Shinoda Tokyo's first battle aims for absolute victory!

The 2nd Stage Sec. 6 will be an away match against Albirex Niigata.
In the last match, we lost to Kawasaki, dropping to 16th place in the 2nd stage and 13th in the overall ranking. In response to this result, we have welcomed Coach Shinoda as the new leader to regroup, and we are approaching this match as the first game of the new system.

The coach stated, "We aim for aggressive play in both offense and defense, showcasing dynamic football," and expressed the desire to "regain confidence as a team." To achieve this, the team has returned to the fundamentals and essence of football, emphasizing hard work and a fighting spirit among all members. This week, they continued with training that is "high in intensity and also substantial in volume." During this, they focused on applying pressure from the front to win the ball back and then executing quick transitions into attack.

At the same time, the system of 4-2-3-1 was adopted, considering both "utilizing the inherent abilities of each player and the distance between players." Maeda started as the lone forward for the first time since Sec. 10 of the first stage. Higashi was used as the attacking midfielder. The sides were occupied by Muriqui and Kono. The defensive midfielders were Takahashi and Hashimoto, but Yonemoto's injury was a significant blow to the team.

Niigata suffered four consecutive losses in the 2nd stage, but achieved a comeback victory against Omiya in the last match, and the team's situation is improving.
In a 4-1-4-1 system, particularly from the development of MF Leo SILVA, the side MF Rafael SILVA and the inside MF Nozuta show plays that directly lead to goals, requiring caution.

Continuing to fight with passion, whether we can show the transformation of Tokyo is also an important point. Under Coach Shinoda, we hope for a new transformation in Tokyo.

Today in Niigata, the temperature exceeded 30 degrees during the day. As kickoff approaches, the temperature has gradually dropped, but the heat still lingers at DENKA BIG SWAN STADIUM.
The match against Niigata, which marks the first game under Coach Shinoda's regime, started at 19:04 Tokyo time at DENKA BIG SWAN STADIUM.

Although several chances were created, the match goes into halftime scoreless.

1 minute: From the flow of the kickoff, Tokunaga feeds the ball forward. Maeda drops it, and Azuma fights to win a right corner kick. However, that corner kick does not connect with a teammate. Niigata's defense clears the ball.
5 minutes: Tokyo takes control by stealing the ball and quickly heading towards the goal.
16 minutes: Hashimoto passes back to Takahashi in the center. Takahashi aims for the goal directly, and the shot shakes the net, but the goal is disallowed due to an offside call beforehand.

29 minutes: Hashimoto injured his left foot, and the match was temporarily suspended.
31 minutes: The match resumes. Hashimoto, who is receiving treatment off the pitch, shows he can walk on his own, but is substituted for Tanabe.

34 minutes: Tokyo is passing the ball, but under pressure from Niigata, they are being pushed back into their own territory.
36 minutes: Maruyama fouled about 30 meters in front of the goal. Free kick for Niigata.

In a situation where Hashimoto had to be substituted due to an injury, the first half ends scoreless.

First goal in the east! Shinoda Tokyo makes a stunning debut!!

48 minutes: Kono sends a long pass to the front line. Maeda rushes in on the rebound from Muriqui's shot, but the opposing defender blocks it. However, Higashi follows up and strikes a shot above the goal, scoring the opening goal to make it 1-0.

60 minutes: A back-and-forth of intercepted passes in midfield. The situation continues where neither side can create chances in front of the goal.

70 minutes: Hanyu comes in for Kono.
76 minutes: As Niigata intensifies their attack, DF Maeno's cross from the left is caught by GK Akimoto.

84 minutes: Tokyo substitutes Yoshimoto for Muriqui. Positioned in the center of the DF line, they defend the goal with a 5-back formation.
90 minutes: Niigata kicks a long ball into the goal area, but Yoshimoto firmly deflects it.
90 minutes + 3: Niigata defender Maeno enters the area. The shot taken with his right foot went over the goal, but it was a tense moment.
Tokyo held on to a one-point lead with determination and celebrated their victory after four matches.

[Player Comments]
《East》
"Coach Shinoda said, 'We are a strong group,' and he has created a team that can compete. It was important for us to approach today's match with confidence as a team. Personally, I played in a more advanced position as an attacking midfielder. Losing the ball in such a crucial position affects the team, so I was able to fulfill that role today, but I am still not satisfied, and there are still many challenges for the team. I was told to communicate well on the pitch, both in attack and defense. In terms of defense, we were able to hold our ground to some extent from the front, and we were able to create blocks depending on the timing. I believe we can further improve the quality within that. We achieved our goal of earning 3 points in a short period, which is good for the team. We cannot have good matches without good training, so even though there are tough practices and double sessions, I want to prepare well and approach next week's match."

《Yoshimoto》
"At the moment when the opponent increased their attacking players, I was called by the coach and told, 'Even though we haven't practiced this, I trust you guys, so you'll definitely be fine.' I felt that trust and entered the pitch with the determination to absolutely keep them at zero. My job today was to keep the score at zero, so I motivated everyone, pushed the line up, and during that time, I was in the freshest state, so I think I was able to lead effectively with good communication among the five players behind me."

【Summary of Coach Yoshiyuki SHINODA's Press Conference】
"This week, the team found itself in this situation, and after I took over, we have been training hard for four days. Our goal for today's game was to secure three points. I didn't want to put too much pressure on the players, but I felt we needed to show some changes from the start. In the first half, we were able to demonstrate our ability to win the ball and move quickly to finish. However, after taking the lead, we allowed Niigata to control the ball quite a bit. Ultimately, we were able to bring home the three points, and the players really ran well and fought patiently. I want to take this three points positively and prepare for the next match."

【Niigata - Tatsuma YOSHIDA, Coach】
“This season, we haven’t had any consecutive wins. After winning the previous match, we approached this game determined to secure 3 points at home. We went into the battle with the support of the stadium crowd, but from the first half, it became a match with many 'battles,' and we somewhat gave the opponent space on our right side. We overcame that, made good adjustments, and carried that into the second half. However, handling the second ball and the confusion in marking led to the conceding goal. Thanks to Maeda’s skill, they switched positions, picked up the loose ball, and scored. They scored early in the second half, forcing us into a defensive posture. In the end, I think we couldn’t bring out the speed and power needed to break through at the end. The game itself was not the kind of game flow we have been playing recently. When we were about to find our rhythm, the whistle stopped the game, and we couldn’t catch that tempo. Also, we lacked the final decisive strike. In the last period, when the opponent changed their system to defend, we started making moves into the area. We should have shown those movements from the first half. It’s been tough since entering the 2nd stage without results, but as long as the players keep looking forward, and as long as the fans, supporters, and everyone in Niigata keep cheering us on, we want to believe in ourselves and keep moving forward.”