In the crucial Sec. 10, express a strong desire for victory through your play

The league matches have resumed, and Sec. 10 of the 2nd stage will be held. We will face Vissel Kobe at home.
In the Nabisco Cup Semifinal Round 2nd match, we lost to Kashima, and our most recent official match record is 3 wins and 1 loss. Since the victory against G Osaka on August 16, we have not been able to secure 3 points, but Maeda said, "Everyone must be thinking about wanting to change this flow. I strongly feel the same way." This match aims to regain momentum for the second half of the second stage and to express strong determination in our play to achieve victory.

This matchday, Nakajima is suspended. On the other hand, Morishige, Maruyama, and Nathan BURNS, who participated in the World Cup qualifiers as representatives, have just joined the team, but their condition is good, and they are included in the starting lineup. Additionally, GK Vlada AVRAMOV will make his first start.

Kobe is currently in 10th place with 13 points. They reached the semifinals of the Nabisco Cup. In the Emperor's Cup held on the 9th, they made few changes to the lineup and won 5-0 against AC Nagano Parceiro (J3). Most notably, in Sec. 9 against Tosu, they achieved a resounding victory of 7-1. Among them, FW Leandro and MF Watanabe each scored 2 goals in the Tosu match. MF Watanabe also marked 2 goals in the Emperor's Cup. With FW Leandro at the forefront and MF Watanabe and MF Ishizu in shadow roles, the attacking lineup can be said to be in excellent form.

This match features MF Morioka playing as a shadow. A double pivot of MF Jun MIHARA and MF Maeda. DF Takahashi and Soma on both wings. MF Chung Woo-young in the center of the DF line, DF Iwanami on the right, and DF Masukawa on the left, forming a 3-4-3 formation. In response, Tokyo aims to eliminate space in the midfield and solidify their defense in front of the goal to keep a clean sheet. On the other hand, Kobe's DF boasts height and strength, so simply kicking long balls will likely be challenging. They want to increase the time they hold the ball and create more opportunities through careful build-up play.

If we lose this match, not only will our ranking swap with Kobe, but we could also see a significant drop in our position. This is truly a "critical moment," but our record at home in the 2nd stage at Ajinomoto is 3 wins and 1 draw, with no losses yet. The support from fans and supporters is also a positive factor as we aim to seize victory.

Under clear skies, with a hint of autumn in the air, the match started at 19:03 with a kickoff in Tokyo.

Although they allowed Kobe to dominate, Maeda scored the opening goal from a ball recovery by Yonemoto and a pass from Takahashi.

In the first half, Kobe dominated possession of the ball. In the 4th minute, Kobe's MF Morioka made a pass that broke through Tokyo's defense, but GK Vlada AVRAMOV came out to intercept it. However, the ball spilled to Kobe's left side, where free MF Soma took a shot. In the 9th minute, a cross from both sides by Kobe was cleared, and a pass was made from Kono in our defense to Nathan BURNS in the front line. However, there was not enough support from the team to launch a counterattack. In the 18th minute, Nathan BURNS broke through on the left front line, but there were not enough players to support him. Maeda rushed in for a ground cross in front of the goal but was too late. Then Nathan BURNS sent a left cross, and in the 23rd minute, Hanyu delivered a right cross, but neither could lead to a finish from the counterattack.

Nevertheless, they maintained their defensive resilience, and in the 27th minute, from a corner kick by Kobe, GK Vlada AVRAMOV punched the cross away. The subsequent clearance was short, and they were pressed in front of the goal, but they concentrated and held on, not allowing any decisive shots. By the time they passed the 30-minute mark, they had several free kick opportunities in succession, but time passed without capitalizing on them.

However, in the 38th minute, Kōbe's defender passed to the holding midfielder, and Yonemoto aimed to intercept it with a determined sliding tackle. Takahashi, who followed up, managed to take the ball away, advanced through the center, and passed it to Maeda on the right just before the penalty area. Maeda trapped the ball and unleashed a powerful right-footed shot from just inside the right area! The fierce shot grazed the crossbar and pierced into the net above the near post! They took the lead.

In the 43rd minute, they contained Kobe's attack in their own half and fed the ball forward. Nathan BURNS made a pass that caught the opponent off guard, allowing Kono to break free and take a decisive shot, but it was saved by the goalkeeper. Immediately after, they cut the ball again in a similar manner in their own half. Takahashi passed to Kono, who broke through, but this was ruled offside. In the 45th minute, a pass was made to Nathan BURNS in the front line, but he was ruled offside while trying to carry the ball with a dribble.

On the other hand, during the first half's additional time, Kobe's MF Morioka made a through pass to the central FW Leandro, getting behind Tokyo's DF. From the left side, MF Watanabe broke through, and although Morishige chased after him, he took a free and decisive shot, but GK Vlada AVRAMOV came out to cut off the angle, and the ball narrowly went to the right, avoiding a crisis, ending the first half. After a cautious start, the game shifted in the latter stages, leading by one goal into the second half.

Maeda scores a hat-trick from an assist in the east! Achieves 200 wins in J1 history

In the second half, Tokyo gained momentum, leading to a rapid exchange of offense and defense. Both teams had opportunities. In the 55th minute, after a series of passes on the left side, Kono surged into the area. He had a great shooting chance, but the trap went inside, causing him to lose control. Shortly after, Kobe had a chance. Midfielder Morioka, just outside the left area, took a sharp shot on target, but goalkeeper Vlada AVRAMOV saved it with one hand, deflecting it for a corner kick.

In the 57th minute, Tokyo substituted Kono for Azuma on the left side. Hanyu moved to the right, aiming to establish rhythm in both defense and offense as a double pivot with Takahashi and Yonemoto. In the 62nd minute, Kobe also brought in FW Ishizu to the front line. In the 67th minute, FW Leandro entered the right area for Kobe. From there, MF Morioka spread the ball to the left. After being stretched wide, FW Ishizu made a last pass in front of the goal. MF Watanabe, at close range, attempted a heel shot but missed to the left, avoiding a goal. In the 68th minute, Takahashi held on at the left front and connected with Azuma, who struck with his right foot from just outside the left area, but it went over the top right.

In a back-and-forth development, in the 69th minute, a free kick was awarded on the right side of the midfield. Tokunaga took the free kick to the left front line. Higashi received it and brought it back inside, sending a low cross into the area. Maeda, who had made a run behind the opposing defender from the far side, stretched out his right foot to push it in for a GOAL! They scored an additional point from a good flow.

In the 75th minute, Tokyo substituted Hashimoto for Hanyu. Kobe also brought in DF BUENO for DF Masukawa. Still, the flow of the game did not change for Tokyo. In the 78th minute, Nathan BURNS in the central midfield passed to Takahashi behind him, who fed the ball directly to the front line. In response, Higashi skillfully trapped the ball and surged into the area! Although he was marked by the Kobe DF, he paused for a moment to calmly adjust his timing and delivered a last pass to the right area. Maeda, who charged between the opposing DF and GK, managed to trap the ball and sent it into the net despite losing his balance! The counterattack functioned by taking advantage of Kobe's attempt to retaliate. Maeda marked his first hat-trick in Tokyo, extending the lead to three goals.

Still, Kobe tries to score a point back. In the 90th minute, they are pressed with quick, precise passing in front of the goal, but Tokyo defends calmly. In stoppage time, a ground cross from Kobe's right side is passed through by forward Ishizu. Midfielder Morioka runs into the area from behind, creating a decisive moment, but Maruyama touches the ball with a sliding tackle, resulting in a corner kick, and the time is up.

After Maeda scored from a cross by Higashi, who came on as a substitute, the team held off Kobe's counterattack without conceding a goal, achieving their first victory in three league matches. At the same time, the team reached a total of 200 wins in J1.

[Player Comments]
《Maeda》
"Recently, we haven't been able to win, and I haven't been able to contribute to the team. I'm happy to have scored today and achieved a hat trick, but that was thanks to my teammates providing good passes. It's really because of them. Even if I score three goals today, if I can't score again for a while, it won't mean anything. I want to cherish each match, continue fighting for the team, and contribute to winning the next game. I want to keep the winning streak going."

《Vlada AVRAMOV》
"In my first start, I focused on reading the flow of the game carefully above all else. In the first half, I was caught behind the opponent's defensive line, but I managed to respond somehow. What I feel in J-League matches is the speed. Both the ball speed and the players' movements are fast. As I get used to that style and game, I also have to gradually adapt to the changes in the environment. However, being in an unknown place and achieving victory in this way is thanks to the cheers of the fans and supporters, as well as the warm support from the coach, teammates, and staff. I want to express my heartfelt gratitude."

【Summary of Massimo FICCADENTI's press conference】
"As expected, it was a difficult match. Kobe is a team with strength and a wonderful coach. I believe the good preparation in terms of tactics resulted in this. Since we had to defend against Kobe's ball possession, the first 20 minutes were challenging, but we managed to hold our ground and kept a clean sheet. After enduring that, we gradually improved, scored one goal, and were able to seize the momentum. We had a chance to score a second goal in the first half. After that, we effectively utilized the space and executed our strategy. I think it was a victory where we read the flow of the match by scoring the second and third goals.
(GK Vlada AVRAMOV made his first start?)
Regarding Vlada, he played well and made some wonderful saves. He has years of experience playing in Italy and possesses high skills. Still, I want to talk about GK Enomoto. Although there were some difficulties in the Nabisco Cup, he showed great performance in the league matches. Today, he also behaved for the team, a great and true professional. He has shown wonderful humanity.

[Summary of Coach NELSINHO's Press Conference]
"In the first half, we were able to proceed according to plan. We were defending well to win the ball, and we created good plays by effectively utilizing attacks from the center and switching sides. However, we conceded a goal from a counterattack due to a passing mistake while we were dominating the midfield. It was a poorly conceded goal. What we lacked in the first half was the forward movement immediately after winning the ball. There were no players to speed up, which gave the opponent time to recover. We made adjustments at halftime, but Tokyo showed their ability to finish on the counter. We couldn't capitalize on our chances. I believe that was the difference."