I want to conclude the 1st stage final match with a victory

The first stage of this season is already reaching its final match, facing Yokohama F.Marinos. We will be heading to the away game.
In the match against Urawa, Muriqui scored his first goal in J1, and Hashimoto marked his second goal of the season, but they could not stop Urawa's counterattack and suffered a comeback defeat. Now, just two days later, they face this week's match. They must have taken some damage both physically and mentally, but the players lift their heads and say, "This week, we want to seize victory and connect it to the second stage in a good way."

However, as this is the last of the five consecutive matches, Tokunaga, Takahashi, and Hanyu will start on the bench. Hashimoto will play as the right side back. The midfield will also see changes, with Kajiyama as the defensive midfielder and Kono and Higashi on the flanks. The two strikers will be Muriqui and Nathan BURNS, continuing from the match against Urawa.

Yokohama FM will be missing MF Nakamura, with FW Kaique at the forefront and MF Hyodo in the attacking midfield position. The sides will be covered by MF Martinos and MF Saito in a 4-5-1 formation.
A match aiming for victory with a balanced attack and defense, based on solid defense, against Yokohama FM, which boasts high individual abilities and scoring power from set plays.

Although there was wind, it started at 19:05 with a kickoff in Tokyo at the humid and oppressive Nissan Stadium.

An accident occurs to Nathan BURNS, but he fights patiently.

The match continued with both teams starting with tight defense and looking for counterattacks.
3 minutes: Kono advanced to the right front line and the cross he sent back in front of the goal slipped between the opponent's defenders. Higashi, just outside the area, connected with it and took a controlled shot, but it was saved by the opponent's goalkeeper. In the early stages, Tokyo had slightly more ball possession and tried to break through starting from Muriqui, but they often lost the ball due to a lack of precision in the front line.

15 minutes: Nathan BURNS hit his head in a challenge with an opponent and temporarily left the pitch, but continued to play.
19 minutes: From the center, Muriqui passed to Nathan BURNS, who had moved to the left front. Nathan BURNS carried the ball forward and sent a precise last pass between the opposing goalkeeper and defender, but Muriqui and Kono at the far post could not reach it, and the opposing defender cut it off.

24 minutes: After winning the ball in their own half from a free kick by Yokohama FM, Nathan BURNS advanced into the central space. He attempted to make a final pass to Muriqui on the right front, but this was also blocked by the opposing DF.
28 minutes: Kajiyama, who advanced through the center with a dribble, was fouled and won a free kick just slightly left in front of the area. Morishige aimed for it, but his controlled shot narrowly missed the target.

After 30 minutes: Nathan BURNS, who had been a good accent, showed symptoms of dizziness and was forced to be substituted. Therefore, Hirayama came in at the 33rd minute. However, from here, Yokohama FM seized the rhythm and launched a quick attack.
35 minutes: MF Hyoudo broke through on the right front line, and although Maruyama blocked the return pass, the loose ball was connected, leading to a quick passing play that sent MF Saito into the right area. Still, Tokyo patiently held back, continuing to prevent any finishing attempts.

45 minutes: Muriqui was targeted for a trap mistake by Kajiyama, leading to a swift counterattack. MF Saito, who advanced into the right area, took a decisive shot, but it hit the post. Furthermore, MF Hyodo's long-range shot was blocked by Kajiyama. Next, MF Saito, who circled to the center, had his shot thwarted by Yonemoto, successfully overcoming the crisis.
Just before the end of the first half, the opponent created a big chance, but Tokyo stayed focused and managed to hold on, going into the second half scoreless.

Akimoto delivers great plays, and with Hirayama's goal just before the end, victory is secured!

47 minutes: From the opponent's sharp counterattack, FW Kaique broke into the center of the area, but the shot was saved by Akimoto.
50 minutes: From Tokyo's restart, Yonemoto's pass sent into the area was cut off, and Yokohama FM's MF Nakazato sent a long pass to the left front line. FW Kaique caught up with it and charged into the area. He fell as he collided with Maruyama, but there was no foul on either side.
51 minutes: Kono sent a right corner kick to the central space, and Morishige tried to connect but was just slightly off timing. Muriqui took a direct shot from the loose ball cleared by the opponent just in front of the right area.
54 minutes: Muriqui heads the ball in response to Kono's right cross, but it goes off target.

60 minutes: A long pass sent into the right front space was chased down by MF Martinos, and a powerful shot from the center by MF Hyodo. However, Akimoto made the save! The rebound was shot again by MF Martinos, but it went wide, avoiding a goal.
62 minutes: Tokunaga was brought in to replace Kajiyama. Hashimoto moved to the defensive midfield position. During this period, both teams made speedy attacks, creating chances for each side, but from around the 75th minute, Yokohama FM's momentum gradually increased.

77 minutes: A through pass to the front line allowed FW Togashi to break through, facing Akimoto in a one-on-one situation. A decisive chance was created, but Akimoto threw himself to block it!
82 minutes: Yokohama FM's MF Saito was targeted for a dribble breakthrough by MF Endo, and here they faced a wave of attacks from Tokyo's left side. They were pressed continuously in front of the goal, but the clearance was short, and in the end, Muriqui was held back by a foul, resulting in a free kick for Yokohama. They were also threatened from set pieces, but they managed to hold on, led by Akimoto.

89 minutes: Although they were at a disadvantage, they did not give up on the goal, won the second ball in the opponent's territory, and Tokunaga delivered a right cross. Kono chased the ball that flowed to the far side and earned a left corner kick from the left cross.
90 minutes: From the left corner kick taken by Ogawa, Hirayama's header deflected off the opposing GK's hand and was sucked into the goal. 1-0.
Taking advantage of a set-piece opportunity, they dramatically scored a goal just before the end, securing their first victory in five matches. At the same time, they finished the final match with a win, ending the first stage with 23 points in 9th place.

[Player Comments]
《Hirayama》
"The style of play that utilizes counterattacks from solid defense was ingrained in everyone. I was aware of that when I stepped onto the pitch, but in the first half, I was a bit flustered. I made adjustments at halftime and decided to apply pressure from the front."
(Regarding the goal)
I thought the header was stopped by the opposing GK for a moment, but since there was momentum from the cross, I believe it added power to the shot. I'm glad it went in.
(After the goal, I headed towards the stands)
Although the match was not over yet, I felt that scoring at that moment brought us closer to victory. More than anything, I wanted to respond to the fans and supporters who came all the way to Yokohama despite us not winning for a long time.)

Akimoto
"We hadn't been able to win in this series of matches, and I conceded a goal due to my careless mistake in the Niigata match. That's why I had a strong desire to perform well in today's game. I wanted to keep the score at zero for the opponent. Especially in this series, there were mentally challenging aspects. Still, I thought that such situations help me grow, and I aimed to step onto the pitch with confidence. In the end, I'm glad we were able to secure the victory."

【Summary of Coach Hiroshi JOFUKU's Press Conference】
"Under the motto of not using the 'five consecutive matches' in high humidity as an excuse, we approached today, but after a tough loss three days ago, the condition was quite severe. I wanted to increase the time we held the ball a bit more and press from the front, but there were unavoidable circumstances. The players fought patiently and defended with their bodies until the very end. I believe that spirit gave us the gift of a goal. Today, we faced more dangerous situations than in recent matches. Until now, despite keeping the number of dangerous situations low, we had only managed to earn 1 point in consecutive games. I was wondering if we could get 3 points in a match like today... so I am not fully satisfied, but I know the fans and supporters were frustrated. It was truly good to secure a victory here. There were many scenes where the goalkeeper saved us today. It had been a while since such a match, but I believe Akimoto will continue to save the team in the future. I think this was a 3-point win earned by the whole team. Moving forward, I want to build a team that can score a second and third goal. I am grateful to the players who won under these tough conditions."

【Yokohama FM - Erick MOMBAERTS Post-Match Press Conference Summary】
"It's hard to accept today's result. It wasn't a performance that deserved to lose. It was a closely contested game, and we were able to create chances against a solid defensive team like Tokyo. However, we couldn't convert those chances into goals, and in the end, we conceded from a set piece. It's very disappointing."