Sec. 14 at home, in order to stop the losing streak

Sec. 14 of the league, which is the 5th consecutive game starting from Sec. 12. We will face Kashiwa Reysol at home. In the Nabisco Hiroshima match, Hayashi scored a valuable equalizer in the final minutes, bringing us closer to advancing to the group stage. We want to use the 1 point we gained here as a positive factor and stop our losing streak in this league match.

From the Hiroshima match, which is two days away, Tokunaga will be suspended. In addition, Canini will temporarily return home and Hayashi will be injured in the Hiroshima match. Considering Kajiyama's knee condition, he will be absent. As a result, Matsuda will start for the first time this season as a right-back. Yoshimoto will take one of the center-back positions, Takahashi will be the anchor in midfield, and Yonemoto and Mita will play as inside halves. Hayashi and Higashi will be used in the front line. Hayashi will be in the center, with Muto and Higashi on either side, playing in a 4-3-3 formation, similar to Kashiwa. Nozawa has also made his first appearance on the bench in the league this season.

Kashiwa, on the other hand, has been under the command of coach Yoshida since this season, and although they have played two fewer league matches due to the ACL, they are currently in 14th place with 13 points. They may not be riding the wave, but they have shown a tenacious fight in the ACL and have advanced to the quarter-finals. Coach Massimo is wary, saying, "Although our style of play has changed from last season, we have a team with high abilities." In particular, FW Leandro and FW Kudo do not miss their chances and have high accuracy in front of goal. In this match, DF Fujita will be used as the right back, and MF Nakagawa will make his first league start in the midfield. Against their ball possession and quick passing, we want to show Tokyo's strong defense and competitiveness to win.

The game started at 19:04 in Tokyo with the sun still setting and the humidity lingering.

Mita takes the lead, overcoming Yonemoto's injury accident!

We played aggressively from the beginning. We showed our intensity in the ball battles and both teams were countering each other. In the 12th minute, Hayashi expanded to the right from a post-play. Higashi received the pass and sent it to the right area. Hayashi ran in and took a direct shot, but it narrowly missed to the right. In the 15th minute, Takahashi dropped a header from a right corner kick, but from there, Kashiwa counterattacked. The cross from central FW Leandro to right MF Cristiano was sent to the left area, where DF Fujita tried to connect. The game went back and forth, but in the 17th minute, Yonemoto jumped in a midfield battle and landed, falling under a Kashiwa player and getting injured. This accident forced a substitution, and in the 21st minute, Nozawa, who was making his first appearance this season, was brought in.

After that, Julian entered as an anchor, Takahashi moved to left inside half, and Mita rotated to the right, and in the 25th minute, Nozawa made a good feed to the left front line. Muto chased after it and tried to make a move in the left area. Kashiwa also showed their signature passing play after 30 minutes. The ball was played vertically on the right side and then expanded to the center and left, and a cross was made to the left side back Rinko. In response, Tokyo had a double pivot of Takahashi and Nozawa. Mita on the right side, and Higashi on the left. Muto and Hayashi formed a 2-top in a 4-4-2 formation. They did not lose focus and did not allow Kashiwa to create any decisive chances.

At the 32nd minute, Lin received a pass from Morishige in their own half and developed it to the left side to Higashi. Higashi sent a through pass to Muto, who was trying to break through the opponent's DF. Muto was closed down by the Kashiwa GK and couldn't finish, but he dribbled around to the center. There, he connected with Lin, who had timed his run perfectly. Lin's shot was blocked by the Kashiwa DF, but Mita quickly reacted to the ball that spilled into the right area. He kicked it in with his right foot, GOAL!!

After taking the lead in a coordinated manner and grasping the rhythm, in the 35th minute, Mita made a direct shot from the right cross by Higashi in the left area. In the 42nd minute, Mita, with his back to the goal in the right area, sent a fast cross from a sharp turn, but Mutoh was unable to make a slight adjustment. Although they were unable to score another goal, they maintained a one-point lead and headed into the second half.

Muto scores a penalty kick! The whole team defends and overcomes the struggle.

In the second half, Kashiwa's counterattack was met from the start. In the 48th minute, Tokyo made a pass mistake while attacking. From there, they were quickly countered, but Yoshimoto blocked Kashiwa FW Leandro who had entered the area. They delayed the attack and eventually escaped with a throw-in by Tokyo. In the 54th minute, Kashiwa's central FW Leandro → MF Cristiano in front dropped the ball with one touch, and once again FW Leandro made a through pass to the left area. The shot from the overlapping DF Rinko was barely missed the goal, avoiding a dangerous situation. However, in the 60th minute, during a Kashiwa corner kick, Morishige in the area was judged to have committed a foul and a penalty kick was given. In the 62nd minute, this penalty was calmly scored by Kashiwa FW Leandro, equalizing the score.

However, in the 65th minute, Muto was tripped in the area and Tokyo was awarded a penalty kick. Shortly after, the game was interrupted for 2 minutes due to an earthquake, but resumed from the penalty kick. In the 68th minute, Muto's powerful kick was deflected by Kashiwa GK Sugano's left hand and went into the right side, once again successfully taking the lead.

Kashiwa brought in FW Ohtsu in the 69th minute and launched a fierce counterattack. In the 80th minute, they connected multiple passes in the Tokyo area, and FW Leandro on the right side received a one-two pass from right SB Fujita and moved towards the center. The Tokyo DF tried to defend, but the ball fell to DF Fujita, who took a shot from the right area. However, it went wide. Tokyo was pushed back, but in the 81st minute, Maeda was brought in. They endured Kashiwa's attacks with all their players and tried to counterattack.

86 min, Kashiwa FW Otsu runs alone in the front line from a pass miss. Yoshimoto clears it with a sliding tackle, avoiding a big pinch. In the 90th minute, Muto is fouled and earns a free kick from 25-26m in front of the right area. Ota takes a direct shot, but it narrowly misses to the bottom right. Both teams continue to advance towards the goal, and in the 5 minutes of additional time, Mita's shot is blocked after pressing in the front line, and Kashiwa counterattacks. Although there were some dangerous moments, they managed to hold on until the final whistle. They stopped their losing streak and earned 3 points for the first time since the 10th round.

[Player Comments]
"Mita"
"Thanks to players Muto and Hayashi, we were able to score. I also didn't give up and kept pushing for the loose ball, but I really want to thank the two of them. In the beginning of today's game, I was on the left side, but I think I was able to show my strengths more when I moved to the right. In the future, I want to continue to play my strengths and attack aggressively while also doing what the team needs. After the game, I was happy to stand on the interview stage with player Muto."

"Muto"
"The PK situation was tense due to the impact of the earthquake. But today, I definitely wanted to lead the team to victory."
(The transfer was announced, but)
The title of the 1st stage has become difficult, and I don't think I have brought anything to the team. I feel sorry for the fans and supporters for transferring here. However, continuing to take on new challenges and grow will surely be a way to repay them. FC Tokyo is the club that raised me. I definitely want to come back here before retiring. Above all, I am a member of FC Tokyo for another month. I want to work together with my teammates and aim for victory until the end.

[Summary of Massimo FICCADENTI's press conference]
"There was an accident with Yonemoto, but the players played a great game from every perspective. In the first half, we created many chances besides the goal scene, and it wouldn't have been strange if we had scored more. In the first 10 minutes of the second half, we were pushed back a little due to Kashiwa taking risks and attacking. After we took the lead again, we were able to restart in a good way. I am proud of the play that the players showed tonight. Even when the results didn't come, they always fought with all their might and played with their heads held high. A truly strong team has this kind of mentality and we were able to show it."
(After Yonemoto's injury, the system was changed and the team seemed to have improved. However, after studying the opponent today, we used a 4-3-3 formation and switched to a 4-4-2 depending on the timing during defense. After Yonemoto's substitution, we were forced to change the system and placed two balancers in the midfield. One of them, Nozawa, showed good movement. He hasn't had many opportunities to play due to injuries, but I am happy to see him play well. We rotated Mita to the right and Higashi to the left, utilizing the team's flexibility, and I think it went well overall.
(Regarding Muto's transfer)
I am happy. It is a great opportunity to test my skills in a high-level environment like the Bundesliga in Europe. The whole team is happy and the club is satisfied with the results of our work so far. By announcing it today, I believe they will play with even more focus in the future.
(Regarding Matsuda, who started the game)
He also didn't have many opportunities to play. Towards the end of the game, he was a bit unstable due to fatigue, but overall he did well. Especially in the first half, he made good plays in the attack. Nozawa also showed his presence in the midfield, and today all the players played well."

[Kashiwa - Tatsuma YOSHIDA Press Conference Summary]
"We were taken the lead, caught up and then taken again, and it became a game lacking in power and sharpness to break through in the end. We knew that if we were to concede the first goal to a team like Tokyo, the chances of them controlling the game would increase. Even in this situation, we have to improve ourselves so that we can control the game and avoid dropping points. After Yonezawa's injury, Tokyo changed their system. We communicated on the pitch and made adjustments, but unfortunately we still conceded a goal. However, the players ran and fought desperately. I believe it is my responsibility to improve the team's shortcomings."