Match against Tosu to overcome the wall

Ahead of the ACL Round of 16, the J1 Sec. 12 match was held on Friday, ahead of other cards. We will face Sagan Tosu at home.
In the previous match against Shonan, we secured a victory by defending the goal scored by Kono, achieving two consecutive wins in official matches. We want to continue this momentum and turn it into consecutive wins in the league.

Tosu is currently in 16th place with 8 points after 10 matches. They welcomed Massimo FICCADENTI as their coach this season, but they have not had any consecutive wins so far, making this match a "must-win" for them. Over the past two seasons, Tokyo has never lost to Tosu, but they ended in a draw in the final match of last season, which prevented them from qualifying for the championship, making it a wall they must overcome. They aim to surpass Tosu in attitude towards competition and resilience, working together to secure 3 points.

Tokyo will approach the match with the same starting lineup as the previous game, using a 4-1-4-1 system. Tosu has MF Kamada returning from injury in the starting lineup. He will play as an attacking midfielder, with FW Toyota.S and FW Okada forming a two-top. In midfield, MF Takahashi will play as the anchor, with MF Choi and Kim on the sides in a 4-3-1-2 formation.

The match started at 19:04 in Tokyo under clear skies typical of May.

Both teams played a solid match, creating a big chance towards the end of the first half

1 minute: Right after the start, Tosu aggressively attacked. They created a play on the right side, and MF Kamada faced forward outside the area, sending a grounded cross in front of the goal. FW Toyota.S rushed in to meet it, but Tokunaga slid in just before, resulting in a corner kick. From the right corner kick taken by MF Kin, DF Taniguchi headed the ball, but it floated and Akimoto caught it. Although they managed to get a shot off, it turned out to be the only shot from Tosu in the first half.

5 minutes: Tokyo is looking for opportunities from a calm game flow, and Maeda, who received a pass in the left area, aims for the goal. However, after going over the bar, both teams continued to press each other with compact formations, preventing the opponent from having any freedom.

12 minutes: Tanabe and Kono attacked from the right side, and Maeda let the pass go through. Following that, Yonemoto entered the area but was blocked by the Tosu defense. Kono rushed in for the loose ball, but the subsequent play to the right was also contained by Tosu.

22 minutes: Yonehara on the left makes a switch. Tokunaga, who moved up outside the area, receives the ball and earns a right corner kick from a direct cross. However, they cannot convert it into a finish.
28 minutes: A free kick was awarded to Tosu from the right side, and MF Kan's sharp kick was met by DF Kim Min-hyuk, who broke free from the outside. It was a tense moment, but the timing was off, and it did not lead to a shot.

Still, they calmly responded to Tosu's long balls. Tokyo gradually took control of the ball, created opportunities on the sides, and pushed Tosu back.
　
44 minutes: Tokunaga advanced from the right, and Ogawa moved to a high position via Tanabe and Yonemoto in the center. The pass to the center was cut off, but he picked up the loose ball and moved into the central space. Takahashi, who ran in, aimed for a powerful long-range shot but hit the crossbar... Following that, Tokunaga and Tanabe connected the second ball, and Maeda, just in front of the left area, passed vertically to Kawano in the area. Abe pressed the opposing defender who tried to clear the ball in the center, stole it, and shot from close range, but once again was blocked by the crossbar... Tokyo continued to connect the loose balls, and from Maeda's left cross, Tokunaga, who was free in the right area, attempted a header with a low posture that aimed for the corner, but was thwarted by a great save from the Tosu GK.

In the latter part of the first half, we created several big chances in quick succession, but we couldn't break the deadlock, and both teams went into the second half scoreless.

Although we did not allow Tosu to play freely, we could not capitalize on our chances and ended up scoreless.

Carried the momentum from the end of the first half into the second half, creating chances at the start.
47 minutes: Kono, who attempted a dribble breakthrough, was fouled and won a free kick from the right corner of the area. Ogawa aimed directly at it, and his powerful shot, which hit the target, was spilled behind by the Tosu GK... However, there was a foul by Tokyo in front of the goal, resulting in a free kick for Tosu.

57 minutes: Abe received a vertical pass from Tanabe just in front of the left corner area. He turned and brought the ball one step inside, unleashing a powerful mid-range shot, but it just went over the crossbar.

67 minutes: A free kick is awarded to Tosu from the center of Tokyo's territory, targeted by a powerful low shot from MF Kan. It was the only shot Tosu had in the second half, but the ball passed through the wall and was calmly caught by Akimoto.

Even when Tsushima had the ball, they did not allow entry into the goal area. Tokyo maintained a quick transition and attacked towards the goal. However, they could not convert it into a decisive chance.
68 minutes: Mizunuma comes on for Kono, followed by Hashimoto coming on for Tanabe.
75 minutes: Hirayama comes in for Maeda. They used up the first three substitution slots to try to change the situation.

83 minutes: Yonemoto → Ogawa, who overlapped, crosses. This was cleared, but the opponent miscleared the loose ball, resulting in a left corner kick. From this left corner kick, Morishige attempted a header but couldn't connect. Hirayama chased the ball that flowed to the far side and delivered a right cross. Both sides sent in crosses, but they were cleared by Tosu.

In the final stages, Hirayama held the ball in the front line, and from there, the play continued with a change of sides and crosses being delivered.
88 minutes: Yonemoto's floated pass was met by Mizunuma, who ran into the right area and aimed for a shot from near the goal line, but was blocked by the GK.
In the added time, from Ogawa's side change, Tokunaga sent it vertically, and Mizunuma, who ran to the front line, crossed. Hashimoto at the near post 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 strategy and created big chances, they were unable to capitalize on them. The match ended in a scoreless draw.

[Player Comments]
《Takahashi》
"In a difficult situation for the team, we are currently aiming to win while keeping the goals conceded to zero. I feel disappointed that we couldn't score as a result. Today, as part of our attacking strategy, we started from the sides to widen the defensive coverage of Tosu. Regarding long-range shots, I was conscious that if the opponent was covering the sides, we could use the center, and I thought we could pose a threat by aiming from mid-range. Not being able to convert those opportunities is a point of reflection. We had good chances in the second half as well, but I am left with regrets and reflections, thinking that if we had scored even one of those three chances at the end of the first half..."

《Mizunuma》
"I expected that we would cancel each other's spaces and that it would be a tough match. The result turned out as expected. Since the situation was scoreless, I stepped onto the pitch to score. There were chances that should have been taken, including my own. I have regrets thinking that if I had scored there... I believe it was a match we could have won. After the match today, I received cheers from the Tosu supporters, and I once again want to achieve results in Tokyo. I need to work harder in practice and fight by showcasing my own characteristics."

【Summary of Coach Hiroshi JOFUKU's Press Conference】
"Considering the current situation, this was a match we absolutely wanted to win. We couldn't secure the 3 points, and we are full of regret. However, in a game like this, we managed to avoid a scenario where the opponent scored from one of their few chances and caused us to lose. Even in a tense situation, we were able to defend solidly. That said, limiting the opponent to just two shots doesn't mean we can be satisfied. During the second half when we pressed forward, we raised the sides high and increased the number of players in the center, and I think we were able to bring the ball close to the goal. But the finishing part requires better communication and accuracy from everyone. Regardless of which team the opponent is, this is an issue we must resolve. Fresh players who came on during the match need to raise the quality of the team. Seeing the support from the fans and supporters today, I felt the desire to meet their expectations. Together with the players, we want to improve so that we can earn 3 points in the next match."
[Tosu - Massimo FICCADENTI Coach's Press Conference Summary]
"It was a closely contested match where both teams canceled each other's spaces. At the end of the first half, Tokyo's Takahashi's shot hit the crossbar, and there was a moment of mistake where a player dribbled in the area during a continuous attack, showing a slight lack of concentration. However, aside from that moment, it seemed there were no clear chances for either side. That said, it wasn't as if nothing happened; it was a match where both teams canceled each other's spaces. Many players from last season who fought together were on the Tokyo team, and I knew how difficult it was to break through their solid defense. I had told the players before the match to keep their spirits up and fight until the end. Although there were no goals, I believe it was a match where both sides displayed passionate play."