to the front line, delivering a ground cross. However, Gonda took a low stance and caught it in front of his body. Furthermore, in the 29th minute, a pass in Tokyo's defensive area reached Yamagata forward Kawanishi, creating a crisis. However, Tokyo maintained a high awareness of coverage, continuously putting their bodies on the line to block! The team continued to hold strong together, not allowing the opponent to score.

Ota took the lead by capitalizing on a set-piece opportunity. Although they couldn't score an additional goal during the flow of the game, they maintained their focus and contained Yamagata's counterattacks, finishing the first half with a one-goal lead.

Fight with perseverance and focus until the end to secure 3 points!

Entering the second half at 47 minutes. The opponent's one-two play in the front line was calmly contained, and an attempt was made to launch a counterattack, but Mutou lost the ball while trying to turn forward, leading to a counterattack from Yamagata. A shot was taken by FW Diego from the right side, but Gonda caught it. In the following 48 minutes, we were unable to contain the passing exchange in the center by Yamagata, causing a marking error, and MF Matsuoka broke into the right area, with right MF Kim Bong-yeong following up for the finish. However, the shot went over the bar, escaping the danger.

In the 52nd minute, Muto reacted to a loose ball from a scramble in the front line. He skillfully turned it into his possession and powerfully broke into the left area, choosing to cross. Mita in the center of the area tried to volley it, but he missed and couldn't bring it to a finish. In the 56th minute, Tokyo substituted Takahashi for Kono! With a double pivot alongside Kajiyama, Yonemoto and Mita took the sides in a 4-4-2 formation. As 60 minutes passed, although they did not allow a goal, in the early stages they were pushed back by Yamagata's speedy transitions and the developments and connections from the opposing forward Kawanishi, who was building from the back.

In the 64th minute, Yamagata created a play on the side and approached the Tokyo goal. A sharp right cross was cleared with a header, but it was followed up, and free in the right area, MF Arceus took a shot. The opportunity was decisive, but it veered to the right, avoiding the danger.

In the 70th minute, Hayashi came on for Yonemoto! Higashi moved to the side. Yamagata also brought in forward Ryohei Hayashi. In the 72nd minute, Hayashi from Tokyo, who had just come on, brought the ball into the left area and got into a shooting position, but his shot was blocked by the Yamagata defense, resulting in no goal. As 75 minutes passed, they tried to regroup, but they couldn't break Yamagata's momentum. Tokyo also struggled to find their rhythm in defense, and the match continued at Yamagata's pace.

In the 78th minute, Kajiyama received a warning, marking his third of the season. In the 82nd minute, Hanyu was brought on to replace Mita! Following that, Yamagata brought on midfielder Nakajima. Then, in the dying moments of stoppage time, Tokunaga's sliding tackle allowed Muto to take possession and launch a quick counterattack. After a dynamic dribble, he spread the ball to the left. From there, Muto advanced to the left flank and connected with Hanyu in the area, but... they were unable to finish.

In the second half, we were pressured by Yamagata. We tried to respond with player substitutions and changes in formation, but we couldn't find our rhythm. Still, we focused on defending in our own half, and from there, we launched a counterattack. Although we couldn't score an additional goal, we fought with persistence and concentration until the end, successfully protecting Ota's goal and securing 3 points.

[Player Comments]
Ota
"Since I've been entrusted with set plays, I feel a sense of responsibility and always want to score. Regarding today's free kick, I assessed the Yamagata defense and aimed for the central space. It would be great if one of my teammates could touch it, but even if they don't, I aimed for a course that would flow into the goal. I wasn't quite sure when it went in. Yoshimoto was saying, 'It was me,' and he was happy. I also said, 'It was me' (laughs). But in the end, it's the one recorded that counts (laughs). I knew Yamagata would press us from the front. I think it would have been better if we could connect the ball a bit more against that. However, we managed to fight through without taking unnecessary risks. Keeping the score at zero while capitalizing on the few chances we get is also our theme this season. Personally, I think it would be ideal if we could convert set play opportunities into three points."

《Yoshimoto》
"Yamagata threw in long balls and crosses, which was intimidating. Gonda came out and caught those crosses, which gave us a sense of security. There may have been many moments where we held our defensive line, but in a tough match, I believe we all earned the three points together. Of course, I wish I could have connected more with the ball, but I tried to play to win while minimizing risks. Regarding scoring, winning from set pieces is also a pattern of strong teams. To continue competing for the top spots, I hope we can further develop that strength."

【Summary of Massimo FICCADENTI's press conference】
"The start was very good. We were able to take the lead amidst good play. After that, we allowed the opponent to create chances due to our mistakes, but we managed to finish the first half. In the second half, the opponent started to throw the ball forward and aimed for second balls, but I think we responded well. Especially towards the end of the match, after making substitutions, we compacted the midfield more, which prevented the opponent from having any decisive chances. Until now, Yamagata has been playing good football even without results, creating many opportunities. In fact, today's match was uncertain until the very end. I believe that earning three points against such a strong opponent, despite the struggles, is a valuable victory."

【Summary of Coach Nobuhiro Ishizaki's Press Conference】
"In Tokyo, where there are many players from the Japan national team, we were thinking about what we could do. First of all, we emphasized not losing in terms of mentality as we entered the game, but we were unfortunately weak in the duels during the first half. The first goal we conceded was an unfortunate one that came directly from a free kick. In the second half, we became stronger in the duels, created more actions than our opponents, and were able to push forward. However, a major issue from there was our inability to score. The accuracy of our finishing, crosses, and final passes, which are the most important aspects, was lacking. If we don't refine those, I believe it will be rare to score goals in J1 by mere luck. In the last three matches, we have played well, but we have continued to struggle to win. Since we don't have standout players like Muto, we want to seek precision in duels and finishing as a team as we head into the next match."