A battle to aim for consecutive victories with tenacious fighting

Sec. 8 of the league, which will be played in 3 days since the previous round. We will face Albirex Niigata away. In the previous round, we were under pressure from Yamagata, but we managed to defend Ota's goal with all our might and secured a 1-0 victory for the third consecutive game in the league. As a result, we have accumulated 14 points and won two official games in a row. This round is another away game following the Yamagata match, but it will be a battle to aim for victory based on our solid defense.

Kanda explained his strategy, saying, "In a 1-0 game, a lot of concentration is required. It would be ideal to score 2-0 or 3-0, but once you start thinking 'it's okay to concede one goal because we scored three', complacency can set in. That's why it's important to first focus on keeping a clean sheet and always aim for the goal within that."

Niigata, who they are facing, is currently in 15th place. Their record so far is 1 win, 3 draws, and 3 losses. In particular, they have not been able to secure a victory in the last 3 matches, and manager Massimo talks about the impression that "they may be going through a tough time right now." However, even in this season's Nabisco Cup and last season's matches, Tokyo has been dominated by Niigata for a long time, and they have been greatly challenged. Manager Massimo also strengthens his vigilance, saying that "it is fully expected to be a difficult battle," and the key will be how they can maintain their concentration against Niigata's MF Leo Silva's development, quick passing, and coordinated attacks. In order for Tokyo to make the most of their chances, they will need to compact the team as a whole, and launch quick attacks by winning the ball in high positions. Taking advantage of set pieces will also be a key factor in getting closer to victory.

Tokyo will have Kajiyama suspended due to accumulated warnings. Takahashi will be used as an anchor. In addition, Hayabusa will return to the starting lineup. Niigata will start with FW Rafael Silva and FW Suzuki as the two top players. Both sides will start with MF Koizumi and Naruoka. It will be a tough match as Tokyo aims for consecutive victories against Niigata's quick start and speed in the front line.

The match started at 2:04 PM with a kickoff in Tokyo.

Losing the ball frequently, the first half ends scoreless.

In the 6th minute of the match, Mutoh flew solo to the front line and boldly aimed from the left area, but the angle was not good and the shot went wide of the goal. After 15 minutes, Niigata gradually took control of the ball and Tokyo was unable to create opportunities to move forward. However, they continued to fiercely compete for the ball and the match was evenly balanced.

At 20 minutes, Niigata's FW Rafael Silva dribbled up the center, but Yoshimoto made a strong, clean slide tackle to cut him off. However, they were unable to gain possession. Niigata continued to connect passes and sent a cross to right SB Kawaguchi, but Gonda caught it safely. At the 30 minute mark, Niigata still dominated possession. However, Tokyo maintained their focus on defense and tried to break through with coordinated passes in the front line.

38 minutes have passed. At their own end, Yonemoto -> Takahashi tried to connect, but was snatched by Niigata, and FW Rafael Silva rushed into the area. Yoshimoto, who tried to block, was also knocked away, and ran into the left area, but missed the decisive shot freely to the right... They escaped conceding a goal. In the first half, Niigata gradually dominated the ball and pushed Tokyo back. Still, Tokyo tried to defend and counterattack by connecting, but lost the ball many times in front of Niigata's tough play, and ended the first half with a scoreless draw.

Amidst a difficult period, a priceless goal by Morishige leads to victory!

In the 49th minute of the second half, Yoshimoto was injured near his forehead and the game was temporarily stopped. He temporarily went off the pitch. During this time, Takahashi took care of the defense line, but Yoshimoto was not seriously injured. He returned after receiving treatment. In the 55th minute, Muto received a pass from Hayashi in the left area. Muto calmly assessed the opponent in front of him and passed back, but the return to Hayashi was off target, allowing Niigata to launch a counterattack. However, Yoshimoto bravely stopped them. In the 56th minute, Hayashi was substituted for Higashi. In the following 61st minute, Mita replaced Kono.

65 minutes have passed, and scenes of being overwhelmed by Niigata's intensity are starting to appear. We want to maintain our balance and fight without panicking. In the 66th minute, Niigata attacked and left SB Cortes with a skillful trap control, breaking through and crossing. FW Rafael Silva jumped into the center of the area and took a decisive shot directly... It went over the bar, but it was a close call.

After 75 minutes, despite being helped by Niigata's mistakes and not allowing any goals, the pressure continues. As a result, Takahashi and Yonemoto are playing as a double defensive midfielder. The formation has changed to a 4-4-2 with Mita and Hayashi on the sides. In the 80th minute, Niigata pushed forward and with a short clearance, Niigata's FW Rafael Silva and FW Yamazaki took consecutive shots from inside the box, but in the end, Konda made a save and the ball went out for a corner kick. In the 81st minute, Maruyama was substituted for Hayashi. Morishige took on the role of center back, forming a 3-back, while Takahashi played in the center of the midfield with Yonemoto and Mita on the sides, changing the formation to a 3-5-2.

86 minutes, FK obtained in the right side of the opponent's field. Lin jumps in with his whole body to match Ota's sharp kick and heads the ball. The ball hits the bottom right post... but Morishige calmly kicks it in on the rebound for a GOAL!!

Unable to break Niigata's momentum, a difficult period continued, but in the 81st minute, Maruyama was brought in and the formation was changed to 3-back. At the same time, they did not give up on winning and took advantage of set piece opportunities to score with Ota, Hayashi, and Morishige. They escaped another tough match with a 1-0 victory and secured their consecutive wins in the league!

[Player Comments]
"Mori Shige"
"I knew when we played against them in the Nabisco Cup, Niigata is a good team. I expected to have a lot of defensive situations, but the key was how well we could concentrate in those moments. We ended up defending for almost the entire 90 minutes, but because we kept a clean sheet, we were able to achieve this result. Ideally, we would have pressed and limited their options from the front, but with the heat and consecutive games, we couldn't keep it up. During those times, we communicated with each other and made sure to defend solidly as DFs."
(About the goal)
　Niigata was marking man-to-man during set plays, so I was thinking of entering the goal area with momentum from a distance. Then, Hayashi hit the post and it came loose, so I followed up.

"Lin"
"(Was it a difficult time to play?)
The coach told me to play in the front line (along with Muto) and I wanted to score a goal to help the team. However, when defending, I wanted to take care of the vertical relationship and counterattack from there, while also taking care of the defensive midfielder Leo Silva. I thought Muto would always be the starting point, so I wanted to aim for one goal. In the end, I don't think I was able to contribute much to the team."
(I was able to score because I hit the post. Am I getting closer to the goal little by little?)
Winning is the most important thing, so that was good, but... I want to work harder to contribute more to the team."

"Press Conference Summary by Massimo FICCADENTI, Manager"
"As expected, it was a difficult match. Niigata, despite losing the previous match against G Osaka, played very good football and showed that they have the ability to compete with teams above their rank. The heat also made the game more challenging. In the first 25 minutes, we played very well. After that, Niigata had some momentum, but they were not able to create any clear chances towards the end of the first half. We were able to start the second half in a good shape. Both Tokyo and Niigata had moments of momentum, and in a game with many ups and downs, we were able to bring in Lin, who has speed, next to Muto and chase from the front, which helped the team get back into a good state. After Muto's decisive chance, Niigata put 4-5 players up front and started attacking, so we changed to a 5-back formation and dealt with it by closing the spaces. It was a very close game until the end, but the players were able to take advantage of the few chances and stay focused until the end."

"Niigata - Masaaki Yanagishita's Press Conference"
"The players were very focused and gave 100% of their strength even with only 2 days of rest, but it's a shame we couldn't score our chances. However, the football we are playing is very good. In terms of attack, we have been able to do what we want in most games this season, so I think it's just a period where we can't win. If we continue like this, it will be good. We have another game in 2 days, so we want to recover and prepare for the next one."