A crucial match at home with the best atmosphere

Following the previous match, this is a home game for Sec. 15 of the 2nd Stage. We will face Urawa Reds at Ajinomoto.
In the match against Shonan, we allowed the first goal and lost the match, dropping to 5th place in the 2nd stage. However, we maintained 3rd place in terms of annual points. We are now 6 points behind 1st place, but we still have a chance for the title as we approach the last 3 matches.

In this match, the "direct confrontation" with Urawa, who is in second place in the annual points, is positioned as a crucial game. The players express their strong desire for victory, saying, "We feel joy in being able to fight Urawa in this situation at this time. That’s why we absolutely must win." Coach Massimo calmly perceives, "This one match does not mean something ends or something is achieved. All three matches are important. Every opponent is a good team, and we will fight against one of them." He also added, "To win, the team must unite and fight beyond our limits." Especially in the first stage match, they suffered a complete defeat away. This is a match where they want to show their growth to achieve revenge.

Urawa, on the other hand, is in 6th place in the 2nd stage with the same points as Tokyo, 24. They are in 2nd place in the annual points, and they too face a situation where they cannot afford to lose a single match from here on. In the previous match, they lost to G Osaka, and they do not seem to have the same momentum as in the 1st stage, but under coach Zoran PETROVIC, the team has matured. Each player has high finishing ability, so Tokyo will need to maintain concentration throughout the 90 minutes. However, Urawa often attacks from the defensive line, so if they can quickly transition to offense, they should be able to exploit spaces. As always, they want to take advantage of the opponent's weaknesses and win the 'top match.'

Kono, who missed the last match, returns to the attacking midfielder position. Hanyu is used as an inside half. Morishige, who was substituted due to injury in the Shonan match, is also included in the starting lineup. Hayashi is back in the squad for the first time since the match against Matsumoto on June 7, and will be on the bench.

Urawa has deployed FW Zlatan at the forefront. FW Koroki and MF Muto serve as shadows in the formation. While enduring the time to withstand Urawa's attack, which is equipped with height and speed, they aim for victory by demonstrating their utmost strength.

On a clear autumn day, perfect for watching a match, 38,952 spectators gathered in the stands, and a choreography was performed during the players' entrance. The big game, welcomed in the best atmosphere, kicked off at 14:02 in Tokyo.

Unable to showcase the Tokyo spirit. Higashi scored in two consecutive matches, but...

With momentum from the kickoff, the ball was connected through Ota and Takahashi, and Higashi entered the left area. He was unable to get up during a challenge with the Urawa DF, and the game was briefly stopped, but he returned quickly. The referee ruled no foul by Urawa. In the 3rd minute, Urawa's central MF Kashiwagi passed to left area MF Muto with a through ball. FW Zlatan made a run into the center of the area behind the DF, but Tokyo DF took care of it, and the ball went to Brada.

Until then, there hadn't been any real crisis, but gradually Urawa began to maintain possession of the ball. In the 11th minute, Urawa's left defender Makino made a long feed to the front. Left midfielder Ugaki broke through to the front and delivered a soft, short cross from near the goal line to the center. Although Morishige and Maruyama were covering in front of the goal, Brada touched the ball with his left hand, causing it to spill. This allowed Urawa's midfielder Kashiwagi, who ran in from the front, to be left free and he easily scored... Both teams allowed the first shot to result in a goal against them.

This opening goal gave Urawa momentum. In the 14th minute, Urawa's right MF Sekine dribbled forward. MF Kashiwagi, who moved up the center, brought the ball inside and spread it to the left. MF Muto, who advanced from the left area, scored with a controlled shot in front of Tokunaga, quickly conceding the second goal.

Still, in the 16th minute, Tokunaga on the right → Yonemoto in the center made a long ground through pass to the front line. Azuma skillfully maneuvered against the opposing DF and broke into the right area. He calmly avoided the sliding tackle from Urawa DF Makino, and while pretending to cross, he pierced the near post of the Urawa GK and hit the net, GOAL!! Tokyo also made sure to convert their first shot, showing a determined attitude.

However, in the 27th minute, Urawa's left MF Muto dribbled inside. Unable to stop this, it connected to the free MF Sekine who advanced on the right side. The shot aimed from the right area hit Maruyama and Urawa FW Kuroki in front of the goal and deflected, but immediately reacted to the loose ball between Ota and Maruyama, MF Sekine... Maruyama slid in, but a controlled shot was scored, resulting in the loss of the third goal.

However, without losing focus, in the 39th minute, Hanyu made an overlap to Ota. They connected again, and Takahashi in the center switched the play to the right. Tokunaga, who moved up the right flank, aimed for a direct volley from a chest trap, but it went wide. In the 43rd minute, Yonemoto showed strength in the center. Despite being surrounded by opponents, he maintained possession, and Maeda, who followed, took a step forward and made a through pass to the front line. Kono made a run to match it but was just slightly offside.

In the first half, Tokyo had 3 shots compared to Urawa's 5. Higashi marked his second consecutive goal, and it wasn't that they were continuously at a disadvantage. However, they couldn't demonstrate their characteristic solid defense at crucial moments. They were outmatched in finishing and quickness, and went into the second half trailing by 2 goals.

Takahashi marks 2 goals! However, the furious comeback was in vain.

Due to the side creating a base against Urawa's 3-6-1 formation, Tokyo responded with a formation change midway through the first half. Takahashi covered the defensive line, switching to a three-back during defense, with Yonemoto and Hanyu as the double defensive midfielders. Just one minute into the second half, from a long pass by Yonemoto, Kono broke through on the right flank and delivered a final pass to Higashi just outside the left area. Higashi took a precise shot but missed to the right. In the 52nd minute, Nakajima was brought in for Kono, and in the 60th minute, Matsuda replaced Hanyu on the right wing. Takahashi moved up to the defensive midfield, with Tokunaga in defense, Morishige in the center, and Maruyama on the left. They aimed to increase the rhythm of their attacks starting from the sides and prepare for a counterattack.

However, in the 62nd minute, from a passing sequence in the midfield by Urawa, DF Makino advanced and passed to MF Muto. From here, a vertical pass was dropped by FW Zlatan in the area, and DF Makino scored a precise shot into the top left corner of the goal. Tokyo conceded their fourth goal, taking advantage of a momentary pause during player substitutions.

Still, they did not give up on victory. In the 64th minute, Higashi in the left area made a chest trap and shot. They created a scoring opportunity, but the shot went just slightly to the right. In the 73rd minute, from the right side, Higashi skillfully passed to Maeda in the center, who then spread the ball to the left area. Nakajima, who made a run, got into shooting position but was blocked a moment too late. Following that, Nakajima took a mid-range shot. Maeda, Higashi, and Nakajima created rhythm in the front line and approached the Urawa goal. In the 73rd minute, Higashi, who initiated from the right side and received a switch, temporarily held the ball in the left area. Calmly, he passed it back, and Ota sent in a cross. Takahashi dove in front of Maeda, who was waiting in the center of the area, and scored with a powerful header!

They closed the gap to one point, and in the 82nd minute, Hayashi was brought on for Tokunaga to form a two-top with Maeda. Nakajima and Higashi were on both sides. Matsuda covered the right side back, trying to go all out to seize the goal. With the momentum building, they aggressively attacked, and in the 83rd minute, Nakajima aimed from mid-range, and the shot struck the Urawa goalkeeper hard. It was saved, but they earned a corner kick. In the 84th minute, Takahashi headed the right corner kick they gained. The opposing goalkeeper jumped to contest it, but the ball slipped from his hands, and Takahashi kicked it in with his right foot for the GOAL!

The sense of unity with the stands heated up even more. In the 88th minute, Ota's left cross found Higashi at the far post, who aimed perfectly with a header, but it went straight to the GK and was also offside. In the 89th minute, after a left throw-in, Nakajima connected to Matsuda, who surged up from the right and took a shot with momentum. In the 90th minute, Nakajima's right cross was met by Maruyama diving in the center, while Hayashi at the far post tried to connect with his foot, but... it was deflected just before for a corner kick. Nakajima persistently chased the clearance from this corner kick and regained possession of the ball. It seemed he was fouled in the right area, but there was no foul by Urawa. Immediately after, Higashi's decisive shot from the left area was blocked by a GK save... Nakajima reacted to the loose ball and took a shot from the right area, but it was also saved by the GK, and time was up.

Despite showing a relentless effort and a furious comeback until the end, the 4 goals conceded took their toll, resulting in consecutive home losses. The point difference with the leaders Hiroshima in the 2nd stage has now reached 10, eliminating the possibility of winning the title.

[Player Comments]
《Morishige》
"Urawa tried to go beyond what we had prepared and caught us off guard. That is one of their characteristics, but we couldn't catch their movements, and while we were flustered, we conceded a goal. After that, we responded by clarifying our marking, and in the second half, we created many chances and ultimately scored 3 goals. However, among the 4 goals conceded, there were mistakes on our part. In such important matches, mistakes can determine the outcome. Today, I don't have the impression that we couldn't compete against Urawa. However, I think we need to improve our ability to finish in crucial moments and to stop the opponent. We have lost consecutively, but it is not over. We need to switch our focus to the next 2 matches and, without falling apart, aim to win together once again."

《East》
"It was a match that we absolutely had to win. The atmosphere in the stadium was fantastic, and being able to play in such an environment is a joy as a player. I am grateful for that. That's why we had to win at home. However, we conceded a goal due to a mistake, and after giving up the second goal, we lost our rhythm. In the first half, we played a match that was not typical of Tokyo. I fought with the determination to win at all costs, and I intended to give 120 percent effort, but... Everyone wants to win the championship in Tokyo and change history, and today's defeat is very frustrating. However, it's important to hold on and win the remaining two matches."

【Summary of Coach Massimo FICCADENTI's Press Conference】
"We started the match poorly, and the result was even worse. We conceded a goal early due to our mistake, which made the game more open. In the beginning, we couldn't maintain good positioning around the defensive midfield area and struggled to respond effectively to the opponent's attacks. Urawa's second goal was a fantastic shot, but conceding first put us in a difficult situation. Our team condition was good, but we disrupted the game with mistakes. After that, we changed our system and ended up with something like a four-forward formation. We needed to adapt while reading the flow of the match. The last 30 minutes resembled the Shonan game, but this time we scored and never gave up until the very end. Even when down 1-4, we didn't give up and scored two goals back, and the players left the pitch with their heads held high. Most teams would give up when trailing 1-4, but we never did. I am especially satisfied with the players' performance in the final 30 minutes. This kind of match development is not my preference, but such games are probably enjoyable in Japan. Urawa is a strong team competing for the championship and fought brilliantly. They attacked with excellent combinations today as well. We must also keep looking forward. In the last two matches, we have to face forward and aim for victory."

[Summary of the Press Conference of Urawa's Coach Zoran PETROVIC]
"It was a spectacular match with 7 goals scored in one game, and those who came to watch must have been satisfied. It was a great game for both teams. A good game with a total of 7 goals is rare, and both sides gave their all. I think the spectators should simply enjoy that. We showed good play and maintained our energy until the 75th minute. We adapted to Tokyo's system change and were able to control the match. However, after conceding the second goal, although there was a factor of decreased energy, the players became defensive and stopped connecting passes. They got scared and started kicking many long balls. That kind of play is Tokyo's strength. As a result, we allowed them to press us for some time. In Japan, when leading 4-1, the attacking mindset tends to weaken. But when we have the initiative, I believe we should thoroughly defeat the opponent. Of course, we should be satisfied with the victory against a strong FC Tokyo. However, we want to carefully review today's points for reflection and think about how to approach the next match against Kawasaki. Even if we earn the most points in the season, we are not the champions, but since we have already secured advancement to the championship, I told the players to stop feeling unnecessary pressure and tensing up. That is why we decided to boldly play our own style of football. I think this match was one where we could express that mindset."