Take the advantage in the press and aim for consecutive victories!

　Sec. 12, Yokohama F.Marinos played against Nissan Stadium on Sunday. In the previous match against Chiba, they pressed from the front line and won with a coordinated and energetic style of soccer. They aim to continue this momentum and achieve a winning streak that they have not yet accomplished this season.

　There was a one-week interval since the last match, but at the same time, there were activities for the Japan national team and the Olympic team, so the entire team only practiced together for two days. However, Inomoto says, "We can switch gears properly." The Olympic team players also say, "Both the team and the Olympic team are winning, so there is little fatigue," and have prepared themselves in perfect condition for today. Lucas had a fever on the 18th (Fri) and avoided practice, but he will start with the same lineup as the last match. On the other hand, Ishikawa, Kanazawa, and Fukunishi have fully recovered and will be on the bench. It is expected that they will be used according to the situation.

　Yokohama FC is currently in 8th place with 5 wins, 1 draw, and 5 losses. It seems that they struggled at the beginning of the season, but they are trying to turn things around with a pressing style of soccer. When they win the ball, they quickly pass it to forwards Oshima and Sakata, and from there, there is a powerful attack from midfielders Koji Yamase, Yamase Yuki, Yoshida, and the fullbacks who also join the attack. In the previous match against Nagoya, Yokohama FC struggled against a defensive approach and suffered a defeat from a counterattack. In response to this, Tokyo aims to press each other and launch quick counterattacks to seek victory.

　Against opponents who come connecting passes like Chiba, effective pressing was applied. However, against opponents who quickly kick the ball to the front line like Yokohama FM, how much pressing can be applied will be one of the highlights. At the same time, how many second balls can be picked up is also a key to victory. If we can seize loose balls and gain an advantage, Wanchope's fluid movements and Rychely's speed will come into play. Once we've won the ball, let's send it quickly to the front line like Yokohama FM and challenge them head-on!

横浜FMに主導権を握られるが、集中したディフェンスで守り切る

　In the early stages, both teams pressed each other and the game was back and forth, but gradually Yokohama FM started to dominate the ball. They quickly played the ball forward, targeting FW Oshima and Sakata, and pushed Tokyo FC back. In the 9th minute, FW Sakata took a shot from FW Oshima's rebound off the post, but Doi made a save. In the 12th minute, right MF Yamase took a shot from the loose ball after a cross from left MF Yoshida, which was blocked by Tokyo DF and resulted in a corner kick. Although Yokohama FM took control of the game, Tokyo FC's defense line concentrated well and defended tenaciously.

　13 minutes, Rychely goes around from the left and passes to Lucas in the center. Lucas shoots with his toe, but it narrowly misses to the left. In the 15th minute, Yokohama FM's left full-back Komiyama dribbles up smoothly and cuts inside to shoot in the center. In the 27th minute, a loose ball in the midfield is picked up and FW Oshima takes a looping shot from mid-range. However, both shots were saved by mistakes.

　In the 25th minute, Tokyo expanded to the left from Tokunaga's overlap. Rychely challenged the opponent's defender and crossed the ball. However, it was cut by the defender and did not reach Wanchope. In the 30th minute, Yokohama FM persisted inside the field and connected the loose ball, and Kawaguchi from the far side headed the shot, but it went wide to the left. In the 33rd minute, Tokunaga advanced to the goal line and crossed the ball. Lucas headed it, but it didn't meet properly. Despite a stable defense, they couldn't capitalize on the opportunity.

　37 minutes, Yokohama FM MF Yamase Koji's negative pass was followed by FW Sakata, but the shot was caught by Doi. In the 42nd minute, a pass was made to FW Sakata who was trying to break through the back of Tokyo DF from FW Oshima, but Imano marked him tightly and took the ball. Starting with Doi, they covered each other well in the final line and defended until the end of the first half with a score of 0-0.

Fukunishi's splendid long shot is successful, and we win away!

　In the first half, Tokyo aimed to withstand the pressure and keep a clean sheet, with the intention of turning the game around in the second half. As planned, they aggressively fought for loose balls and launched attacks. In the 52nd minute, Noriyuki Suzuki stole the ball and initiated a quick counterattack with Kajiyama passing to Wanchope on the right. However, Wanchope's low cross was intercepted by the Yokohama FM defender. In the 54th minute, Rychely skillfully connected with a long feed to Kawaguchi on the front line, but his shot was blocked by the defender. In the 56th minute, Suzuki passed to Rychely, who was running towards the goal with speed. Rychely got into a shooting position, but the defender made a cut. Rychely managed to connect with the loose ball and took another shot while turning, but it went over the crossbar.

　58 minutes, Kawaguchi is fouled and earns a free kick on the right side of the opponent's field. Kajiyama's kick is cleared by Yokohama FM's defender Nakazawa. In the 59th minute, Wanchope persists in the area and makes a heel pass. Rychely, who ran in from the left, takes a shot. It hit the defender, but they gained rhythm with a speedy attack. In the 62nd minute, Ishikawa is substituted for Kawaguchi, and in the 68th minute, Fukunishi is substituted for the tired Lucas. Kajiyama moves up one row to aim for the goal.

　And it happened just after Fukunishi was substituted. From a right throw-in, Ishikawa's kick was headed by a Yokohama FM defender. Fukunishi picked up the ball and dribbled forward, shooting with his left foot from a distance of about 30 meters. The ball was looped and sucked in, and it's a goal! Fukunishi accurately judged the position of the opponent's goalkeeper and didn't miss the momentary opening. He scored the opening goal with a splendid play that deserves praise!

　Tokyo, which is gaining more and more momentum, boldly took a shot in the 71st minute with Tokunaga. In the 72nd minute, Rychely took a shot from a counterattack. In the 76th minute, Ishikawa broke through on the right side and took a shot after entering the box. The ball narrowly missed to the right, but Tokyo continued to attack without entering a defensive posture and aimed for an additional goal. However, Yokohama FM also brought in tall forward Halfna Mike in the 81st minute, threatening the Tokyo goal with a power play. However, Fujiyama, Konno, and Inonami bravely defended against the balls sent to the front one after another, and the midfield's energy level did not drop. In the 87th minute, Yokohama FM's MF Yamase Koji threw a long ball, Halfna Mike dropped it, and FW Oshima's shot shook the net, but it was offside. In the 89th minute, Asari was substituted in, and Tokyo concentrated on defending until the final whistle. They secured 3 points away from home and achieved their first consecutive victory of the season.

　【Player Comments】《Fukunishi》"I was practicing shooting with my left foot at halftime. Maybe the image of that remained in my mind when I dribbled up and saw the goalkeeper ahead, so I decided to take a shot. In the first half, we were at a disadvantage and had few shots, so I was thinking about finishing with a shot and creating time to push up my teammates to generate momentum. At halftime, the goalkeeper, defenders, midfielders, and forwards were all spread out, so we talked about that, including player Doi. In order to continue winning, we need unity as a team, so I want us to work together and do our best."《Fujiyama》"The first half was a bit chaotic, but it was important that we were able to overcome that. The defense was able to cover and protect. Fukunishi entered the game and not only scored goals but also controlled the game. Now the distance between the players is close, and we are able to compete and cover each other thoroughly. The previous players also put pressure on the opponents. The opponents' big players aim for my position, but I can't win in a header competition. That's why I'm playing a defense that doesn't allow the opponents to move freely. The balance is not disturbed, and I think everyone is united in their will."

　[Summary of Manager Hara's Press Conference] "Yokohama FM has been putting pressure on us from the front since the match against Oita. The forwards also chase from the front, and I expected them to come out with momentum at home this time as well. In response to that, we had discussed not backing down and pressing from the front. However, we were thrown more long balls than expected. In particular, long balls were kicked to FW Oshima, and then MF Yamase Koji and Yamase Yuki often picked up the loose balls and faced forward. Therefore, I instructed Kawaguchi and Rychely to drop back a little and fill the space. It was crucial that we were able to overcome that difficult situation in the first half. If we had been beaten there, we might have conceded 2 or 3 goals in quick succession. At halftime, I instructed Kajiyama to fill the midfield properly. As Lucas was showing signs of fatigue, I replaced him with Fukunishi. I instructed Fukunishi to balance with Inonami and move laterally because the midfield was stretched out. Also, he is good at distributing the ball, so I told him to distribute the ball to the left and right and change the sides, especially since Tokunaga was open. It was good that he scored a goal with his first touch after coming on as a substitute. Both Lucas and Ishikawa had injuries at this stadium a year and a half ago, so they don't have many good memories, but it was also good that both players were able to finish without injury. In the end, the opponent was able to exert a power play, but we know that we don't have big players. I thought it would be dangerous if they exploited the sides, but today F.Marinos threw the ball in early, so there was no problem."

　[Yokohama FM Coach Hayano's Press Conference] "We prepared for a week to enter the game so that it wouldn't be like the Nagoya game in the previous round. The key point is that even though we were able to play the soccer we aimed for in the first half, we couldn't convert our scoring opportunities. Also, from the middle of the second half, our midfield players lacked the courage to penetrate the opponent's backline, and even though we weren't being broken down when our pace was taken away, we ended up conceding a goal. There were times when there was no movement from the third player towards FW Oshima when the ball was played to him, and there were instances of sideways passes or dropping the ball. We lacked the courage to make runs in those situations. We should have had more desire to score goals. I think the defensive line worked hard and put their bodies on the line, but the players in the second row of the midfield or the young players who came on as substitutes need to show even more determination. If we don't feel the defensive line's committed play more and release the desire to score goals from our bodies and approach the game, we won't make any progress. They are young, so we need to train them more and make them contribute positively to our attacks."