Shinoda Tokyo's first battle aims for absolute victory!

Sec. 6 of the 2nd stage will be an away game against Albirex Niigata.
In the previous round, we lost to Kawasaki and dropped to 16th place in the 2nd stage and 13th place overall. In response to this result, we have appointed Shinoda as the new coach and will face this round as our first game under the new system.

The coach aims for "aggressive and dynamic soccer on both offense and defense" and says, "First and foremost, we want to regain our confidence as a team." To achieve this, they have gone back to the basics and essence of soccer, instilling a hardworking and fighting attitude in all players. This week, they have continued with "high intensity and high volume" training. In this training, they have focused on pressing and winning the ball, and then quickly transitioning into attacking plays.

At the same time, the 4-2-3-1 system was adopted, taking into consideration both "utilizing the individual players' original abilities" and "the distance between players". Maeda started as the 1st top for the first time since the 10th section of the 1st stage. Higashi was appointed as the top under. On the sides were Muriqui and Kono. Takahashi and Hashimoto served as the defensive midfielders, but Yonemoto's injury was a big blow for the team.

Niigata, on the other hand, suffered 4 consecutive losses in the 2nd stage, but in the previous match they achieved a come-from-behind victory against Omiya, and the team's situation is improving.
In a 4-1-4-1 system, especially with MF Leo Silva leading the charge, we can expect to see plays from the side MF Rafael Silva and inside MF Notsuda that directly lead to goals, so caution is necessary.

It is important to continue fighting with passion and show the changed face of Tokyo. Under the guidance of Manager Shinoda, we hope for a new transformation in Tokyo.

Today in Niigata, where the temperature exceeded 30 degrees. As kick-off approaches, the temperature gradually drops, but the DENKA BIG SWAN STADIUM is still hot.
The first game of Shinoda's coaching era was against Niigata, starting at 19:04 in Tokyo at the DENKA BIG SWAN STADIUM.

Despite creating several chances, the score remains 0-0 at halftime.

1 minute: From the kick-off, Tokunaga feeds the ball to the front line. Maeda drops it and Higashi fights for it, earning a corner kick on the right. However, the kick does not reach any of his teammates. Niigata DF clears it.
5 minutes: Tokyo takes control by quickly heading towards the goal after stealing the ball.
16 minutes: Hashimoto passes to Takahashi in the center. Takahashi aims for the goal with a direct shot, shaking the net, but the goal is not allowed due to an offside call.

29 minutes: Hashimoto injured his left foot and the game was temporarily suspended.
31 minutes: Game resumes. Hashimoto, who was receiving treatment off the pitch, shows signs of walking on his own, but is substituted by Tanabe.

34 minutes: Tokyo is passing the ball around, but they are under pressure from Niigata and are being pushed back into their own half.
36 minutes: Maruyama fouls at a position about 30 meters in front of the goal. Free kick for Niigata.

Hashimoto is substituted due to injury, and the first half ends scoreless.

First goal at the East goal! Shinoda Tokyo's first battle!!

48 minutes: Kono sends a long pass to the front line. Maeda follows up on Muriqui's shot, but the opposing DF blocks it. However, Higashi follows up and scores with a shot to the top of the goal, making it 1-0.

60 minutes: A back-and-forth of pass cuts in the middle. The situation continues where neither team can create a chance in front of goal.

70 minutes: Hayashi replaces Kawano.
76 minutes: As Niigata intensifies their attack, DF Maeno's cross from the left is caught by GK Akimoto.

84 minutes: Tokyo substitutes Muriqui for Yoshimoto. Placing him in the center of the DF line, they defend the goal with a 5-back formation.
90 minutes: Niigata kicks a long ball in front of the goal, but Yoshimoto firmly deflects it.
90 minutes + 3: Niigata DF Maeno enters the area. The shot from his right foot missed the goal, but it was a close call.
Tokyo defended their one-point lead with all their might and secured their first victory in four games.

[Player Comments]
"East"
"Coach Shinoda said 'We are a strong group' and created a team that can fight. We were able to face today's game with confidence, which is an important thing for the team. Personally, as a top player, I was able to play closer to the goal. It is an important position for the team when I lose the ball, so I was able to fulfill that role today, but I am still not satisfied and there are still many challenges for the team. We were told to communicate well on the pitch, both in attack and defense. Regarding defense, we were able to hold it down to a certain extent and create blocks depending on the time. I think we can improve the quality even more. We were able to achieve the goal of getting 3 points in a short period of time, which was good for the team. We can't have a good game without good training, so there are tough and second division practices, but I want to prepare well and face next week's game."

"Yoshimoto"
"I was called by the coach at a time when the opponent was increasing their attacking players, and he said, 'You guys haven't done it in practice, but I trust you and I'm sure you'll be fine.' So I felt the trust and went onto the pitch with the determination to definitely hold them back. My job today was to keep them at zero, so I encouraged everyone, raised the line, and at that time I was in the freshest state, so I think I was able to communicate well with the five players behind me and lead the team."

[Coach Yoshiyuki SHINODA's Press Conference Summary]
"This week, the team has been in this situation and for the past four days since I took over, we have been training hard. Our goal for today's game was to get three points. I didn't put too much pressure on the players, but they entered the game with the mindset that they needed to show something different from the start. In the first half, we were able to show our ability to win the ball and quickly go for the finish. However, after taking the lead, Niigata had a lot of possession. In the end, we were able to take three points back home, and the players ran well and fought patiently. We want to take these three points positively and prepare for the next game."

[Niigata - Tatsuma Yoshida, Manager]
"This season, we didn't have any consecutive wins, so we approached this match with the goal of getting 3 points at home. We fought with the support of the stadium, but it became a game with a lot of "battles" from the first half, and we gave the opponent space on our right side. We overcame that and made adjustments in the second half. However, the handling of second balls and the overlapping of marks led to the opponent's goal. Maeda's skill also allowed them to change the game and pick up loose balls. They scored at the start of the second half and it became an environment where they could focus on defense. In the end, I think we couldn't show the speed and power to break through. The game itself was not the kind of game we have been playing recently, and when we were starting to build a rhythm, the game was stopped by the whistle and we couldn't keep up with that tempo. Also, we lacked the final touch. In the end, the opponent changed their system and focused on defending, and in the final minutes, they started to make moves into our area. We should have been making those moves from the first half. It's been tough since entering the second stage and not getting results, but as long as the players keep looking forward, and the fans and supporters of Niigata continue to support us, we want to believe in ourselves and move forward."