Sec. 11, facing Yokohama FM in a total battle

Facing Yokohama F. Marinos in the 11th round of the 2nd stage, away from home.
In the previous match, there were times when Kobe took the lead, but we fought hard and launched sharp counters, and Maeda achieved a hat-trick. At the same time, we kept a clean sheet and grabbed 3 points. As a result, we have remained undefeated in 6 league matches. Although we continue to face a situation where we cannot afford to lose a single match towards the end of the league, our defensive play has matured and our attacking gears, centered around counters, are starting to work together. We aim to continue growing step by step and achieve consecutive victories.

However, Takahashi will be suspended for 2 games due to accumulated warnings. Therefore, the lineup will be changed for this match, with Nozawa, Hashimoto, and Higashi starting. Yonemoto and Nozawa will form a double pivot in midfield, with Hashimoto and Higashi on the wings, and Nathan BURNS and Maeda as the two strikers in a 4-4-2 formation. In goal, Vlada AVRAMOV will start for the second consecutive match, as they face the match with all their might.

Yokohama FM's 2nd stage is currently in 7th place with 15 points. Although they were held to a draw by Niigata in the previous match, they have been in good form with 4 wins and 1 draw in their last 5 league matches, including victories over Nagoya, Kofu, Tosu, and Urawa in August. In particular, MF Nakamura has been creating opportunities from the midfield with his passing and FW Ito's hold-up play, while MF Saito and MF Ademilson's daring dribbling and shooting abilities have been contributing to their points tally from the wings.

On the other hand, Tokyo wants to first focus on preventing goals as usual and maintain balance in the game. Coach Massimo says, "One goal can change the balance and tactics of the game, making it difficult for both teams. One play can also change the flow of the game, so precision and concentration are required on both offense and defense." "However, our team's characteristics will not change. We will challenge Yokohama FM head on, utilizing their style and our own style to aim for victory."

The game started at 19:04 with a kickoff by Yokohama FM, under a clear sky that reminded us of the lingering summer heat.

Unable to take advantage of early opportunities, Yokohama took control, but we patiently fought back.

Yokohama FM's speedy attack pushed us back in the beginning. However, Tokyo's tough defense prevented them from entering our area. In the 7th minute, we created an opportunity from a restart and East ran into the center to receive a pass from the side and took a powerful shot with his right foot. However, the opponent's goalkeeper made a great save. In the 8th minute, after a fierce battle in the midfield, Nathan BURNS on the right side entered a shooting position and earned a corner kick. From Ota's corner kick, Maruyama in the far post headed the ball but couldn't find the target. In the 12th minute, Maruyama cut off Yokohama FM's ball at the defensive line. East on the left side connected with Nozawa in the center, and then expanded to the left. Ota sent an early cross into the area, and Maeda made a run into the near post, but the opponent's goalkeeper caught it first.

The team quickly switched to an attacking style, but they were unable to capitalize on their chances and gradually allowed Yokohama FM to dominate possession. In the 13th minute, FW Ito was able to break through Tokyo DF's defense after receiving a feed from Yokohama FM, but Maruyama was able to cut him off with a sliding tackle. In the 18th minute, a pass from the midfield was intercepted, allowing Yokohama MF Saito to dribble, but Morishige showed his strength and was able to steal the ball and join the attack. However, when he tried to pass to the right to Hashimoto, he was stopped by Yokohama's defense. In the 26th minute, Yokohama FM's MF Ademilson entered the left area, but Morishige marked him closely and was able to contain him.

Throughout the first half, there were moments where Yokohama FM's side change and MF Nakamura's passing work caused trouble, but Tokyo fought patiently and did not allow their opponents to play freely in dangerous situations. However, in terms of attack, they lacked precision against Yokohama FM's intense defense. In the 42nd minute, Nathan BURNS and Higashi pressed on the left side, Ota successfully stole the ball and dribbled up the center. However, the vertical pass that Nathan BURNS attempted in the area was cut off by Yokohama FM.

At 45 minutes, Vlada AVRAMOV of Yokohama FM made a strong shot from the left side, but Thales made a diving save. The ball fell to Yokohama FM's DF Kobayashi, but Maruyama and Higashi took care of it, and they tried to counterattack from there, but they couldn't get into position. The score remained 0-0 as they headed into the second half.

Conceded a goal at the end and lost...

Tokyo made a substitution, replacing Nathan BURNS with Nakajima in the second half. They quickly made their first substitution in an attempt to win. In the 46th minute, Hashimoto made a quick attack and sent a cross from the left side, but Higashi ran too far ahead from the far side and couldn't control it. In the 52nd minute, Maeda ran into the area to receive a feed, but the opponent's goalkeeper quickly came out and dealt with it. In the 59th minute, Ota's cross was just slightly mistimed for Nakajima, who had run into the center, and he couldn't take a shot. From this loose ball, Yokohama quickly moved up to the front line. In their own half, Yokohama FM's MF Ademilson made a move and created a one-on-one situation with Morishige, but Morishige persistently responded. In the end, Ito passed to FW Maruyama on the right side, but he was taken care of. In the end, a cross was sent in, but Vlada AVRAMOV caught it.

No defensive mistakes were made, and gradually, they began to create opportunities to attack by connecting the ball from the sides. In the 73rd minute, Matsuda was substituted for Nozawa as the right MF. Hashimoto moved to the defensive midfielder position. In the 75th minute, Yokohama FM also brought on JFA/J-League designated player FW Tomigashi. Both teams made tactical substitutions in an attempt to score. However, Yokohama FM lost the ball more frequently due to their intense pressing, making it a difficult situation. Nevertheless, they endured the tense moments and the score remained 0-0. In the 87th minute, they quickly launched an attack from the front, with Nakajima dribbling up from the right side and sending a well-timed pass to Maeda in the left area. However, Maeda's touch was slightly too heavy and he fell after a fierce battle with Yokohama FM's MF Mikado, but there was no foul from the opponent.

Unable to take advantage of a big chance, they immediately receive a counterattack from the opponent. They managed to escape once with a throw-in, but allowed the Yokohama FM's MF Nakamura to keep the ball again and pass it. They were unable to put pressure on this and were sent a well-aimed cross in front of the goal. In response, Ota and Maruyama were caught off guard by Yokohama FW Toyama, who was free to jump between them... and a high-impact header was scored in the 88th minute...

Immediately after, Sandaza was put in, but there was no time left for a counterattack. As a result, the number of shots in the second half ended at zero, and they ended up suffering their first loss in 7 league games with a devastating goal at the end.

[Player Comments]
《Mori Shige》
「It was a game where neither team could break the balance and it was about who could score the one chance... It was a game where the team that lost balance would lose. We had one chance in the first half and Maeda had a chance in the second half. Yokohama FM had the ball, but I think their only clear chance was that goal scene. We were able to fight patiently. However, the reason we couldn't win was because we still lack experience and strength. We want to reflect on the fact that there are moments that can determine the outcome of the game."

"Nozawa"
"I was too focused on the opponent's attacking midfielder and couldn't put pressure on their defensive midfielder. I think it was necessary to be strong against Yokohama FM's defensive midfielder while also keeping an eye on the back. Also, the fact that Yokohama FM's defense was good... played a role, but we were forced to defend and couldn't put much power into our attacks. As a result, we couldn't create a rhythm. Of course, we will reflect on our defeat, but it is important to not lose next time. Personally, I think it is important to use today's experience to our advantage in the future."

[Summary of Massimo FICCADENTI's press conference]
"The game was as expected, with tactics being the main focus. The opponent was also in good condition and didn't give us much space. Both teams had very few chances to score. If we had been able to convert those few chances, we could have gained 3 points. We couldn't capitalize on Maeda's chance and they scored one minute later. We believe we played our game and players like Nozawa and Hashimoto fought well despite some players being suspended. The result is disappointing, but we must prepare for the next game and move forward with confidence."
(Why couldn't we make our attacks work, even though we were able to control Yokohama FM's speed?)
Neither team had many clear shots, and we didn't give each other much space. I was hoping our legs would move a bit more in the last 10 minutes, but I want to give credit to our defense.
(Did Morishige and Maruyama not react to the movements of Yokohama FM/FW Toyogashi player?)
When conceding a goal, there is always some kind of mistake, so I want to check and correct it. However, the two center backs fought well throughout the game against experienced opponents."

[Yokohama FM/Erick Mombaerts' press conference summary]
"We were able to take control and hold onto the ball, and we were patient enough to continue playing our own game. Tokyo is a strong defensive team, so we were conscious of possessing the ball patiently in order to break through their defense. At the same time, Tokyo is also a good counter-attacking team. We needed to be careful and alert when we lost possession, but today we were able to defend well. Considering our possession rate and number of chances, I think today's victory was a fair result."