Launch an attack utilizing the empty space and secure victory at home!

　Sec. 3, Júbilo Iwata will play on Sunday. In the previous match, they kept Omiya scoreless and achieved a shutout victory. In this match as well, they aim to launch quick attacks from a solid defense and secure their first victory at home, Ajinomoto Stadium, while also aiming for a winning streak. However, last week, Hirayama, Inoha, and Kajiyama went on a trip to Malaysia for the Olympic qualifiers. They played a match on the 14th (Wed) and returned the next day. Therefore, considering their fatigue, Hirayama and Kajiyama will start on the bench. Inoha, on the other hand, said, "I'm not tired. In this match, I will focus on solid defense first, and in the attack, I want to improve the quality by considering the timing. If I can make a good contribution 2-3 times in the six times I go up, that would be great," and will start. Additionally, in the previous match, Lucas, who was absent due to a cold, will be positioned at the forefront in a 4-3-3 formation.

　Iwata, on the other hand, conceded 4 goals to Kashiwa in the opening match, but they bounced back against Oita in the previous round and would want to build on that momentum. Today, MF Kikuchi and MF Naruoka are absent, but the national team's GK Kawaguchi returns from injury and makes his first appearance this season. FW Karen Robert leads the frontline, with Ota on the right wing and Nishi on the left. In midfield, Funaya plays as the attacking midfielder, while Marquinhos and Fabricio operate as the double pivot. They have adopted a fluid formation similar to Tokyo's 4-4-3 system to compete.

　Iwata should have a great chance if they can avoid the mark by defending one-on-one. In particular, Suzuki Nori and Ishikawa will be the starting point on the side against Iwata's back four, and Kurisawa and Fukunishi will create chances by attacking the space. They need to score in crucial moments and take the lead in the game to secure a victory at home! It started at 16:03 with Tokyo's kickoff at the cold and windy Ajinomoto Stadium.

Enduring "Iwata Time" and finding the rhythm...

　Both teams pressed and fought for the ball, and the game started off tightly. However, gradually Iwata began to dominate possession. In the 18th minute, from Lucas's excellent side change, Ishikawa moved forward and took a shot. This was Tokyo's first shot of the game. Tokyo found themselves pushed back into their own half, but they defended with concentration and did not allow Iwata any clear chances.

　Waiting for a chance in that situation, in the 27th minute, Ishikawa intercepted on the left side of the opponent's field. He connected with Lucas in front and Lucas turned to the center and took a shot. In the 28th minute, Lucas headed Inohara's early cross, but both shots missed the target. In the 34th minute, Suzuki Nori ran into the goal area to meet Lucas' fast cross that had drifted to the right. Despite being pressed by the defender, he couldn't hit the shot, but they found their rhythm and showed a good attacking shape.

　In the 36th minute, Iwata MF Fabricio received his second warning and was sent off. Iwata had to play with 10 men. In the immediate aftermath in the 37th minute, Fukunishi sprinted up to the goal and passed through to Suzuki Nori who ran into the left area. Although initially blocked by Iwata DF, the ball fell to Fukunishi who had entered the area again. Fukunishi swiftly swung his left foot, but the shot went over, missing a significant chance to take the lead.

　In the 41st minute, Kanazawa's left cross was dropped by Lucas, and Ishikawa took a shot from inside the right area! It was saved by Iwata GK Kawaguchi, but Lucas followed up with a shot from the front of the goal. However, it was blocked by the Iwata DF who put his body on the line, and the first half ended 0-0 without taking advantage of the chance.

Despite launching a fierce attack, they conceded a goal from a free kick. They were defeated without scoring any goals.

　In the second half, we aggressively attacked from the start. Shortly after the start, Lucas received a right cross from Inoha and took an overhead shot. In the 47th minute, Ishikawa took a right corner kick and Kanazawa aimed for a shot outside the box, but both shots were saved by Iwata GK Kawaguchi. In the 53rd minute, Kurizawa drifted to the left and crossed the ball into the goal area. Inoha slid and jumped into the far ball, but this shot was also blocked by Iwata GK Kawaguchi with his right hand.

　54 minutes, Kanazawa receives a counterattack from Iwata, but they defend well and goalkeeper Doi catches Ota's shot. In the 57th minute, Hirayama is substituted for Ishikawa. Together with Lucas, they strengthen the front line, but Iwata changes to a 3-back formation and Ueda on the left side and Kaga on the right side drop back to defend. Despite crosses being sent in, they struggled to create decisive opportunities. In the 71st minute, Baba is substituted for Suzuki Nori, and in the 77th minute, Wanchop is substituted for Kurizawa. Wanchop and Hirayama are placed in the front line, and they overwhelmingly attack.

　79 minutes, Hiroyama heads Lucas' fast cross, but it narrowly misses to the right. Tokyo is attacking, and Iwata is countering, but Iwata's attacks so far have been safely defended. However, in the 82nd minute, Iwata's right defender Kaga advances and Kanazawa stops him just outside the area. This play is judged as a foul and gives an indirect free kick. Iwata sets up a quick kick in front of the goal with FW Nishi as a decoy and DF Ueda. DF Suzuki runs in and scores with a perfect header. They conceded a goal from a set piece.

　Tokyo, who had their lead taken away, launched a fierce counterattack. In the 83rd minute, Hirayama dropped Kanazawa's early cross and Wanchope's shot shook the net, but Fukunishi and Wanchope were in an offside position. In the 87th minute, Hirayama headed a floating pass from Baba, but GK Kawaguchi caught it. Then, Fukunishi and Lucas connected in front of the goal, and Hirayama took a shot from the right area! However, this was also blocked by GK Kawaguchi's excellent save. In stoppage time, Lucas, Baba, Tokunaga, and Wanchope continued to attack the Iwata goal one after another, but they couldn't break through Iwata's solid defense before the time was up. In the end, Iwata, who had 10 players, scored one chance, and Tokyo couldn't secure their first home victory following the opening match.

　【Player Comments】《Ryoichi KURISAWA》"I couldn't score when I had the chance. The opponent's passing was skillful, and we couldn't defend from the front, so it was a period of patience at first. After that, we wanted to score during the time when things were going well. I think we were able to take advantage of the space when the opponent had one player sent off, but there are still challenges in how to make use of the numerical advantage. We need to unify our intentions on how to break down the opponent when they defend deep, whether it's through lofted passes or short passes... However, we only conceded one goal, so we want to continue the good aspects for the next game. We want to add some creativity in front of the goal and score."《Fukunishi》"I'm just frustrated. We had the numerical advantage, but when the opponent was down to one player, they were able to solidify their defense, and we became too cautious. Maybe we should have just played simple and passed the ball to the forward players more. Nevertheless, I think we had the awareness to score and we were able to take shots. But the result is everything. We need to reflect on this and make use of it in the next game. We want to share what we gained from this match and what everyone felt, and build a good team."

　[Summary of the press conference by Coach Hara] "At the beginning, our approach to the ball was a bit weak and we were pushed back. But after Inoue started making side changes, we started to find our rhythm. The tempo was slower after the opponent had one player sent off, and our ball movement was slow, so at halftime, I told the team to move one tempo faster. In the second half, we had some good crosses, but there was only Lucas in front of the goal, so I thought if Hirayama came in, it would create chances for crosses and loose balls. However, Hirayama's condition was worse than expected and it felt stagnant. So I brought in Baba to receive the ball and instructed the fullbacks to push up more. In the end, I put Wanchope in, hoping he would do something in front of the goal. During that time, we conceded a goal from a free kick. It was a game where we were done in during the "couldn't score, couldn't finish" moments. It wasn't a bad performance at all, and we were good when it was 11 vs 11. It's a shame that we became passive after being reduced to 10 men. We conceded in the 82nd minute and after that, we became anxious. The crosses could have been deeper and more incisive, but they ended up being kicked from around the center back, making it easier for Júbilo to defend."

　[Summary of Iwata-Adilson's press conference] "We were able to control the first half well, but the problem was that we couldn't finish. Then MF Fabricio was sent off, and FC Tokyo had 2 or 3 chances. Especially Fukunishi had a decisive chance, but fortunately it didn't lead to a goal. I expected that it would become an aerial battle when Hirayama entered the field. I had also considered substitutions for that. We were able to put into practice what we trained this week. The winning factor today was the players' fighting spirit. We saw their willingness to sacrifice their bodies. It's thanks to the players. Both the two forwards and the two midfielders are capable of scoring goals. We want to improve our timing for breakthroughs and play well in chances. We want to continue practicing to improve our finishing accuracy."