I want to carry the momentum of the ACL victory into two consecutive league wins.

In the league Sec. 6, we will face Kashiwa Reysol away, just three days after the ACL match against Jiangsu Suning. Following the comeback victory in the previous league match against Nagoya, we secured a hard-fought win away in the Jiangsu match. With two consecutive official match victories, we aim to continue this good momentum and strive for another win.

In this match, Morishige will be suspended, and Yoshimoto will be used as a center-back, making his first appearance in the league this season. Additionally, there will be a slight rearrangement of the attacking lineup from the match against Jiangsu, with Maeda and Abe forming a two-top, and Kono and Azuma on the flanks. The captain will be Yonemoto, and Muriqui has made the squad for the first time since joining.

Kashiwa has not yet won in the league with 3 draws and 2 losses, but in the Nabisco match against Yokohama FM held on the 6th (Wednesday), they changed the lineup and demonstrated an aggressive attitude with intense pressing from the front and strong ball challenges. They achieved their first victory in 8 official matches. In this match, they started DF Masushima, who scored 2 goals and was the driving force behind the victory both offensively and defensively. The front line featured FW Diego OLIVEIRA in the center, with FW Nakagawa and FW Taketomi on both sides. The inside halves were MF Ibaraki and MF Kobayashi, with MF Otani serving as the anchor in a 4-3-3 formation.

During the day, it was wrapped in the warmth of spring, but at night, it began to get chilly at Hitachi Kashiwa Soccer Stadium, and the match started with Kashiwa's kickoff at 19:04.

Pushed Kashiwa and created a decisive chance, but...

1 minute: Right after the start, Tokyo maintains possession of the ball. Starting from Kono on the right side, they connect the ball, and from Maeda's careful drop in the center, Higashi, who entered the area from the left at the right timing, aims for the goal.

14 minutes: After a quick transition from a midfield tussle, Ogawa advanced to the left flank and delivered a cross. Maeda, who entered the area freely from the far side, attempted a direct shot but was thwarted by a great save from the Kashiwa goalkeeper.
Kashiwa also demonstrated strength in duels and quick transitions. They launched sharp counters, and the fast-paced development continued, but even amidst that, Tokyo gradually pushed Kashiwa back.

25 minutes: The ball was lost once in the Kashiwa defense, but Ha DAESUNG reacted to a low pass from Kashiwa. He ran right up to the edge of the right area, but slipped and was unable to take the shot.
27 minutes: Ogawa overlaps to a high position and sends a cross. Kono receives it in the right area and takes a precise shot, but the opposing defender blocks it. He skillfully controls the loose ball and immediately takes a volley, but this is also touched by the Kashiwa GK with a diving save, resulting in a corner kick.

38 minutes: Kono on the left front line, followed by Yonemoto, fiercely applies pressure to win the ball, and from there, Ha DAESUNG evades a one-two with Maeda in the center and breaks into the right area. However, the final pass is cut off just before reaching Abe.

42 minutes: Kono breaks through on the right front line and delivers a grounded cross. Maeda in front of the goal couldn't get into a shooting position, but quickly switched and connected carefully to the left side. Ogawa, who received the pass, sent a lobbed ball in front of the goal, which was blocked by the opposing defender.
44 minutes: Abe timed his run perfectly to break into the area, creating what seemed to be a great chance, but was blocked by the quick reaction and advance of the Kashiwa goalkeeper.

Both teams fought with determination, and the intense offense and defense continued, but Tokyo maintained a high level of defensive awareness without showing any cracks. They quickly transitioned to attack and created scoring opportunities. However, they were thwarted by the opponent's GK's excellent saves, ending the first half scoreless.

Conceded a goal from a penalty kick. Muriqui made his J-League debut and attempted a counterattack, but it was unsuccessful.

Kono was substituted due to injury at the start of the second half, and Hashimoto was brought in as right MF.
48 minutes: From a right throw-in, Takumi ABE skillfully turned while being marked by an opponent and sent a cross from the right flank. However, they missed the opportunity to connect in front of the goal, and after that, their energy gradually decreased, leading to mistakes when transitioning to offense, allowing Kashiwa to take control.

63 minutes: The team continues to be attacked from both sides, and in an attempt to stabilize the situation, Hanyu is brought in as a right MF to replace Higashi. Hashimoto moves to the left.
64 minutes: Kashiwa FW Diego OLIVEIRA attempts to break through in the right area, but Yoshimoto responds with persistence. They defended with focus.

71 minutes: Kashiwa substitutes MF Ibaraki for FW Tanaka. Next, Tokyo substitutes Ha DAESUNG for Muriqui. He enters as one of the two forwards, with Hashimoto moving to the defensive midfield position. Abe moves to the right side, and Hanyu shifts to the left in the formation.
73 minutes: Muriqui feinted past the opposing defender just outside the left area and delivered a strong, fast cross to Abe inside the area. Abe attempted to control it with his chest but lost control while being marked by the opposing defender.
77 minutes: From the left side of their own half, the ball was passed to Muriqui at the front. Muriqui used his speed to aggressively challenge between two opposing defenders, but lost the ball as he was surrounded.

81 minutes: They launched an offensive, but Muriqui received Maruyama's clearance and attempted to transition to an attack. However, Kashiwa's press was intense, and further attempts by Yonemoto and Maeda to connect were thwarted as the loose ball was taken by Kashiwa, with forward Diego OLIVEIRA charging into the area. Hashimoto tried to stop him with a sliding tackle but committed a foul, awarding a penalty kick to Kashiwa.
82 minutes: This penalty kick was converted by Kashiwa FW Tanaka, allowing the first goal.

Still, they did not give up and launched a counterattack, pushing Kashiwa back in the final stages, focusing on set plays.
90 minutes: Following a free kick, a wave of attacks was launched in front of the Kashiwa goal, and Ogawa in the center calmly connected the loose ball to Muriqui on the left side. Muriqui aimed for a quick shot by disrupting the timing of the opposing defender, but it was blocked and did not result in a goal.
Unable to capitalize on opportunities throughout the 90 minutes, ended with no goals, suffering a painful defeat.

[Player Comments]
《Muriqui》
"I am disappointed that we couldn't achieve a good result. Personally, I had a short playing time, but I think I was able to move well in my own way. However, I couldn't score. Still, I want to take standing on the pitch today as a starting point and do my best. I want to work harder, grow, and celebrate with everyone at the end of the season. I appreciate your continued support."

《Yoshimoto》
"I believed that my role was to contribute to the team and achieve results when opportunities like today arose. However, I was unable to keep the score to zero, which shows that I am still inexperienced. In particular, I was conscious of challenging and covering against Kashiwa's ball, but in the second half, I couldn't step up and take it back, and the overall play became stretched from midway. However, in the situation where we gave away a penalty, there must have been something I could have done. I am left with regret and reflection on that."

【Hiroshi JOFUKU's Press Conference Summary】
"We aimed for 3 points, but I feel both regret and disappointment that we ultimately couldn't win. If we had not given Kashiwa's ball-moving soccer any openings and had been able to showcase the quality of our attack, the result might have been different. We couldn't adapt to the slippery ground, which led to many mistakes. I want to review today's performance and get closer to the soccer we aim for. The fatigue from consecutive matches cannot be an excuse; the players fought well, but we lacked composure after regaining possession. We couldn't convert our decisive chances. Regarding the substitutions, it's understandable that the result led to comments like 'it didn't go well,' but I want to use today's experience as a hint for the future."

[Kashiwa - Takahiro SHIMOTAIRA's Press Conference Summary]
"From the start, it was an aggressive game for both sides. The flow was speedy, and we couldn't settle the game, but the players worked hard aggressively in both offense and defense. In that flow, we began to find our rhythm in the second half, and I think it was significant that we were able to take the lead with a penalty kick."