Match against Sagan Tosu, who wants to overcome the wall

J1 Sec. 12, held on Friday ahead of other matches as they prepare for the ACL Round of 16, will see Sagan Tosu host their opponents at home.
Last week's Shonan match, we protected the goal scored by Kono and achieved our second consecutive victory in official matches. We want to continue this momentum and connect it to a winning streak in the league match.

Sagan Tosu are currently in 16th place with 8 points after 10 matches. They have welcomed Massimo FICCADENTI as their manager this season, but they have yet to achieve a winning streak and this match will be a "must-win" for them. Tokyo has not lost to Sagan Tosu in the past two seasons, but in the final match of last season, they only managed a draw and were denied a spot in the championship. They must overcome this obstacle by surpassing Sagan Tosu in their attitude and perseverance, and aim to take all 3 points as a team.

Tokyo will face the same starting lineup as the previous match, using a 4-1-4-1 system. Tosu's MF Kamada, who has returned from injury, will start. He will play as an attacking midfielder, with FW Toyota and FW Okada as the two forwards. In the midfield, MF Takahashi will serve as the anchor, with MF Choi and MF Kim on the sides, starting in a 4-3-1-2 formation.

The match started at 19:04 in Tokyo with clear weather typical of May, from noon.

Both teams play a solid game, creating a big chance towards the end of the first half.

1 minute: Immediately after the start, Tosu was aggressively attacked. Starting from the right side of Tosu, Erik was able to turn towards the front and send a ground cross to the front of the goal. FW Toyota made a run for it, but just before he could reach it, Tokunaga made a sliding tackle and the ball went out for a corner kick. From the right corner kick taken by MF Kin, DF Taniguchi headed it near the goal, but the ball floated and was caught by Akimoto. Although they were able to create a finish, this was the only shot by Tosu in the first half.

5 minutes: Tokyo also looks for a chance from a calm game play, and Maeda, who received a pass in the left area, aims for a goal. However, after passing the bar, both teams pressed each other with compact formations, and the game continued without giving the opponent any freedom.

12 minutes: Tanabe and Kono make a move from the right side, Maeda passes through the center. Yonemoto then enters the area, but is blocked by Tosu DF. Kono follows up on the loose ball, but Tosu is able to contain the attack on the right side.

22 minutes: Yonemoto on the left side changes sides. Tokunaga, who has moved up to the outside of the area, receives the ball and earns a corner kick from a direct cross on the right. However, they are unable to finish.
28 minutes: A FK from the right side is given to Tosu, and MF Kim takes a sharp kick and DF Kim Min-hyuk is left free from the outside and is caught off guard. It was a close call, but the timing was off and it did not result in a shot.

However, they calmly responded to Tosu's long balls. Tokyo gradually took control of the ball and pushed Tosu back, creating opportunities from the sides.
　
44 minutes: Tokunaga goes up from the right, passes through Tanabe and Yonemoto to Ogawa in a high position. The pass to the center was cut off, but he picks up the loose ball and finds space in the center. Takahashi runs in and aims for a powerful middle shot, but it hits the bar... Next, Tokunaga and Tanabe connect with a second ball, and Maeda in front of the left area passes vertically to Kono in the area. Abe presses the opposing DF who tries to clear in the center, steals the ball and shoots from a close distance, but once again it is blocked by the bar... Tokyo continues to connect with the loose ball, and from Maeda's left cross, Tokunaga in the right area shoots a low header, but... it is blocked by a great save from the Tosu GK.

In the latter half of the first half, we continued to create big chances, but we were unable to score and both teams went into the second half with a scoreless tie.

Sagan Tosu kept them from playing freely, but they couldn't capitalize on their chances and ended up scoreless.

Connected the momentum from the end of the first half to the second half and created opportunities at the beginning.
47 minutes: Kono, who attempted a dribble breakthrough, received a foul and won a FK from the right corner of the area. Ogawa aimed directly at this and his powerful shot hit the frame, but it slipped behind the Tosu GK's hands... There was a Tokyo foul in front of the goal, leading to a FK for Tosu.

57 minutes: Abe received Tanabe's vertical pass just in front of the left area corner. He turned around and took one step inside, then shot a powerful mid-range shot, but it narrowly missed the frame.

67 minutes: A FK from Tosu Tokyo's central field is given, and MF Kan is targeted with a low trajectory powerful kick. Tosu's only shot in the second half was taken, but the ball that passed through the wall was calmly caught by Akimoto.

Even if the ball is taken by Tosu, they do not allow entry to the goal. Tokyo maintained their quick switching and attacked the goal. However, they were unable to create a decisive chance.
68 minutes: Substituted Kawano for Mizunuma, followed by Tanabe for Hashimoto.
75 minutes: Hirayama replaces Maeda. The team has already used up all three substitution slots and is trying to turn the situation around.

83 minutes: Yonemoto -> Ogawa overlaps and crosses. It was cleared, but the opponent missed the clearance and got a left corner kick. From this left corner kick, Morishige tried to head it, but it was not cut off. Hirayama chased after the ball that flowed to the far side and crossed from the right. Both sides crossed, but they were cleared by Tosu.

Towards the end, Hirayama received the ball at the front line and continued to change sides and deliver crosses.
88 minutes: Mizunuma runs into the right area to receive Yonemoto's lofted pass, but his shot from the goal line is blocked by the GK.
In the additional time, Ogawa made a side change, Tokunaga sent a vertical pass, and Mizunuma ran to the front line and crossed. Near the goal, Hashimoto made a diving header, but... the close-range shot was saved by the goalkeeper, and the time was up.

Although they showed a solid game plan, they were unable to capitalize on the big chances they created. The game ended in a scoreless draw.

[Player Comments]
"Takahashi"
"The team is currently aiming to win while keeping the goal difference at zero in a difficult situation. Unfortunately, we were not able to score. Today, we started from the sides to widen Tosu's defense as an attacking strategy. Regarding middle shots, we were aware that if the opponent focused on the sides, we could use the center and pose a threat by aiming from the middle range. Reflecting on it, not being able to score was a regret. We had a good chance in the second half, but looking back at those three shots at the end of the first half, if we had scored even one of them... there is a lingering feeling of regret and reflection."

"Mizunuma"
"I expected it to be a tough game where we would cancel each other out. And that's exactly what happened. When I entered the field, the score was still 0-0, so I wanted to score. There were chances for me to make a difference. If I had scored... I regret not being able to do so, and I also think it was a game we could have won. After the game, the supporters from Tosu cheered for us, and it made me want to achieve results in Tokyo even more. I realized that I need to work harder in practice and play to my strengths."

[Coach Hiroshi JOFUKU's Press Conference Summary]
"Considering the current situation, it was a game that we absolutely wanted to win. We couldn't get 3 points and it's a frustrating feeling. However, in a game like this, we were able to avoid the situation of losing due to the opponent scoring on one of their few chances. Even in a tense situation, we were able to defend well. However, it's not enough to just limit the opponent to 2 shots. In the latter part of the second half, we were able to create a formation where we pushed up the sides and increased the number of players in the center, and we were able to bring the ball up to the opponent's goal. However, we need to improve our communication and accuracy in the finishing part. Regardless of the opponent, this is a challenge that we need to solve. I think the fresh players who came on as substitutes need to raise the quality of the team. Watching the support of the fans and supporters today, I felt the desire to meet their expectations. Together with the players, we want to make progress and get 3 points in the next game."
[Sagan Tosu - Manager Massimo FICCADENTI's Press Conference Summary]
"It was a close game where both teams were trying to dominate the space. Towards the end of the first half, Tokyo's Takahashi's shot hit the crossbar and there were some mistakes made while dribbling in the box, which showed a lack of concentration. However, apart from that scene, I don't think there were any clear chances for either team. But that doesn't mean nothing happened, it was a game where both teams were trying to shut down each other's space. There were many players in Tokyo who I have played against last season, so I knew how difficult it would be to break their solid defense. I told my players before the game to keep fighting until the end. We didn't score, but I think it was a game where both teams played with a lot of heart."