A victory to erase the defeat in the previous match at home

In the previous match against Kobe, we suffered a comeback loss, and the number of goals conceded in the last two matches has reached 6. First and foremost, we need to improve our defense.
It may not be easy to solve all the tasks immediately, but we are determined to make improvements by being aware and working on them from practice and making them a habit. On the attacking side, in the previous match, Maeda scored his 150th J1 goal, and the number of scoring and chance scenes is increasing. In this match, we want to connect to 3 points by maintaining the speed of switching between offense and defense and fighting in our own rhythm for as long as possible.

This round, Takahashi's suspension is lifted and he will form a double pivot with Tanabe. In addition, Muroya, who has just joined the team from the Olympics, will also start, with Muroya playing as the right fullback and Tokunaga as the left fullback. Nakajima will be on the bench.

Yokohama FM's 2nd stage is currently undefeated and in 5th place.
MF Nakamura will be absent again this week. In place of suspended MF Kida, 188cm DF Park Jung-Su will be used as a defensive midfielder. Up front, FW Kaique, MF Amano in the attacking midfield, and MF Martinez and MF Saito on the wings make up the lineup.

It was an unstable and stormy day, but the league match at home in August started at 7:04 PM with a kickoff in Tokyo.

Tokyo takes the lead with a goal, not letting Yokohama FM find their rhythm!

Tokyo took control of the ball from the start of the game and went on the offensive in a good shape.
After 5 minutes: The game was progressing in the opponent's territory, but Yokohama FM gradually gained possession of the ball. Starting from a long side change, right MF Martinos and central MF Nakamachi tried to create chances. Tokyo was pushed back into their own territory and began to lose possession of second balls, but they did not lose their quickness in transitioning to defense.
After 20 minutes: Muriqui and Higashi switched positions, with Muriqui moving to the top and Higashi moving to the left side.

33 minutes: The balance was corrected by a position change after 20 minutes, and Takahashi expanded to the left front line from the midfield. He pushed up into the opponent's territory, connected passes, and once again Takahashi → Tokunaga → Higashi broke through behind the opponent in the left area, earning a corner kick. However, Kono's left corner kick did not reach anyone and went out of play.
35 minutes: Higashi took the first shot of the day from the side, but it was caught by the opposing GK.
38 minutes: Left side's Higashi passes to center Muriqui. Muriqui, while being chased by the opposing DF, turns forward and forcefully dribbles to the left area, but the shot is saved by the GK.

41 minutes: Tanabe aimed for the goal with a powerful middle shot, but it missed to the upper right.
43 minutes: Although they were unable to take advantage of their chances, Mori Shige connected with the opponent's clearance and brought the ball into the center with a dribble, then passed it to the left to Higashi. Higashi then passed it to Muriqui in front of him and made a run into the area. After receiving a one-two return, he brought the ball into the left area, splitting the opponent's DF, and took a well-aimed shot with his right foot. The ball went to the right and into the goal, making it 1-0. Taking advantage of their coordination and changing the pace, they broke through the Yokohama DF and took the lead!

44 minutes: Yokohama FM's MF Saito dribbles to the center, but Tokyo DF cannot stop him. DF Kobayashi is free on the right and receives the pass. The negative pass from here reaches MF Martinez in front of the goal, but Kono blocks the shot and it goes out for a corner kick. Next, Yokohama MF Amano's right corner kick is met by MF Nakamachi, who jumps in near the post, but narrowly misses the target and avoids danger, maintaining a 1-0 lead at the end of the first half.

Fighting against the opponent's counterattack, we stick to the game and fight together to the end!

Maintaining the speed of switching in the second half, the game continues with attempts to score additional points from counterattacks.
56 minutes: Yokohama FM substitutes MF Endo for left back Kanai. This MF Endo becomes the starting point and tries to attack from the side. The exchange between offense and defense is fast-paced, and both teams create chances in a counterattack battle.

58 minutes: Quickly attacking from their own half, Maeda drops a short pass to Takahashi and sends a long through pass to Muriqui on the left front line. Muriqui dribbles into the left area, drawing in the defenders, and makes a final pass to Maeda who is free in the center. They create a decisive opportunity, but... Maeda's direct shot with his right foot goes over the bar.

60 minutes: On the left side, Kono makes a through pass to the east. Muriqui receives it at the corner of the area and turns, but is fouled. They get a free kick from just outside the left area. East takes the shot directly, but it goes wide.

65 minutes: Hayu → Muriqui in the right area tried to send a decisive cross to the center, but was blocked by the opposing DF... He calmly took a corner kick, but couldn't finish it off.

76 minutes: Mizunuma replaces Tanabe as the right MF. Hayu moved to the defensive midfielder position to regain composure. However, they continued to be pushed back by Yokohama FM's counterattack, mainly through set pieces, but they did not lose their quickness in switching tactics.

89 minutes: A counterattack was launched from their own territory, and a pass was sent to Muriqui, who was moving up the center from the left side of Maeda. Muriqui, who had broken through the front line, made a decisive shot while being challenged by Yokohama DF Endo! However, it was saved with one hand by the Yokohama GK... They couldn't break away from Yokohama FM, and in the additional 5 minutes, they were under fierce attack, but in the 90th minute +3, Yoshimoto was substituted. The tense situation continued until the end, but they concentrated and worked together to defend until the final whistle. They survived the difficult period and grabbed a 1-0 victory.

[Player Comments]
"East"
"I think the goal from the one-two was well matched with Muriqui's image. I was able to swing my leg boldly and hit the course well. Throughout the game, I think we need to increase our own time more. We were able to defend today because the "goodness of Tokyo" that had been ingrained in us for the past two years came out. However, we still want to show the attitude of going for the second and third goals. I think it is necessary to increase our own time with the ball and raise the quality and level of our attacks in order to compete with the top teams on an equal footing or better."

"Muroya"
"(About the play that led to the goal)
I don't usually bring the ball to the center, but there was space so I went for it. The flow before the ball came to me was that we pressed from the front line and Morishige headed the ball that the opponent cleared in desperation. The team's overall aim and awareness of switching were clearly shown and it worked out well. Ideally, we should have scored a second goal from a counter and decided the game, but in a tough situation, we all defended together and it was good that the team came together and won. I want to play more and more games from here and accumulate 3 points. By continuing to win, I want to become a trusted player as an individual."

[Summary of Manager Yoshiyuki Shinoda's Press Conference]
"We had a good start to the game, just like last week, but we lost the ball more after the 15-minute mark in the first half and allowed the opponent to attack with a good rhythm. It was a lesson to learn that we fell behind in defending the sides. By changing Muriqui and Higashi's positions, we were able to calm down a bit and score a goal at the end of the first half, which was good. We scored a goal at the same time as last week and returned to the game at halftime, but they were very focused. We had a good start in the second half as well. When playing against Yokohama FM, it becomes a game of patience, but this time we were able to endure it well in the second half. We wanted to score a goal and pull ahead on the counter, but that is a new challenge. Thanks to the support of the fans and supporters, we were able to earn 3 points at home. I am grateful for the efforts of the players, staff, and fans and supporters, and I want to prepare for the next game."
(What were the factors that allowed us to defend well while the opponent was keeping the ball?)
The first defenders, such as Kono, Hanyu, and Mizunuma, did a good job of marking the opponent's ball holder. Even when crosses were sent in, we were able to catch the players in the area. There were some dangerous moments, but the team was able to defend well, including the pressing back from the midfielders.
(Regarding defensive options)
When leading, there are various options for how to defend, and when losing, there are also various options for how to defend, as well as player substitutions. Today, towards the end of the game, I was thinking that Yokohama FM's DF Fabio would come up, so I was torn between putting in Insoo YU and chasing from the front, or putting in Lins and increasing the number of players in the back, but I decided to put in Lins and finish the game.

[Yokohama FM - Erick MOMBAERTS Manager's Press Conference Summary]
"We were unable to connect to decisive chances while holding onto the ball. We lacked plays that could create play speed and rhythm when we had the ball. We brought in MF Endo to improve this as there were too many individual plays that stopped. I think the reason for our defeat was that we were unable to fully utilize the abilities of each player, including those on the sides."