Switch your mindset and let's go to the league match!

　For the final qualifying match of the World Cup in Germany, the league match in the third round will be an away game against Vissel Kobe, the first league match since March 12th. Currently, Tokyo is in first place with 4 points and a goal difference, but there are 6 teams, including Kobe, tied with 4 points, creating a "dango" situation. Coach Hara also said, "Looking at the fact that no team has won both matches, it seems that the strength of each team is not that different this season." Therefore, it is important to fight each game and earn points to maintain a high position.

　Kobe, although they have not been fortunate enough to win in the two Nabisco Cup matches, their attacking trio of forward Miura, forward Hashido, and attacking midfielder Yabuta, known as "King Kazu," have been in good form. In particular, Hashido runs around in the front line as a chance creator, and Miura neatly finishes in the center, which is a pattern that is often seen. In addition, midfielder Horvi, who serves as a defensive midfielder, is the starting point for attacks in the midfield with his long and short passes, and on the left side, there is Atsuhiro Miura, a member of the Japanese national team. Sufficient attention is required to defend against the opponent's attacks.

　On the other hand, Tokyo started with the same starting lineup as the Japan national team, with Doi and Kaji both starting. There were concerns about Kaji's condition, but he himself said, "There are no particular problems." Also, Lucas, who was in doubt for the match after twisting his ankle in the previous day's practice, played energetically. The same members as the opening match lined up and prepared for the game. The match started at 4:04 pm with Tokyo's kickoff under the dim cloudy sky.

Refreshed TOKYO Return To League Play 

Following an extended break for World Cup qualifiers the J.League recommenced with F.C.TOKYO facing Vissel in Kobe. TOKYO entered the game top of the table on goal difference with Vissel one of five other teams with four points from two games. TOKYO manager Hara commented, "No side has a perfect record and that shows how evenly matched the league is this year". The old football cliche of 'taking every game as it comes' was never more applicable. 
Vissel had lost both recent Nabisco Cup games but the forward line of veteran "King Kazu" Miura, Bando and attacking midfielder Yabuta were in good form. In particular, Bando's tireless running had been creating opportunities that Miura finished in expert style. Coupled with the passing ability of Horvy in midfield and Japan winger Atsuhiro Miura's experience on the left, Vissel had enough offensive capability to threaten any defence. 
Doi and Kaji returned from National Team duty and straight into the starting eleven. "No problem", was Kaji's response to concerns over his condition. Lucas had recovered from a twisted ankle sustained in training and TOKYO fielded the same line up that began the opening game of the season. Vissel kicked off shortly after 4:04pm on a cloudy, grey afternoon. 

Miyazawa scores a brilliant direct free kick, and Imano adds a point to take the lead

　Both teams fiercely contested for the ball in the midfield since the start of the match. Instead of connecting passes, they relied on long balls and fought for the loose balls. In the midst of this, Tokyo suddenly seized an opportunity.

　In the 8th minute, Kanazawa intercepted a loose ball near the halfway line and passed it to Miyazawa. Toda ran behind the opponent's defense and received a through pass, then dribbled towards the goal. However, Park from Kobe fouled him from behind, resulting in a free kick awarded just outside the penalty area. Miyazawa took the free kick and scored a fine goal into the top left corner, giving his team an early lead.

　After that, Ishikawa in particular launched fast attacks from both sides. In the 12th minute, Kurisawa passed to Ishikawa on the right side, who then crossed the ball to the center. In the 14th minute, Ishikawa dribbled the ball from the left side and took it all the way to the goal, passing it to Toda. The team did not let up on their attack. And once again, they scored from a set piece. In the 15th minute, Kurisawa took a corner kick from the right side, and the opposing defender's clearance fell to Kurisawa's feet again. This time, he sent a low, fast liner ball into the goal area, where Imano was free and scored a perfect header shot, giving them a 2-point lead.

　Kobe also settled down and started to keep the ball after 20 minutes, with the whole team pushing forward and launching a counterattack. In the 22nd minute, Park on the right side of their own half played a through pass to Miura, who then passed the ball to Hato in front of the goal. In the 24th minute, Miura broke through the defense from a counterattack and took a shot from the right side of the penalty area, but it was saved by Dohi. Tokyo also struggled to create scoring opportunities against the aggressive opponent. When Miyazawa had the ball in the midfield, he would timely send middle passes to Toda, who made runs behind the opponent's defense, but there were some mistakes in trapping the ball, making it difficult to take a shot. In the 33rd minute, Dohi made a fine save to prevent Hato's dribble shot, which was the most decisive scene for Kobe in the first half. The first half ended with a score of 2-0.

Miyazawa Opens The Scoring; Konno Doubles For TOKYO

The game began as a furious midfield battle for the upper hand with both sides resorting to the long ball when in possession. TOKYO created the first clear chance in the 8th. minute as Kanazawa won the ball in midfield and slipped it to Miyazawa who played it behind the Vissel defence for Toda to chase. Toda bore down on the home goal before Park clattered him from behind, giving away a free kick in a dangerous position. Miyazawa took aim and curled a glorious strike past Kakegawa to give TOKYO the lead. 
Ishikawa threatened along the flanks for the visitors; in the 12th. minute he skated down the right before crossing and two minutes later burst down the left before cutting inside and laying the ball off to Toda. TOKYO extended their lead in the 15th. minute, again from a set play. Kurisawa took a corner on the right and saw the ball cleared back to him by the Vissel defence. He looked up and picked out Konno with a low cross that the TOKYO midfielder met perfectly, giving Kakegawa no chance with a powerful header. 
It took Vissel until midway through the half to recover their composure and begin to play the ball around. Park combined with Miura to set up Bando in the 22nd. minute and in the 24th. minute Kazuyoshi Miura evaded the TOKYO defence and shot from just inside the area but Doi held his effort comfortably. As Vissel increased the pressure Miyazawa made several attempts to play in Toda with well-timed balls over the home defence but Toda's touch deserted him and he failed to carry the ball into shooting positions. In the 33rd. minute Kobe produced their best chance of the half as Bando slipped through the TOKYO defence and shot; Doi produced a superb save to deny the home side and the first period finished with the visitors ahead 2-0. 

Kobe's fierce counterattack is also overcome with only one goal conceded

　At halftime, Coach Hara instructs the team to attack as per his instructions, "Don't lower the defensive line. Let's go from the start of the second half." In the 47th minute, Miyazawa puts the ball into the far side with a right corner kick, and Imakano heads it back to the center where Toda takes a shot but is fouled. In the 50th minute, Miyazawa puts a ball towards the goal from a free kick on the right side, and Imakano heads it, but it hits the opponent's defender and unfortunately goes out for a corner kick. And from that corner kick, they seize an opportunity. They connect the cleared ball to Ishikawa on the left side, who dribbles it to the goal line and brings it to the center ring. Lucas and Toda were waiting in the center, but they narrowly miss connecting and fail to score an additional point.

　Kobe is on the move. In the 55th minute, they replaced DF Muroi with FW Wada, forming a 4-back and 3-top formation, and consistently implemented a pattern of early long balls and attacking from both sides. Seeing that they were having trouble breaking through the Tokyo DF line, they made consecutive substitutions of MF Park for DF Niwa and FW Miura for MF Saeki, increasing the number of players in the midfield. This time, they completely dominated loose balls and launched wave-like attacks.

　Tokyo showed signs of fatigue, so Ishikawa was replaced by Miyazawa, and Kajiyama and Asari were brought in to try to change the situation. In addition, the last substitution card was used to bring in Toda and Fujiyama, with Kanazawa moving up to Toda's position, maintaining a defensive posture to hold on to the lead. However, in the 89th minute, Wataru Kazuta headed back a early cross from left side by DF Hojel, and Hayato Hato ran in to score the first goal of the season, but Tokyo defended as a team with Shigeki Shigeno and Jean at the center, and held on until the end, securing a valuable 3 points away from home.

　【Player Comments】《Miyazawa》"(On the free kick) I didn't want to aim too much and miss the goal, so I tried to see the goalkeeper's movement and go for the open space. In the first half, we had some good opportunities and I think we were able to execute our team's concept of fast attacking. Not only was Toda-san open, but he also made runs into the box from the start, so I was thinking not just about switching the play, but also about playing a through pass there. Our timing was good. (On the play where Toda-san was fouled) If I had been able to pass the ball a little earlier, he probably would have scored for us."《Toda》"I've always wanted to score, but if I hadn't been fouled there (the play that led to the first goal), I might not have been able to score... (laughs). But I want to keep making runs into the box like that. If I do, I think Ishikawa's dribbling and runs will become even more effective."《Imano》"On the goal, the ball was cleared by the opponent from the corner kick and I was able to move freely because there was no one marking me. Lucky for me, since I don't have to deal with strong defenders. In the second half, Kobe changed their system and we struggled to adapt to it. We got tired from defending. In the second half, there was a chance for a header from Miyazawa-san's free kick, but I was too careful and couldn't score. It would have been great if I had scored the third goal there."

　[Summary of Manager's Press Conference] "We lost to Kashiwa in the Nabisco Cup and couldn't score despite dominating at home against Oita. Since we've had games like that in a row, I told the players to approach the league matches starting today with the mindset of a fresh start. Kobe also had a good start in the league. The front line of FW Hashimoto and Miura, and MF Yabuta were in good form, creating a rhythm from there. In order to make the most of our strengths, we wanted to use Toda and Ishikawa to break through the sides and create more pressure in front of the goal. Miyazawa's free kick was scored at a good time, but it was also born from a decisive scene where Miyazawa passed to Toda. I thought the opposing player who committed the foul might be sent off, but it was good that they didn't because we tend to lose our momentum when the opponent is reduced (laughs). After that, Imamura scored from a loose ball from a corner kick, and it was a very good first half. We knew that Kobe, who was trailing, would bring in FW Wada in the second half, or the fullbacks would come forward aggressively. In that situation, there were chances to score the third goal, such as Ishikawa making moves from the left or right. It would have been the best outcome if we could score one more goal there. However, improving our away performance has always been a challenge. It was a bit chaotic in the end, but I think it was good that we were able to hold on and earn 3 points together. If Kaji hadn't won the Bahrain match for the national team, I thought it would be mentally tough for him, but since they won and his expression when he returned was good, I used him as a starter. On the contrary, Toi seemed to be more tired, but he entered the game cautiously because he had experience from last year. It's a valuable 3 points that we earned together. We want to build on today's victory for the next match."

　[Summary of Kobe Matsunaga's press conference] "This was our third game in between J-League matches, with the Nabisco Cup matches not yielding results. So today, we approached the game with a different game plan. The start of the first half wasn't bad, but that free kick scene was unlucky for us. The goal conceded from a corner kick was also a result of lack of focus. We found ourselves in a similar situation as in the past, trailing by two goals in the first half, but it could have been a game where we could have caught up after scoring one goal. However, when we fall behind, it inevitably leads to this kind of situation. Instead of being afraid of conceding goals, we need to aggressively attack and reduce the defensive burden by attacking. Otherwise, we will always be in a position of conceding goals before scoring. Of course, defensive stability is important, but we may need to increase our attacking power to maintain balance. However, the fact that we scored one goal in the end is proof that the players fought for the full 90 minutes without giving up. Even in defeat, I feel that it was a battle that will lead to the next one."

Vissel Pull One Back

At halftime TOKYO manager Hara told his team, "Don't defend too deeply. Get stuck in straight from the kick off". TOKYO followed his directions and pressured Vissel into conceding a corner barely two minutes into the half. Miyazawa curled the ball to the far post where Konno headed it back into the danger area for Toda to shoot. Unfortunately a foul was given. In the 50th. minute Miyazawa pumped a long free kick into the box; Konno outjumped the home defence and made contact but the ball took a deflection off a defender that sent it the wrong side of the post. Ishikawa picked up the clearance from the subsequent corner, drove to the byline and centred. Neither Toda nor Lucas could find the touch that would have put the ball over the line and killed the game off. 
Vissel responded by replacing defender Muroi with forward Watada and switching to a 4-3-3 formation, then playing early balls out of defence towards the frontrunners. The tactic failed to worry the solid TOKYO backline and Vissel tried again; this time defender Niwa replaced Park and midfielder Saeki replaced forward Miura in an attempt to flood the midfield. This proved more successful and TOKYO found themselves on the back foot as the home side dominated possession. 
Kajiyama and Asari replaced the visibly tiring Ishikawa and Miyazawa as TOKYO sought to turn the tide. Manager Hara played his final card by replacing Toda with defender Fujiyama and pushing Kanazawa forward into Toda's position. The realignment kept Vissel at bay until the 89th. minute when Watada headed an early cross from Roger back across goal and Bando crept in to nod the ball past Doi. It was the first league goal conceded this year. With Jean and Moniwa in imperious form the TOKYO defence navigated the final few minutes to earn three points from a valuable away victory. 


Players' comments:
Miyazawa
"It would have been a waste if I hadn't hit the target so I watched the goalkeeper's movement closely before I hit the ball. We created many good moves in the first half and really lived up to our concept of attacking football. It wasn't just that Toda was free but his sharp runs into the area allowed me to pick him out and instead of just changing sides I tried to play balls through the defence line. Our timing was good today. As for the foul on Toda that lead to the first goal, if I'd played the ball slightly further in front of him he would surely have scored".

Toda
"I've been desperate to score recently and if I hadn't been fouled I would probably have missed (laughs). I just want to create more opportunities like that one. With Ishikawa's dribbling and penetration we can really slice defenses open".

Konno
"I changed my position following the corner and nobody was marking me. I was lucky a tall defender wasn't there. In the second half Vissel changed their system and it was difficult for us to respond. The defensive work exhausted me. I had a chance to score the third with a header from Miyazawa's free kick but I tried too hard and couldn't get it over the line. If I'd scored it would have made a big difference to the rest of the game".


F.C.TOKYO manager Hara 
"Well, in the Nabisco Cup we lost to Reysol and then drew at home to Oita after dominating the game. Following two games like that I told the players to approach the game today as if it were the start of the league season. Vissel's forward line of Miura, Bando and Yabuta are in good form and that's where their rhythm comes from. Our attacking force comes through Toda and Ishikawa down the flanks and we needed a little more presence in front of goal. We had a great start with the free kick and it was Miyazawa's through ball that led to that chance. I thought the foul might even have been a red card but since we usually play badly against ten men I'm glad it wasn't ( laughs ). Konno grabbed the second from a corner and it was a very good first half for us. Watada came on for Vissel in the second half and they pushed their side backs forward more, which we had expected. Ishikawa worked hard on both sides and we had chances for a third goal which would have been perfect. Improving our away record has been a constant theme. We were flapping a little at the end but the entire team worked very hard for the win and I'm very pleased. I thought Kaji might have had some psychological stress following the Bahrain game but he seemed fine and I put him straight back into the team. Doi might actually have been more tired but I used my discretion considering his experience last year and selected him. The entire team earned the points today. We hope to carry this form over into the next game". 

Vissel manager Matsunaga
"We failed to get a result in the two Nabisco Cup matches so we altered our game plan for today. We didn't play badly in the first half; that free kick was unlucky. The second goal showed what happens if you lose concentration at a corner. So we were two goals down in the first half like many times before and if we could have pulled one back then we could have taken something from the game. Why so many of our games follow the same pattern I don't know; we don't start playing until we're behind. Defence and balance are important but we have to increase our attacking power. The late goal we scored was proof and the team didn't give up and I'd like to take that never say die spirit into the next game".