Average of 0.69 points per game

The average number of goals per game is 0.69... This is the average number of goals conceded per game by FC Tokyo this season (as of the end of the 16th round). This is, of course, the best number in J2, significantly surpassing Oita and Niigata, who have an average of 1.00 goals conceded per game. Even in the past few games, they have achieved three consecutive clean sheet victories since the Oita match on May 29th (14th round), leaving a strong impression as "Solid Tokyo." Despite facing a tough situation with injuries to "right-side craftsman" Umayama in the previous round (6/27) against Kofu and "guardian deity" Horiike in the last round (7/4) against Sapporo, Komine, who returned from injury as Umayama's replacement, and Suzuki, who covered for Horiike, have been solid replacements. The defense of Tokyo, which is firmly anchored by the "impenetrable" Sandro in the center and the experienced Furukawa, has not lost its stability. On the other hand, their opponent today, Omiya, is an attacking team that boasts the third highest scoring ability in the league. They deploy the "twin towers" of Isoyama, who excels in post-play, and Okayama, who is strong in aerial battles, as their forwards. In midfield, they have Iwase, a former Reds player, and a new foreign player, who orchestrate the team's attacks, while Shigeya, who also participated in the previous World Youth Championship, contributes with his attacking prowess. In the first round, Tokyo withstood Omiya's fierce attacks in the first half and then scored two goals in quick succession in the second half when Omiya's energy levels dropped, securing a victory. It is expected that this time as well, they will be able to efficiently control the game... The true strength of "Solid Tokyo" will be tested in the course of the match.

Kagami scores the opening goal!

The match took a turn in the first round, with Tokyo showing aggressive attacks from the start. On this day, Yukihiko, who played as an attacking midfielder on the right, dazzled the opponents with his high individual skills, sometimes dribbling past them and sometimes breaking through the right side with wall passes with his teammates, creating numerous goal-scoring opportunities. From the left, Fujiyama, the full-back, showed sharp dribbling skills as he cut inside from the side, creating chances with wall passes with Amalao and Kagami. On this day, their passionate play seemed to be inspired by the presence of the national team coach, Troussier, who appeared at the match venue, fully showcasing their exceptional level as J2 players. On the other hand, Omiya relied on Iwase and Mark as the starting points in the midfield, building up their attacks with simple passing plays, targeting the feet of the forward Itoyama and the head of Okuyama as they moved widely from side to side. In particular, Mark's passing plays were accurate and occasionally created a good rhythm, but on this day, the defensive midfielders Shinjo and Koike, who returned after a six-game absence to replace Asari, who was suspended due to accumulated yellow cards, responded with persistent defense. Furthermore, Furukawa marked Itoyama tightly and Sandro marked Okuyama rigorously, not allowing them to create scoring opportunities. Tokyo continued to aggressively regain possession of the ball from the front line, building up the game around Yukihiko and creating chances through the attacking participation of both full-backs. In the 22nd minute, Shinjo, who joined the attack, saw Omiya's shallow defensive line and played a lofted pass behind it. Kagami did not miss the momentary gap created by Omiya's defenders' mistake and calmly struck the ball into the goal.

Seal the deal with Amaral's final goal!

In the second half, Omiya's energy increased as they had not exhausted themselves in the first half, and they launched attacks from the sides with fast passing centered around Mark. Against Omiya's cross attacks from the sides, Tokyo's goalkeeper Suzuki, along with Sandro, Furube, and Komine, repelled them, but there were dangerous moments where the ball spilled out from the melee and they were able to take shots in a free position. Fortunately, most of those shots missed the goal, and even in decisive moments, Suzuki prevented them with his good judgment. In the 61st minute, Suzuki made a fantastic reaction to save a direct free kick from outside the penalty area, saving the team from a pinch with confident play. On the other hand, when Tokyo attacked, they gathered the ball to Yukihiko and then expanded to the sides. In the 62nd minute, they passed the ball to Komine on the right, and Yukihiko, who broke free from the return pass, dribbled and crossed. Amaral received the ball and took a shot, but unfortunately missed. In the 65th minute, the ball reached Yukihiko, who had now moved to the right side, and he made a direct pass to Amaral in front. Amaral broke free from the melee with Omiya's defenders and took a shot, securing the second goal. After that, the game continued with back and forth attacks and defenses, and Tokyo was often under pressure, but the defense supported goalkeeper Suzuki with sliding tackles and other efforts. In the 70th minute, midfielder Aumir returned from injury after five games and showed energetic play, giving hope for the future. In the end, Tokyo managed to hold on and marked their first five-game winning streak of the season.

＜Coach Okuma's Comment＞

The tenacious defense was good, but the assembly after stealing the ball was sloppy, and it was a pity that we couldn't create many goal opportunities. It is important to reduce mistakes and develop carefully. GK Suzuki started for the first time in a long time, but he did well and stayed calm, following the previous match against Sapporo.