A match to win away and seize the opportunity to rise

The J1 League Sec. 8 held on Sunday. We will face Ventforet Kofu away.

Currently, Tokyo is on a three-match losing streak in official competitions, including the ACL. In particular, the match against Jeonbuk Hyundai in the ACL resulted in a lackluster performance.
Since we are facing this match just three days after the game against Jeonbuk, it can be said that we have not been able to completely shake off the fatigue.
In such circumstances, Tokyo's forward Hirayama makes his first start of the season after about 1 year and 8 months. Komano also enters as a left back for his first start in J1. Kajiyama is in the defensive midfield, and Abe, who is facing his former club, is also included.

Kofu is currently in 12th place with 8 points. In the Nabisco Cup match against Nagoya held on the 20th, they made changes to the lineup and ended in a 0-0 draw. They have not lost in their last three official matches. The defense, which adopts a five-back formation, is solid, and the counterattacks starting from forward Cristiano are sharp.
　
This is a match where we only think about earning 3 points and want to seize the opportunity to rise by "producing results." No matter how the game unfolds, we want to fight through the full 90 minutes with patience and determination, leading to victory.

As kickoff approaches, it has warmed up, making it a perfect day for soccer at Kofu Chugin Stadium.
The match will start at 14:04 with a kickoff from Kofu.

Although we pressed in the early stages, we allowed the first goal and went into halftime trailing 0-1.

From the beginning, Tokyo applies pressure and approaches the opponent's goal.
7 minutes: Nathan BURNS dribbled down the left side and delivered a cross from near the goal line. The opposing defender touched the ball, changing its course, and Kono executed a powerful left-footed volley inside the area. However, it hit the crossbar and did not result in the opening goal.
9 minutes: Hirayama received a pass just in front of the area and took a left-footed shot with his back to the opponent. The opposing goalkeeper caught it right in front.
10 minutes: Komano's foot hit the opponent player's face, resulting in a yellow card for dangerous play

15 minutes: Kofu attacks from the right side and passes to the center. MF Billy Cereski connects to FW Kawamoto, and FW Inagaki dives in to shoot with his toes in response to Kawamoto's lob pass. This goes in, allowing the first goal and making it 0-1.

27 minutes: A pass from Akimoto was intercepted by FW Cristiano, creating a crisis, but Maruyama cleared Cristiano's cross.
30 minutes: Kajiyama makes a long feed from the defense line to the front line. Abe timed his run well but was ruled offside.
32 minutes: Kofu MF Kuroki receives a yellow card for a foul on Hiyama
37 minutes: Morishige receives a yellow card for a play that obstructs the opponent MF Inagaki's advance

40 minutes: Kofu - On a counterattack, FW Inagaki surged up the right side and crossed. FW Cristiano received it at his feet, but the Tokyo DF responded and prevented a shot.
43 minutes: Kicker Kono's right corner kick is headed by Morishige at the far side, but it goes wide to the left of the goal.

Although they conceded the opening goal, they aimed for the goal mainly through side attacks, but could not equalize and went into halftime trailing 0-1.

Equalized with Hirayama's goal, ending in a 1-1 draw

52 minutes: The team moved the ball around quickly in the opponent's half, and Nathan BURNS found space in the area to meet Komano's cross. He connected with a careful volley, but it just went slightly over the goal.
54 minutes: Tokunaga's cross from the right side is deflected by the opposing defender, but the loose ball is picked up by Kajiyama just outside the area, who passes it to Kono inside the box. Kono strikes with his left foot directly, but it hits a teammate and the ball goes out of bounds.

60 minutes: Pushing forward, Tokyo's Maruyama sends a floating pass in front of the goal. Kajiyama reacts and takes a shot with a back header, but the opposing goalkeeper catches it right in front.
62 minutes: Muriqui is substituted in for Nathan BURNS.

63 minutes: Tokyo earned a free kick on the left side. Hirayama heads in a right-footed cross from kicker Komano! It's a goal!! Tokyo equalizes.
64 minutes: Taking advantage of a gap in the opponent's defense, Kawano breaks through the center with a dribble. He faces the opponent's GK one-on-one, but his shot is saved, and the score remains unchanged.
65 minutes: Kofu substitutes MF Kuroki with FW Chuka.
67 minutes: Kofu's FW Cristiano starts a dribble on the left side. He makes a through pass to FW Chuka, but it doesn't get through.
70 minutes: The team passes the ball in the midfield, and Yonemoto sends a vertical pass to Hirayama, but they fail to connect for the next play and miss the opportunity.
72 minutes: Kofu MF Inagaki fouled Muriqui, receiving a yellow card.
72 minutes: Mizunuma comes in for Kono.
85 minutes: Maeda comes in for Hirayama.
90 minutes + 1: Tokyo, aiming to take the lead, attacks as Muriqui receives a pass in the area and turns to take a shot, but the opposing defender blocks it.
Although Hirayama equalized with a header, they were unable to score the winning goal, resulting in a 1-1 draw. The points were shared with 1 point each.

[Player Comments]
《Hirayama》
"If we had taken the chances we had in the first half, I think the game would have been easier. Regarding my goal, Komano's cross was precise, so I was able to score. I wish we could have added another goal with that momentum... However, my condition is improving, so I want to enhance my precision even more."

《Kono》
"In terms of offense, it wasn't bad from the first half. There were moments when we panicked after conceding a goal, but if we had taken our chances, I believe we could have secured 3 points. Against a defensively solid team like Kofu, simple crosses won't create scoring opportunities, so we need to use individual skills to break away from defenders and deliver crosses, which requires creativity. Including the shots that hit the crossbar, we missed several chances. I wish I had scored, but... I want to make sure to score next time."

【Hiroshi JOFUKU Coach Press Conference Summary】
"Considering the recent league matches and the flow of the ACL, today was a game where we wanted to secure 3 points. With that thought, I sent the players onto the pitch. The players prepared well and aimed to play with a competitive spirit, but we were caught off guard by the first set piece, making the game difficult. At halftime, I told the players to not lose sight of what we had been doing. When we concede the first goal, the desire to attack becomes stronger, which inevitably leads to situations where we get countered. We really need to reflect on how the game unfolded. After playing against Kofu again today, I realized they are a very solid defensive team, and on top of that, their counterattacks are sharp, making them a good team. I wanted to bring home 3 points together with the supporters in Tokyo. It was a very disappointing game."

[Kofu - Summary of the Press Conference with Director Satoru SAKUMA]
FC Tokyo is a well-organized and solid strong team, so we told ourselves to fight patiently and persistently. As expected, Tokyo built a strong defense. We wanted to steal the ball and counterattack, but we didn’t want to lose possession carelessly. If we don’t control the ball starting from the sides, we would be under constant attack. Coach Shirofuku started Hirayama, who didn’t just join the defensive block but used the aerial space. We managed that well in the first half, but we carefully watched what moves they would make in the second half and whether there would be any system changes. However, there were no major changes. In the second half, the player we were most cautious about, Hirayama, scored from a set piece, so we brought in Chuka to try to score. We still had two substitutions left, and after discussing with the coach on the bench whether to bring in Mori, we decided not to substitute because Kawamoto and Cristiano showed great energy, and the game ended as it was. We wanted to earn 3 points at home, but judging by the content and the players’ fight, I want to praise them.