Beat Yokohama F.Marinos and trigger a comeback

　Sec. 6 is an away game following the previous round, facing Yokohama F.Marinos at Japan National Stadium. In the 1st stage, F.Marinos, a strong team that finished in 2nd place, competed for the championship until the final round. However, they have suffered 3 consecutive defeats since the start of the 2nd stage. Although they have gradually regained their form with 1 win and 1 draw afterwards, it seems that they have not been able to fully demonstrate their strength. In addition, in the past J1 League matches, Tokyo boasts a record of 3 wins and 2 draws against F.Marinos, showing a good compatibility. Manager Hara tightened his focus, saying, "Compatibility can be a factor, but that doesn't mean we can win just because of it." However, this is a crucial match where we want to firmly strike and make it a turning point for our resurgence.

　U-21 representative Mogi and Ishikawa left the team for the Asian Games, and Fujiyama started as the left fullback, while Sato started as the right midfielder. Sato made a starting lineup return in the league match for the first time in five months since April 21, and there were high expectations as well, as the kickoff approached.

Mangle Marinos! Move Up!

F.C.TOKYO made the short journey to Yokohama International Stadium for a second consecutive away game, the sixth match of the second stage. Their opponents, the Yokohama F Marinos, had lost out on the first stage title on the final day and, as if stunned by their failure, opened the second stage with three straight losses. A win and a draw in their previous games had seen them slowly regaining their form. F.C.TOKYO boast a W3 D2 L0 record against them in J.League play but, as manager Hara observed, "That doesn't guarantee a win". With Moniwa and Ishikawa playing for the Japan U-21 side in the Asian games Fujiyama moved to left side back and Yukihiko Sato returned to the starting line up for the first time since April 21st. The game kicked off in wet, overcast conditions.

Sato and Kaji break down the right side, Amaral scores first!

　After the devastating loss against Jubilo, Coach Hara said, "It's important to switch our mindset after today's game. Let's start simple and not chase too much from the beginning." Following his instructions, the first half started calmly. In particular, in the 2nd minute, Sato crossed the ball after circling around the outside of the defense, thanks to Kaji's run from the right side. This resulted in a corner kick after the defender cleared the ball. Although Sato's corner kick was caught by the opponent's goalkeeper, in the 5th minute, Sato received another pass from Kaji and crossed the ball. Tokyo is creating chances from the right side.

　F.Marinos, on the other hand, does not press aggressively and tries to build up a slow attack from passing. In the 5th minute, MF Ueno tries to advance from the center of the field, but Miyazawa stops him with a foul. Miyazawa receives a warning for rough play, and F.Marinos gets a free kick. DF Nazari takes a direct shot, but it goes over the bar. In the 7th minute, MF Hato connects with FW Shimizu from the center, and Hato shoots from the right side, but it misses above the goal.

　At the 10th minute, Tokyo, who had been dominating the ball, received a pass from Kelly in the center and Kagawa crossed from the right side. Amaral, who had jumped into the near side with excellent timing, headed the ball into the far corner of the goal! They took the lead with a perfectly executed play.

　The team's momentum increased with the ace's goal. In the 15th minute, Amaral connected with Kelly in the midfield, and Amaral, who had attacked again with Sato's cross, headed the ball. However, this time he couldn't score a goal. In the 18th minute, Miyazawa aimed for a goal from a free kick, and immediately after that, Toda, who had escaped behind the defense line from Amaral's front post play, received a through pass, but unfortunately it was offside. In the 26th minute, Jean headed the ball from Sato's right side free kick, but it went over the bar.

Sato, Kaji Set Up Amaral

Regarding the mauling at Jubilo manager Hara commented " It's important for the team to bounce back today and not get caught out early on. Simple is best ". Following his instructions TOKYO began in a composed manner. In the 2nd. minute Kaji moved infield and found Sato out on the wing. His cross was cleared for a corner which he took himself but the Marinos keeper held the ball cleanly. The pattern repeated itself three minutes later with the same result. The Marinos were looking to run the ball at TOKYO; in the 5th. minute midfielder Ueno surged forward only to be stopped, illegally according to the referee, by Miyazawa. Miyazawa received a yellow card and Naza blazed the free kick over the bar. Some neat interplay between Oku and Shimizu created an opportunity for Hato soon after but he shot high. In the 10th. minute Kelly found Kaji out on the right. Kaji launched an early cross to the near post where Amaral, with exquisite timing, rose to nod the ball inside the far post and give TOKYO a perfect start. 
Emboldened, TOKYO pushed forward. A similar move to the one that produced the goal ended with Amaral heading Sato's cross just over the bar in the 15th. minute. Miyazawa belted a free kick wide in the 18th. minute and Toda was given offside in a marginal decision soon after as a delicate through ball from Amaral split the Marinos defence. Jean lent his weight to the attack from set pieces and went close with a header from another fine Sato centre in the 26th. minute. 

Changed Flow of the Exit Drama

　Tokyo, which excels in the battle of ball possession, repeatedly intercepts from tight marking even when defending. In the 28th minute, Nazar's mid-range shot and FW Will's shot were both cut off in front of the penalty area, and left MF Dutra's attacking run was also contained, preventing a finish.

　However, Yokohama F.Marinos win a corner kick here. And from Dutra's left corner kick, Will jumps exceptionally high and heads the ball into the goal. Tokyo DF had been focused until then, but they were caught up in the 29th minute by a goal from a set piece, making it a tie.

　It was just as I was calmly trying to move on without getting impatient, returning to the starting point. In the 31st minute, F.Marinos, in response to a dribble around the center circle, Miyazawa charged from behind. A second yellow card was shown for this play, and Miyazawa was sent off. Tokyo was forced to play with 10 men.

　Still, in the 32nd minute, Jean intercepted and quickly passed the ball to Kelly and Sato in front. Sato crossed the ball and Jean unleashed a powerful header. The ball missed the goal, but he never hesitated and continued to move forward. However, from this point on, F.Marinos' passing improved significantly, gradually creating chances. In the 38th minute, a floating pass controlled by Ueno in the center was passed into the left penalty area, and Shimizu headed the ball, but Doi caught it. On the contrary, in the 39th minute, Tokyo launched a counterattack, with Sato dribbling on the right side and delivering a precise cross into the goal area. Toda jumped in from the left side, but narrowly collided with the goalkeeper. The shot missed the target, and they missed a close big chance.

　F.Marinos picked up the clear ball from Will's FK in the 42nd minute, Dutra crossed from the right side, and Hato on the far side headed the shot, but Doi saved it with one hand and escaped to CK. In stoppage time, Dutra bounced back from the shot in the back and Will aimed for the goal, but Doi made a nice save. They did not allow any goals with their focused defense.

Miyazawa Sees Red

At the other end the TOKYO defence coped ably with the Marinos attack; some tight marking and sharp interceptions prevented any clear cut attempts on goal. One such blocked attempt earned the Marinos a corner in the 29th. minute and Will leapt prodigiously to head home. A simple set play saw their early good work undone. As if to rub salt into the wound Miyazawa upended Oku shortly after and was sent off. From a promising position TOKYO suddenly found themselves a man down and pegged back. 
In the 32nd. minute TOKYO nearly reclaimed the lead as Jean cut out a Marinos through ball, laid it off to Kelly and hared forward. He met Sato's cross with a powerful downward header but failed to hit the target. From around this time the home side began to exert themselves and their pass work improved as did the number of chances. TOKYO keeper Doi made a fine save from Shimizu's looping header in the 38th. minute. TOKYO were not to be denied and with Sato the instigator once more Toda beat the Marinos keeper to a fine cross but directed it wide of the post. 
As the first half drew to a close the Marinos turned up the pressure on the TOKYO goal: Doi produced a superb one-handed save to deny Hato and in injury time foiled Will to preserve the status quo.

Despite a valiant effort, succumbing to exhaustion in injury time

　However, in the second half, F.Marinos took the lead in the game, and it was undeniable that Tokyo, who was playing with 10 men, was at a disadvantage. Early in the game, F.Marinos received a pass from Ueno for a side change on the left side, and Dutra crossed the ball, but Ito cut off Will's volley shot in front of the goal. In the 47th minute, Dutra dribbled on the left side again and took a sharp shot that ran parallel to the goal. Nazar's heading shot from the left corner kick, followed by Will's shot from the corner kick, were all saved by Toi's fine play, preventing a goal. F.Marinos, who couldn't score an additional goal despite their advantage, substituted Kuhara for the right midfielder in the 55th minute. In the 57th minute, Kuhara picked up a clearance ball from a free kick and sent a shot towards the goal. Will followed up, but missed the target.

　In the 60th minute, Tokyo launched a counterattack. Amaral ran into the box after a cross from Kaji and earned a corner kick. However, Sato's left corner kick drifted to the far side and narrowly missed Amaral. On the contrary, they were caught on the counter. In the 63rd minute, Dutra broke through the left side and Will took a free header shot from a cross, but the danger was averted by Doi's miraculous one-handed save.

　Tokyo, who struggled with Dutra on the left side, substituted Kominato for Sato, who was chased by the defense, and put him in the left center back. Kominato, Ito, and Jean formed a back three and focused on stabilizing the defense. However, in the 69th minute, F.Marinos also substituted FW Sakata for the injured midfielder Nagayama. They added fresh firepower to the front line and took a gamble.

　In the midst of a situation where Yokohama F.Marinos are pushing forward and Tokyo are defending, in the 76th minute, after the F.Marinos defender cleared the loose ball, Komine aggressively ran past the center line and took a long shot. Kelly aimed for the rebound, but the shot went over the bar. In the 78th minute, Fukuda was substituted for Toda, who showed signs of fatigue. They aimed for a few chances despite being on the defensive.

　However, F.Marinos in the 80th minute, Will passed from the center to the left penalty area. Dutra broke free and took a shot, but Doi made a save. Shimizu followed up on the rebound and shot, but the Tokyo DF blocked it. Tokyo's defense did a good job of not allowing a goal, but the game continued with a sense of tension that they could be caught off guard at any moment. In the 87th minute, Oku took a middle shot to clear the cross ball from Sakata on the left side. The ball slightly missed to the left, and it seemed like the biggest crisis had been averted.

　However, it was just after the display of "3 minutes of stoppage time". F.Marinos, from the left side throw-in, connected with Dutra -> Will, and Will floated a pass to the left penalty area. Dutra ran in here and crossed it on the ground. The ball that was shot by Oku in front of the goal was well cut by Komine, but the loose ball rolled back in front of Oku again, and in the end, it was pushed into the goal with the right foot while falling down, and all hope was lost. They showed a valiant effort to dispel the bad image of the previous defeat, but they ran out of strength at the very end.

[Summary of the press conference by Manager Hara] "We talked about starting well because we suffered a big defeat in the previous match against Júbilo. We actually had a good rhythm from the beginning and were able to score the opening goal at a good time, which made us feel like we were in control. I thought Miyazawa's red card was too harsh for the first caution, and the second one seemed like he just touched the ball. As a result, he was sent off, and it had a big impact because it happened so early in the game. Instead of immediately becoming defensive, we tried to keep players like Sato and Toda, who have speed, and aim for counterattacks. We had some good opportunities in the first half, but in the end, our marking from a throw-in was sloppy and we were broken down. Even with one player less, the players showed a fighting spirit, and we wanted to at least take the game to extra time by holding on. I think there is a factor that prevents the team from reaching a higher level when we concede a goal at the end of the game like that."

[Summary of F.Marinos Lazaroni's press conference] "At the beginning, we were confused by Tokyo's fast-paced game and struggled to find our rhythm. During that time, Amaral broke free with a clever interception by Tokyo and scored the opening goal with a well-timed header. There were also periods where things didn't click, but after getting through that, the team gained momentum and our aggressive offense in the back led to a warning and expulsion of the opponent's midfielder. Our momentum continued and we managed to equalize, and there were also chances to turn the game around in the first half. In the second half, we dominated and set the pace, but despite creating many opportunities, we couldn't convert them and became frustrated. I think this may be due to anxiety near the goal. The precision leading to decisive moments and finishes was slightly lacking, resulting in no goals. However, in the end, Oku scored a crucial goal and we were able to come from behind. I think it was very good."

TOKYO Battle But...

Aware that an early goal could settle the match the Marinos bombarded the TOKYO goal as the second half began. Dutra, making headway down the left, crossed for Will to smash a first time volley goalward. Ito blocked bravely but TOKYO were on the rack. Two minutes later Dutra again cut inside and fired but Doi was equal to the task, turning the ball around for a corner. 
Doi blocked Naza's header for another corner which reached Will and again the TOKYO No.1 denied the Marinos' striker. Midfielder Hisanaga replaced defender Kobara in the 55th. minute for the Marinos and immediately set up Will whose shot drifted just wide of the post. 
TOKYO launched a counter attack in the 60th. minute with Toda winning a corner. Sato struck the ball to the far post where it evaded Amaral by a whisker. The Marinos countered through Dutra but Doi again pulled off a stunning save to deny the unmarked Will. 
In the 60th. minute Komine replaced Sato and TOKYO switched to a three back formation of Komine, Ito and Jean in an attempt to subdue the rampant Dutra. 
In response the Marinos replaced the injured Nagayama with forward Sakata and renewed their efforts. A long range blast from Komine deflected into the path of Kelly in the 76th. minute but his snap shot flew just over the bar. 
The clearly exhausted Toda then made way for Fukuda. 
A fine through ball from Will released Dutra inside the TOKYO area in the 80th. minute; Doi somehow parried his shot and an almighty scramble ensued as first Shimizu and then Oku were denied by some frenzied defending. TOKYO escaped by the skin of their teeth in the 87th. minute as Oku latched on to a loose clearance and blasted the ball fractionally wide. 
The fourth official had just signaled for three minutes of injury time when TOKYO finally had their concentration broken. A throw in on the left from Dutra to Will saw the latter float a pass toward the by-line for the former to pull back into the centre. Oku fired first time but straight at Komine; he made no mistake from the rebound and the game was up for F.C.TOKYO. 
A brave display from TOKYO had erased the nightmare of the previous week but they were unable to hold out for extra time and finished with nothing to show for their effort. 


F.C.TOKYO manager Hara:
" After last week's defeat I asked for a good start and the team responded very well. We quickly found our rhythm, took the lead and were on top. Miyazawa's sending off was very harsh but we knew we couldn't go straight into defensive mode so early in the game. With Sato and Toda we felt we had a chance to grab something on the break and had some chances in the first half. I felt we could take the game into extra time but poor marking at the throw in let us down and cost us the match. We really have to improve in such situations ".

F Marinos manager Lazaroni:
"We had no answer to TOKYO's speed in the first half and were struggling. They took the lead with a great goal and were on top but our team showed their character and fought back. Oku's attacking instincts resulted in the sending off, I think. We had a host of chances in the second half but just couldn't take them and the players became frustrated. Still, Oku took the goal very well and it was an excellent victory".