2nd Stage Opening. Sec. 1 is an away match!

The 2nd stage has begun, and in Sec. 1, we will face Sagan Tosu away.
In the final match of the 1st stage, we narrowly defeated Yokohama FM with Hirayama's goal, finishing with a record of 6 wins, 5 draws, and 6 losses, ending in 9th place.

The 2nd stage follows immediately, but Coach Jofuku said, "Our top priority is to grow through the 34 matches of the year, but so far we haven't been able to accumulate points as we hoped. We want to approach the future with the motivation of being able to reset once."

In the 1st stage, Tosu is in 15th place with 17 points. They have scored only 10 goals, the worst in the league, which gives the impression that they couldn't convert points. On the other hand, they have conceded 15 goals, which is fewer than Tokyo, showcasing their strong defense. It will be important to avoid giving any openings to Tosu's attacking lineup, centered around FW Toyota.S and MF Kamada, throughout the 90 minutes.

Tokyo has had Muriqui and Nathan BURNS as the two forwards for three consecutive matches, and Tokunaga has returned to the starting lineup since the last match against Yokohama FM.
While patience will be required, to secure 3 points, it will also be necessary to aggressively go for the ball and take risks in attack. This match is an opportunity to show the team's growth compared to the first stage and to surpass Tosu. Additionally, at the away BEST-STA, we have won in all of the past three seasons.

The match started at 19:04 with the kickoff from Tosu at BEST DENKI STADIUM, where the humidity was very high (89%).

Muriqui scores the opening goal! Leading 1-0 at halftime

A match development where offense and defense rapidly interchange from the beginning.
6 minutes: Cut the ball in midfield, Muriqui passes to Hashimoto, and Hashimoto breaks through the center with a dribble. The ground shot is caught by goalkeeper Hayashi.
10 minutes: From the right side, Barnes delivers a ground cross. Muriqui, who ran into the center of the area, slots it to the right of the goal, scoring! Tokyo takes the lead.

23 minutes: Tosu is gradually getting closer to the goal while passing the ball, but the Tokyo DF line handles the ball behind them well, preventing any shots on goal.
26 minutes: Tokyo is in a phase of circulating the ball. They launch an attack from the side, and Barnes actively shows movement behind the defense.
28 minutes: Tokyo earned a free kick after Yonemoto was fouled about 20 meters from the goal. The kicker Morishige aimed directly but missed to the right of the goal.

35 minutes: Muriqui connects with Higashi, and Hashimoto attempts a right-footed mid-range shot from just outside the area, but the ball goes over the goal.
46 minutes: Tosu's MF Kan focuses on persistently targeting the back of the right side, but Tokyo's DF line powerfully clears it in front of the goal.
Tokyo took the lead with a goal from Muriqui. Both teams approached the goal, but no goals were scored, and they went into halftime with a score of 1-0.

Lost in a comeback due to two goals conceded in stoppage time of the second half

The second half begins with Tokyo's kickoff.
54 minutes: Yonemoto received a pass from Kono, turned around, and took a right-footed shot from the middle, but it went far off target.
56 minutes: Tosu free kick scene. A cross ball sent from the right side is headed back by MF Takahashi at the far side. This is cleared by Maruyama, resulting in a Tosu free kick.
58 minutes: The left corner kick taker is MF Toyama. A low trajectory cross-type ball goes straight into the goal net, allowing a score, making it 1-1.

62 minutes: Tokyo attacks from the left side. Barnes supplies a ground cross to the front of the goal. Kono connects with it directly and scores. They lead again, 2-1.
64 minutes: Takahashi is brought in to replace Higashi. With this substitution, Takahashi moves to the center of midfield, and Hashimoto shifts to the left side.
69 minutes: Tosu substituted FW Toyama for FW Ikeda.

74 minutes: Tosu makes their second substitution. Hayasaka comes on for Kamada.
75 minutes: Both teams are competing for midfield control while contesting a loose ball.
79 minutes: Tosu makes their final substitution. Okamoto comes on for Fukuda.

80 minutes: Tosu, increasing their offensive pressure, puts pressure on Tokyo's DF line, aiming to regain possession of the ball.
83 minutes: Mizunuma is substituted in for Kono.
87 minutes: Tokyo stole the ball from the opposing defender. Mizunuma had a free chance just outside the area, but the goalkeeper Lins, who had rushed out, saved it with one hand, preventing a goal.
89 minutes: Hirayama is substituted in for Nathan BURNS!

4 minutes of added time in the second half.
90 minutes + 4: Tosu - MF Kin breaks through on the right side. From inside the area, FK Ikeda finishes off a ground cross to equalize.
90 minutes + 5: Tosu's MF Kan's vertical pass allows MF Takahashi to break free and cross to the center. FW Toyota.S heads it in for a goal... unexpectedly allowing a turnaround.
Suffered a painful comeback loss with two goals in the second half's injury time.

[Player Comments]
《Muriqui》
"When victory was right in front of us, we were caught up to a tie and then fell behind, leaving us in a situation where we don't really understand what happened. In the first half, we played at our rhythm, connecting passes and managing to score, going into halftime with a 1-0 lead. In the second half, the opponent came forward, and while we faced some pressure, we managed to hold on... There's no point in dwelling on what has already happened, and since there are still matches left, I want us to focus on our goals and avoid making mistakes from here on out."

《Nathan BURNS》
"We lost a match that we had to win. I think we made it difficult for ourselves in the last 5 minutes. Other than that, everyone executed their roles and tactics well, but the last 5 minutes affected the result. However, since the second stage has just begun, I believe we need to switch our mindset and think about the next match."

【Summary of Coach Hiroshi JOFUKU's Press Conference】
"I am truly disappointed that we couldn't earn 3 points, and I feel regret for the fans and supporters who came from far away. There is always a reason for ending up with 0 points. There are things we need to reflect on as a team and things we must accept as individuals. As professionals, we are expected to deliver results. I take responsibility for the team's results, but the players must take responsibility for their performance and the outcomes of specific situations. We want to use this as a point for improvement and elevate our level as a team as we move forward."

[Press Conference Summary of Tosu's Massimo FICCADENTI]
"Looking at just the last three minutes, it seemed like a condensed match, but considering the way we fought in the previous 90 minutes, I thought it was a satisfying performance. Within that, we were able to achieve such a great result. To build on this, I want to calmly analyze the good and bad aspects of the 90 minutes. Tactically, I was communicating changes to the players while observing the situation during the match, but when Hirayama came on, the opportunities to target behind Tosu's defensive line decreased. Therefore, we were able to push forward all at once and enter the final attacking phase. The players understood well when we switched to 4-3-3 and then to 4-4-2, and it was a match where they fought well against the wonderful Tokyo players I have coached for two years, and I could feel the greatness of the Tosu players even more deeply. I believe today was a victory of spirit. They showed a way of fighting that couldn't have been better to earn three points against Tokyo."