A victory to erase the defeat from the last match at home

In the last match against Kobe, we suffered a comeback loss, and we have conceded 6 goals in the last 2 matches, so we need to focus on rebuilding our defense.
It may not be easy to resolve all issues immediately, but we are determined to address them by consciously working on them in practice and making them a habit. In terms of offense, in the previous match, Maeda scored his 150th goal in J1, and the number of scoring opportunities is increasing. In this match, we want to connect to three points by maintaining a quick transition between offense and defense and extending the time we can play at our own rhythm.

In this match, Takahashi's suspension has ended, and he will form a double pivot with Tanabe. Additionally, Muroya, who has just joined the team from the Olympics, will also be in the starting lineup, with Muroya playing as the right back and Tokunaga as the left back. Nakajima will also be on the bench.

Yokohama FM's 2nd stage is currently undefeated and in 5th place.
MF Nakamura will be absent again this round. In place of the suspended MF Kida, 188cm DF Park Jonsu will be used as a defensive midfielder. The formation includes FW Kaique at the front, MF Amano in the attacking midfield, and MF Martinos and MF Saito on both sides.

It was an unstable and rough weather day, but the last home league match of August started with a kickoff in Tokyo at 19:04.

Unable to find their rhythm against Yokohama FM, Higashi scores the opening goal!

Tokyo entered the match in good form, dominating possession from the very start and launching an attack.
5 minutes in: The match progressed in the opponent's territory, but Yokohama FM gradually began to retain possession of the ball. From a long switch of play, they tried to create chances starting with right MF Martinos and central MF Nakazato. Tokyo was pushed back into their own half, and the number of situations where they lost the second ball began to increase, but they did not lose their quick transition to defense.
After 20 minutes: Muriqui and Higashi changed positions, with Muriqui moving to the top and Higashi going to the left side.

33 minutes: After a positional change past the 20-minute mark, the balance was adjusted, and Takahashi spread the ball to the left front line from a pass cut in the midfield. They advanced into the opponent's territory, connecting passes, and once again Takahashi → Tokunaga → Azuma broke through behind the opponent in the left area, earning a corner kick. However, Kono's left corner kick did not connect with 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: Higashi on the left side passes to Muriqui in the center. Despite being chased by the opposing defender, Muriqui faces forward, forcefully dribbles into the left area, and takes a shot, but it goes straight to the goalkeeper.

41 minutes: Tanabe aimed for the goal with a powerful long-range shot, but it went over the top right.
43 minutes: Until then, they had not been able to capitalize on their chances, but Morishige connected with the opponent's clearance ball, and Muroya dribbled into the center from the right side of the opponent's territory, sending a horizontal pass to Higashi on the left. Higashi advanced into the area, hitting Muriqui in front and receiving a one-two return pass, bringing the ball into the left area, and took a well-aimed shot with his right foot. The ball found the net on the right, scoring a goal to make it 1-0. Utilizing their coordination and varying the pace of the play, they broke through the Yokohama defense to take the lead!

44 minutes: Yokohama FM's MF Saito, who drifted to the right, dribbles into the center. The Tokyo DF was unable to stop this. It connects to DF Kobayashi, who broke free in the right area. From here, a negative pass reaches MF Martinos in front of the goal, but Kono blocks just before the shot, resulting in a corner kick. Following this, Yokohama MF Amano's right corner kick was met by MF Nakata, who dove in just barely missing the near post, escaping the danger and ending the first half with a one-goal lead.

Despite struggling against the opponent's counterattacks, we remain committed to the competition and unite to endure!

Maintain the quick transition in the second half and aim for additional goals from counterattacks.
56 minutes: Yokohama FM substitutes MF Endo for left back Kanai. This MF Endo becomes the starting point and attempts to attack from the side. The transition between offense and defense is rapid, resulting in a counterattack exchange, with both sides creating opportunities.

58 minutes: Quickly launching an attack from their own half, Maeda shortens Takahashi's pass, and Higashi sends a long through ball to Muriqui on the left flank. Muriqui dribbles into the left area, attracting the defense and delivering a final pass to the unmarked Maeda in the center. They created a decisive opportunity, but... Maeda's direct shot with his right foot went over the bar.

60 minutes: Kono lets Higashi's vertical pass go on the left side. Muriqui at the edge of the area receives it and is fouled as he turns, earning a free kick just in front of the left area. Higashi aimed directly at the goal, but it went wide.

65 minutes: Hanyu → Muroya, who burst into the right area, tried to send a decisive cross to Muriqui after cutting back past the opposing DF... However, the opposing DF held firm, calmly winning a corner kick, but they could not convert from the corner into a finish.

76 minutes: Mizunuma comes on for Tanabe in right MF. Hayu moved to the defensive midfield position in an attempt to regain composure. Nevertheless, they faced a counterattack from Yokohama FM, and the pressure continued, mainly from set plays, but they did not lose their quick transition.

89 minutes: Launching a counterattack from their own half, a pass was sent from Maeda on the left to Muriqui advancing through the center. Muriqui, breaking through the front line, took a decisive shot despite being challenged by Yokohama defender Endo! However, it was saved by the Yokohama goalkeeper with one hand... Unable to pull away from Yokohama FM, they faced a fierce attack during the 5 minutes of added time, but in the 90th minute +3, Yoshimoto was brought on. The tense developments continued until the end, but they maintained their focus and defended as one, leading to the final whistle. They endured the difficult moments and secured a 1-0 victory.

[Player Comments]
《East》
"I think the goal from the one-two play matched well with Muriqui's image. I struck the ball decisively and was able to find the right course. Overall in the match, I feel we need to increase our time on the ball. The fact that we were able to defend well today reflects the 'goodness of Tokyo' that has been ingrained in us over the past two years. However, I still want to show our intent to go for the second and third goals. I believe that increasing our time with the ball and improving the quality and level of our attacks is necessary to compete on equal terms with the top teams."

《Muroya》
"(Regarding the play that led to the goal)
I usually don't bring the ball into the center much, but there was space, so I took the initiative. The flow before the ball came to me was that the front line applied pressure, and the opponent cleared the ball in a panic, which was then headed by player Morishige to keep the play alive. The team's overall aim and awareness of switching play were clearly evident, and I think it worked well. Ideally, we should have scored a second goal from a counterattack to secure the match, but in a tough situation, we defended together, and it was good that the team united to win. From here, I want to participate in more matches and accumulate three points. By continuing to win, I want to become a player who is trusted individually."

【Yoshiyuki SHINODA's press conference summary】
"As in the previous match, we started the game well, but after the first 15 minutes of the first half, we started to lose the ball more frequently, allowing the opponent to attack with good rhythm. We need to reflect on falling behind in our side defense. Changing the positions of Muriqui and Higashi allowed us to settle down a bit, and it was good that we were able to score a goal at the end of the first half. We scored a goal at exactly the same time as in the previous match and returned to halftime, but they were very focused. We also started the second half well. When facing Yokohama FM, it tends to be a battle of patience, but this time we were able to endure well in the second half as well. Ideally, we wanted to score a goal on the counter and pull ahead, but that remains a new challenge. With the support of our fans and supporters, we were able to earn three points at home. I want to thank the players, staff, and fans for their hard work and prepare for the next match."
(What were the factors that allowed us to defend well in a situation where the opponent was keeping the ball?)
The first defender against the opponent's ball holder was well established, and Kono, Hanyu, and Mizunuma played their roles effectively. Even when crosses were delivered, we were able to mark the players in the area. There were several dangerous moments, but including the pressing back from the defensive midfielders, the team defended well as a unit.
(Regarding defensive options)
There are various choices on how to defend when leading, how to defend when trailing, and who to substitute. Today, I was considering that Yokohama FM's DF Fabio would push forward in the closing stages of the match, so I hesitated until the last moment whether to bring in Insoo YU to press from the front or to bring in Yoshimoto to increase the numbers at the back, but I decided to bring in Yoshimoto to finish the match.

[Yokohama FM - Summary of the Press Conference by Coach Erick MOMBAERTS]
"We maintained possession of the ball, but we couldn't convert it into decisive chances. We lacked the play to create the pace and rhythm when we had the ball. There were too many instances of players stopping individually, so I brought in midfielder Endo to improve that. I believe the reason for our defeat was that we couldn't fully utilize the individual abilities, including those of the players on the sides."