Aiming for three consecutive wins with all our strength

After a two-week interval, the J1 League resumes. We welcome Shonan Bellmare at home for Sec. 14 of the 2nd stage. In the previous match, we achieved victory against Hiroshima, who are at the top of the 2nd stage, rising to 3rd place in this stage as well as overall, keeping our title hopes alive. As we head into the final stages, Coach Massimo emphasizes, "The important thing is for everyone to move in the same direction," highlighting the importance of unity within the team. Our stance as a team remains unwavering, and we will continue to focus calmly on each match.

Shonan currently sits in 9th place in the 2nd stage. They have a total of 39 points for the year, needing just "1" more point to secure their place in J1. Since their match against Kawasaki on August 22, they have gone five games without a victory, and in the Emperor's Cup 3rd Round held on Oct 10, they lost narrowly to Matsumoto. Their usual 'momentum' seems to have faded a bit. However, similar to Tokyo, they have had a preparation period leading up to this match, and it is not hard to imagine them showcasing their characteristic 'nothing to lose' mentality as they aim for victory.

This match features FW Kirino at the forefront, with FW Takayama and FW Kobayashi serving as shadows. Kono is absent for Tokyo. Therefore, Higashi is utilized as an attacking midfielder. Nathan BURNS and Maeda form a two-top in a 4-3-1-2 formation as they prepare to start.

In this match, we want to take control in the midfield against Shonan's pressing and aggressiveness, and capitalize on any gaps to secure victory. Additionally, we are just one goal away from reaching a total of 700 goals in J1, and there is attention on who will score this milestone goal, but above all, it is a home game. We aim to enhance the sense of unity with the stands and strive to seize victory with all our strength.

It was chilly, with occasional light rain, but just before the start, clear skies began to appear, and the match kicked off at 14:04 in Tokyo.

Crucial goal conceded in first half stoppage time

In the 3rd minute, Shonan's right wide midfielder Fujita Masaru sprinted down the side with a dribble. The central forward Kirino let the ball pass. FW Takayama, who came up from the far side, took the first shot of the match. However, it went wide, and after that, Tokyo maintained possession of the ball. In the 5th minute, Morishige's feed was dropped by Maeda, and Nathan BURNS entered the left area. He faced a 1-on-1 with the Shonan DF, but as he took his time, the cover returned, and he couldn't break through. In the following 9th minute, they circulated the ball along the DF line, Maruyama → Ota → the central Yonemoto to the left front line. Ota delivered a cross, but it was cut off at the near post. Just before that, Shonan DF Andre Baia suffered an injury incident. In the 10th minute, he was forced to substitute for DF Shimamura.

In the 12th minute, Nathan BURNS broke free on the right flank and sent a grounded pass into the central space. This pass slipped between Maeda and Yonemoto, but he persistently won the second ball, and once again Nathan BURNS delivered a right cross. Higashi contested this, and Maeda, at the left corner of the goal area, headed it down, but there was no angle and it went straight to the opposing goalkeeper. After the 23rd minute, Hashimoto chased a counter from Shonan's midfielder Kikuchi, but Morishige, who came in to cover, made contact and injured his foot. He fell to the ground but quickly returned, and it seemed that there was no serious issue at that moment.

In the 26th minute, Nathan BURNS in the center slid to the far side just before the penalty area and spread to the left. He earned a left corner kick from Ota's cross. In the 31st minute, he changed the side from the center to the right, and after Tokunaga, Higashi sent a cross from the right side, but Maeda jumped in with his head and it barely hit the Shonan defender first, resulting in a right corner kick. However, every corner kick was caught by the Shonan GK, and they could not create a shot.

Unable to fully press the attack and seize the pace, Shonan gradually began to create rhythm through intense defense, and the match developed into a back-and-forth battle. In the 35th minute, Shonan switched the side from the right, and left MF Kikuchi made a break, leading to a one-on-one with Maruyama inside the area, but strong and persistent defense kept him at bay, resulting in a Tokyo ball. Near the end of the first half, a set piece led to pressure; although they had been holding firm until then, at the 45th minute they conceded a free kick from the right side. The distance to the goal was about 35 meters, but Shonan MF Nagaki aimed a sharp, low trajectory shot. Vlada AVRAMOV saved it to the lower right, but the rebound was collected by Shonan MF Takayama on the left side, who delivered a shooting-quality final pass to the center. Shonan MF Furubayashi, free in front of the goal, easily pushed it in... conceding a painful opening goal in first-half stoppage time. Immediately after, Morishige was unable to continue playing and left the pitch. Yoshimoto was brought on right away, but with these accidents piling up, the first half ended.

Higashi marked his 700th goal and equalized, but...

Still aiming for a comeback, Nakajima was brought on for Nathan BURNS at the start of the second half. Higashi and Hashimoto were on both sides. Takahashi and Yonemoto formed a double pivot in a 4-4-2 formation to launch a counterattack. This immediately paid off, as in the 50th minute, they pushed into the Shonan goal area, seized the opponent's clearance, and persistently attacked. From the left side to the center, Yonemoto sent a floated ball to Tokunaga just before the right area. The loose ball from the Shonan defender, who competed with Nakajima, was trapped by Higashi on the left side of the area, and his precise shot found the top right corner! Higashi marked Tokyo's 700th goal in J1 history, leveling the score.

In the 54th minute, Ota's cross flowed to the far post, but Nakajima chased it down, regained possession, and advanced into the right area. He took a powerful shot from a tight angle, but it was saved by the opposing goalkeeper. The atmosphere for a comeback was rising, but in the 50th minute, Shonan FW Takayama dribbled towards the center-right. A through pass into the area was attempted to be intercepted by Maruyama, but the cleared ball spilled into a contest between Shonan FW Takayama and Yonemoto, flowing to Shonan's right side. MF Fujita's line drive cross was met as MF Kikuchi jumped in from the far post... and was pushed in bodily in front of Tokunaga... Shonan scored the first shot of the second half, conceding the second goal.

Even so, in the 63rd minute, Higashi ran into the left front line, and Ota received the return and controlled a left cross. Nakajima in the area reacted to this. He took a shot with the heel of his right foot towards the goal, but... it was blocked by a great save from the goalkeeper, resulting in a corner kick. In the 70th minute, the third substitution card was played, bringing in Mita for Hashimoto.

In the 75th minute, they persistently connected the opponent's clearance ball. Higashi brought it in from the left to Nakajima, who dropped it to Mita running in from the right. Mita aimed for the goal with speed, but it was blocked, resulting in a left corner kick. In the 79th minute, the ball reached Higashi just outside the left area, with Maeda on the left flank. Nakajima blocked the opposing defender in front of the goal. A pass was sent into the space created, and Mita ran in, but the shot was blocked, resulting in another corner kick. They struggled to break through Shonan's defense, which had numbers in front of the goal, and the period continued without being able to take a shot. However, Mita, along with Nakajima, revitalized the attack, providing rhythm and momentum.

In the final stages, there were several decisive chances. In the 89th minute, Nakajima passed to Mita, who broke free on the left flank, dribbled close to the opponent to disrupt their timing, and delivered a last pass to the far post. Takahashi, who was free, stretched out his right foot, but the shot went wide. In stoppage time, Yonemoto was fouled, resulting in a free kick on the left side. Following that, a left corner kick was earned. GK Vlada AVRAMOV also moved up front, and Ota's low kick slipped through to the space in front of the goal, but... Maruyama and Nakajima in the area could not connect, and time was up. Despite having eight corner kick opportunities in the second half, they could not capitalize on any decisive chances. They suffered their first home defeat in the second stage.

[Player Comments]
《East》
"I think the content of the second half was really good. We were able to play our game. However, this season we have been focused on results, and if we don't achieve that, it means nothing. Even with good content, if we can't win... That's why it's really frustrating. The goal came from a good situation where the ball spilled to me, so I calmly trapped it and aimed for the shot. We equalized early in the second half and created an atmosphere where we could turn it around, but... Still, no one has given up on the desire to win a title. We will prepare the best we can for the next match and fight to play our best game and win."

《Maruyama》
"Against Shonan's pressing and momentum from the start, we connected our passes well and tried to take advantage of the opponent's moves. I expected it to be a tough match, but I think we didn't allow the opponent to create too many chances. However, they capitalized on the chances they had. We created several scoring opportunities with our intended style of play, but we couldn't finish them, and we also failed to defend properly. It was a frustrating defeat, but there are still opportunities ahead. It's important not to dwell on this loss and to focus on regrouping effectively."

【Summary of Coach Massimo FICCADENTI's Press Conference】
"It was a good performance, but Shonan made the most of their few chances and scored. I think the second goal conceded was the only chance the opponent had in the second half. We knew it would be a difficult match against an opponent who runs this much, but in the final stages, we created many chances in their half. Of course, mistakes were not allowed in this match, but if you don't convert your chances, it becomes a tough game like this. However, we kept running aggressively until the very end, and our condition was definitely good. We fought without giving up until the very last moment. Anyone watching the second half could see it was our pace, and we pressed from the front as planned to effectively handle the opponent's dangerous counterattacks. We lacked composure on the final passes in front of the goal, but I think today was just an off day. We understand that soccer has days like this. Ultimately, the result is what matters, so we accept it, but we have no choice but to move forward. We want to keep looking ahead."

【Shonan Coach Kiyoshi Choi's Press Conference Summary】
"Ajinomoto is a place where we experienced frustration and sadness two years ago, and last season it was the stadium where we became J2 champions. We have worked hard not to fall behind FC Tokyo, our rival team in the Kanto region. Tokyo achieved the highest points in the club's history, but to win against that team, I believed this was the only way to fight and instructed the players accordingly. In terms of content, I wanted to create more opportunities by circulating passes and breaking down from the sides, and there were moments when we lost the ball by choosing a sideways pass during counterattack chances. However, our players must give 100% in both practice and matches to survive. Without that mindset, it is impossible to play in J1. This is not about feeling pressured, but rather enjoying it and feeling the joy of playing football. I have always told them to give their all even if they fail, and I think this match expressed that. We wanted to play this kind of match and have built up to it every game. I sincerely want to congratulate the players for earning the right to play in J1 next season by their own strength. In football, it may be true that bigger players are better and smaller ones are not, or that fast players are good and slow ones are bad, but I think those who overcame the obstacles by their own power are tough."