The league matches have resumed, showcasing our strengths

The league matches resume for the first time since August 27. We face Shonan Bellmare in Sec. 11 of the 2nd stage.
The Levain Cup held during the league break showcased a commitment to competition. In the away match of the quarterfinal second leg, Tanabe and Takahashi marked their first goals of the season, securing a victory over Fukuoka and advancing to the Semifinal Round. This match is one they want to carry that momentum into the league.

During this time, Morishige, Maruyama, and Nathan BURNS, who had participated in the activities of their respective national teams, returned to the team. However, with an awareness of the momentum of the Levain Cup and the continuity as a team, Tanabe and Kajiwara were used as defensive midfielders. Morishige and Yoshimoto formed the center-back pairing, and Nakajima was utilized on the left side. Nakajima was named a starter for the first time since the match against Kashiwa on July 17 in Sec. 4 of the league, but as everyone continued to prepare, the depth of the squad became a strength heading into the latter part of the league.

Shonan is currently in 17th place in both the 2nd division and overall. They are in a tough situation with 8 consecutive losses, but they have managed to bring close matches against top teams like Kashima, Hiroshima, and G Osaka. In particular, their ability to apply pressure from the front and their energetic attacks based on hard work are their strengths. In response, Tokyo wants to compete without losing out on what can be considered the team's greatest strength right now: their quick transitions. They aim to evade the opponent's pressure, maintain possession for longer, and push the game forward aggressively.

Shonan appears as a 4-3-3 on the roster, but the defense consists of Takuya OKAMOTO, Andre Baia, and Tsuboi in a three-back formation. FW Otsuki is positioned at the front, with FW Takayama and FW Hayato HASEGAWA in shadow roles. They approached the match with a 3-4-2-1 formation, utilizing MF Ishikawa and Miyao as holding midfielders.

Even in September, the humidity is high, and the muggy heat remains at Ajinomoto. Just before the match, a sudden rain began to fall, and it started with Shonan's kickoff at 19:03.

Although there are prolonged periods of inability to attack, Nakajima's aggressive attitude pays off!

In the early stages, Shonan aggressively moved the ball forward with crosses and long feeds, while Tokyo was pushed back into their own territory. They often gave away set-piece opportunities, but they defended calmly and countered Shonan's momentum.
12 minutes: From Shonan's right side midfielder Shimoda, a through pass was sent to forward Takayama in the area, but Morishige responded perfectly. He did not allow a finish, and from there, a counterattack was initiated, with Nakajima dribbling a long distance. After exchanging passes with Higashi on the left, he turned at the center just before the area to aim for the goal, but was blocked by Shonan's defense. Tanabe reacted to the loose ball. He took a one-touch shot with his left foot from just outside the left area, but it went over the bar.

Immediately after, Shonan launched a series of long-range shots, but with some help from their shooting mistakes, Tokyo quickly launched an attack from their own half.
18 minutes: Yoshimoto's pass was dropped by Maeda, and Kajiyama in the midfield made a direct pass to the front line. In response, Higashi ran into the area and attempted a decisive shot, but was challenged by the opposing defender, resulting in a foul being called and a Shonan ball awarded.

20 minutes: The match continued with both teams vying for the ball, but gradually Tokyo began to maintain possession. Nakajima frequently became the attacking focal point, and the team attempted various challenges. There were continued attacks from the left side, utilizing the fluidity of Higashi and the cross from Tokunaga, who overlapped, but time passed without a decisive attack.

37 minutes: Changing the side from right to center to left, Tokunaga passed to Nakajima, who turned towards the goal and took a dribbling shot, but it went over the bar.
41 minutes: Maeda received a pass in the center of the area and held on, while Nakajima made a through pass just in front of the area. Higashi made a run towards the goal but... was offside.

44 minutes: Although they struggled to finish, Morishige from the left of their own half passed to Kajiyama in midfield, who then dribbled through the opponent's DF to Nakajima. Up front, Maeda made a diagonal run to the left to draw out the opponent's DF, and Nakajima carried the ball to the center. From just outside the area, he scored with a right-footed shot into the bottom left corner, making it 1-0.

Nakajima's strong determination towards the goal paid off, as he took the lead in a good moment just before the end of the first half, and they turned to the second half.

Kono and Maeda scored goals, achieving a 3-0 victory for the first time this season!

47 minutes: In the second half, Tokyo created the first chance. Nakajima's left cross was contested by Higashi in the right area, and Tanabe reacted to the loose ball. He immediately got into a shooting position in front of the goal, but was blocked by Shonan. Yoshimoto connected with the resulting right corner kick, but the shot lacked power and went to the opposing goalkeeper.
50 minutes: Shonan's left cross is intercepted by Kajiama in his own territory, leading to a counterattack. Nakajima's cross to Muroya is initially blocked, but they connect the second ball, and Kajiama passes to Nakajima just outside the area, who aims for the goal.

52 minutes: Shonan substituted FW Wesley for MF Ishikawa in the 52nd minute. MF Shimoda and FW Takayama also changed positions and prepared for a counterattack.
57 minutes: From a free kick by Shonan MF Shimoda, DF Andre Baia headed the ball, but Akimoto caught it with a sideways dive.
62 minutes: Shonan's sharp right cross is attempted to be cleared by Morishige with a header while falling in front of the goal. The loose ball is pressed by Shonan forward Otsuki, who shoots from close range, but Akimoto saves it with one foot, escaping to a corner kick.
69 minutes: Shonan makes their third substitution, bringing on FW Jinei. They further increase their attacking momentum.
70 minutes: Shonan was continuously attacked with shots from a corner kick, but they were held back, centered around Morishige.

71 minutes: Tokyo substitutes Nakajima for Hashimoto. A three-back line with Morishige, Yoshimoto, and Tokunaga. With Muroya and Hashimoto on the wings. The formation changes to a 3-4-3 with Maeda in the center and Kono and Azuma on the sides.
75 minutes: Higashi connects the ball from his own half, and Kawano dribbles forward. After a one-two with Maeda in the center of the area, Kawano carries the ball further to the left and strikes with his left foot, piercing the top right corner of the goal. With Kawano's brilliant goal, they secure an additional point, making it 2-0.

77 minutes: With a two-goal difference, Maruyama was brought in for Tokunaga to strengthen the left DF and solidify the defense. However, both teams launched counterattacks, leading to an open game.
80 minutes: Kajiyama regained the ball that was taken in the opponent's half and passed it to Higashi on the left. Higashi's cross was received by Maeda in the center of the area, who couldn't take a shot, but Maeda and then Kajiyama persistently connected, leading to Hashimoto breaking into the left area for a cross. Maeda, positioned at the far post in the right area, expertly headed the ball, extending the lead to 3-0 against the opponent.

85 minutes: Insoo YU comes on for Kono. This increases the chase from the front line, and the flow becomes even more intense. During the 5 minutes of added time, they were subjected to a fierce attack from Shonan, trying to strike back. However, FW Jinei's shot was blocked by Maruyama with a sliding tackle. Furthermore, they entered shooting positions in the area, but Yoshimoto and Morishige consecutively blocked the shots. They were then awarded a right corner kick, but FW Jinei's header hit the crossbar. The defense held strong, managing to survive the crisis without conceding a goal, and the match ended without any goals conceded. This was the first time in the league that they scored 3 goals and secured a victory by a margin of 3 goals.

[Player Comments]
《Nakajima》
"I think the opening goal was a result of the players moving around me, and it was a goal scored as a team. However, I am not satisfied with just this one goal; there were also chances to score a second and third goal today. I want to keep pushing to continue scoring. I believe it's important to maintain an attacking mindset towards the goal, and if I can increase my speed there, the opponent should feel threatened. I want to become a more intimidating player."

Kono
"The first half was not bad at all, but we lost the ball too often without being able to attack effectively. Therefore, Nakajima's opening goal was significant."
(My goal) came from a kind pass from Maeda. I saw the open space in the goal, so I swung my foot with all my might. Personally, I have always wanted the result of a goal. However, I think it’s important not to end it in one shot, but to keep going. Today, everyone showed patience and helped prevent conceding, and we were able to fight together to achieve victory.

【Summary of Coach Yoshiyuki SHINODA's Press Conference】
"Thanks to the players' efforts, the result turned out to be wonderful. At the start, we were able to enter the match well. We created chances by navigating through the opponent's strong and fast pressure while finding space. There were moments where we made unnecessary mistakes and lost the ball, which allowed Shonan to gain momentum, but Nakajima's goal allowed us to finish the first half. We tightened things up again at halftime and confirmed with the players how we wanted to approach the match."
I think we were able to control the game while watching the opponent's substitute players, and Kono and Maeda scored goals that put us ahead. However, we need to improve more and there were things we should have done. In the scene where we threw our bodies to block the goal in the final moments, I believe everyone was focused, but we also need to reflect on the fact that we created such a situation. After the match, I talked to the players about the next match. I conveyed that we should think carefully and prepare for the match against Urawa with everyone in a 100 percent physical and mental state.

【Shonan - CHO Kwi Jae's Press Conference Summary】
"While the league was on hold, I had been preparing to earn three points away while also trying new strategies. I spoke to the players after the match, but if the players do not believe they can achieve what I think is possible, then tactics and everything else will just be a pipe dream. In the first half, we started defending like we were just going through the motions after losing the ball, waiting for the opponent to miss their shots, which was a pathetic development. Despite having some good moments, I kept wondering why we couldn't play without fear of making mistakes. I also wanted to send a message for the players to solve this themselves, and I didn't give any tactical instructions at halftime, but I told them, 'It's okay to kick it forward, let's pick up the loose balls and attack.'
However, in the second half, the players started connecting passes instead. This was not because they ignored instructions, but rather because they switched their mindset. As the coach, I feel responsible for their mentality and fighting spirit. Even in the summer when we couldn’t secure points, there were good aspects visible, but when September came and we decided to start fresh, this is the kind of match we had. The worst thing is when players limit themselves. A team that pretends to take risks or plays defensive just for alibis has no place in professional sports. That’s the feeling I had in the first half today. Tokyo is undoubtedly a strong team, and even if we perform well, it’s uncertain if we can win against them. But seeing the players push forward and create chances after the halftime instructions makes me wonder which is the real version of the team. Today’s result was a heavy defeat, but I believe we must take one or two steps forward from here, and I want the players to think about that. We have no choice but to share this situation with the players and overcome it together.