A crucial match to showcase the achievements so far in the preseason, one week before the opening

The final preseason match before the opening match of the league was held away against Thespakusatsu Gunma. Last week's match against Tosu was also a come-from-behind victory with goals from Kono and Watanabe. After that, the team's completion level has gradually increased with a 1-0 win against Ulsan Hyundai in a practice match and a 1-1 draw against Sendai. Coach Popovic said, "Today's match is a reflection of our achievements so far. It will be a battle to express the ideal image of ourselves that we will continue to demonstrate in the upcoming opening match in about a week."

Tokyo's Lucas and Hyun Soo JANG did not participate in the expedition due to poor condition. However, Takahashi returned from rehabilitation and made the bench today. The starting members are Kaga and Morishige in the center of the defense, with Yonemoto and Hasegawa in the double pivot. Lee and Ishikawa are deployed as left and right midfielders, with Higashi in the attacking midfield position and Watanabe as the lone striker.

Gunma, who will face us, will be led by coach Tadahiro AKIBA from this season. FW Aoki, FW Hirashige, and 15 new players have joined, and although there were times when the results did not come with the team building from scratch, the 3-4-2-1 system has been established after the Chiba training camp. Coach Akiba, who is excited for the opening, said, "It is significant for the team to be able to play against FC Tokyo before the opening. It will be a team presentation at Shoda.S, so I want to show aggressive soccer and challenge head-on."

The match started with Gunma's kickoff at 13:04 at Shoda Shoyu Stadium Gunma, despite the harsh cold weather.

Mistakes were noticeable towards the end and the first half ended scoreless.

Tokyo tried to calmly pass the ball from the start, but the pitch conditions were not good and the strong wind made it difficult, resulting in mistakes and not being able to take a shot. In the 6th minute, Morishige passed the ball to the front line. Watanabe dropped it and Li received it in the center, dribbled into the penalty area from slightly to the right, but couldn't hit it well. Gunma also pressed from the front line, and while Tokyo connected the ball in the defensive line, they couldn't make effective pass exchanges in the vital area. There were also moments when they lost the ball in a bad position and were countered by the opponent.

After 20 minutes, they quickly switch to an offensive stance after stealing the opponent's ball. In the 23rd minute, Mori Shige passes to Watanabe, who tries to break through from the left front line. He dribbles into the left area but fails to connect with Li on the opposite side with a final pass. Yonemoto, who followed up on the loose ball, aimed for a shot from the middle but missed. In the 27th minute, Li ran into the area from Hasegawa's through pass and forcefully attempted a shot in the center, but couldn't break through Gunma's strong defense. During this period, they continuously created scoring opportunities but couldn't find the back of the net.

In the 41st minute, Ota from our own team made a long feed to the right front line. From here, Higashi followed from behind in a cross with Ishikawa, and received the ball, crossing it to the right. Lee near the goal perfectly headed the ball, but it was saved, resulting in a right corner kick. After that, Tokyo started to show signs of fatigue and couldn't pick up the ball in the midfield. Towards the end of the first half, the opponent's forward, Hirashige, jumped into the left cross, but Kanda made a great save and escaped with a corner kick. As a result, the first half ended scoreless.

Kiyoshi OTA scores a crucial goal to secure victory

In the second half, Ishikawa was replaced by Takahashi from the beginning. They approached the game with a formation that placed Hasegawa in the left midfield. They completely controlled the game with precise passing. However, Gunma also defended well and created a solid block near the area, preventing easy entry. As the stalemate continued, Tokyo gradually started to create opportunities for shots. In the 62nd minute, Yonemoto and Li connected with short passes, and Watanabe turned and aimed for a shot in the opponent's territory, but the goalkeeper made a save.

65 minutes, Tokunaga breaks through the right side. Hasegawa aimed for a middle shot from the loose ball, but it was blocked by the goalkeeper and resulted in a corner kick. From the flow of this left corner kick, Morishige, who had moved up, entered the left area himself. He tried to shoot past the opponent's defender, but couldn't make good contact and the ball went wide. On the contrary, in the 69th minute, Gunma's left cross reached forward Hirashige in the area, creating a dangerous situation, but the shot did not materialize. However, the ball was dropped and Kato, the midfielder, took a shot. They were able to create a decisive attacking opportunity, but the ball went over the bar.

Tokyo changed their formation to a lineup close to 3-4-3, with Takahashi in defense and Hasegawa in midfield. Then, in the 80th minute, Kawano was substituted for Li and immediately after, Kawano broke through the right side following Kaga's feed. He carefully observed the goalkeeper's movement and unleashed a well-aimed looping shot from just before the right area, but it hit the left post. Ota, who was supporting from the opposite side, followed up and stabbed the ball into the net, scoring the opening goal. Despite making further substitutions to aim for more goals, they were unable to score again. They fought tenaciously and secured the victory, albeit with difficulty.

[Player Comments]
"Ota: "In the first half, I couldn't move forward. It felt like no matter how much I ran, I was being pushed back by the wind. It was tough. Still, we managed to keep a clean sheet and in the second half, I had confidence that we could push forward as a team. Regarding the goal scene, there were some changes in the system, but it's not that I was just 'there', I was able to go all the way there. I want to think positively about that. There were opponent players near the goal, but I was able to score well. (You've been talking about wanting to score a goal for a while, right?) I woke up with a really sore neck this morning, but maybe I can score better in situations like that (laughs). Winning is important no matter what the content is. I think it had meaning."

"Since it was a side appearance, I was conscious of doing the work in the midfield and getting involved in the goal. I wanted to increase the number of shooting scenes, but it was a difficult situation. However, in the second half, I think we were able to create some form. If the quality of the last play improves, we can increase the number of shooting scenes and score more goals. (What is necessary to score goals?) Individual skills may be necessary... but my strength is to make use of the movement and to be used by others. By enhancing cooperation in this way, I want to create an aggressive form as a team."

[Coach Popovich's Press Conference Summary]
"I think the media also felt it, but it must have been difficult to work in the stands, right? The weather was like that, and I think it was not an easy environment for the players standing on the pitch either. Even in such temperature and difficult wind conditions, I think the players gave their best and it became an interesting game where both teams exerted their strength. Today, the team was well organized, disciplined, and fought tenaciously and patiently, which was very good. We were able to control most of the game and didn't allow the opponent to create decisive chances. I think we need to continue doing that and improve the quality and precision in finer aspects before the opening. It's a good thing that no one got injured today, and I think they fully demonstrated what needs to be done and the quality even in such an environment. I am satisfied that we were able to have a tenacious game like today and a solid game in terms of tactics one week before the opening."

[Gunma Akihabara Coach's Press Conference Summary]
"The players fought for 90 minutes in the unique Gunma wind. They made solid decisions amidst the changing wind in the first and second halves, which greatly affected the game. In the second half, they continued to play without losing their edge even against the wind. I believe that seizing opportunities is the quality of J1, so we will sincerely reflect on what was good and what was bad, and come together as one again, as there is still one week until the opening. (There were 15 players today, right?) This is my message. I have no intention of bringing players who are not at the level to play the game. I have made it clear to the players. I will not rotate players just because there are spots available. I have told the players that I will only bring players who are at the level to play the game in the future. Isn't that better for the company's expenses as well? (laughs)"