The league has resumed, showcasing their own strengths

The league match will resume on August 27th. We will face Shonan Bellmare in the 2nd Stage Sec. 11.
The Levain Cup, which took place during the league's break, showed a strong determination to win. In the second leg of the quarterfinals, Tanabe and Takahashi scored their first goals of the season and won against Fukuoka, securing their spot in the semifinals. They hope to continue this momentum in the league.

Morishige, Maruyama, and Nathan BURNS, who have been participating in the activities of each representative team, have returned to the team. However, in order to maintain the momentum of the Levain Cup and the continuity of the team, Tanabe and Kajiyama were chosen as the defensive midfielders. Morishige and Yoshimoto formed the center-back duo, and Nakajima was chosen for the left side. Nakajima will make his first start in the league since the Sec. 4 match against Kashiwa on July 17th, but as all players continue to prepare, the depth of the team will also be a strength as they head towards the end of the league.

Shonan, on the other hand, is currently in 17th place in both the 2nd and annual rankings. Despite being in a tough situation with 8 consecutive losses, they have managed to keep up with top teams such as Kashima, Hiroshima, and G Osaka in close matches. Their weapon is their energetic attack, based on pressing from the front and hard work. In response, Tokyo wants to compete with their greatest strength, their quickness in switching, along with their physicality. They also want to hold onto the ball for longer periods of time, while evading the opponent's press, and push the game forward.

Shonan's starting lineup is listed as 4-3-3, with DF Takuya OKAMOTO, Andre BAIYA, and Tsuboi as the back three. Up front, FW Otsuki is leading the line, with FW Takayama and FW Hasegawa playing as shadows. In midfield, Ishikawa and Mitsukuri have been deployed as defensive midfielders in a 3-4-2-1 formation.

Even in September, the humidity remains high and the Ajinomoto Stadium is still hot and humid. Just before the game, sudden rain showers fell and the match started at 7:03 pm with Shonan's kickoff.

The aggressive attitude of Nakajima pays off, even though the time of not being able to attack continues!

In the early stages, Shonan boldly moved the ball forward with crosses and long feeds, while Tokyo was pushed back into their own half. They were given several chances from set plays, but they remained calm and defended against Shonan's momentum.
12 minutes: From Shonan's right side MF Shimoda, a through pass was sent to FW Takayama in the area, but Morishige responded perfectly. He didn't allow a finish and started a counter attack. Nakajima dribbled a long distance from here. He tried to turn and aim for the goal from the center in front of the area after exchanging passes with Higashi on the left, but was blocked by Shonan's DF. Tanabe reacted to this loose ball. He took a one-touch from the left area and shot with his left foot, but it went over the bar.

Immediately after, Shonan continued to hit middle shots, but Tokyo was saved by a missed shot and launched a quick attack from their own territory.
18 minutes: Yoshimoto's pass is dropped by Maeda, and Kajiyama in the midfield passes directly to the front line. East runs into the area in response to this, and tries to take a decisive shot, but is challenged by the opposing defender and a foul is called, giving Shonan the ball.

20 minutes: The game continued with both teams fighting for possession, but gradually Tokyo took control of the ball. Nakajima became a key player in the attack, and the team attempted various challenges. Tokyo utilized their fluidity and had several attacking opportunities from the left side, including a cross from Tokunaga, but they were unable to score as time passed.

37 minutes: Right → Center → Left, changing sides, Tokunaga → Nakajima, who is closer to the center, turns towards the goal and takes a dribble shot, but it goes over the bar.
41 minutes: Maeda, who received a pass in the center of the area, persistently dropped it, and Nakajima, in front of the area, made a through pass. East jumped out in front of the goal to match this, but... it was offside.

44 minutes: Although it was difficult to bring it to a finish, Morishige on the left side of our own team → Kajiyama in the middle → Nakajima dribbled up between the opponent's DF. Maeda in the front line made a diagonal cross movement to pull out the opponent's DF, and Nakajima carried it to the center. Then, from the front of the area, he sank a right foot shot into the lower left corner and scored 1-0.

Nakajima's strong attitude towards scoring paid off, as they took the lead in a good time just before the end of the first half and headed into the second half.

Kawano and Maeda score goals, leading to a 3-0 victory for the first time this season!

47 minutes: In the second half, Tokyo was the first to create a chance. Nakajima's left cross was contested by Higashi in the right area, and Tanabe reacted to the loose ball. He quickly got into a shooting position in front of the goal, but was blocked by Shonan's defense. Yoshimoto met the resulting corner kick from the right, but it lacked power and was easily saved by the opposing GK.
50 minutes: Shonan's left cross is held by Kajiyama in their own half and brought on a counterattack. Nakajima → Muroya's cross is initially blocked, but the second ball is connected and Kajiyama → Nakajima in front of the area aims for a goal.

52 minutes: Shonan substituted FW Wesley for MF Ishikawa in the front line at 52 minutes. MF Shimoda and FW Takayama also changed positions and launched a counterattack.
57 minutes: Shonan MF Shimoda's FK, DF Andre Baia's header, but Akimoto catches it with a sideways dive.
62 minutes: Shonan's sharp right cross, Mori Shige falls down and tries to clear it with a header in front of the goal. This loose ball was packed by Shonan FW Otsuki and shot from a close distance, but Akimoto saved it with one foot and escaped to a corner kick.
69 minutes: Shonan makes their third substitution, bringing in FW Zinei to further increase their attacking momentum.
70 minutes: Shonan was repeatedly shot from the corner kick, but they were able to hold back with Morishige at the center.

71 minutes: Tokyo substitutes Nakajima for Hashimoto. Morishige, Yoshimoto, and Tokunaga as the back three. Muroya and Hashimoto on the wings. Maeda in the center of the front line, with Kono and Higashi on the sides, changing to a 3-4-3 formation to adapt.
75 minutes: East connects the ball from their own half and Kawano dribbles to the front line. He passes through the center of the area with Maeda and receives a return pass. Kawano then moves to the left side and shoots with his left foot, scoring in the upper right corner of the goal. With Kawano's splendid goal, they add another point and make it 2-0.

77 minutes: With a 2-point difference, Maruyama was substituted for Tokunaga and put in as left DF to strengthen the defense. However, both teams continued to counterattack, resulting in an open game.
80 minutes: Kajiyama regained the ball that was taken in the opponent's territory and passed it to Higashi on the left. Maeda, who received Higashi's cross in the center of the area, couldn't make a shot, but Maeda and then Kajiyama persistently connected the play, and Hashimoto flew out to the left area and crossed. Maeda in the far right area aimed precisely with a header and extended the lead to 3-0 against the opponent.

85 minutes: Insoo YU replaces Kono. This increases the chase from the front line and the flow becomes even more intense. In the additional 5 minutes, Shonan was exposed to a fierce attack trying to retaliate. However, FW Ziney's shot was blocked by Maruyama's sliding. Furthermore, they were able to enter the area for a shot, but Yoshimoto and Morishige also blocked in succession. Then, they were given a right corner kick, but FW Ziney's header hit the bar. The defense team risked their bodies and survived the pinch, and the time was up without conceding a goal. They grabbed their first 3 goals and a 3-point lead in the league match.

[Player Comments]
"Nakajima"
"I think the opening goal was a team goal, as there were players moving around me. However, I was able to execute what I have been practicing and it led to a goal. Still, I am not satisfied with just this one goal, and there were chances to score a second and third goal today as well. I want to continue to strive to keep scoring. It is important to maintain a forward-thinking attitude towards scoring and if I can increase my speed there, the opponent will feel threatened. I want to become an even scarier player."

《Kawano》
「The first half wasn't bad, but we lost the ball too many times without being able to attack. That's why Nakajima's goal was crucial.
(My goal) was a gentle pass from Maeda. I could see the open space of the goal, so I swung my foot with all my might. Personally, I wanted the result to be a goal for a long time. However, I think we need to continue and not just end with one shot. Today, everyone was patient and kept the goals against us, so we were able to grab the victory by fighting together."

[Coach Yoshiyuki SHINODA's Press Conference Summary]
"Thanks to the efforts of the players, the result was fantastic. We were able to start the game well. We were able to create chances by finding space while overcoming the strong and fast pressure from the opponent. There were scenes where we made unnecessary mistakes and lost the ball, and Shonan almost took control of the pace, but Nakajima's goal allowed us to end the first half. At halftime, we regrouped and confirmed with the players how we would continue the game."
I think we were able to control the game while watching the opponent's substitute members, and Kono and Maeda scored a goal to push the opponent away. However, we need to improve more and there were things we needed to do. In the scene where we threw our bodies to prevent a goal in the end, I think everyone was focused, but we also need to reflect on creating such a scene. After the game, I talked to the players about the next match. I told them to think carefully and prepare for the Urawa match with 100% physical and mental condition.

[Shonan - Manager CHO Kwi Jae's Press Conference Summary]
"During the league's suspension, I had prepared to earn 3 points away while trying new things. I also talked to the players after the game, but if they don't believe they can do what I believe we can do, then our tactics and everything else will be useless. In the first half, we started defending like we had an alibi after losing the ball, and it was a pathetic situation where we were waiting for the opponent to miss their shots. Despite having good opportunities, I kept wondering why we couldn't play without fear of making mistakes. I also gave a message for the players to solve it themselves, and at halftime, I didn't give any tactical instructions, but I told them to "kick it forward and pick up the loose balls to attack".
However, in the second half, the players started to connect the ball in reverse. This is not because the players ignored instructions, but rather because they switched on. As a coach, I feel responsible for their mentality and fighting spirit. Even though there were good aspects in the situation where we couldn't win points in the summer, when we tried to start over in September, this is the kind of game that happened. The worst thing is when players limit themselves. It makes no sense to play professional sports if they take risks, defend with alibis, and play as a team like that. In the first half today, I felt that way. Tokyo is definitely a strong team, and even if our performance is good, we don't know if we can win against them. But after the halftime instructions, when I see them attacking and creating chances, I wonder which is their true form. Today's result was a complete defeat, but I believe we have to take one or two steps forward from here, and I want the players to think about that. We have to share this situation and overcome it together."