League's final round to compete for a spot in the championship

After the league's previous match against Kashiwa, the Emperor's Cup and the World Cup qualifiers for each representative team were held, and after a two-week interval, the final match of the season will finally be played against Sagan Tosu in the 17th round of the 2nd stage. The match against Kashiwa was won with a score of 1-0, and the annual points have risen to 3rd place. The difference in points with 4th place G Osaka is only "2", but they are in a position to secure a spot in the championship through their own efforts.

Manager Massimo calmly stated, "What we have built up over 33 games will not change in tomorrow's game. However, this match is crucial as it will determine our future. That is why our consistency will be put to the test. We must give our all, as we have throughout the season, and approach this game with a calm mindset."

Tokushima, on the other hand, finished 13th in the 2nd stage and 11th in the overall standings. They made it to the quarterfinals in the Emperor's Cup, but for them, this match will be their last in the league. With a "nothing to lose" mentality, they will display their aggressiveness and focus to aim for a victory. In particular, they have not lost in their last four league matches. They have shown a strong defense and have managed to secure a point against top teams such as Hiroshima and Urawa, playing low-scoring games.

In order for Tokyo to secure victory, they need to score goals, as well as win the battles in key moments such as ball control and quick starts. They also want to minimize careless plays and mistakes, and break through Tosu's strong defense. Throughout the 90 minutes, they want to display an attitude of "just beating the opponent in front of them" and accumulate 3 points for the win.

Tokyo will face the same lineup as the previous match. Tosu's FW Toyota and DF Kikuchi will start on the bench. FW Hayasaka, Mizunuma, and Ikeda will be used at the top. DF Taniguchi, Niwa, and Kim will form the back three. Okamoto and Takahashi will play as defensive midfielders, while MF Yoshida and Choi will take on the wide positions.

Covered in clouds, the cold Ajinomoto Stadium that makes you feel the arrival of winter, the final big match of the season started at 13:34 with Tosu's kickoff.

Unable to score the first goal, time passes with a scoreless game.

From the start, both teams pressed fiercely and attacked each other. In the 3rd minute, Tosu FW Mizunuma took a middle shot from the right side, but it lacked power and Vlada AVRAMOV caught it. After 5 minutes, Tokyo continued to try counterattacks from their own half after intercepting the ball, with Takahashi cutting the ball and moving it to the left. However, Tosu quickly switched their defense and the play resulted in a foul, earning a free kick. In the 9th minute, Tokyo earned a free kick in the center of the midfield, and Yonemoto quickly restarted the play. Higashi dribbled past his opponent on the left side, then cut back and advanced to the left area by tricking the Tosu DF, before making a final pass to the center. Maeda in the center received the ball and prepared to shoot while dropping back. The ball seemed to have gone over the bar after hitting the opponent, but it was ruled as a Tosu goal kick.

After that, Tosu continues to defend well and tries to create chances from the quick start, but the time period where they cannot convert any decisive shots continues. In the 23rd minute, they quickly switch the FK from the left side to the right. Tokunaga crosses from the right, but it is cleared and falls to the left area. Kono sets up for a shot from the trap, but it is blocked and results in a CK. The loose ball from this left CK goes to Hashimoto in the right area, who attempts a volley from a chest trap, but it is also blocked by the Tosu DF.

29 minutes, Sagamihara quickly moved forward with a diagonal pass in the middle. Pim was able to break through on the right side and connect with FW Hayasaka who had moved up the center. A speedy shot was taken, but Tokyo's DF desperately closed in and the ball went over the bar, avoiding danger. Tokyo pushed their line high and had possession of the ball, but were unable to effectively connect against Sagamihara's tough defense. They were also outmatched in the battle for second balls and were unable to find their rhythm.

42 minutes, Maeda tried to head in from a FK on the right side, but was heavily marked by Tosu DF. In the 45th minute, Hashimoto intercepted a long pass to the front line and dribbled forward. He shifted to the right and Yonemoto tried to get into a shooting position, but was stopped by a sliding tackle. The shots were all blocked and they were unable to break through Tosu DF. On the other hand, they maintained their balance and prevented Tosu from creating any real chances, ending the first half scoreless.

Despite not giving up and aiming for the goal...the difference of one point was far away, resulting in a fourth place finish for the year based on goal difference.

The team had been making small changes to their formation since the first half, but at the start of the second half, they switched to a 4-4-2 and bet on the next 45 minutes. As planned, they took control of the rhythm from both sides, and in the 48th minute, Ota passed the ball to Maeda who made a run into the box, but the Tosu GK caught it first. In the 51st minute, Ota passed to Higashi who made a move on the front line and earned a corner kick on the left. However, they were unable to capitalize on the corner kick opportunity. In the 54th minute, Higashi made a one-two pass with Kono and broke through on the left side, but the cross went too far. Immediately after, Nakajima was substituted in for Kono. The team continued to push forward.

However, in the 56th minute, they passed the ball around and created an opportunity on the left side, with Yonemoto aiming from the left corner of the area. Then, Morishige took a middle shot. Furthermore, they connected short passes on the front line, and Takahashi entered the right area and got into a shooting position, but all of their attempts were blocked by Tosu's strong defense. In the 62nd minute, Ota took a free kick on the left side and Maruyama headed it, but it went wide.

Tosu brought in FW Toyota in the 64th minute. However, Tokyo's rhythm remained unchanged and in the 65th minute, from a drop by Maeda on the left front line, Higashi circled around the center while shooting a grounder. However, this was also blocked in the area and did not reach the goal. In the 70th minute, Hayashi was replaced by Hayashi in the front line. However, in the 72nd minute, Lin jumped into the short cross sent by Takahashi → right area, but the heading was not able to be hit. Maeda followed up on the loose ball, but was surrounded by Tosu DF and could not finish.

Tosu defends by pulling almost all players back to their own half and packing the goal area. In the 84th minute, they were caught off guard and Tosu MF Mizunuma was beaten by MF Kamada on the right side. He was able to take a decisive shot, but it hit the left post... Still, they aimed for "one goal" and in the 85th minute, Lin won the second ball in a scramble and turned around in the right area. He got into a shooting position, but it was blocked and resulted in a right corner kick. From there, Morishige in the center tried to push it in with his right foot while being marked, but it went straight to the GK. In the 89th minute, Ota's cross was barely deflected by Takahashi at the far post, resulting in a left corner kick. However, Morishige's header went wide. In additional time, Morishige headed from a left corner kick, but it went wide to the right.

In the second half, we dominated the ball and progressed the game in Tosu's territory. We created chances through combinations in the front line, Ota's crosses, and set pieces, and continued to push for a goal until the end. However, one point was still far away... We ended up with only one point and finished 6th in the 2nd stage. In the overall standings, we tied with G Osaka with 63 points, but due to goal difference, we finished 4th.

[Player Comments]
"Mori Shige"
"It's very disappointing and frustrating that we couldn't seize the opportunity to take the next step on our own. I think there were various factors that led to the draw, but it's our weakness that we couldn't make the most of this kind of game... I think. We have been approaching this season with a strong determination to win the title at FC Tokyo. We have been piling up difficult games one by one to get to this position, and that's why we wanted to grab it with our own strength today. I can only express my gratitude to the fans and supporters. But there is also the frustration of not being able to produce results for them."

"Ota"
"We couldn't win. That's all. We wanted one more goal... But we gave it our all. Our own abilities weren't enough. We had chances from crosses, but my own accuracy in kicking and the accuracy of our set plays weren't enough. I think we couldn't effectively break through or possess the ball against Tosu, who were closing the center. I am truly grateful to all the fans and supporters who have supported us throughout the year. I still can't sort out my feelings, but I am disappointed and frustrated that I couldn't live up to those expectations and I feel sorry."

[Summary of Massimo FICCADENTI's press conference]
"It was a difficult game. Tosu closed the spaces and we were conscious of not disrupting the balance by being wary of their counterattacks. In the first half, there weren't many chances, but there were a few opportunities like Maeda's shot. In the second half, we faced two dangerous situations on the counter, but we knew that a draw wouldn't mean anything, so we went on the attack. We knew it would be a tough game, but I think it was a similar second half to the Urawa and Shonan games in terms of content. I feel sorry for the players who fought so hard and for the fans and supporters who supported us, but we couldn't get the result we wanted."
(Regarding this season)
Although we were unable to advance to the CS due to our goal difference, we must objectively and calmly evaluate what we have achieved by looking at things from every angle. Without this, we cannot hope for further evolution and a new start for the team. The wonderful thing about this team is that, despite facing various problems, we always fought together as one until the end without giving up. Of course, everyone is filled with regret now, but I believe that these players who have become true professionals will continue to grow from now on. Even in difficult situations, what I always thought was that I wanted to somehow bring this team to a high position. That's why I have been working hard. There is still the Emperor's Cup. I want to lift my head and do my job properly for the club that is FC Tokyo."

[Summary of Tosu Manager Hitoshi Morishita's Press Conference]
"The game was almost perfect. We didn't allow many scoring opportunities on defense and were able to create chances on offense. The word "almost" refers to the fact that we couldn't score and secure the win. The players played with courage and the hard work we've been doing for the past year has shown in the last few games. I'm happy that we were able to continue growing in this game against Tokyo. We want to continue working hard with the players to become a team like Tokyo."