One game aiming for 4 consecutive victories with the team united as one in an all-out battle!

In the middle of the 2nd stage, the 8th round will be held and Nagoya Grampus will face off against Toyota.S at the away Toyota Stadium. In the previous round, Yonemoto scored his first goal of the season. Without being shaken by any accidents, the team showed their determination to win and Nathan Burns scored the winning goal, achieving their 3rd consecutive victory. As a result, they have accumulated 48 points for the year, the same as their final score last season. However, coach Massimo calmly says, "It's a positive factor, but the season is not over yet. It's important to continue to value each game in front of us and continue to grow as we have done so far."

Heading into this round, Tokunaga has recovered, but Morishige will be suspended due to accumulated warnings. The situation continues to be difficult, but Manager Massimo states, "As a team, we have some issues, but we have been able to train well. Yoshimoto and Nara are in good condition, and we will carefully assess their status and confidently send them onto the pitch." Regarding the center back position, he also mentioned, "We have several options," and in addition to Maruyama, Yoshimoto and Nara have been preparing for their roles.

Nagoya, on the other hand, finished 9th in the 1st stage and could not break into the top, but in the 2nd stage they have improved their scoring power and are currently in 5th place. They have the same 13 points as Tokyo and have regained FW Leandro Damiao, who was out of action due to injury. DF Toshiaki Tawara has joined the build-up and there is a need to be wary of the attack led by FW Kengo Kawamata and FW Naoki Nagai.

In the first stage match, Tokyo took control of the game and created many chances, but they were unable to capitalize on them and suffered a devastating defeat due to an own goal. They keenly felt the importance of taking advantage of chances and not giving any openings, and this is also a match where they want to achieve revenge.

Tokyo, with Maruyama and Yoshimoto as center backs. Nara is also on the bench, and the rest of the lineup is the same as last week. Additionally, Yonehara will make his 150th appearance in J1. On the other hand, Nagoya's MF Danilson is absent, but MF Leandro Domingues is on the bench. FW Kawamata leads the front line, with FW Nagai and MF Koyamatsu as the two shadows. MF Ogawa and DF Yano on the sides. MF Isomura and Yada form a double pivot in a 3-4-2-1 formation.

For Tokyo, it is a crucial moment to face the all-out battle, and it is essential to raise the common consciousness on the pitch and fight together as one in order to achieve victory. The match started with Tokyo's kickoff at the Toyota Stadium, where the sun was strong and the lingering summer heat was intense.

Despite creating chances from counters, the score remained 0-0 going into the second half.

The match was in the 8th minute of the first half. From a quick counterattack, the ball was quickly brought up to the front line, and Hayashi, who had moved up on the right, crossed it on the ground in front of the goal. It was a close chance, but Nathan BURNS just missed it... They were unable to capitalize on the scoring opportunity.

At the 20-minute mark, Nagoya allowed Tokyo to dominate possession. There were moments where they were pushed back by quick passing and runs behind the defense, but they held on and Tokyo quickly switched to the attack. In the 25th minute, Maruyama carried the ball forward and evaded the opponent's press, then spread it out to the left. Maeda ran into the near left area in response to Kono's cross, but he couldn't find the target with his shot.

In the following 27 minutes, they persistently defended against the opponent's precise passes, and won the ball in front of their own goal, launching a counterattack. Kono, who went up on the right, connected with Maeda in the center, but was fouled, resulting in a free kick. The free kick was taken from a position about 30m in front of the opponent's goal. Maruyama aimed for a powerful shot, but it hit the wall and the ball spilled into the back area. However, in the end, it was saved by the Nagoya GK.

In the 31st minute, Yoshimoto was unable to control the pass from the left side in their own zone, and it was taken by Nagoya's forward Nagai, who then took a shot, but goalkeeper Enomoto made a super save with one foot and escaped danger. After that, there was a bit of a scramble in front of Nagoya's quick passing, but thanks to Enomoto's great save, they did not concede a goal. However, they will want to regain their rhythm.　

However, they were unable to create a rhythm and were troubled by the opponent's quick passing and movements to attack the backline. On the other hand, they were unable to fully capitalize on chances created from counters. The score remained 0-0 heading into the second half.

We attacked until the end, but lacked the finishing touch... The game ended in a scoreless draw.

In the second half, 56 minutes. Maeda, in front of the left area, drops a pass from the left side with one touch, and Kawano, who received it, dribbles past the opponent and passes skillfully to Burns, who breaks through. Burns aimed for a shot, but... there was no angle and it went straight to the GK. In the following 57 minutes, Nagoya took the ball from Tokyo while attacking, and MF Ogawa → FW Nagai countered. Takahashi chased after him, but he was dribbled to the front line and shot from in front of Yoshimoto, but it went over the top right corner. 60 minutes have passed, and Tokyo also dominates the ball in the second half and creates attacking opportunities. The game is going back and forth.

In the 61st minute, midfielder Yonemoto passed a long ball to Maeda on the left front line. Maeda sent it inside and created a chance on the counter... but Barnes couldn't control it at his feet... Later, in the 63rd minute, there was a chance from a corner kick. Yoshimoto from the far side jumped for Kono's left corner kick, but narrowly missed...

68 minutes, Nagoya substitutes MF Leandro Domingues and FW Novakovich here. After that, MF Ogawa crosses from the left during a corner kick. The ball is headed by DF Toure Wang in the area, but Tokyo DF clears it!

In the 72nd minute, Tokyo substituted Nathan BURNS for Sandaza. Then, in the 76th minute, Nakajima came on for Kono. In the 77th minute, Nagoya's FW Nagai's right cross was controlled by Maruyama, but it went out of bounds for a right corner kick. This was followed by a left corner kick, and from Nagoya's MF Leandro Domingues' kick, DF Toure headed it perfectly, but it missed the goal and they avoided danger. As 80 minutes passed, both teams were chasing one goal and the game became more stretched out. They began to counter each other. It was a time to stay calm and focused.

In the 82nd minute, Nakajima, who had made a move in the opponent's territory, was taken away, and Nagoya MF Yada quickly countered. FW Nagai broke through the area and received a decisive pass in front of the goal, but it narrowly missed FW Novakovic. The shot also missed to the right of the goal... but there was no harm done.

Additional time has come. Switching quickly at the front line, Takahashi → Nakajima dribbles into the area. Although he was brought down by the opponent's DF Lori, he gets a free kick just outside the penalty area. Matsuda runs ahead as a decoy for the free kick, and Maruyama, who is standing on the right, takes a direct shot, but it is blocked by the wall. Both teams continue to attack until the end, with a back-and-forth of counterattacks. Despite enduring, they did not allow any goals, but they were unable to capitalize on their chances. The game ended in a scoreless draw.

[Player Comments]
"Enomoto"
"I think getting 1 point away is the minimum job. We have been focusing on winning, and we had chances and were able to do what we aimed for, so there is still a regrettable part. I want to carry that feeling over to the next game. I am not satisfied, but even in the current situation where there are many injured players, we were able to demonstrate the team's strength. If we lose in this situation, it will leave a bad impression, so I think the result of a draw shows that the team is maturing. However, I think we lacked the ability to win. We want to improve on that in the upcoming league games."
(What was I thinking in the one-on-one situation with player Nagai?)
I was aware of not being beaten first because I could see player Nagai dribbling with speed. I was also thinking about reacting when he got closer. If he hit a difficult course, I thought I couldn't help it and tried to stay positive. Fortunately, the ball came flying towards my feet, so I reacted firmly."

"Yonemoto"
"Even if we couldn't score in the front, I think it showed that we have been building up to this point by keeping a clean sheet in the back.
But we have to win 1-0 in these types of games, so we want to prepare well for the next match in the next week."
(Was aiming for a daring shot?)
I was able to face forward between the midfield and DF line, so the coach told me to aim for it. I think it will be harder for the opponent to defend if there is a possibility of a shot, and it is my task to be involved in scoring, so I want to continue playing like that."

[Summary of Massimo FICCADENTI's press conference]
"I think it was a good game. We created chances with crosses and through passes from the beginning of the game, and also had scoring opportunities in the last 30 minutes. We had chances in the second half as well. There were times when Nagoya had control of the ball, but I think they struggled to find a solution from there. There was one dangerous play from Yoshimoto, but that was the only time we gave them a gift. Nagoya is a good team and on the rise. On the other hand, we fought well despite having so many problems. In that sense, I am satisfied. We tried to win for 90 minutes, including free kicks, and we maintained our never-give-up attitude until the very end. We were able to pass the ball in the build-up as well. The only thing missing was a goal. To be honest, I think it was a good game in terms of content."

[Nagoya - Akira NISHINO's press conference summary]
"FC Tokyo was missing key players, so I didn't think they would approach the game as we had scouted. However, we aimed to put pressure on their DF line and disrupt their smooth functioning. We also wanted to put pressure on Tokyo's final line of four, including the two shadows, and secure space and time in the midfield. I think we were able to create that time. We also had some time to control the ball in the midfield and build up our attacks. However, if we had been able to use side changes more effectively against the opponent's DF line and three midfielders, I think we could have created even more chances. However, although we had some opportunities, we were unable to break through in the box. The coordination and connection between the front line and midfield still seemed lacking. Even when we were pushing forward, we lost the ball too easily and were countered. We were aware of their counterattacks, but we still ended up conceding a few in the first half. We couldn't break through. It felt like we struggled to attack throughout the 90 minutes."