Face off against South American powerhouse Club Olimpia

　TOKYO GAS CO.,LTD presents the 2008 preseason match. We will welcome the prestigious Paraguayan club Olimpia to Ajinomoto Stadium for a match. Coach Jofuku said, "I want to make the best preparations for the upcoming Nabisco Cup and league matches. I want to confirm our team's axis that we have been trying to establish since the start of the season and reaffirm the team's fundamentals in both offense and defense." We have prepared ourselves to make this game a stepping stone for the Nabisco Cup quarterfinals and the subsequent league matches.

　Club Olympia, on the other hand, boasts a midfield with high technical skills and creativity unique to South America. Although they finished in 8th place in the previous league, they are rejuvenating the team by promoting talented young players from their youth academy. Among them, FW Amarizha, a towering striker whose father is former J-League Yokohama Flugels player FW Amarizha, is a player to watch. Additionally, MF Martinez, who represents the U-20 Paraguay national team, is a technician who adds an attacking accent from the midfield, having come through the youth academy.

　How can we stick to our own style of football against Club Olympia, who come close to the goal by increasing the speed of their attack from a solid defense? We aim for growth throughout the season by addressing individual challenges and take on the challenge with "Moving Football". The starting lineup consists of Fujiyama at left back, Mobata and Sahara as center backs. Additionally, Tokyo has 11 players on the bench as substitutions are limited to 6.

　In the midst of the slightly soothing heat of the daytime, a ceremony was held before the match to welcome Mr. Amaral, and the game started at 19:30 with the kickoff of Club Olympia.

From a speedy attack, own goal takes the lead

　Both teams started with a 4-4-2 formation and tried to attack by connecting short passes in the early stages. The first shot came from Olympia. In the 2nd minute, MF Segovia took a precise middle shot from a right throw-in, but it missed to the left of the goal. In the 9th minute, Tokyo brought the ball into the left area from a left throw-in, and Akamine crossed it along the ground. It was a fast ball, but Cabore in the center couldn't reach it. However, in the 11th minute, Akamine intercepted a pass in the Olympia's half. He dribbled up the center and sent a lofted pass with his right foot to Cabore, who came up from the right. The ball was cleared by the opponent's defender, but it headed towards the goal and grazed the goalkeeper's hand, resulting in an own goal and Tokyo taking the lead.

　Tokyo will take this opportunity to grasp the rhythm and launch attacks with Cabore and Emerson as the starting point. In the 14th minute, from a big development, Hayabusa passed to Cabore who was on the left side. Cabore brought the ball into the left area and tried to shoot after cutting back the opponent's defender. However, it hit Akamine who had come up from the right for support, resulting in an offside. In the 19th minute, Emerson cut back the opponent's defender in the left area and sent a pass to the center, but Akamine couldn't receive it. In the 25th minute, from a loose ball in a set play, FW Edison from Olympia boldly shot from the right area, using a feint to cut back against Fujiyama and Sahara who were facing him, but it went wide of the goal.

　Tokyo showed the intention to move towards the goal, but lacked accuracy in the final moments and couldn't finish. In the 31st minute, Cabore headed in from Hanyu's left corner kick. In the 34th minute, Fujiyama passed to Emerson in the center, who then passed to Hanyu on the left front line. Hanyu sent a cross behind the opponent's defense, and Akamine, who had made a run, took a left-footed shot. They created a good opportunity with a direct play, but the shot missed the target. In the 44th minute, Cabore attempted a long shot with his left foot, seeing the opponent's goalkeeper coming forward from the ball contested by Akamine. However, the goalkeeper quickly returned and made a save, and the first half ended with a one-goal lead.

Although we couldn't score any additional points, we managed to secure a victory at Ajinomoto by suppressing the counterattack.

　In the second half, Sato was replaced by Mukuhara as the right full-back. Fujiyama moved to the center and Tokunaga shifted to the left, actively attacking from the beginning. On the other hand, Olympia started to show signs of fatigue in the heat. In the 54th minute, Cabore, who had entered the left area, was fouled and awarded a penalty kick. However, Cabore himself took the penalty kick in the 55th minute, but it was saved by the goalkeeper in the bottom left corner, and no additional points were scored...

　In the 60th minute, Morimura, Hirayama, and Kawaguchi were substituted for Konno, Akamine, and Cabore, respectively. The injection of fresh players increased the movement. In the 64th minute, Morimura volleyed a shot from Kawaguchi's cross on the left side of the field. In the 65th minute, Olympia inserted a wedge between FW Edison and MF Rohas, attempting a breakthrough in the center. The ball from MF Rohas reached FW Edison, who had slipped behind Tokyo DF, but his attempt to shoot from a chest trap ended in a miss.

　In the 69th minute, Emerson was replaced by Ishikawa. Ishikawa boldly broke through the back of the Olympiad DF, which had become stretched, and in the 77th minute, skillfully moved from the left side to break through to the front of the goal. There, Morimura made a through pass from the right to create a chance, but the pass narrowly missed and was caught by the goalkeeper. The Olympiad also did not let their fighting spirit waver, and in the 86th minute, there was a fierce collision inside the Tokyo team's territory, resulting in a free kick for the Olympiad. However, the free kick from the left side was blocked by the Tokyo wall.

　In the 88th minute, Mori Murayama on the left side quickly restarted from Fujiyama and sent a long through pass to Ishikawa who entered the area from the right. The aim was good, but it was offside. In the 89th minute, Kawaguchi passed vertically to Ishikawa in the center of the area. Ishikawa and Kurizawa entered the right area as if crossing. Ishikawa → Kurizawa aimed for a shot, but couldn't turn around and couldn't finish it. The timing didn't match by a small margin, and although the second goal could not be taken, in the end, they defended against Olympia's power play and the time was up. They kept a clean sheet and achieved victory at Ajinomoto Stadium.

　【Player Comments】《Thales》"I played as a left full-back after a long time, and there were moments when I made mistakes because I couldn't see the surroundings, but there were also moments when I could contribute. I think it was decent. We talked about creating a flow of zero goals conceded before the match today, so it was good that we were able to do that. Even after forming a partnership with Shigeki Shimo, I was able to maintain the defensive line and stay focused in the final moments. There were also moments when I could bring the ball up to take a shot. Ending with a shot, and also making runs behind the defense, makes it easier for the backline. I think I was able to try out many plays both individually and as a team in order to connect to the Nabisco Cup and the league."《Lucas》"I regret not being able to contribute more as a playmaker. If I come on at that time, I need to be involved in scoring. Especially at the start, I lost in the duels and couldn't find my rhythm. That's really frustrating. (There was a good through pass, right?) Ishikawa made a good move at the right timing, so I just had to pass it. However, the accuracy was lacking in terms of strength and weakness. Also, it was a time when the opponent's press was decreasing, so I had time and space to receive the ball freely. Playing in such situations gives me confidence, but playing when there's no time is a challenge. Still, I want to use each and every experience as a stepping stone and prepare thoroughly from training."

　[Summary of Manager Shirofuku's Press Conference] "First of all, I would like to express my respect to Club Olympia, who came from a far distance and showed sincere commitment and fair play. I would also like to express my heartfelt gratitude to the sponsors and staff who made this match possible, as well as to the more than 6,000 people who came to support us on a weekday, despite our current poor performance. In the past month, we have not been able to win, so today was a good opportunity to review what we have been doing and what we have been trying to do since the start of the season. We approached this game as an opportunity to firmly establish our foundation. The players were well aware of this and tried to maintain it both in attack and defense. Today, I wanted to give various players the opportunity to gain experience, and there were also players like Konno who have the All-Star game coming up. Therefore, substitutions were made regardless of performance, giving many players a chance. Among them, including the players who came on as substitutes, they worked hard in their roles and for what the team aims for. With the concentration of the defensive line centered around Shigeno and the coordination of the line, we were able to keep a clean sheet, and we want to build a strong defense based on this and move forward to the Nabisco Cup and the league next week. (The only goal was an own goal?) The goal was created because of the power to attack the goal. It was a good attack with a lot of speed. There was also the possibility of creating a second goal. There are still challenges in the control aspect at the end, but the way the ball was moved and the tempo up to that point showed a speedy style that we have not seen before. There were plays where everyone actively moved forward and tried to create opportunities, including the play that led to the penalty kick, and there was a sense of consciousness towards scoring goals to some extent. (What is your impression of Club Olympia?) When their attacking switch was turned on, I felt the power of a Paraguayan team, a South American team. Especially when the ball entered their front line, 3-4 players quickly accelerated, which was powerful and created dangerous situations. They also made plays where they put their bodies in to draw fouls, and we need to learn from those aspects as well."

　[Summary of Club Olympia Costa's coach press conference] "In the first half, we were able to control the game reasonably well. We couldn't take advantage of the chances, but we were able to create some chances, albeit few. The decisive mistake was the own goal. However, as I mentioned before, we were able to create chances. That is something I want to acknowledge. In the second half, fatigue became evident. It may sound like an excuse, but I think the two-day long journey took a toll on us. Nevertheless, the players fought well to the best of their abilities. Personally, I think a draw would have been a fair result. (Which players left an impression in Tokyo?) Emerson and Cabore left an impression. Especially Emerson, who made good runs from the back and showed a strong weapon. (About FW Amarilha) He is a valuable player who contributes to the team despite having a relatively short professional career. He had established himself as a regular last season, but unfortunately got injured and hasn't done anything for over two weeks. His playing style is similar to his father's, he is a technician, and he particularly excels in the penalty area. Today, he couldn't make the most of his chances, but he is strong in aerial battles and has a bright future ahead of him. Our team is very young. We started building the team six months ago, not only aiming to rejuvenate but also promoting homegrown players from the youth academy and focusing on building a consistent club team. In addition to FW Amarilha, I believe other young players will also attract attention. Developing young players is also important for the national team, just like our club. I believe it will function effectively in the future. Please look forward to it. Thank you for today."