Aim for victory and fight with concentration!

　Sec. 20 of the league was an away game against Júbilo Iwata. In the previous match against Oita, which was the first match after a break of about one month, we took the lead but lost the game with 2 goals conceded from the opponent's restart. It was a frustrating defeat as we were determined to make a comeback, but this week we have consecutive matches, so we want to switch our mindset and focus on each and every game in front of us.

　Iwata, who is currently in 8th place with 9 wins, 1 draw, and 9 losses. In the previous match, they lost 0-4 to Vissel Kobe, but head coach Hara said, "We conceded goals because we went for goals with 10 men and got caught on the counter. We have the strength and we are good at switching as a team." In this match, Fabrizio, the defensive midfielder, will be suspended, but in his place, Inuzuka will be used in midfield, and Tanaka and Suzuki will be in central defense. In terms of attack, the performance of forward Maeda is likely to determine the outcome. "As head coach Hara says, Maeda's return from injury has clearly improved our scoring ability," and by utilizing Maeda's ability to hold the ball and become the starting point in the front line, Ota and Nishi are able to make decisive opportunities by bursting forward from the second line. Tokyo will need to prevent Maeda from having freedom with their tough defense and suppress the bursts from the second line.

　Tokyo made no changes to the lineup from the previous match against Oita. In this game, it will be crucial to gain an advantage in the midfield battle and quickly exploit the space behind the opponent's fullbacks once the ball is won. Ishikawa stated, "The opponent has many skilled players in passing, but we want to press and win the ball in a good position. To launch a good attack, we need to start from defense." Kajiyama also expressed his determination, saying, "We want to limit Iwata's ball distribution. Together with Fukusan, we will contain the opponent's central midfielders." We aim to apply early pressure, win the ball, and launch speedy attacks from there.

　In addition, in the Oita match, we conceded a goal by being caught off guard for a moment and allowing the opponent to break through our defensive line. In this match as well, it will be important to continue to play without fear of the opponent's attacks and to keep our defensive line high and compact. Yamaha Stadium, where we have never won before, but the players are all talking about "results". Both Mobata and Ishikawa say, "We want to get rid of the unpleasant image of Yamaha Stadium soon," and aim for victory in Tokyo's soccer even though it's an away game. The match started with Iwata's kickoff at 19:04.

磐田に主導権を握られ、1点ビハインドで折り返す

　From the start of the match, Iwata was forced to play defensively due to the intense press and attacking momentum. In the 4th minute, DF Tanaka shot the loose ball in front of the goal, but it went wide. In the 9th minute, MF Ota brought the ball into the center from the right side and took a shot from outside the box, right in front of Doi. In the 10th minute, FW Maeda dribbled the ball and took a shot. Iwata focused on the right side from quick passing, with FW Nishi and MF Ota keeping possession of the ball, and DF Kaga aggressively overlapping from behind, resulting in crosses, shots, and Tokyo being unable to stop their momentum at all.

　Tokyo also tries to steal the ball and launch an attack, but they quickly have the ball stolen back by Iwata's quick transition between offense and defense, leading to a continuous cycle of being in a pinch. Konno and Shigemori were somehow able to defend against Iwata's attacks on the final line, but in the 20th minute, they finally allowed a goal. Iwata's left corner kick was initially cleared, but then stolen again, and crossed from the right side. This was also cleared, and the ball flowed to the left where MF Kiyoshi OTA was. There was no pressure on MF Kiyoshi OTA, and he carefully judged the position of the goal and took a looping shot. Although there was distance, it was sucked into the right side of the goal.

　However, Iwata took the lead and started to carefully withdraw and then develop their attack. After 25 minutes, Iwata's press gradually weakened and Tokyo started to circulate the ball and launch attacks. In the 27th minute, Tokunaga, who had advanced, was fouled and won a free kick near the right area. Suzuki Nori's shot was blocked by the wall. In the 28th minute, Fukunishi won a duel and Inoha dribbled and shot, winning a right corner kick. In the 31st minute, Suzuki Nori was fouled and won a free kick slightly to the left of the goal. Lucas' shot hit the wall and resulted in a left corner kick. From this corner kick, Tokunaga took a difficult shot, but the opponent's DF cut it off.

　In the 37th minute, Fukunishi, who received a pass from Tokunaga in the center with his back to the goal, turned forward while competing with the defender and dribbled around in the area. He took a shot from the right area, but it went out for a corner kick. He created several chances, but couldn't find a decisive moment. On the contrary, in the 39th minute, Iwata's forward Maeda jumped in and headed the cross from the right side midfielder Nishi perfectly. It narrowly missed to the left, avoiding an additional goal. In the 43rd minute, Kajiyama → Tokunaga broke through the right side. Lucas headed the cross, but it was contested by the defender and went wide to the left of the goal. Although the beginning was completely dominated by Iwata, they managed to hold on and ended the first half with only one goal conceded.

Hirayama and Akamine show their determination by scoring goals, but they suffer a defeat with 5 goals conceded

　At halftime, the positioning of both Ishikawa and Noriyuki SUZUKI on the sides was adjusted and they returned to the pitch. Then, in the 47th minute, Ishikawa made a right cross from the combination with Tokunaga. The ball flowed to the far side, but Noriyuki SUZUKI followed and passed it to Lucas in the middle. He tried to connect with Kajiyama with a back pass from the trap, but was countered by Iwata. MF Ota rushed up the right side and took a shot, but it went over the bar. In the 52nd minute, Kajiyama crossed from the right side to Lucas. Noriyuki SUZUKI ran in from the left, but couldn't make the connection. In the 53rd minute, Bamba was substituted for Noriyuki SUZUKI.

　55 minutes, passed to Lucas who ran into the space behind at the perfect timing from Baba, and ran up the left side. Cut inside, dodged the defender and took a free shot. It hit the bottom left corner but the opponent's goalkeeper made a save. In the 59th minute, Kajiyama -> Ishikawa boldly challenged on the right side and crossed. Although it was cleared by the defender in front of the goal, the side attack was effective. In the 63rd minute, Akamine was substituted for Fukunishi, and immediately after that, Inonami and Konno changed positions. From Iwata's throw-in, MF Marcinhos Parana, who was on the left side, became free and his well-aimed shot went beyond the stretched hand of Doi and into the goal. They conceded the second goal.

　In the 68th minute, Iwata DF Ueda attacked from the left side on a counter, and the ball he lifted in front of the goal hit the upper right post and bounced back into the goal for the third goal. In the 71st minute, Hirayama was substituted for Ishikawa, but immediately after the substitution, MF Naruoka scored an additional goal from a counter. Still, Tokyo's two top players, Hirayama and Akamine, moved around the front line, picking up loose balls and attempting a counterattack. In the 79th minute, Hirayama met Inamoto's early cross from the right and took a high-headed shot. It was decisive, but unfortunately it went wide to the right. In the 84th minute, Iwata scored a goal from a sharp counterattack by FW Maeda, but Tokyo boldly turned to attack in search of a goal.

　Then, in the 89th minute, Konno jumped out to the front line, cut in from the left, and collided with the opponent's defender, causing the ball to become loose. However, he didn't give up and picked up the ball again, shooting from an angleless position. The ball hit the bar and bounced back, Hirayama followed up and was pulled from behind, earning a penalty kick. Hirayama himself scored it perfectly. Immediately after that, from Moino's long ball, Hirayama became the post and Akamine shot the dropped ball directly. The ball went over the opponent's goalkeeper's head and into the goal. They scored two goals and retaliated, but the game ended as a loss.

　【Player Comments】《Hirayama》"We couldn't nullify Iwata's strengths. Before the match, I received instructions to compete firmly for long balls and become a focal point. Personally, I tried to play utilizing my strong points within the given time. (There was a header shot from player Konno) I wanted to score that. I wanted to score a goal with a header... I wanted to take the penalty kick myself, so I asked Lucas, 'Let me take it.' It was GK Kawaguchi, so I thought if I could score with this, it would boost my confidence. I kicked it with all my might. I gained confidence in penalty kicks, but I don't have a sense of relief that I scored a goal."《Akamine》"We couldn't play in our own rhythm, and I don't think we were able to start with the right mindset. We may have needed clearer plays when pressing. The goal was as planned. I tried to play close to Sohta. It's a form that we practice regularly. I believe that if I have more playing time, my chances will increase. We didn't achieve victory today, but I want to contribute to the team's victory by scoring when I get the chance."

　【Summary of Coach Hara's Press Conference】 "It was disappointing that we seemed to lose focus towards the end of today's match. Jubilo started off better in the first half. After a side change, we were slow to respond to players like Kaga on the right side who were making forward runs, which led to corners and free kicks that resulted in goals. When (Jubilo's) Suzuki was down, everyone seemed to be watching, and we were caught off guard. This reflects the current state of our team. Since the opponent was down, we thought they might kick the ball out, but during the hesitation, we were shot at. That period of time was really not good. Even when we regained possession, we couldn't connect it forward and lost the ball immediately. In the second half, we decided to use the sides more, and crosses started coming in from Ishikawa and Tokunaga. Since Noriyuki Suzuki hasn't been in his best form after his injury, I thought of bringing in Baba and Akamine to change the game. For the second goal, we were slow to respond from a throw-in, and despite the distance, we were shot at. The shot was indeed wonderful, but that was a weak point for us. The third goal was also due to Ishikawa's slow response, and we conceded again. After that, it was disappointing that we lost focus, including the final line. In the end, we managed to score two goals, including a penalty. Just like Konno's play that led to the penalty, we need to show more determination to recover the ball and push towards the opponent's goal even after losing it once. Furthermore, like Akamine's goal scene, we need to simply carry the ball forward and pick it up even if it gets deflected. I think there were many scenes where we lost the ball because we were trying too hard to play beautifully. Despite all the support we received, we lost. Moreover, we regret that the content was disappointing, and we must show our pride in the next match at home at Ajinomoto. Iwata's Maeda has good ball retention, which is why Ota and Nishi were coming inside, but our responses and handovers in that area were a bit slow. Kajiwara and Inoha were falling behind when the pace wasn't in our favor, and they lost the ball while trying to do something difficult instead of focusing on defense. I think that area wasn't effective. Also, Moniwa is still not himself compared to before his injury. Perhaps due to anxiety, he tends to lose his marking on the opponent. In the scene where Maeda got through, he couldn't respond adequately, and he is still not in his best form."

　[Summary of Iwata-Adilson's press conference] "I think we played a good game overall. In the first half, we were able to control the game and create chances, and we scored one goal. There were a few more scenes where we could have scored. In the second half, there were some dangerous moments, but we were able to create chances by effectively using counterattacks. There were also moments where we could have scored more. If our accuracy and finishing were better, we could have scored more. In midfield, Inuzuka, who started as a defensive midfielder, did what we were expecting. The balance with Marcinho Paraná and the triangle with Kaga and Ota on the sides were also good. The big difference from the previous match (where we suffered a big defeat) was that Fabrício was sent off. It's difficult to play with one less player. Also, each player showed the desire to win. Additionally, Kobe was playing defensively, but Tokyo came forward. It's unfortunate that we conceded two goals in the end, but these things happen in football. Of course, it would have been better to keep a clean sheet. In Japanese football, it's common to see a big defeat followed by a big victory. What I value is consistent performance. I want to continue demanding that from the players and if they can't do it, I want to guide them."