Kirin Namacha CHALLENGE MATCH

The 2016 Meiji Yasuda Life Insurance Company J3 League Sec. 28, held on a perfect day for watching soccer with a temperature of 21.4℃, attracted a season-high crowd of 7,653 fans and supporters at the home game.
Hiraoka and Kijima from Tokyo are suspended for this match due to accumulated warnings.
In goal, Ue enters, and in the central DF line, Sakaguchi and Okazaki make their first appearance and first start in J3. Yanagi on the right, Ogawa on the left.
Hirakawa, who made his debut in the last match, starts for the first time on the right side with Nozawa and Suzuki as the double defensive midfielders. In the center is Insoo YU, with Koyama on the left, and Hayashi as the lone striker in a 4-5-1 formation.
Kubo from the U-18 team has made his first appearance on the bench and is looking for an opportunity to play. The average age of the registered members is 19.29 years, making for a young lineup.
Nagano, while listed as 4-4-2, actually plays as 3-4-3.
In the central midfield, former Japan national team player Hashimoto is positioned, and the team applies pressure through simple transitions to the front line.
Experienced players have entered each position, and the average age of the registered members is 28.27 years.
Tokyo, fighting with a proactive attitude in both offense and defense, and Nagano, which still has a slight chance of promotion.
The match began with many fans and supporters watching over it, kicking off in Tokyo.

[First Half]

From the start, Nagano launches an offensive, approaching the Tokyo goal with simple long balls, long throws, and set plays.
In the 2nd minute, a long throw-in from the right side allowed a shot, but the goalkeeper made a save.
Additionally, in the 7th minute, there was a long throw from the right side. From this play, a cross was delivered, and the opposing FW dove in with his body, but it went wide of the goal.
In the 12th minute, a long feed from the Nagano defense allowed a direct shot, but it went wide of the goal.
In the 17th minute, after giving the opponent a corner kick on the right, we allowed them to score with a powerful header from the center, conceding the first goal.
Tokyo struggled to find their rhythm, but gradually began to retain possession of the ball around the 20-minute mark.
Pick up the second ball and create time to push back into the Nagano territory while keeping possession of the ball.
In the 27th minute, after picking up the second ball and connecting quickly, Insoo YU made a sideways pass from slightly inside the left penalty area, and Hirakawa aimed for a shot in front of the opposing defender, but it went wide to the left.
In defense, the defensive line centered around Okazaki puts their bodies on the line to fend off attacks and waits for a counterattack from their teammates.
However, in the 32nd minute, as we were starting to create our own chances, Nagano delivered a long throw from the right side, and we conceded a goal as they jumped into the center.
Tokyo, wanting to counterattack, retains possession of the ball, but cannot launch a smooth attack due to slight inaccuracies in precision and coordination.
Including the additional time of one minute, we were unable to create any real chances and went into halftime trailing by two goals.

【Halftime】
Coach Nakamura's Comments
"Let's make sure to do challenge & cover in defense."
Let's play aggressively on both offense and defense. The opponent is picking up the second balls, so we need to predict well and recover them.
Let's effectively use the sides and launch an attack.

[Second Half]
Tokyo substitutes Koyama with Kubo in the front line.
Insoo YU in the center, along with Hayashi on the left, forming a fluid three-top attack.
Hirakawa and Suzuki serve as double defensive midfielders, with Ogawa on the left and Yanagi on the right.
The defense has changed to a 3-4-3 formation with Sakaguchi, Nozawa, and Okazaki as the three backs from the right.
Kubo made his appearance at the age of 15 years, 5 months, and 1 day, breaking Hirakawa's record for the youngest appearance in J3.
Tokyo, having regained control from this system change, will launch a counterattack in the second half.
At the start, just like in the first half, we allowed Nagano to create chances from set plays and simple long balls, but we responded with resilience.
Gradually, Hirakawa, positioned in the center of the midfield, receives the ball and spreads it to the left and right, while the three forwards begin to interchange positions and connect short passes from the center.
In the 63rd minute, Hayashi passes to Ogawa, who attacks up the left side, delivering a cross from a high position. The ball goes over Insoo YU in the center and reaches Yanagi, who is positioned at the far post.
He immediately got into a shooting position, but was blocked by the opponent, resulting in a corner kick. This right corner kick was cleared away.
In the 67th minute, Kubo in the center exchanged passes with Insoo YU in the area and advanced into the box. He attempted to shoot after a one-two, but the strong return pass caused him to lose control, and he couldn't finish.
In the 70th minute, Suzuki, slightly to the left in midfield, skillfully controlled the ball and passed it to the left front. Ogawa delivered a precise cross, and Hayashi headed it into the top right corner to make it 1-2.
In the 78th minute, Tokyo, increasing their offensive pressure, saw Kubo, slightly to the right, break through the opponent's defense with a through pass, allowing Insoo YU to make a run.
It seemed like a decisive one-on-one situation with the GK, but it was thwarted by a slight delay.
In the 82nd minute, Ogawa feeds the ball vertically, and Kubo breaks through to the left front line and enters the penalty area.
Dribbling and feinting to evade the opposing player, he threads through the gaps in the defense and delivers a decisive final pass in front of the goal, but it just misses Insoo YU.
Furthermore, he picked up the second ball and connected it, but in the end, Insoo YU aimed for a long shot, which went wide of the target.
As both sides opened up, a fierce battle unfolded during the additional time.
Insoo YU was fouled on the left side of the opponent's half, earning a free kick. Although it was deflected by the opponent, after retrieving the ball and passing it, Kubo, positioned just in front of the right area, crossed it into the left area.
Okazaki was positioned, but it went over his head without passing through.
Unable to score an equalizer, the match ends as is. This marks a defeat since Sec. 23.

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

Summary of Coach Nakamura's Press Conference and Comments

We are grateful that many fans and supporters came to the home game.
Regarding the match, similar to the game against Toyama three matches ago, in the first half, the opponent's quick press and three-back formation were very strong in heading, and we struggled to hold the ball, couldn't move forward, and couldn't show our strengths.
We conceded two goals from set pieces, which are the opponent's weapons.
Regarding the second half, we made some adjustments to our positions, made one substitution, and aimed to control the pace of the game, allowing us to move the ball and attack from the outside as well.
The players moved the ball very well, and there were moments when the opponent's legs stopped, but we increased our attacking time and managed to score one goal. However, we couldn't score a second goal, and the match ended.

【Player Comments】
《Sakaguchi》
"We started the match in a passive manner, but during halftime, the coach motivated us, and in the second half, we were able to play our game."
I think it would have been better if we could have played a game like the second half from the first half.
(My performance) I was a bit nervous and stiff at the start of the first half, but with the support and encouragement from the senior players around me, I gradually got used to it.
I think I was able to get into the game well in the second half, as I have become accustomed to the speed and the quick preparation.
(What are your strengths?) I am focused on winning battles in the air. In the first half, there were parts where I lost the duels, but in the second half, even if I couldn't win the duels, I was conscious of not allowing the opponent to play freely.
(What are your thoughts on the next match?) If I get another chance, I want to contribute to the team's victory by playing with passion from the first half.

※ The official mobile site also features photos other than those shown below.

For more details, click here