I want to overcome difficult situations by introducing fresh players.

　Entering the 3 consecutive matches of the Golden Week from this round. Tokyo, which has suffered 3 consecutive losses until the previous round and has many injured players, continues to face a difficult situation. In this situation, Manager Hara decided to start with Danilo and Sakai, saying, "We need a new stimulus." Regarding Danilo, he said, "Lucas is starting to feel isolated. If Danilo enters at that time, he can play nearby. The two of them can create a rhythm that only they can create." As for Sakai, he said, "The team has lost some confidence. At that time, he has the power and experience to shout and stabilize the team from the back." Shigeki Mogi also returned from injury. In the left MF position, Kurisawa, who "understands the sense of Danilo's play," was included to maintain the overall balance, and they will face the match with the double defensive midfield formation of Konno and Miyazawa.

　Kashiwa is currently in 17th place in the league with 1 win, 3 draws, and 3 losses. However, when they played in the first round of the Nabisco Cup qualifiers, they lost 1-3 to the opponent due to thorough marking and intense pressing. Considering the upcoming matches, it is important to defeat Kashiwa here. And for Tokyo, this is a crucial match where they cannot afford to lose anymore. It will be interesting to see how the team, which has been motivated by the inclusion of Danilo and Sakai, can aggressively compete. The match started at 19:03 with Tokyo's kickoff at Ajinomoto Stadium, where the daytime heat had subsided.

Fresh Faces Aim To Halt Slump

F.C.TOKYO entered the Golden Week holiday schedule of three games in a week on a three match losing streak with several regulars injured. "We need to shake things up," commented manager Hara, and gave Sakoi and Danilo their first starts of the season. "Lucas has been isolated up front. Danilo can play closer to him and the pair can create a unique rhythm for us. The team is lacking a little confidence right now; we need stability at the back and Sakoi has experience and is vocal on the field". Moniwa returned from injury. Kurisawa appeared on the right of midfield claiming a developing understanding with Danilo while Miyazawa and Konno filled the defensive midfield slots. 
Opponents Reysol lay in 17th. position in the standings prior to kick off but had beaten TOKYO 3-1 in a Nabisco Cup qualifying group match earlier in the year using tight marking and intense pressure. TOKYO badly needed to end the slump given the coming fixture list; whether Danilo and Sakoi could provide added stimulus and how aggressively the team would play were the vital questions. 
The heat of noon had subsided as TOKYO kicked off on a balmy evening in Ajinomoto Stadium. 

Despite pushing forward, they conceded the first goal...

　Both teams started the game with great focus. In the 8th minute, Ishikawa passed the ball to Danilo with a one-two, and he sprinted up the right side and crossed the ball. Kurisawa picked it up at the far post and cut inside to take a shot, but the opponent's goalkeeper caught it. In the 12th minute, there was a corner kick for Tokyo from a lofted pass by Miyazawa to the front line. Ishikawa took the kick and Jean tried to connect with it, but it didn't hit the target. In the 13th minute, Kashiwa had a chance. Ishikawa's clearance went to the opponent, and forward Yasunaga broke through on the left side. A sharp cross was sent in, and forward Tamada was waiting in front of the goal, but Jean's defense prevented him from taking a shot. In the 15th minute, Kashiwa had a left corner kick and midfielder Kleber headed the ball from a difficult angle, but Doi made the save. The game continued in a closely contested manner.

　In the 17th minute, the opponent's defender cleared Miyazawa's right corner kick from the chaos in front of the goal, hitting the post. In the 18th minute, Ishikawa dribbled and shot after Miyazawa changed sides. The opponent's goalkeeper spilled the ball, but Lucas couldn't finish it. In the 23rd minute, Lucas and Danilo exchanged quick passes in front of the goal, showing their technique and combination play, but unfortunately couldn't finish. Both teams fiercely competed in the midfield, with fast transitions between offense and defense. Although neither team created clear chances, Tokyo threatened Kashiwa's goal with Miyazawa's side change and set plays, pushing forward with momentum.

　At the 35th minute, Imakano, who had stolen the ball, rushed up vigorously and passed it to Lucas on the right. Danilo, who had entered the goal area from here, connected with a cross and won a left corner kick. The flow of the game was in favor of Tokyo, but at the 38th minute, Tokyo's throw-in was intercepted, and MF Cleber passed it to the right DF Hato, who crossed it to the right. Cleber, who had moved up to the center of the goal, headed the ball and it curved into the goal. They conceded the first goal with a simple and fast play.

　However, Tokyo launched a fierce counterattack from here. In the 40th minute, Lucas evaded two opposing defenders near the right end line and won a corner kick. From the loose ball after Danilo's corner kick, Miyazawa took two shots but was blocked by a determined Kashima defender. Then, Miyazawa ran into the loose ball from Inamoto's high pass and took a shot, but it went to the right of the goal. In the 42nd minute, the opposing goalkeeper came out to intercept Danilo's cross to Kurisawa, and Ishikawa picked up the loose ball and took a shot from inside the right area, but it was blocked by a covering Kashima defender and Lucas was offside. They missed a big chance to equalize. They went into the second half trailing by one goal.

TOKYO Press But Concede Lead

Both sides made a focused start. In the 8th. minute Ishikawa played a one two with Danilo, raced down the right wing and centred with the ball reaching Kurisawa on the far side. Kurisawa cut inside and shot but Minami held the effort cleanly. In the 12th. minute Miyazawa's lofted ball over the Reysol defence won a corner; Jean made contact with Ishikawa's outswinger but failed to hit the target. Jean produced a fine tackle to deny Tamada in the 13th. minute as a pinpoint cross from Yasunaga picked out the Reysol striker in the box. Doi held Cleber's header from a corner in the 15th. minute as a competitive game unfolded. 
Miyazawa's 17th. minute corner led to a wild melee in the Reysol area with the ball striking a post before being scrambled away to safety. A minute later Ishikawa latched onto a crossfield ball from Miyazawa and shot early; Minami fumbled an awkward bounce but recovered to whip the ball away from the onrushing Lucas. In the 23rd. minute Lucas and Danilo produced some breathtaking one touch passing but were unable to find room for a shot. The intense midfield pressure continued but neither side could fashion a definitive opening. TOKYO threatened through Miyazawa's raking crossfield passes and from set plays as they slowly increased the pressure. 
In the 35th. minute Konno surged forward before laying the ball off to Lucas on the wing. Danilo failed to connect with Lucas' cross by a whisker and the Reysol defence cleared the ball for a corner. TOKYO were in the ascendancy but then fell behind to the simplest of goals. Reysol won the ball from a TOKYO throw in, Cleber found Hato in space on the right wing and continued his run into the TOKYO box, meeting Hato's cross with a cushioned header that arced beyond Doi's despairing dive and into the net. 
TOKYO fought back immediately. Lucas beat two defenders and carried the ball to the byline, winning a corner. Danilo's inswinger wreaked havoc in the visitors area with Miyazawa having two shots blocked by some desperate last ditch defending. Miyazawa then shot wide after racing onto Konno's lofted pass behind the Reysol defence. In the 42nd. minute Danilo set Kurisawa away down the left flank; Kurisawa curled a teasing ball into the area that tempted Minami off his line to punch clear. The half clearance fell to Ishikawa just inside the area; Ishikawa seemed certain to score but a Reysol defender hooked his shot off the line. Lucas was given offside in the ensuing scramble and a golden chance to restore parity before the break was wasted. The first period ended 0-1. 

Suffering 4 consecutive defeats against Kashiwa's solid defense and fast counterattacks

　In the second half, they approached the game with renewed determination. They created a big chance right from the start. In the 46th minute, Ishikawa showed persistence on the right side and cut inside, drawing in Sakai. He then passed to Danilo, who was in a shooting position, but instead made a final pass to Imakano, who had made a free run from the left. However, Imakano's shot went over the bar, missing a golden opportunity. They continued to dominate the ball and aggressively attacked the Kashiwa goal, but this time lacked the decisiveness and creativity in finishing, falling into Kashiwa's defensive trap.

　In the 56th minute, Bamba was substituted for Miyazawa. Bamba played as left midfielder, Kurisawa in the center, and Imakawa as a defensive midfielder to counterattack. In the 59th minute, Kashiwa also substituted Kobayashi as a midfielder instead of FW Yasunaga. They quickly adopted a defensive posture. However, Kashiwa's intention of solid defense and quick counterattacks became clear, and Tokyo struggled. In the 64th minute, just as Tokyo was about to substitute Toda, Moino cleared a left cross, but the ball fell in front of MF Ricardinho. Ricardinho kept the ball by moving to the right. From here, DF Hato, who had rushed up from the back, received a cross from the center and directly sent it to the goal. MF Hirayama pushed it in, and Tokyo conceded the second goal.

　In an attempt to change the flow of the game, Toda was substituted for Danilo in the 65th minute, and Nori Suzuki was brought on for Kurisawa in the 72nd minute. They bravely attacked towards the Kashiwa goal, but were repeatedly repelled by Kashiwa's strong defense and countered. In the 74th minute, Lucas was fouled and they were awarded a free kick just outside the box, slightly to the right. However, Nori Suzuki's kick was blocked by the Kashiwa defenders. In the 78th minute, they had consecutive corner kick opportunities. From the left corner kick taken by Baba, Ishikawa took a shot from the right side of the box, but it went wide left. In the 82nd minute, Nori Suzuki crossed the ball deep from the end line, originating from Kanazawa. It appeared that Lucas was fouled in front of the goal, but the ball did not go through. In stoppage time, Lucas dribbled up from a right throw-in and prepared to shoot, but was blocked by a defender. The game ended with no goals scored, resulting in a painful fourth consecutive loss.

[Player Comments] "Danilo" "I have also lost about 5 kilograms of weight and have been able to fit into the team. However, it is disappointing that I couldn't produce results. It was my first start, but looking back, I think I could have done better. Right now, it is important for all of us to overcome this situation and win." "Sakoi" "The support from the stands was encouraging, and there was a deep emotion in playing at the home stadium. It was a game that we had to win... We conceded the first goal, but there was no panic. The fact that we conceded a second goal was the reason for our defeat. Our balance was not bad, so maybe we needed to take risks and go for the win." "Kanazawa" "We need to change the negative momentum somehow. We have no choice but to regroup as a team."

　[Summary of Manager Hara's Press Conference] "We had been on a losing streak, so we made changes to the players, especially in the backline where we brought in Sakai and tried to stabilize with Shigeki returning from injury. We also wanted a new accent in our attack, so we brought in Danilo. Danilo is not yet fully fit, but he created some good scenes with his ball control and composure in front of the goal. However, whether it's the current state of the team or not, we suddenly become anxious when we concede a goal even though we are not playing poorly. At halftime, I said, 'We are only one goal behind, and chances will come. Let's put the ball nicely to Lucas and Danilo and support them.' Immediately after the second half started, a pass came from Danilo to Konno in a good position. It may symbolize the current state of the team, but we missed that chance and lost confidence again. After conceding the second goal, we became afraid to play the ball forward and ended up with sideways or backward passes, often losing the ball without reaching the goal. Even from the stands, we were told to 'shoot,' and I think that's exactly right. We are being timid, and even when we have the ball, our lack of confidence shows. We could predict that Kashiwa would come with a high motivation, and in fact, we were losing in individual battles as well. Before the system or the way we play, we need to win the ball in the duels. Only then can our strengths come out. We have another game coming up soon, so we need to somehow hold on and regroup together. Now is the time for the players and staff to come together and overcome this difficult situation with a strong mindset."

　[Summary of Kashiwa Hayano's Press Conference] "Before today's game, the players and I made a pledge to go out on the pitch and fight with concentration. It was a joyful victory, but I also want to give it as a gift to the supporters and club members. The 4-back formation worked extremely well in containing Tokyo's side attacks. In the second half, when Tokyo switched to a one-man midfield and started attacking, DF Kobayashi did a good job in defense, stabilizing it and leading to the second goal. Overall, we still have a long way to go, as there are times when we play well but can't finish with a win. Today's game was one where you could feel the players' heart. Based on that, I want us to keep moving forward without being complacent with today's result."

Solid Defence Denies TOKYO

TOKYO began the second half in purposeful fashion and created a clear chance in the 48th. minute. Ishikawa battled down the right before slipping the ball inside to Sakoi. Sakoi moved the ball on to Danilo in a good position on the edge of the Reysol area; Danilo feinted to shoot but rolled the ball to Konno, bursting forward on his left. With only the keeper to beat Konno shot over the bar and another opportunity went begging. TOKYO enjoyed the lion's share of possession but were unable to break down the stubborn Reysol defence. 
Baba replaced Miyazawa in the 56th. minute, moving to the left of midfield with Kurisawa in the centre and Konno as a single holding midfielder. Reysol countered by removing forward Yasunaga and introducing Kobayashi as a defensive midfielder. The visitors had shifted to a defensive mode early but managed to trouble TOKYO with counter attacks. In the 64th. minute, while TOKYO were waiting to introduce Toda, disaster struck. Moniwa cleared a cross but the ball fell to Ricardinho, who played it into the path of the onrushing Hato. Hato clipped the ball first time across the area and Hirayama prodded home to double the visitors lead. 
Desperately needing a goal TOKYO replaced Danilo with Toda and Kurisawa with Suzuki. Reysol were content to defend and look to hit back on the counter attack. In the 74th. minute Lucas was fouled 20 metres from goal but Suzuki hammered the free kick into the wall. In the 78th. minute TOKYO won a pair of corners but Ishikawa failed to hit the target with a looping shot from the second one. TOKYO had a good shout for a penalty turned down in the 82nd. minute as Lucas went down under pressure attempting to meet Suzuki's cross. The home side fought to the bitter end but were unable to breach the Reysol defence and the final whistle blew on a fourth successive defeat. 


Players' comments
Danilo:
"I've lost five kilos, exerted myself and fitted into the team well. It's very disappointing we couldn't get the result though. I started the game but, looking back, I think I could have done more. We all know winning is important to break out of this situation".

Sakoi:
" The support of the crowd really lifted me today. It was a game we should have won. We conceded the first goal and didn't panic, but the second was the killer. Our balance wasn't bad but I suppose we have to take risks if we want to win".

Kanazawa:
"We have to change something to stem the tide. We'll all have to work together to find a solution".


TOKYO manager Hara: 
" We're on a losing streak so we brought in Sakoi to stabilise the defence and Moniwa came back from injury. We needed something new in attack and selected Danilo to provide that. He's not at his best yet but can hold the ball up and is cool in front of goal. He showed some good touches today. Right now though, even if we're not playing badly but concede a goal we immediately become anxious. At half time I told the team that it was only a single goal and that chances would surely come. I told them to get the ball up to Lucas and Danilo and then move forward in support. At the start of the second half we did just that, when Danilo set up Konno. The move was like a symbol of our current situation; Konno missed and we lost a little more confidence. After the second goal we lost our nerve and were playing the ball sideways or back instead of forward, and then losing possession. The crowd was chanting, "Shoot, shoot" and that's right. We became timid and lost self confidence when we had the ball. We expected Reysol to be highly motivated but we lost out in every individual match up. We have to move the ball about; if we can't do that we can't play to our strengths. There's another game coming up soon and we'll have to rally ourselves for that. The players and staff are all united in working to overcome this situation ". 

Reysol manager Hayano:
"The players vowed to fight hard today before they went on the pitch. We're very pleased with the win. It's a great present for the club and the fans. Our back line played extremely well in containing the TOKYO attack on the flanks. When they changed formation to a single holding midfielder and attacked in the second half, Kobayashi did a great job in defense and was involved in our second goal. Overall, we still have a long way to go and sometimes you can play well and not win. The team showed real heart today. We can't be merely satisfied with today's result as we need to use that as our base and progress."