In order to make use of the 3 points from the previous match, we need to win at home.

Sec. 3 of the 2nd stage, which will be held on Sunday. We will face Montedio Yamagata at home. In the previous match, we showed a dynamic play and East scored a consecutive goal at his own Ajinomoto Stadium to take the lead. Takahashi also marked his first goal of the season, and Morishige scored the third goal from a set play to secure the victory. While we regret conceding one goal, Manager Massimo says, "Showing a new form is proof that the team is evolving. It is important for each player to continue to grow." However, the manager and players all agree that "if we don't win the next match, the way we won the previous match and the 3 points won't mean anything." Therefore, we will give 100% effort in each match and aim for victory, aiming for continuous growth.

However, Higashi injured his left foot in the Niigata match and will be absent this round. As a result, Nakajima, who will make his first start of the season, will be used as a side half. In addition, the starting lineup will be the same as the previous round, and they will kick off in a 4-4-2 formation.

Yamagata, who are facing them, are in 15th place with 14 points in the 1st stage. However, in the 2nd stage, they have drawn with Yokohama FM and Urawa. Yamagata is known for their solid defense, but in the previous match, they changed their formation to 3 defensive midfielders to counter Urawa, and they were creating many chances by aggressively attacking from the sides and midfield. With that confidence, they have come into this match with a formation that places FW Diego at the forefront, MF Frank Romero in a position close to the top, and MF Matsuda, MF Alceu, and MF Miyasaka as a 3 defensive midfielders.

Yamagata FW Diego, MF Frank Romero and others will be required to have a strong defense against the attack led by them, and the key to the game will be whether they can break through the defensive wall with numbers from the midfield to the back. We want to aim for consecutive victories by not missing the opponent's weaknesses and attacking them.

The temperature exceeded 30 degrees even just before the start, and the game started with Yamagata's kickoff in the intense humidity.

Amidst the intense back and forth between offense and defense, accidents continue to occur.

Tokyo had a chance to attack with momentum at the start. In the 3rd minute, they couldn't stop Yamagata's counter and FW Diego on the left side connected, trying to cross to MF Frank Romero in the far. In response, Nakajima held him back with a foul, giving a FK on the right side of the penalty arc. In the 5th minute, this FK was aimed directly at Yamagata's MF Miyasaka, but the shot hit the post... They narrowly avoided conceding a goal. In the 10th minute, Tokyo's Ishikawa forcefully dribbled through the center from Maeda's post play on the left. He was fouled and they got a FK from the left side of the penalty arc. However, Morishige's shot went over the bar.

There were moments when Yamagata's quick attacks were pushed in, but Tokyo also responded quickly. The development of the game was rapidly changing with the transition between offense and defense. In the midst of this, in the 22nd minute, Maeda received a ball that was cut off on the left side of their own field, turned towards the front, and passed it through to Nakajima on the left front line. Nakajima, who had timed his run perfectly, was one-on-one with the goalkeeper. He took a well-aimed shot, but it missed to the right of the goal... They couldn't capitalize on the scoring opportunity. In the 29th minute, Ishikawa on the right side passed it to Nakajima who had moved up to the center, and he took a shot with his right foot, but it narrowly missed the crossbar.

Gradually, the number of finishing scenes increased, but in the 32nd minute, Kajiyama was injured in his left ankle after receiving a tackle from the opponent. He returned to play once, but was unable to stand up again. Therefore, in the 35th minute, Hayashi was substituted in. The formation was changed to a 4-3-3 with Takahashi in the center midfield and both sides being played by Yonemoto and Hayashi. They firmly held off Yamagata's attacks centered around set pieces, but when they entered the 5-minute additional time, Ota injured his foot and was unable to continue playing. As a result, in the 45th minute +3, Maruyama was substituted in. Immediately after, Nakajima → Maeda broke through to the right area and crossed. Ishikawa in front of the goal tried to score with a heel kick while carrying a DF, but it hit the opponent's DF and went to the side... The first half ended with a scoreless tie.

Yamagata held back the counterattack and continued to push towards the goal until the end, but...

Without losing rhythm to successive accidents, Tokyo went on the offensive in the second half. In the 47th minute, Maruyama pressed the opponent in his own zone and stole the ball, and Yonemoto and Maeda expanded to the left. From Ishikawa's cross, they earned a left corner kick. Maeda in the far post headed the kick from Ishikawa, but... it was blocked by the opponent's GK's great save. In the 49th minute, Nakajima on the left front line → Ishikawa in front passed to the center. Hayashi, who had timed his attack well, shot the ball to the upper right corner of the goal, but it was saved by the Yamagata GK.

In the 57th minute, Sandaza was substituted for Nakajima, using all three substitution slots and aiming for a goal. Shortly after entering the field, Sandaza dribbled through two defenders from the left area and aimed for the center, but his shot was blocked. In the 59th minute, Sandaza attempted a direct volley from Ishikawa's left cross, but it narrowly missed the top right corner of the goal.

As the pushing force forward increased and the exhaustion became more intense in the heat, the lines gradually stretched and countered each other. Still, Yamagata did not allow any clear chances. However, in the 68th minute, Kanda jumped out to punch away a free kick from the right side of Yamagata. In the process, he landed on top of Takahashi, injuring his face. Takahashi was unable to get up and had to leave the pitch for treatment. He returned in the 72nd minute, but his condition was unstable.

Still attacking, in the 80th minute Sandaza used his strength to break through the opponent's defense and expand to the right. Ishikawa volleyed the cross from Tokunaga, but it went over the bar. In the 7 minutes of additional time, they continued to push for a goal and Highashi headed the opponent's clearance ball to Sandaza in the right area. Sandaza turned and took a shot, but it was saved by the opponent's goalkeeper. They didn't give up and also threatened the Yamagata goal from set pieces, but in the end, Yonemoto's long-range shot missed the target and the time was up. They couldn't convert any of their 9 shots in the second half. Although they kept a clean sheet for the first time since the Niigata game on April 25th, they ended up with a goalless draw.

[Player Comments]
"Nakajima"
"I had a chance, but I couldn't score there and I'm frustrated. I think I could have done more and I feel like I need to receive the ball more often. I want to be able to play in the game as I do in my usual practice."

"Maruyama"
"I have been preparing all the time so that I can play well whenever I play. I didn't feel nervous or pressured, but I always focused on getting into the game. While playing without taking any risks, I was conscious of connecting the ball firmly and aiming for spaces. We wanted to get 3 points, but we want to take the 1 point we got by keeping a clean sheet in a positive way."

[Summary of Massimo FICCADENTI's press conference]
"Yamagata erased the space as expected and aimed for the counterattack. Among them, Nakajima's chance in the first half was a big opportunity. If we had scored there, the content would have been more settled, but we couldn't take advantage of the chance and time passed. Kajiyama and Ota had no choice but to be substituted. Therefore, it became difficult to make tactical changes in the second half, but we were able to push Yamagata without giving them many chances. MoriShige and Ishikawa created scoring opportunities, but... If you look at Yamagata's last two games, it was clear that they were opponents to be respected, and their good condition was also an important factor. It wasn't a technically brilliant game overall, but it was a match where we could see a lot of strength in the ball."
(Injury situation)
Kajiyama has a strong contusion on his ankle. We won't know for sure until we do some tests. Ota seemed to have discomfort in the back of his thigh, but we want to monitor his progress. Takahashi has a bruised nose, but I think it can be resolved quickly. Despite these issues, I don't think getting 1 point is a bad result.

[Yamagata - Manager Nobuhiro Ishizaki's Press Conference Summary]
"I tried to challenge Tokyo, who finished 2nd in the 1st stage. Although we faced some difficult situations, we were able to control the defense to some extent. Even after Tokyo changed their system, we were able to handle it well. However, we were not able to create good opportunities in our attack. This is not just about today, we still need to practice more. However, the players fought well under the tough conditions of playing 3 games in 1 week and in hot and humid weather. We will take the result of 3 draws positively and move on to the next game."