Unbeatable, Tokyo Showdown!

　Sec. 15 will face Tokyo Verdy 1969 at home. Under the hot and harsh weather, this Verdy match, followed by the Shimizu match and the Yokohama FM match in the next section, can be considered as one of the crucial moments in the 6 consecutive matches in July. From the consecutive draws in the last 2 matches, we want to seize the victory today and make it a game that leads to the future. In the previous Kawasaki match, we were able to play the game aiming at the opponent's defense behind with fast balls from the side. There was a noticeable lack of finishing touch, but we want to increase the probability of scoring goals by creating more chances.

　Verdy, who currently has 14 points and is in 15th place. In the 13th round after the break, they lost 1-7 to Gamba Osaka, and in the previous round against Urawa, they lost 0-7, conceding a large number of goals and finding themselves in a difficult situation. Unfortunately, it has become a match between lower-ranked teams, but it is not only Coach Hara who is increasing his vigilance, saying, "The opponent is even scarier in this situation." It is easy to imagine that Verdy in this round will first try to rebuild their defense. The key will be how much they can launch wave attacks and gain an advantage. It is necessary for Toda, Ishikawa, Kaji, and others who are in good form to keep challenging. However, it is essential to fight calmly without rushing, and in defense, they should try to block the passing lanes before the ball reaches Washington and Hiramoto, who have scoring ability.

　It is expected to be a difficult battle both offensively and defensively, but the players have a strong desire to win. Lucas, who has returned from injury, is also in good condition and will start the game. Bamba, who has not played since the Nabisco Cup Chiba match on June 11th, will be on the bench as a reserve. With the support of many fans from the stands, we will approach the Tokyo showdown with a mental advantage. The Ajinomoto Stadium, where it started raining in the daytime, kicked off at 19:04 in Tokyo.

Capital Clash A Real Six-Pointer

Tokyo Verdy 1969 were the opponents for the 15th. game of the season. The gruelling July schedule of five games in two weeks had reached its midpoint amid physically demanding hot and humid conditions. Coming two days after the draw with Frontale the game was a must-win for the home side with fixtures against in-form S-Pulse and champions F Marinos looming. TOKYO created several chances along the wings in the Frontale game but failed to find the finishing touch. Scoring was the top priority. Verdy lay in 15th. place with 14 points at kick off. The league restart had been a disaster with a 7-1 defeat by Gamba followed by a 7-0 thrashing by the Reds. TOKYO manager Hara wasn't alone when he warned, "We have to be very careful of a team in this situation". Achieving defensive stability would clearly be Verdy's main objective in the match. The in-form TOKYO trio of Toda, Kaji and Ishikawa would be the key to creating the defensive confusion that caused the collapses in Verdy's previous games. TOKYO needed to play a patient game though as Washington and Hiramoto are dangerous strikers and allowing them any space could prove fatal. 
The TOKYO players' motivation was intense. Lucas had returned from injury to the starting line up and Baba made his first appearance on the bench for over a month. Drizzle had been falling all afternoon in Tokyo but as kick off approached the heavens opened and a torrential downpour lashed the ground. It didn't dampen the crowd's ardour and the barrage of noise reached its crescendo as TOKYO kicked off shortly after 7pm.

In the early stages, Verdy dominates...

　Immediately after the kickoff, Verdy attacked the Tokyo defense and MF Yamada took a shot from outside the right area after picking up the loose ball from the DF. However, Tokyo DF cut off the shot and quickly counterattacked, taking control of the pace of the game. Verdy's lineup on the team sheet shows a 3-back formation, but RM Yamada drops back almost to the DF line, with Lin, Yoshiyuki Kobayashi, and Daiki Kobayashi in the double pivot, and Soma on the left. Taking advantage of the gap in the DF line, Lucas jumped in to meet Ishikawa's cross and attempted a sliding shot in the first minute. However, it was blocked by the opponent's goalkeeper's excellent save.

At 4 minutes, Ishikawa intercepted the opponent's ball and sprinted towards the Verdy goal, winning a corner kick. In response to Kajiyama's left corner kick, Imamura jumped in with his whole body, but the timing was off. At 8 minutes, Lucas connected with Ishikawa's cleared ball and Imamura, who had run in from behind, took a middle shot. However, he couldn't find the target. Immediately after that, Toda ran near the right cross from Ishikawa, but narrowly missed it, resulting in a corner kick. Until the 15th minute, Tokyo created chances from the right side with Ishikawa as the starting point and spent most of the time in the Verdy's half.

　However, in the 18th minute, Verdy's FW Hiramoto made a run from the left area after receiving a through pass from MF Kobayashi D. His shot slightly missed to the right, but Verdy picked up the second ball and started to create a rhythm. In the 27th minute, FW Washington received a direct pass from MF Soma at the front line after receiving a pass from the post. FW Hiramoto, who had made a run, took a close-range shot from just outside the goal area, but Doi made a nice save! The loose ball was also picked up, but Shigeno finally escaped to a corner kick, avoiding a decisive pinch. However, Verdy launched a counterattack starting from MF Soma on the left. From there, they tried to create chances with the wide development of MF Kobayashi D on the right.

　In the 30th minute, Ishikawa tries to regain the lost rhythm with a long shot, but it goes over the bar. In the 38th minute, Washington competes for Verdy's right cross, and Hiramoto shoots a header from the trap. It shakes the net, but it's offside. In the remaining few minutes of the first half, at the 40th minute, Kajiyama receives a pass from behind to surprise the opponent, dribbles past the defender and shoots from the right corner of the area, resulting in a save by the goalkeeper and a corner kick. Moriga takes the right corner kick with a header, but it goes over the frame. In the 42nd minute, Toda connects after Kurisawa's ball recovery and passes to the right. Ishikawa boldly aims for the goal from the right side of the area, but it goes wide to the left. Although they couldn't shake the net, they defended well against Verdy's attacks and put their efforts into the second half.

TOKYO Dominate

Verdy moved the ball quickly into the TOKYO half and Yamada pounced on a loose ball and shot. The TOKYO defence blocked his effort and the home side rapidly began to dominate the proceedings. Verdy had three players registered as defenders but midfielder Yamada dropped back into defence, Hayashi and Yoshiyuki Kobayashi played as defensive midfielders while Soma started on the left and Daigo Kobayashi on the right of midfield. TOKYO countered with Ishikawa racing down the right and crossing; Lucas met the ball with a sliding half volley that Takagi, in the Verdy goal, got down sharply to smother. 
In the 4th. minute Ishikawa seized onto a loose pass in midfield and tore at the heart of the Verdy defence, winning a corner. Konno missed Kajiyama's well struck effort by a whisker. In the 8th. minute Lucas helped a weak clearance into the path of Konno but his rasping volley flew fractionally over the bar. An early cross from Ishikawa aimed at the near post won another corner shortly after. TOKYO spent the first 15 minutes encamped in the Verdy half with livewire Ishikawa rampant on the right wing. 
The mood changed in the 18th. minute as Daigo Kobayashi played a neat through ball to Hiramoto on the edge of the TOKYO area. Hiramoto screwed his shot wide of the left upright but the chance emboldened Verdy and they began to make inroads in midfield, passing the ball around and finding a rhythm. In the 27th. minute Washington found Hiramoto unmarked inside the TOKYO area; Doi stood his ground and Hiramoto hammered the ball straight at him from point blank range. Moniwa hooked the rebound away for a corner. Verdy concentrated their attacking efforts on the flanks, through Soma and Yoshiyuki Kobayashi. 
Ishikawa blazed a shot over the bar in the 30th. minute as TOKYO worked feverishly to regain momentum. Verdy had the ball in the net in the 38th. minute but it was ruled offside. As half time approached Kajiyama picked the ball up in midfield and set off towards the Verdy goal, cutting inside and shooting low towards the near post. Takagi scrambled the ball around the post for a corner; Moniwa made a connection with the corner but failed to hit the target. Ishikawa then fired wide in the last action of the half. The first period ended 0-0. 

Scoreless draw on a waterlogged pitch

　However, as the second half progressed, the rain intensified and puddles formed on the pitch. Mistakes were made, and both teams found themselves in difficult situations. Despite this, in the 49th minute, Verdy MF Kobayashi took a middle shot. In the 50th minute, Ishikawa picked up a clearance from the opponent's DF on the right side of the area and took a well-controlled shot, but it slightly veered to the right. In the 52nd minute, they connected with precise passes and attacked the Verdy goal. However, due to the muddy pitch, Toda couldn't time his shot and missed the opportunity. Lucas connected with the loose ball and passed it to the right, and Ishikawa took a shot, but couldn't find the goal.

　In the 56th minute, there were 2 CKs. In the 60th minute, they also got a CK, but couldn't finish it off. In the 68th minute, in order to make it a battle that utilizes space (Manager Hara), Yusuke KONDO was substituted for Lucas. In the 72nd minute, Miura was substituted for Kajiyama. In the 74th minute, Yusuke KONDO jumps out to catch a lob pass from Kaji, but the opponent's GK catches it just a step ahead.

　In the 77th minute, Baba was substituted in, with Baba in the center and Toda on the left, to thicken the front line and try to make a breakthrough. Then, in the 80th minute, Verdy DF Togawa fouled Ishikawa's breakthrough and received his second warning of the day, resulting in a red card. From the resulting free kick just outside the right area, Baba aimed for the goal with a sharp kick, but the opponent's DF cut it off. In the 84th minute, Toda persisted on the left and won a corner kick. Kaji aimed for the goal from the loose ball from the left corner kick, but it went over the bar. In the 86th minute, Baba connected with the loose ball from Kaji's cross, and Imano brought it to a corner kick from a shooting position, but the chance from the corner kick was not utilized.

　In the 87th minute, a decisive scene. Miura's cross fell to Baba who headed the ball. Jean kicked towards the goal where the opponent's goalkeeper had jumped out, but it went over the bar... We couldn't break down the Verdy with only 10 players and a goal seemed far away. In the end, despite a total of 12 corner kicks and many free kick opportunities, we couldn't convert them into goals and the match ended in a scoreless draw for the second consecutive game.

　【Player Comments】《Shigenobu》"Watching from behind, there are scenes where I think it would be better to take a shot. Since we have consecutive matches, we can't change our style of play right away, but we want to make adjustments through verbal instructions and our mindset. We received so much support from the stands, so we need to be more motivated and translate that into our performance. In the next match against Shimizu, personally, I absolutely don't want to lose to (someone of the same generation and in good form) Cho Jejeong."《Baba》"Despite the poor condition of the field due to the rain, I tried to make good use of the slippery condition to make passes. The opponents' feet were also slowing down, so I didn't feel like I struggled with the pitch condition. I wanted a little more time... I caused inconvenience to the team with my injury for a long time, so I want to work hard from now on."

　[Summary of Manager's Press Conference] "In the midst of heavy rain, many people, including supporters, came to support us in the Tokyo showdown against Verdy. We approached the game with the intention of overcoming our difficulties by defeating Verdy. In the beginning, the ball was moving quickly and found its way to Lucas, and the ball entered from Ishikawa's right side, with Toda getting involved. The first 15-20 minutes were our pace. However, after that, there were mistakes on the slippery ground. In the midfield, after winning the ball, the passes were too long, and the rhythm became disrupted. Verdy took good care of Ishikawa and Kaji. Normally, we would have more time in those situations, but DF Uemura took care of Ishikawa, and MF Soma immediately took care of Kaji when he had the ball, so both of them didn't have their usual composure. Therefore, at halftime, we discussed having Lucas or Toda flow to the ball side a little earlier when Kaji and the others had the ball, and create a starting point by playing it to the two forwards. We also talked about how the sides would open up again. However, in the second half, there was heavy rain and puddles were forming everywhere. Lucas is good at receiving the ball at his feet, and he was more tired than usual due to his first start in a while, so we thought it would be better to have the players run into space and replaced Yusuke Kondo. Kajiyama also showed signs of fatigue, so we brought in Miura and tried to use Yusuke Kondo effectively while maintaining the overall balance, and at the same time, we tried to push Imamura forward. In the end, we brought in Baba and went for the win, but one goal was far away. We had many set pieces, especially free kicks and corner kicks, and we wanted to score from them. We didn't concede any goals, and the defensive balance is very good. However, we are struggling because we can't score. The players are working hard, and as a team, we are moving in a good direction, but we just can't score. That's the problem. We want to find a solution in a positive direction."

　[Verdy Ardiles Coach's Press Conference Summary] "I am satisfied with today's team performance. After two consecutive tragic performances, I laughed for the first time in about two weeks. Today's game was a disadvantageous situation for us. It was an away game with only the opponent's supporters, and this rain suited FC Tokyo's style better than us. There were also players who were not in 100% condition. It was a game that required guts, but the players showed it. Everyone gave more than 100% of their strength. And I think the draw result was happier for Verdy than FC Tokyo. In the end, we played with 10 men, but the number of chances was about the same. I think we created more clear-cut opportunities. Not conceding a goal is a happy achievement. After conceding 14 goals in two games, today's result is like a miracle. I still have a sense of humor to make jokes. I am truly satisfied. We can approach the upcoming consecutive matches with a different enthusiasm. Difficult games await us, but our mental state will improve. It is a very important result of a draw for us."

Waterlogged Pitch Frustrates TOKYO 

The rain increased its ferocity at half time, inundating large areas of the pitch and preventing the ball from running true. Both sides struggled in the difficult conditions and made several mistakes. Daigo Kobayashi shot from distance in the 49th. minute while Ishikawa flashed a shot wide soon after. In the 52nd. minute TOKYO carved out an opening with some neat interplay in front of the Verdy area but the ball stuck in a puddle and Toda was unable to shoot. Lucas flicked the ball out to Ishikawa on the right but his shot flew wide. 
TOKYO won a series of corners but were unable to make them count. Kondo replaced Lucas in the 68th. minute with instructions to "use the space" and Miura came on for Kajiyama shortly after. In the 74th. minute Takagi raced out and whipped Kaji's floated through ball off Kondo's toe. 
In the 77th. minute Baba replaced Kurisawa and moved into a central position while Toda shifted out to the left. In the 80th. minute Ishikawa hared down the right before being hacked down by Togawa on the edge of the Verdy area. Togawa received his second yellow card of the game and trudged from the field. Baba curled in a tempting free kick but the Verdy defence cleared the danger. Lucas fired a loose ball over the bar in the 84th. minute after Toda had battled hard to win a corner. 
TOKYO nearly snatched a dramatic late winner in the 87th. minute. Miura crossed and Takagi unconvincingly punched Baba's header away; the ball fell to Jean who sidefooted a volley over the bar with the keeper out of position. Despite 12 corners and a plethora of free kicks TOKYO were unable to breach the ten-man Verdy defence and the game finished scoreless. 


Players' comments
Moniwa:
"Watching from the back there were some situations where I felt it was better to shoot. We can't really change the way we play in the middle of a stretch of games like this so we have to be vocal on the pitch and fix what we can as we go along. We had great support from the stands today and we really have to use that as a stimulus to improve our game. We have another game on Wednesday against S-Pulse and I'm determined not to lose to Cho Jae Jin on an individual level".

Baba:
"The pitch was waterlogged and very slippery so I wanted to use the conditions to our advantage in passing the ball. The Verdy players' legs had stopped but I wasn't particularly bothered by the conditions. I really wanted a little more time on the pitch as I've been out injured for a while. I'll do my best from here on."


F.C.TOKYO manager Hara: 
"A lot of people turned out for the game today in appalling conditions and we really wanted to destroy Verdy and break out of our current situation. We started very well with Toda, Ishikawa and Lucas all playing their roles within the team. After that we began to make mistakes and overhit the ball when we had possession. We lost our rhythm. Verdy effectively muffled Kaji and Ishikawa, not allowing them time on the ball. At half time I instructed the players to move the ball out to the flanks a little faster and get it in to the forwards. The rain was even heavier in the second half though and as Lucas' game is based on getting the ball in to his feet and he was tiring more rapidly than usual after the injury lay off I sent on Kondo to run into the space behind the Verdy defence. Kajiyama ran out of steam so we sent on Miura and pushed Konno further forward. With all those corners and free kicks we should have managed at least one goal today. We didn't concede though and our defensive balance was very good. It's still very galling that we couldn't score. That's our biggest problem right now. The players are doing their best and we're looking for a way out of this situation". 

Verdy manager Ardiles:
"I'm satisfied with today's performance. The last week has been a nightmare and today was the first time I've laughed for two weeks. It was a very difficult game for us: the stadium was full of our opponent's supporters and the conditions were much worse for us than for F.C.TOKYO. Some of our players weren't fully fit either. It was a game that needed guts and our players showed it. They gave over a 100% today. We were more pleased with the draw than TOKYO. We were playing with 10 men at the end but created the same number of chances; and we created the better chances. We conceded 14 goals in two games so obviously we're happy with not conceding today. It's like a miracle really. At least I can laugh about it. I'm very satisfied with today's effort and we can look forward to the next game now. It will be a tough game but our nerves will have steadied. This was a very important draw for us".