Win the Tokyo showdown with speed-driven soccer!!

　Sec. 28, Tokyo Verdy will play an away game. The battle between clubs based in Tokyo is a must-win. Also, the 6 matches after losing to Kashiwa in September, although there have been 2 wins and 3 draws without a loss, Tokyo wants to achieve a clear victory in the Tokyo showdown. It is an important match in terms of gaining momentum towards the end of the league.

　In this match, Tokyo started with Kanazawa for the first time in 8 games since the Hiroshima match in the previous round. However, Kaji's foot has not fully recovered, so Fujiyama slid to the right back position. Imano and Kajiyama formed a double pivot, Toda played on the right, Baba in the center, Abe Yoshijiro on the left, and Lucas in the front line, forming a "3 top (Manager Hara)" formation.

　Verdy, who will face them, is currently in 17th place with 26 points. In the 6 matches since September, they have not won a single game, with 3 losses and 3 draws. This round, they are facing a difficult situation with DF Uemura, MF Kobayashi, and FW Hiramoto suspended. However, they have made a "Tokyo strategy" by changing the midfield from a 3-back formation to a 4-back formation. Naturally, they should still have the determination not to lose.

　The key player in Verdy's attack is FW Washington, who has scored 21 out of the team's total of 33 goals. It is important to note that he forms a striking partnership with Morimoto. "Not only is Washington a high-scoring player, but Morimoto will also be involved around him. Morimoto has had limited playing time this season (15 appearances, only 1 full game), but his motivation should be high. Both players are typical strikers, and if you take your eyes off them for a moment, it can be dangerous. We want to respond firmly," said Coach Hara. In response to this, Tokyo aims to create opportunities to score by "running vertically and exploiting the space behind the defense."

Winning With Speed 

F.C.TOKYO took on Tokyo Verdy 1969, the other club which makes it home at Ajinomoto Stadium, in the 28th game of the season. TOKYO were unbeaten in five games ( W2 D3 ) and were looking forward to a solid performance and another three points as the year drew to a close.
Kanazawa returned to the starting lineup for the first time in 8 games. Kaji was still not 100% though and Fujiyama continued at right back. Konno and Kajiyama played as double defensive midfielders, with Toda on the right, Baba in the center and Abe on the left of midfield. Lucas appeared as lone striker.
Opponents Verdy were peering into the abyss of relegation in 17th place, having taken only 3 points from a possible 18 in their previous six matches. Regular starters Uemura, Kobayashi and Hiramoto were all suspended. Manager Badon switched from their regular three-man backline to a four-man defense and a midfield diamond. The match was a must-win for the home side.
The key man was Washington, the powerful striker responsible for 21 of the team's 33 goals this year. His forward combination with fleet youngster Morimoto would need careful attention from the TOKYO defense. Manager Hara commented, "Of course Washington is the dangerman but we will have to watch Morimoto as he hasn't had much opportunity to play this season and his motivation will be very high. Both can exploit the smallest opening". TOKYO's game plan was simple; "Straight running, behind their defense".

Despite conceding the first goal, Kajiyama equalizes with a middle shot!

　Ajinomoto Stadium with gloomy weather. The match started at 15:04 with a kickoff in Tokyo. From the beginning, both teams pressed each other aggressively and the ball kept moving back and forth. In the 9th minute, Yoshiro ABE on the left exchanged passes with Lucas in the center, but ABE couldn't connect with the space after crossing. In the 11th minute, a left free kick was played wide to the right by Fujiyama. Lucas met the right cross with his head, but the timing was off. In the 13th minute, Verdy earned a corner kick from a cross by left fullback Soma. They connected the corner kick and Washington, the forward, headed the ball from Soma's left cross, but it went over the bar. In the 16th minute, Verdy allowed MF Giu to advance from a quick counterattack, and FW Morimoto took a shot from the right. It went just wide of the right goalpost.

　In the 19th minute of the back-and-forth battle, Soma of Verdy sprinted up the left side and delivered a fast early cross. Doi came forward and punched it away, but it hit FW Morimoto who was crowded in front of the goal and went in. In a momentary lapse, we unfortunately conceded the opening goal in an unlucky manner. However, Tokyo did not panic and started attacking with fast passing. Kanazawa in particular was involved in the attack, and Imano and Kajiyama also showed bold advances. In the 23rd minute, Imano's mid-range shot hit the opponent's defender and Toda picked up the loose ball on the right side of the area and took a shot. In the 24th minute, Kajiyama dribbled through the opponent's defense and made it to the front of the goal for a shot. Unfortunately, it went wide to the right. In the 27th minute, from a central free kick, Baba passed to Kajiyama and Abe Yoshiro dropped it in front of the goal with a header, but the opponent's goalkeeper caught it.

　From around the 30th minute, Verdy hardly created any chances, but Tokyo also struggled to finish despite launching attacks. In the 34th minute, Baba from Kanazawa moved to the left space. Abe Yoshiro crossed the ball into the area, and Toda jumped in the center but couldn't connect. In the 37th minute, Abe Yoshiro headed a shot from Kanazawa's cross, but it hit the crossbar. In the 39th minute, a pass was made to Imano who moved into the area from Kanazawa, and they won a corner kick. Baba delivered a fast ball from the left corner kick, but the opponent's defender cleared it. They dominated the left side and created chances, but they just couldn't find the back of the net.

　But in the 43rd minute, Kanazawa picked up the loose ball from the opponent's defender and passed it to Lucas. Lucas sent the ball forward directly, and Kajiyama, who had moved up, unexpectedly trapped the floating ball with his chest and took a shot. The ball, which was aimed towards the outside of his right foot, hit the right post and bounced in! Kajiyama, who had been actively taking mid-range shots, achieved his goal and equalized just before the end of the first half!

Verdy Lead, Kajiyama Ties It 

F.C.TOKYO kicked off on a dull, grey afternoon at Ajinomoto Stadium. The game began with neither side able to retain possession for long due to some intense midfield pressure. In the 9th minute, Abe and Lucas exchanged passes allowing Abe space to cross but nothing came of it. TOKYO won a corner in the 13th minute that Lucas headed over. Verdy sideback Soma then pierced the TOKYO defense down the left, winning a corner. Soma took it himself and picked out Washington who headed over from a very good position. Verdy took the lead in the 16th minute when Morimoto forced home an early cross from Gil following a rapid break down the TOKYO left. Keeper Doi made contact with the ball first but it struck Morimoto and flew into the net.
TOKYO took the setback with equanimity and continued to press forward with some fast passwork. Kanazawa, Konno and Kajiyama all lent their weight to the attack as TOKYO slowly began to dominate. In the 23rd minute, Konno hammered a shot that struck a Verdy defender and rebounded to Toda who fired over the bar. A minute later, Kajiyama turned a defender inside out before striking a shot inches wide of the post. In the 27th minute, Takagi, the Verdy keeper, had to be alert to grab Abe's knock down.
Verdy were unable to create any chances as TOKYO enjoyed the lion's share of the possession; despite this, TOKYO failed to find a finish to match their smooth approach play. In the 34th minute, Toda failed to make contact with Abe's cross and then Abe nodded Kanazawa's chipped cross over the bar. TOKYO increased the pressure as half time approached, winning a series of corners, but again failing to take advantage of their opportunities.
The breakthrough came in the 43rd minute. Kanazawa picked up a loose ball in defense and fed Lucas. Lucas floated a pass to Kajiyama who took the ball on his chest and unleashed a volley, struck with the outside of his right boot, that curled past Takagi and nestled inside the right post. TOKYO entered half time on level terms.

Sasa's dramatic comeback goal secures victory in the Tokyo showdown!

　The intense attack and defense continued in the second half, with no decisive scenes created by either team as time passed. In the 58th minute, Verdy FW Washington and Morimoto entered the area, but Shigeki Mochida cut them off completely. He showed persistent defense. In the 59th minute, Suzuki Nori was substituted for Toda and placed in the left MF position, with Yoshi Abe moving to the right. This gave Tokyo the opportunity to approach Verdy's goal with powerful play. In the 62nd minute, Suzuki Nori took a middle shot from Inamoto's attack. Although it didn't meet perfectly, his awareness of shooting increased. In the 64th minute, Baba entered the shooting position from Lucas' post, but failed to meet it.

　65 minutes, Verdy substituted MF Kubota for MF Toda. Tokyo then substituted Lucas for Sasa in the 66th minute. Sasa collected the ball and boldly attacked, but became too forward, resulting in an increased number of counterattacks from Verdy. In the 70th minute, Verdy's DF Soma crossed from the left and MF Jiu jumped in, but Tokyo's DF marked tightly and defended well. In the 73rd minute, Shigeno dashed fiercely towards a loose ball in the midfield, inspiring the team with his passionate play. Immediately after that, in the 74th minute, Abeyoshi took a shot from the right area following Kajiyama's development. Sasa and Suzuki also closed in on the goalkeeper's rebound, but it fell just short, missing the chance.

　Verdy also counterattacks. In the 74th minute, a through pass is sent to the goal, but Doi clears it with a sliding tackle. In the 75th minute, Verdy MF Hirano's mid-range shot hits the right post. In the 76th minute, they receive a quick attack, but the shot from MF Giu, who came up freely on the left, goes over the bar without incident.

　In the 83rd minute, Tokyo passed from Kajiyama to the left to Suzuki Norio. Bamba received the loose ball in front of the goal, took one touch, and took a shot, but it slightly went to the right, missing another big chance... In the 85th minute, Sasa's shot was saved by the opponent's goalkeeper, resulting in a left corner kick. Bamba's kick was touched by the opponent's defender and fell in front of Moino, but his shot with his foot went high. Despite creating chances with wide football on the pitch, they couldn't score an additional goal. The possibility of a draw also crossed their minds.

　However, the fight continued on the pitch without giving up. In the 87th minute, Abe Yoshitaka was fouled just outside the right area and won a free kick. Kurisawa replaced Baba at this point. Suzuki Nori took a direct shot at the free kick, but it drifted to the left. And it happened just after the display of 2 minutes of stoppage time. The opponent's defender cleared the ball sent to Sasa, and Kajiyama connected with a header to Kurisawa, who was free. Kurisawa saw an opening in front of him and charged forward with a dribble. He drew the defender towards him as they closed in, and passed to Sasa on the right. Sasa entered the area without hesitation and took a shot! It was a shot from an angleless position, but the ball curled around the opponent's goalkeeper and grazed the right post, resulting in a goal!! The dramatic goal in the closing moments completed the comeback. The match ended immediately after this. It was a victory that came from not giving up until the end and boldly attacking. The team came together and won the Tokyo battle.

　【Player Comments】《Kajiyama》"(The goal) was a chance to shoot, so I naturally took the shot. The opponent was closing in, so I just tried to get it on target and kicked it out. When it hit the post, I thought it went in. Despite not scoring many goals so far, the coach has continued to use me, so I'm glad I was able to respond to that. Playing against Verdy, the support is amazing and the team and staff are all fired up. I wanted to respond to the supporters' cheers and didn't want to lose. In the future, I hope to continue to contribute to the team with plays like today's goal."《Sasa》"I think derby matches are always difficult. We were able to win in stoppage time today, and luck was also on our side, but it was great that we all worked hard together. (The goal) was a loose ball in the air that Yohei picked up, and the ball went to Kurisawa, and then I received a pass, so I took a shot with all my might. Because of the timing, I thought I had to shoot. (Were you not a starter?) Every player wants to play from start to finish, but it's up to the coach to decide. We play under the coach and if necessary, we have to practice to get results no matter what time or how we come in. We also had a derby match in Paraguay, but I remember winning most of them. It was our first time in Japan today, so I'm glad we won. I heard a lot of cheers, which gave me strength. I was able to give my all because of the support from the fans. Thank you."

　[Summary of Coach Hara's Press Conference] "I have watched quite a few videos of Verdy's recent matches, and I thought they were not bad at all; rather, they are playing good football. In particular, when the ball goes to FW Washington, he has the ability to make something happen if given even a little space. So, we first focused on not allowing the ball to reach Washington. Verdy has many suspended players and has changed their system. Morimoto started for the first time in a while and should be highly motivated; he was the one I was most concerned about. The goal we conceded came from a long ball played by DF Hayashi, which caused a mix-up in marking between FW Morimoto and Washington. However, apart from the goal conceded, I think Shigeno and Jean handled things well. We started the attack with three forwards, but intentionally brought Abe Yosh into the center. This caused Verdy's right back Yamada to follow him, forcing right MF Kobayashi Kei to cover defensively. We tried to involve Kanazawa, Kajiyama, and Konno to utilize the left side. However, by pushing forward, we inadvertently allowed Verdy's left back Soma and MF Jiu to come out, leading to counterattacks. That was scary, but we took the risk to make a play. Also, since Verdy was solid in front of the goal, I instructed the team to take mid-range shots. Although the number of shots was still low, the first goal was as planned. Kajiyama has excellent shooting power, but there were times he was only passing; it was great that he scored a wonderful shot. Today, I was torn between using Miyazawa or Kajiyama as the other holding midfielder to pair with Konno, but I chose the physically strong Kajiyama because I thought it would be a fiercely contested match in midfield. I believe that was successful. In the second half, to take a gamble, I brought in Suzuki Noriyuki and devised a strategy to deliver crosses from the left. The attack, including crosses, was good, but conversely, the transition to defense became slow. We lost the ball in a bad way and faced counterattacks, leading to a back-and-forth situation. Lucas is improving, but he hasn't been able to position himself to score in front of the goal, so I brought in Sasa to emphasize 'simple crosses and picking up loose balls.' Baba was also working hard but missed a crucial chance, so I substituted him with Kurizawa. I considered bringing in Miura to balance the back and pushing Kajiyama forward, but instead of playing defensively, we aimed to score. Even in a short time, Kurizawa spread the passes and created a favorable situation to utilize Sasa in the area. Sasa's best quality is his striker-like play in the box. Although he may lack experience in Japan and might be uncertain in the J-League, if we let him work only in the area, he has the potential to score as much as Washington. Today was an away game, but our supporters gathered in greater numbers, and there was a strong desire to secure all three points. The cheers from the supporters, along with the desire to win from the players and staff who did not play, all contributed to Sasa's final goal."

　[Summary of Verdy VADAO's press conference] "Derbies tend to produce goals from small chances in the final stages, just like today's match. Looking at the game as a whole, FC Tokyo had better marking and performed well. The marking in the midfield was particularly tough, and we ended up losing the second balls. We expected them to sit back and wait for our mistakes, pulling back to the halfway line. Of course, we had our good moments too, but throughout the 90 minutes, FC Tokyo played a better game. (Soma was breaking through on the left side today, but overall, the side attacks didn't change much, did they?) That's right. Normally, we create both wings with a back three to utilize the sides, but today, DF Li and Yoneyama were injured, and Uemura was suspended, so we had no center-back, and we had to change the system. With Soma, Hirano, and Jiu, three left-footed players, we were able to create a shape on the left side rather than the right side. Considering that, it's natural for the left side to function well. And in the second half, I thought we could create chances from the right side by bringing in Hisaba, but it didn't work out so well."

Sasa Snatches Dramatic Winner

The second period began in the same fashion as the first with neither side able to create a clear opening. In the 58th minute, Washington and Morimoto infiltrated the TOKYO defense but were blocked by Moniwa's resolute tackling. In the 59th minute, Suzuki replaced Toda and Abe moved to the right. Suzuki made an immediate impact, blazing a shot wide of the post in the 63rd minute.
Verdy were forced to send on Kuba for the injured Toda in the 65th minute and TOKYO responded by exchanging Lucas for Sasa Salcedo. The switch allowed Verdy some opportunities to counterattack; in the 70th minute, Soma crossed and the onrushing Gil made contact but the TOKYO defense dealt with the danger. In the 73rd minute, Moniwa picked up the ball and made a surging run through midfield that served to lift the team and brought roars from the crowd. In the 74th minute, Kajiyama set up Abe and Takagi was unable to hold his shot; Sasa and Suzuki pounced but neither managed to make contact with the ball and yet another chance was wasted.
Verdy pushed forward and created chances as the game entered the final phase. Doi slid out to clear a through pass, Hirano rattled the post with a long-range effort and Gil fired over the bar from a good position.
Baba had a clear chance to settle the match in the 83rd minute as he collected a poor clearance on his chest just outside the area. A neat flick took the ball past a defender but he screwed his shot just wide of the post. Sasa unleashed a long-range shot in the 85th minute that seemed to surprise Takagi and the keeper fumbled the ball around the post for a corner. A Verdy defender directed the ball into the path of Moniwa whose instantaneous volley flew wide. TOKYO was using the full width of the pitch but just couldn't get the ball into the net. The match seemed destined for a draw.
The players weren't giving up though. In the 87th minute, TOKYO won a free kick in a promising position; Suzuki hammered it wide. TOKYO then replaced Baba with Kurisawa. Two minutes of injury time had just been announced when the fate of the game was sealed. A long ball aimed at Sasa had been cleared but only as far as Kajiyama who headed it to the unmarked Kurisawa. Kurisawa raced into space in the heart of the Verdy half, drawing defenders before expertly slipping the ball to Sasa on his right. Sasa met the ball first time with a rasping low drive from a tight angle that bisected Takagi and the near post. TOKYO had made a dramatic comeback and taken the lead with virtually the last kick of the match. The final whistle blew shortly after on a famous victory. It was a victory for perseverance, team play, and character.


Players' comments
Kajiyama
"We were told to shoot if we had a chance so I just had a go. Verdy players were closing me down and I hit it with the outside of my boot. When I saw it hit the post I knew it was going in. The manager has continued to select me even though I haven't been scoring so I'm very pleased to be able to repay that faith with a goal. The support is amazing for these games against Verdy and the players and staff are always highly motivated. We really wanted to answer the fans support and not lose the game. I think it would be very good if I could continue to score goals like today's ".

Sasa
"Derby matches are always difficult games. Today's game was won in injury time which takes some luck, but it's down to everybody's hard work. For the goal, Yohei ( Kajiyama ) headed a high ball down to Kurisawa who passed it out to me and I just hit it. Considering the time left in the game there wasn't much else I could do. As for not being in the starting line up, all players want to be on the field from the start to the finish but the manager decides these things. We play under his direction and have to practice for any eventuality. My memory of playing in Derby matches in Paraguay is very good as we usually won so I'm delighted to win in my first in Japan. I'd like to thank the fans for their terrific support today; it really gave me a great boost".


TOKYO manager Hara
"I watched videos of Verdy's recent games and they weren't bad at all, they played some decent football. In particular Washington is a very dangerous player; give him an inch of space and he'll have the ball in the net. So we had to stop him getting any service at all today. Verdy had a few players missing and had completely changed their system. Morimoto hadn't played for a while so we expected him to be highly motivated today. He and Washington had slipped their markers for the goal but apart from that Moniwa and Jean dealt with them very well today. We played three up front and deliberately pushed Abe further into the middle, forcing the Verdy sideback Yamada to go with him and making the right sided midfielder Kobayashi work as defensive cover. That freed up space for Konno, Kajiyama and Kanazawa and allowed us to attack down the left. When we pushed forward it allowed Gil and Soma to counter attack though. That was dangerous but if we wanted to win the game we had to take a calculated gamble. Also, as Verdy packed their defence I told the players to shoot from distance. The first goal went just as we had planned. That was a fantastic shot from Kajiyama; he usually passes the ball but made the correct decision to shoot. I was torn between playing Kajiyama or Miyazawa alongside Konno but went with Kajiyama as we expected a very physical game. That was the right decision I think. We sent on Suzuki to provide crosses from the left flank. We attacked well today but were a little slow in switching from attack to defence and that allowed Verdy to counter attack. Lucas didn't look like scoring so we sent on Sasa with a simple plan to hit in crosses and pick up the loose balls. Baba played well but missed a good chance so we replaced him with Kurisawa. We could have sent Miura on to balance the defence but decided to go for the winner and so we used Kurisawa. He only played for a few minutes but made some good passes and created the winning goal. Sasa is at his best playing as an out-and-out striker in the box. He has only been here for a while and still lacks experience with the team but his shooting and heading ability are first class. If he plays entirely in the box he has the quality to be an even better striker than Washington. We were "away" today but had a massive support and that made us determined to go for the three points. The desire of the fans, the staff and all the players who couldn't play today to win were present in Sasa's winning goal".

Verdy manager Badon
"Games like these have a tendency to be decided by just one small chance. Looking at the match TOKYO played well and marked better. The midfield was particularly tough and we lost out on the loose balls. They played as we had expected, pulling back and waiting for us to make mistakes. We had some good periods but overall TOKYO were the better team. We were suffering with injuries and had to change the system completely. We made much more progress on the left than the right side. We sent on Kuba but things didn't really improve on the right".