The 2016 Meiji Yasuda J3 League Sec. 20 at the home stadium of the league-leading Tochigi SC, Tochigi Green Stadium, which is on a 10-game winning streak.

Tokyo has been losing consecutive home matches and wants to change the momentum in this match.
In the previous match, although we allowed the first goal, we equalized with Muriqui's penalty kick and ended in a draw.
Tokyo has Enclosure as GK. Yanagi, who has appeared since Sec. 16, is in the DF line.
In the center are Hasukawa and Okazaki, the winning duo from the recent Club Youth Championship (U-18). On the left is Niji.
Ito and Suzuki at the bottom of the midfield, with Mizunuma, Barnes, and Hiraoka lined up in the second row.
Hayashi is in the one-top position in a 4-5-1 formation.
Tochigi sets up in a 4-4-2 formation, with Oishi, who has scored 7 goals so far, in the front line. There are also two foreign FW players on the bench, making the squad very deep.
The match, which kicked off at 5 PM with some lingering heat, began with a Tochigi ball.

[First Half]
Both teams actively engage right from the start.
In Tokyo, Hayashi connected with a low cross from the right side in the center, shaking the net, but the goal was disallowed due to a foul call.
On the contrary, a crisis was faced in the 5th minute when a cross from the left side was met at the near post and hit the right post.
Although the loose ball was closed in on, Kai spread his body and dove to block the shooting path, sending it out of bounds.
In the 8th minute, they launched a counterattack from the center of their own half, and as Barnes dribbled forward through the middle, he connected with Yanagi, who surged up the right side.
Yanagi makes a cross with his left foot after a cutback, but it gets deflected.
Both teams advance to the area around the penalty box, but unable to create a clear chance. In the 29th minute, Ito receives the ball in the center of the midfield, looks up, and takes a long shot, but it is blocked by the post.
Furthermore, in the 36th minute, Hiraoka creates space on the left side and passes to Mizunuma on the right side.
Mizunuma aimed for a goal with a knuckleball shot from a dribble, but the goalkeeper punched it away.
Then, Tochigi.G was the first to make a move in the match.
In the 38th minute, Hasukawa was called for a foul in the penalty area, resulting in a penalty kick. This was converted into a goal in the bottom left corner, allowing the first score against us.
In the dying moments of the 45th minute, a cleared ball from a set piece was picked up, allowing a free shot from the left side, but Kamei made the save.
In the first half, Tokyo had 3 shots while Tochigi had double that with 6 shots, ending the first half.

【Halftime】
Coach Nakamura's Comments
"Let's focus on our play. Let's involve more players in each pass."
Let's continue to fight for the ball.

[Second Half]

Both teams will enter the second half without making any player substitutions.
As both teams aimed to take control from the start, intense battles for the ball unfolded, gradually leading to Tokyo increasing their offensive pressure.
In the 53rd minute, DF Okazaki made a deep run down the left side and delivered a long pass to the ball.
When the player initiates a one-on-one, they momentarily shake off the opponent, cross with their left foot, and Hayashi dives in at the near post, flowing behind them.
Mizunuma dives in here but just misses.
In the 60th minute, Yanagi was substituted by Uchida, who then entered as the right back. In the 63rd minute, Uchida was fouled deep on the right side, earning a free kick.
Mizunuma aimed for Hasukawa, who jumped to the far side, but couldn't make contact.
Both sides began to weaken their midfield pressing, shifting to an open game with frequent changes in attack and defense.
Tokyo has more ball possession time, but Tochigi responds with sharp counters.
In the 73rd minute, Hiraoka was substituted for Hantani to change the attack.
Then in the 80th minute, Tokyo, who had been persistently pressing, earned a left corner kick, and from the ensuing scramble in front of the goal, they were fouled and won a penalty kick.
Hayashi flows this into the right corner to equalize.
Immediately after the equalizer, although they faced danger from both sides, the defense held strong and created chances towards the end.
In the 86th minute, Ito steals the ball from a press back in front of his own penalty area and passes it to Barnes, then initiates a counterattack with Hayashi and Hanya.
Hayashi received the ball in the center of the opponent's half and passed it through to Barnes, but Barnes' breakthrough was blocked by the DF.
Furthermore, in additional time, Barnes creates another scoring opportunity.
In the 90+2 minutes, Hantani cuts in diagonally from the right side and makes a last pass to Barnes, who timed his run perfectly.
Burns faced the GK one-on-one after breaking through, but his shot hit the GK, missing the chance.
Despite continuing to attack tenaciously until the end of the match, it ended this way, stopping Tochigi's winning streak and earning 1 point.

Thank you very much for your passionate support for FC Tokyo U-23 today.
We appreciate your continued warm support.

【Summary of Coach Nakamura's Press Conference・Comments】
"First of all, despite the hot summer days, many fans and supporters came, and we were unable to win at home last time."
I truly appreciate the fans and supporters, and I wanted to show you the players fighting on the field, so I entered the match thinking we should play a game that makes you feel glad you came to watch.
I wanted to win just like last time, and I wanted the players to win.
It was a very difficult and tight match against Tochigi, who are at the top with 10 consecutive wins, but I believe that after the comeback victory against J1's Yamaga yesterday, the team showed a fighting spirit until the end, and the fans and supporters also believed in and supported the players.
In that sense, it was a satisfying content.
However, what I conveyed to the players is that it is also true that we created scoring opportunities, and there was a strong possibility that we could have conceded a second goal, so I believe we need to improve our quality and strength.
I think we had a long possession of the ball, right? Everyone was aware of receiving the ball, and not just at their feet, but also behind the opponent, on both sides, and in the middle, creating solid passing lanes and moving the ball effectively.
I think our defense was very resilient against Tochigi's attack, wasn't it? The opponent is a very serious and diligent team that aggressively competes for long balls and picks up loose balls, and I conveyed to the players that we need to surpass that. I believe the players maintained their focus very well.
(What are your aspirations for the next match?) I really appreciate everyone's support, and I want to earn 3 points next time and celebrate together.

【Player Comments】
《Ito》
「(What are your thoughts on the match?) Personally, since it was my first start in J3, I was really motivated and entered the game thinking I would actively get involved in scoring.
Although we were unable to score in the end, we maintained a high awareness of shooting, and I believe the team showed a never-give-up attitude until the very end, which is a good thing.
(I think there were chances when I was involved?) I didn't feel much pressure when I had the ball. Instead of easily passing it back, I tried to keep my focus forward as much as possible, as creating opportunities can come from distributing the ball forward, so I made sure to maintain a high awareness of moving forward.
(What are the challenges?) If we don't play more aggressively in both offense and defense, we won't be able to succeed, and to reach a higher level, we need to be involved in scoring and also contribute in defense.
There are still many things I need to do, so I want to continue facing various challenges and improving myself.
(Please share your enthusiasm for the next match) Next time I play, I have a strong desire to contribute to the team, so I want to be able to make plays that can lead the team to victory.
 

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