1st stage revenge, achieve the first 3 consecutive victories of the season

　Following the revenge series against Kobe in the previous match, today's opponent is Kyoto Purple Sanga, who shattered our dream of a 3-game winning streak at home, Tokyo Stadium, in the 1st Stage Sec. 13 match. In that match, we took the lead with Amaral's penalty kick in the first half, but conceded 3 goals in the second half, suffering a humiliating 1-3 comeback defeat. And it was after this loss that FC Tokyo experienced their first 3-game losing streak of the season, hitting rock bottom.

　About two and a half months later, FC Tokyo, who will be playing against Kyoto again, has come to away Nishikyogoku with the same three consecutive victories as last time. The difference from before is that Kyoto is on a losing streak. However, we cannot let our guard down. Kyoto's ace FW Matsui, who performed well in the previous Asian Games, has returned, and FW Kurobe, who was suspended in the previous match, has also returned. This front three, which is joined by the young leader of the South Korean national team, FW Park, is formidable, and it can be said that almost the best members have gathered.

　FC Tokyo continues to face revenge matches against opponents they suffered bitter defeats from in the previous match against Kobe, this match against Kyoto, and subsequently against Sendai, Nagoya, and Shimizu, all of whom they faced in the 1st stage. In order to once again join the championship race, they must surely achieve victory in today's match against Kyoto in this "Revenge Series". Additionally, winning and achieving the first three consecutive victories of the season should restore the players' lost confidence and bring significant momentum to the team.

　Before the match, Coach Hara said confidently, "The opponent has been on a losing streak, so I expect them to come out attacking from the beginning. We will also fight with the intention of winning through our offense. Last time, we let them have the upper hand, so this time we will definitely win." FC Tokyo approached the tense final round with the same starting lineup as the previous match against Kobe.

Three In A Row?

Following last weekend's first ever League win over perennial bogeymen Vissel Kobe, F.C.TOKYO sought to lay another ghost as they traveled to Kyoto for the 9th. game of the second stage, against Purple Sanga. In the 13th. game of the first stage at Tokyo Stadium, against the same opposition, TOKYO surrendered a first half lead to crash 1-3, a result that triggered a three game losing streak, the worst of the season. 
As in the first stage TOKYO entered the game looking for a third consecutive victory; unlike the first stage Kyoto were not on the crest of a wave. 
However, boosted by the return of ace striker Matsui from the Asian Games, leading scorer Kurobe from suspension and Korean World Cup hero Park, Kyoto were at full strength. 
TOKYO are in the middle of a series of fixtures against teams at whose hands they suffered in the first stage: next up are Vegalta Sendai, followed by Grampus and S-Pulse. A win in Kyoto would mean another great morale boost and a chance to re-enter the battle for the second stage title. 
Before the match F.C.TOKYO manager Hara commented " Kyoto are on a losing streak now so we know they are going to come straight at us from the kick off. Hopefully this should play into our hands...They turned us over in the first stage but absolutely we are going to win tonight ". TOKYO, fielding the same starting eleven as the Vissel game, kicked off on a chilly, rainy evening in Kyoto.

Amaral's three consecutive goals take the lead!

　The match went as predicted by Manager Hara, with Kyoto showing intense attacks right from the start. Their fast attacks using direct passes put pressure on Tokyo, who were still trying to find their rhythm. However, just 2 minutes into the game, Amaral seized a momentary gap from the left side and launched a counterattack. He headed the cross ball lifted by DF Fujiyama, but unfortunately missed the goal to the left. Although this shot missed the target, Amaral's well-timed and powerful heading, which outperformed the opponent, suggested that he would play a significant role in today's match.

　Kyoto has a lineup of technicians who can keep and break through the front line, including the top forward Kurobe, left forward Matsui, and right forward Park. The fullbacks on both sides join the attack, taking advantage of their speed. In the 11th minute, they broke through the right side from a counterattack and sent a ground cross to the center, but GK Doi caught it amidst a scramble with the opponent players. After that, Kyoto continued to attack with a stable post from Kurobe as the focal point of the front line and fast ball circulation. However, once the ball was taken away, everyone quickly returned to their own half to defend, denying Tokyo any attacking space. The time passed with Kyoto in the advantageous position.

　Tokyo, Kelly has a rich amount of movement to relay the ball, Amaral moves to the right side of Ishikawa and Kaji's combination play and Toda's movement to penetrate behind the opponent's DF, Miyazawa mainly flows to the left side and attempts combination play with Fujiyama, but there is no space and the fine passes are easily caught, and the desired rhythm did not emerge while being marked firmly by the opponent.

　However, in the 19th minute, Ishikawa, who was playing on the right side, drifted to the left side and quickly crossed the ball. Amaral, who was waiting in front of the goal, unleashed a powerful header with a high impact point, piercing the Kyoto goal net and taking the lead. It was a goal born from Ishikawa's significant movement to change positions, disrupting the balance of the opposing defense, and Amaral's finishing ability combined with accurate crosses.

Three In A Row For Amaral

Exactly as Hiromi Hara had predicted Kyoto began the game in aggressive fashion, throwing men forward straight from the kick off. TOKYO wobbled slightly but in the second minute a lightning fast counter attack ended with Fujiyama cantering for the in-form Amaral to out jump the home defence; his header flashed wide but served as a warning to the home team. 
Kyoto, with Kurobe as lone striker and Matsui and Park on the right and left respectively, called on their wing backs to support the attack; as soon as an attack broke down they rapidly backtracked to deny TOKYO space to counter. Despite the prodigious efforts of the rejuvenated Kelly in midfield space was at a premium and efficient man marking by the Kyoto defence prevented TOKYO finding any kind of rhythm. 
Suddenly in the 19th. minute, however, a chink opened in the Kyoto defensive armour. Ishikawa, from his usual position on the right, drifted cross field and whipped a cross into the box where Amaral leapt to imperiously power the ball beyond the keeper for the opening goal, his third in three games.

Showcasing the essence of attacking football with side attacks

　The game started moving with Amaral's three consecutive goals. Kyoto, who was trailing by one point and in a chasing position, had been focusing more on the attack, causing the balanced defense to collapse and giving Tokyo a significantly wider chance to attack.

　In the 27th minute, Miyazawa cut off the opponent's ball in the midfield and bewildered Kyoto with a flowing pass work from Kelly to Toda to Amaral. In the 31st minute, Ishikawa directly aimed for a free kick from about 35 meters from the goal, but the sharp, curving and powerful shot was unfortunately deflected by the opponent's goalkeeper and did not result in a goal. However, it has been thought that Tokyo's free kicks were only from Yukihiko's right foot or Miyazawa's left foot, but Ishikawa proved that his right foot is also a valuable weapon.

　Tokyo, which is gaining momentum, created a chance in the 34th minute with a flowing breakthrough from the right side by Kaji, Naohiro, Kelly, and Kaji almost directly. In the following 36th minute, Toda and Fujiyama broke through the Kyoto DF with a sharp one-two on the left side and supplied an excellent cross. In addition, in the 37th minute, Kelly, Amaral, and Kelly connected directly in front of the opponent's goal, and finally Ishikawa unleashed a powerful shot from the right side, but it went to the right of the goal. Tokyo overwhelmed Kyoto in the side battle with Amaral's stable post-play and Kelly's abundant movement-based passes as the pillars.

TOKYO Sparkle

That goal changed the complexion of the game entirely; forced to attack in earnest Purple Sanga lost their defensive balance and space suddenly opened up for F.C.TOKYO. A sweeping move from a Miyazawa interception in the 27th. minute nearly produced a second and four minutes later Ishikawa let rip with a thunderous free kick from 35 metres that whistled narrowly wide. TOKYO were on fire, producing gorgeous one touch football that threatened to overwhelm the opposition. In the 36th. minute Toda and Fujiyama played a one-two in the heart of the Kyoto defence that allowed the latter to float a teasing cross into the danger area. Soon after another rapid exchange of passes sliced the home defence open but Ishikawa fired the wrong side of the post. Kelly dominated the midfield; Amaral, with the ball seemingly glued to his boot confounded the defence as TOKYO swept forward along both wings.

Tokyo emerges victorious in a fierce battle! Achieving revenge against Kyoto, securing the first three consecutive wins of the season!

　Tokyo, who revived with Amaral's goal, launched an ideal attack from the side and developed the game at their own rhythm. However, just before the end of the first half, in the 41st and 42nd minutes, and in injury time, Kyoto's Park created decisive situations with his individual skills. Especially in the 42nd minute, Park rushed alone from the counterattack, and in the end, Jean barely stopped him inside the penalty area, but his astonishing acceleration and determination towards the ball were extraordinary. In the end, the first half ended with a score of 1-0, and the game entered the second half.

　At halftime, Manager Hara instructed, "Pay attention to the movements of Matsui and Park. Mark them tightly once again. We are winning 1-0, but don't think we can just defend. Let's play good football in our own rhythm. In the past, we have often been reversed and lost in games where we led 1-0 at halftime, but today we will definitely win. Let's make a change. We are always vulnerable at the start, so let's stay focused," and sent the players onto the pitch.

　The second half began, and Tokyo was the first to seize a big chance. In the 1st minute, Amaral headed a cross from Kaguchi, who had broken through the right side with a brilliant feint, but the opponent's goalkeeper made a fantastic reaction and saved it. Toda followed up and everyone thought it was a goal, but the referee's decision was offside. It was a decisive scene, so it was regrettable that it became a phantom goal. However, Tokyo continued to attack fiercely without being discouraged in order to score an additional goal.

　At 4 minutes, there was a dangerous moment when Asari's back pass was short and taken away by the opponent, who then took a powerful shot. However, in the following 5 minutes, Amaral passed a through ball to Kelly, who was free in the front line, and Kelly took a looping shot in a one-on-one situation with the goalkeeper, but unfortunately it went over the bar. In the 9th and 11th minutes, Ishikawa broke through on both the left and right sides and created chances with exquisite crosses. In the 13th minute, Amaral received the ball in front of the goal and took a shot when he saw that the opponent's marking was weak, but it went straight to the goalkeeper. In the 16th minute, Amaral took a powerful right-footed shot from a solo dribble in the center, but unfortunately it missed to the left of the goal. In the 18th minute, Kelly connected a corner kick from the right with a back header, and Amaral dropped it to the center from behind. DF Jean, who was there, took a powerful volley shot from close range, but it was also saved by the opponent's goalkeeper with a super save and did not result in a goal.

　Kyoto was not silent either. In the 19th minute, they broke through the left side from a counterattack and took a shot inside the penalty area, but it crossed in front of GK Doi and went to the left of the goal. Furthermore, in the 23rd minute, DF's clearance was weak and the ball rolled in front of Park in front of the goal, but Park immediately took a powerful shot, which Doi caught firmly. Then, in the 27th minute, Tokyo's clearance in front of the goal was weak again and the opponent took it away, and in the end, Kurobe took a powerful shot, but it narrowly missed to the right of the goal. Immediately after this, there was a scene where Doi shouted at his teammates for their lack of concentration in a series of plays.

　The intense offensive and defensive battle between both teams intensified as time passed, creating a tense atmosphere in the stadium. It was clear to everyone that the next goal would determine the outcome of the match. Kyoto showed tremendous determination to secure victory, but Tokyo's defense, led by Toi, also remained focused. Midfielder Shigeha and Jean in the center also fought back fiercely.

　The coach's thinking was also reflected in the player substitution. In the 22nd minute, tired Toda was replaced by FW Fukuda. By substituting a FW instead of a DF at this time, it re-implanted the feeling of "attacking" in the players on the pitch. As a result, this strategy paid off. The team, which was slightly pressed, reorganized their attacking formation once again. In the 32nd minute, Fukuda broke through on the left side and took a powerful shot. Although it hit the side net and did not become a goal, it gave courage to the teammates and fear to the opponents. Furthermore, in the 34th minute, a pass from Amaral connected to Kelly, who dribbled and took a shot from the center, but it went over the goal.

　With 3 minutes remaining, this was Doi's solo performance. In the 42nd minute, he calmly caught the FK from the left side. In the following 44th minute, he swiftly jumped out in response to Park's through pass, catching the ball a moment faster than the opposing FW to prevent a crisis. Then, in injury time, a Kyoto player who received another pass from Park unleashed a powerful shot from close range, but Doi made another super save, denying the goal. The game ended like this. It must have been extremely tough for Tokyo players to engage in intense offense and defense in enemy territory with just a one-point lead. However, thanks to Coach Hara's strategic decision to boost the players' morale during that period and the team's collective focus centered around Doi, they fought until the end and not only repaid the debt to Kyoto but also achieved their first three consecutive victories of the season. However, it is important to remember that these three consecutive wins are just a stepping stone, and they must not forget the determination to repay the debt in the upcoming revenge series. The true strength of Tokyo will be tested from now on.

[Summary of the press conference by Coach Hara] "With Matsui returning and Park coming forward more than before, it will be difficult to catch both of them. Also, Kyoto is on a losing streak, so I expected them to come at us from the beginning, and they actually did. However, if they come forward, we can aim for their back and it will become a battle on the sides. I thought the first goal would come from the left side with Ishikawa's cross, and Amaral delivered. In the second half, Kyoto brought down their defenders and brought in midfielder Atsuta, so I thought we could attack more, but we also created close opportunities with Toda and Kelly. It was a tough match, but I'm glad we won. It's our first three consecutive wins, but the performance was not satisfactory. Especially in the end, it was really tough, but Doi and the others defended well."

[Kyoto Engels Coach Press Conference Summary] "We were beaten by Amaral's favorite pattern. We had a young team and lacked a leader, so we couldn't change the rhythm, but they really did well until the end. I could see their fighting spirit, and I want to praise the players. It's disappointing to lose the game, but I think we improved compared to the previous match."

Revenge Is Sweet

As half time approached dynamic Kyoto forward Park embarked on a series of lone forays at the TOKYO defence; Jean and Kaji held firm and the first half ended 1-0 to TOKYO. 
With manager Hara's half time warning not to forget the games where a fine first period had been negated by a second half loss of concentration ringing in their ears the TOKYO eleven returned to the field in determined mood. " 
We are going to win today. Concentrate " was his final instuction. 
Within 60 seconds of the restart TOKYO had the ball in the Kyoto net. 
Ishikawa crossed from the right, Amaral out jumped the defence for the third time only to see the keeper produce a spectacular save and Kelly bundled the rebound over the line. Offside was the official verdict and the "goal" was disallowed. If TOKYO were disappointed it didn't show as they tore into the home defence in search of a second goal. In the 50th. minute Amaral bisected the Kyoto back line with a glorious through ball that left Kelly with only the keeper to beat; his lob cleared the bar by a whisker. In the 54th. and 55th. minutes Ishikawa took his turn to roast the home defence before Amaral produced some sleight of foot to create a couple of shooting opportunities out of nothing. Jean came closest to extending the lead in the 63rd. minute as he met Kelly's back header from a corner with a vehement volley that the Kyoto keeper saved at point blank range. 
>From around the middle of the second period Kyoto began to creep back into the match with the irrepressible Park as the chief danger. He seized on a couple of loose clearances by the TOKYO defence but goalkeeper Doi held his best efforts. Sensing the momentum falter manager Hara, adhering to the old dictum of attack being the best form of defence, replaced the visibly tiring Toda with forward Fukuda. His muscular prescience and hard running proved sufficient distraction to the Kyoto defence and he nearly doubled the lead in the 77th. minute with a powerful blast that found the side netting. 
As the game entered the final few minutes the TOKYO defence girded its collective loins in anticipation of a final onslaught. Led by Park, Kyoto swarmed at TOKYO but Doi, with steely resolve, smothered, blocked and plucked the ball out of the air. He saved the best for last: deep into injury time Park released a colleague in the area but Doi beat away his blast from point blank range. 
The final whistle sounded immediately and TOKYO had gained their revenge for the first stage defeat. Not only that: a rock solid defensive performance with Doi outstanding, sparkling attack, an inspired substitution by the manager and, most importantly, unbroken concentration for the full 90 minutes had secured the three points. Revenge is sweet. Vegalta are next. 

F.C.TOKYO Manager Hara:
" As I expected the returning Park and Matsui were pushed forward and we knew the key was to stop them. With Kyoto on a losing streak we assumed they would come out flying and that would leave space down the flanks if only we could get behind the defence. As it was we scored when Ishikawa made some space on the left and put in a great cross for Amaral. In the second half the Kyoto defence played a little deeper and Kelly and Toda did very well for us. It was a hard game and I'm very pleased to have won.
We now have won three straight but we can't be satisfied with the quality of our play. The later stages were very nerve wracking but with Doi at the centre we defended well ".

Kyoto manager Engels:
"We got caught cold by a typical Amaral goal.
Although we have a young team without a natural leader to really change the tempo of our play, the team fought well to the end. They showed their fighting spirit and, even though we lost, I want to praise them for their performance".