Aiming for the first victory in 4 years against Nagoya in the final home game

　Sec. 14 will face Nagoya Grampus Eight at home. It's hard to believe, but this is the final match of the 1st stage held at home. The past record against Nagoya is 1 win, 2 draws, and 5 losses. Since winning with a V goal in the J1 1st stage in 2000, there have been no victories, which is unfortunate. However, with the support of the home crowd, we want to win at all costs.

　Today, Asari is suspended due to accumulated warnings, but Miura is in the starting lineup. Additionally, Miyazawa made the bench for the first time since Sec. 8.

　Nagoya, who is currently in 6th place, has been on a winning streak in June, including the Nabisco Cup. They are missing goalkeeper Nara Saki, defender Omori due to injury, and midfielder Yoshimura due to suspension, which leaves some concerns in defense. However, Weslley and Marques, the strong forward duo, are in good form. They are the most formidable attacking pair in the J-League. Despite the high temperature of 27℃ before the night game, the match started with Nagoya's kickoff.

Allowing Nagoya to take the lead by demonstrating their scoring ability

　To seal off Tokyo's side, Nagoya changed their formation from a 3-back to a 4-back lineup in the previous match. They transitioned from tight defense to attack, and in the 5th minute, they threatened Tokyo's goal with side changes and breakthroughs from the second row. Tokyo attempted to exploit the space behind the defenders with quick passes after winning the ball, but in the 3rd minute, Lucas was caught offside, followed by Suzuki in the 6th minute. Despite struggling to create chances against Nagoya's solid defense, Bamba took the first shot of the day with a mid-range shot in the 14th minute. In the 19th minute, Tokunaga received a pass from a side change and dribbled up from the right side, unleashing a powerful shot from near the penalty arc. However, it narrowly missed to the right.

　In the following, both teams continued to compete for possession, but neither could create any decisive opportunities. In the 34th minute, Inamoto took a header shot from a free kick on the right side by Baba, but that was Tokyo's only shot in the first half. Nagoya also had only two shots, one from MF Okayama just after the start and another from MF Yamaguchi in the 34th minute. However, something happened in the 42nd minute. Shigeyoshi Mogi went to check the ball from the opponent's right throw-in, but Marques quickly passed the loose ball to Nakamura on the right side. Nakamura dribbled into the penalty area and delivered a fast ground cross in front of the goal. Tokunaga, who was covering, and Doi couldn't touch the ball. Okayama appeared free in front of the goal and scored, allowing Nagoya to take the lead just before the end of the first half.

　In the second half, Tokyo started to grasp the rhythm while trailing by one point. Shortly after the start, Kanazawa's cross was cleared by the defender. Lucas received the loose ball with his chest and attempted a volley shot, but it was saved by the goalkeeper. In the 49th minute, Baba dazzled two defenders inside the right area, and Kanazawa, who had moved up to support, sent a cross, but no one was able to connect on the far side. Immediately after, Baba evaded Toda with a one-two pass and sent a through pass to the front line. In the 51st minute, Tokunaga, just like in the first half, cut inside to the center and took a shot while being surrounded by defenders. This time, he cut to the left.

Lucas's amazing goal! Kajiyama and Miyazawa intensify the chase

　It happened while Toda, who had injured his leg, was outside the pitch for treatment. In the 51st minute, Wesley, who had drifted to the right side, passed the ball to Kakuta from the bottom of the midfield. Kakuta made a fierce dash and dribbled up, but Jean cut him off with a sliding tackle. However, when the ball spilled in front of Marques, who had moved up to the front line, Marques smoothly guided it into the goal with one touch, resulting in a goal. Just as they were about to seize the pace of the counterattack, they found themselves trailing by two goals due to Marques' high finishing ability.

　However, it couldn't end like this. In the previous match, Tokyo allowed a draw in the opposite situation. We must make good use of that lesson. In the 55th minute, Kajiyama was substituted for Toda. Then, Kajiyama, who entered as the left MF, utilized his ball control skills and started creating chances from Kanazawa's attacks and by inducing fouls from the opponents for set plays. In the 59th minute, Abe replaced Baba. And in the 63rd minute, Lucas, who received a pass from Kanazawa in the midfield, skillfully dribbled past the marker with a light touch and forcefully rushed towards the goal. Rhythmically evading one, two opponent defenders, he entered the penalty area. Even here, while being surrounded by three defenders, he forcefully attempted to break through and faced the opponent goalkeeper in a one-on-one situation and took a shot!! The ball went in to the right of the goal with a determined fine goal that said, "It can't end like this." The score was reduced to a one-point difference.

　The intense attack and defense that sped up from here became fierce, and in the 65th minute, Nagoya's Marques took a sharp volley shot from a counterattack. It narrowly missed to the right. In the 66th minute, Kajiyama was fouled in the left area corner and won a free kick. Kajiyama's kick reached Suzuki, who was free in front of the goal, but the timing was slightly off and he couldn't take the shot. However, Tokyo, who was gaining momentum, replaced Miura with Miyazawa in the 71st minute to further boost their comeback. With the appearance of "16" for the first time since the 5th match (4/14 vs C Osaka), the "Miyazawa call" resounded throughout the stadium, and the blue and red eleven became even more lively.

Shigeki, Lucas scores with determination! Dramatic comeback victory!!

　72 minutes, Kanazawa's shot from an aggressive attack was parried by the opponent's goalkeeper, but Suzuki, who bravely followed up, was judged offside. In the 73rd minute, a wave attack from Kajiyama -> Kanazawa -> Miyazawa's cross. Miyazawa picked up the loose ball again, and Kanazawa crossed from the left. They won a corner kick. Jean's header couldn't find the target, but in the immediate 74th minute, they won another corner kick from Kanazawa's breakthrough and completely pushed Nagoya's defense. And in the 75th minute, Kajiyama cut in from Miyazawa's short corner to the sideline, and passed a ground ball like an arrow in front of the goal. Motoyama, who received the ball, pushed it in with his right foot, although his trap was a little too big. It was his first goal in the J-League, and at the same time, it marked the team's 200th goal in J1, making it a valuable equalizer.

　The match between Tokyo, who are attacking fiercely, and Nagoya, who are countering, has turned into a slugfest. In the 78th minute, Kajiyama jumps into the goalmouth from Tokunaga's cross, but the shot hits the left post! Miyazawa picks up the rebound and takes a shot, but a player who remained on the front line is offside. In the 80th minute, Nagoya launches a quick attack and Nakamura takes a shot from the right side. Doi saves it and it goes out for a corner kick.

　However, in the 81st minute. After stealing the throw-in from Abe's left cross, Lucas receives the ball that Kanazawa put in the area. Lucas breaks through the marker with a sharp turn and dribbles in the center while confirming the position of the opponent's goalkeeper, then shoots a controlled shot with a side kick of his right foot. The ball pierces the net on the right side and goes into the goal!! The stadium is filled with excitement and enthusiasm due to this dramatic development. In the final stages, Nagoya continues to attack without allowing a counterattack, and the time is up. In front of the stands filled with 25,167 people, Nagoya achieves a dramatic comeback victory after 4 years and their first victory in 90 minutes. They also rise to 4th place in the rankings, while also decorating their final home game.

【Player Comments】《Lucas》"The first goal was a situation that happens once or twice in a season. However, we were trailing, so I tried to forcefully break through, and it resulted in a good outcome. In the first half, maybe due to fatigue, we couldn't find our rhythm. In the second half, even though we were trailing by two goals, the players who came on as substitutes pushed forward with everyone's feelings. I think Miyazawa's feelings were conveyed. As a forward, I always feel responsible for scoring goals. My goal was a goal that was born from the team's hard work, but I will continue to fight with a sense of responsibility. The victory is thanks to the support of many fans and it is a source of strength for me."《Miyazawa》"I was instructed to kick long balls and I entered the game. I could clearly hear the cheers from the stands when I was substituted, and it made me happy. It was my first time playing with Kajiyama, but the atmosphere changed and we scored a goal, so I'm glad we won. I have been practicing for this day and I wanted to give it my all. There were various conflicts, but it is important to show good play in the stadium. I realized that the fighting spirit is crucial, so I want to continue to show it from now on."

[Summary of the press conference by Coach Hara] "In the previous match against Ichihara, although we didn't lose, all the players felt like they had lost. It was difficult to switch gears, but I told the players, 'Ichihara's fighting spirit is amazing. Let's fight with that same spirit even if we are trailing.' And today, that's exactly what happened. Even after falling behind 0-2, they didn't fear and continued to push forward. After the previous match, the players felt physically heavy, especially Baba who had a tough time with marking and played three matches in a week, so his movements were sluggish. At halftime, I told them, 'Let's fight with a strong mentality even if we concede a goal.' But we conceded the second goal, and honestly, there was a bit of panic. From there, Kajiyama, Abe, and Miyazawa came on as substitutes and changed the flow of the game. Kajiyama has great ball control and dribbling skills while using his body. He was away from the team during the two-round expedition, but we gradually integrated him into the team in the previous match. Today, when he came on, the team settled down and started moving. And then there's Miyazawa. Since I became the coach, his left-footed soccer has been a key point, and he has been a regular starter even when he was a bit tired. However, this season, he faced tighter marking, and there was a balance issue with Makoto Imano - Imano moving forward and Miyazawa staying back. But recently, he has been very focused in training, so I brought him on in that situation today, and when I saw his passionate play, I almost cried. He was putting his body on the line and going for the ball even with his head. I think he had just forgotten to do that before. He was just trying too hard to do everything perfectly, but he already has great qualities. I would be happy if this boosts his confidence. Even without Kelly, Baba, Kajiyama, and Ishikawa stepped up when he got injured. Suzuki was a bit quiet in the first half, but if he fights like he did in the second half, his strengths will shine through. Above all, I'm happy that we didn't give up easily in front of such passionate supporters and that the substitute players played with their hearts. We will adjust for a week and aim to finish the season with a win against Reds."

[Summary of Nagoya Nelsinho's press conference] "The first half was excellent. The defense was stable, and we were able to play compact football as a team. We didn't give Tokyo any scoring opportunities and instead, we gradually moved forward from a solid defense and took the lead. In the second half, we were able to play with our team's rhythm until the 15th minute. However, we gradually lost our ability to press and the opponent dominated the midfield, resulting in their goal. We lost in the worst possible way. It was a shot from the opponent's forward that was brought into the area from the midfield, but regardless of the team's situation, we cannot allow goals in that manner. After that, as you can see, the game progressed at Tokyo's pace and they won. (Tokyo made substitutions and had movement in the midfield) I don't think the opponent's substitutions had any impact. However, that was until we conceded the first goal. We were shaken by conceding the goal. The opponent took advantage of our shaken state. (Substitutions were made after the game was tied) I wanted to make changes, but today we couldn't bring in veteran players due to warnings and injuries, so the bench was mainly composed of young players. Being chased 2-1 and with the opponent gaining momentum, I didn't think it would be a plus for the team to put in young players, so I didn't make substitutions."