A crucial match that cannot be lost in order to stay in the top group

　Sec. 13 of the league, Júbilo Iwata played away. In the last two matches (against Nagoya, against Kashiwa), they ended up with no goals and suffered their first consecutive loss of the season. Coach Shofuku also reflected, "Looking at the result of zero goals in 180 minutes, it is difficult to say that the team is progressing. Even if there were missed shots and unlucky aspects, there were fewer scoring opportunities overall." However, he vowed to concentrate and give his all to achieve results in this section. He acknowledged that there are various situations throughout the season, but he absolutely cannot afford to have three consecutive losses.

　Tokyo, on the other hand, is currently in 12th place with 4 wins, 2 draws, and 6 losses. They have also suffered consecutive defeats in the last two matches, making this round a "must-win" battle for them as well. Particularly noteworthy is Iwata's side attack. Both sides, with midfielders Komano and Murai, possess great technique and are skilled at exploiting the opponent's weaknesses with their attacks. Tokyo's key will be whether they can increase the number of forward runs by Nagatomo and Tokunaga without being forced into a defensive position. Furthermore, Iwata's forward Maeda made a comeback in the previous round. Although he seems to be not in top form, he serves as the starting point for Iwata's attacks and, with his exceptional finishing ability, extra caution is required in front of the goal.

　Tokyo, right-arm injury, Nagatomo returns to the starting lineup. Fujiyama and Sasaki are in the CB position, and Kanazawa is in the midfield. With the defense stabilizing recently, it is important to emphasize the attacking attitude and create scoring opportunities by "switching on". Emerson, who has recovered from injury, will be on the bench from this match, and options for the attack have also increased, including Otake and Kondo. We want to counter Iwata's passing game, move the ball, break the defense, and aim for victory.

　Coach Shirofuku tightens his grip, saying, "Iwata is evolving without breaking its base, while making minor changes. This is the third match of the season, but I don't want to approach it by saying 'I know what Iwata will do'." The league will be suspended after this round until the end of June, but in order to gain momentum for the following Nabisco Cup, they really want to secure 3 points. The match started at 14:00 with Iwata's kickoff at the sunny Yamaha Stadium.

Conceding the first goal from a set piece, and going into halftime trailing

　From the beginning, Iwata attacked with FW Maeda as the starting point. In the 3rd minute, a pass was made to Ueda, the midfielder who came up from the left after Maeda's keep inside the Tokyo defense. He took a shot, but it went straight to Shibata. However, Tokyo's defense also held it well and launched a counterattack utilizing Cabore's speed. In the 6th minute, they connected passes in the opponent's half, and Imakano -> Hayu aimed for a shot, but the opponent's goalkeeper caught it. In the 10th minute, Akamine, who had drifted to the right front line, dropped the ball, and Tokunaga crossed it directly. Kajiyama, who ran into the goal area, took a header shot, but it went over the bar.

　Iwata did not give Tokyo any chances, but in the 21st minute they were continuously attacked from both sides and gave a corner kick. And in the 22nd minute, from Iwata's right corner kick, DF Oi scored a high header, allowing the first goal from a set piece for the second consecutive match. Nevertheless, they did not look down and went on the attack. In the 25th minute, Habu -> Cabore advanced into the left area. From there, he sent a minus pass to the empty space in the center. Habu chased after it and took a shot, but the GK caught it. In the 33rd minute, Akamine -> Cabore tried to break through in front of the goal, but Iwata's DF cleared it a step ahead. Kajiyama, who took the loose ball, entered a shooting position but was blocked by the DF.

　After that, Kajiyama and Kanazawa were actively involved in both offense and defense, completely taking control. In the 44th minute, from Kajiyama's side change, Nagatomo dribbled into the left area. He cut inside and took a powerful shot, but the goalkeeper saved it in front. Then, they connected the loose ball and passed it on the left side, and finally Kajiyama in the center → Uyu in the right area aimed and took a shot, but it curved to the left. In stoppage time, Kabore also took a shot but it went outside the frame. They couldn't convert the late scoring opportunities and ended the first half trailing by one goal.

Shingo Akamine scores 2 goals! First victory at Yamaha Stadium in the league

　In the second half, from the beginning, they aimed for the goal with a passionate play centered around Kajiyama. Then, in the 48th minute, Imakawa steals a corner kick from a left cross. Tokunaga kicks this right corner kick, and Sato, who ran into the center, heads it in. It was initially blocked by the GK, but Akamine kicks it in, and it's a goal! Tokyo equalizes with a set piece. Regaining their original momentum, in the 54th minute, they quickly switch and counterattack in the midfield. From Kajiyama's through pass, Cabore faces the GK one-on-one in the right area, but the shot is blocked by the Iwata GK's body save.

　When we missed a big chance to score, Iwata continued to attack us. However, our defense line blocked Iwata's shots one after another. In the 60th minute, Emerson, who hadn't played since the Nabisco Iwata match on March 23rd, was substituted in. And then, in the 62nd minute, just after the substitution, Emerson passed the ball through to Cabore in the area from the right side. Cabore brought the ball to the goal line and crossed it quickly with a shot-like cross in front of the goal. Akamine then jumped into it with his whole body and successfully turned the game around.

　However, in the 68th minute, Iwata also had a chance when FW Maeda took a free header from MF Funaya's left cross, but he missed the target. Nevertheless, Iwata did not give up and continued to counterattack, leading to intense back-and-forth play. Tokyo, following Ashizato, substituted Ishikawa for Kabore in the 82nd minute and pushed him up front. They moved Imano to defense and positioned Fujiyama as a defensive midfielder to counter Iwata's power play. They remained focused until the end, defended with determination, and the final whistle blew. They stopped their losing streak with a come-from-behind victory and secured their first league win at Yamaha Stadium.

　【Player Comments】《Akamine》"I was conscious of finishing today. When I drifted to the side, I always thought about whether to cross or finish with a shot. The first goal was a shot from Hidesan that fell to me. The second goal was thanks to Cabore and Emerson breaking through, and I just had to touch it. (This is the fourth consecutive match against Iwata since last season?) I think it's just a coincidence. In the first half, I was pushed back on the side because Iwata MF Komano was moving up, but in the second half, I was instructed to use that space and keep the ball in a deep position. I think that's why the players around me were able to move up. Also, if Cabore is nearby, we can bring out each other's strengths. (I can respond to Cabore's shots or crosses). If we continue to improve our partnership with Emerson, I think the team will get even better."《Emerson》"I think the coach trusted me and used me as the first substitute. I wanted to live up to that expectation. When I came on, I was conscious of being the starting point on the side while keeping an eye on Iwata's number 14 player (Murai). (What about the through pass to Cabore?) In those situations, I think it's important to look around. It was a moment of inspiration to pass to Cabore (laughs). I injured myself here at Yamaha Stadium in March and then returned once, but I injured the same spot again soon after, so it was mentally tough. But I persevered and I'm happy to be able to contribute to the team and win today. The Nabisco Cup has a different atmosphere from the league, but we still want the same results and want to continue this momentum."

　[Summary of Manager Jofuku's Press Conference] "We had lost two consecutive games, so today's match was in a situation where we really wanted a result. The first 10 to 15 minutes until we conceded a goal in the restart were really bad, but other than that, in the first half, it felt like the game was going as we had simulated. We were able to carry the ball to the attacking third and even get close to shooting. Until that goal was conceded, I felt a bit unstable. In the second half, we focused on maintaining our base while aiming for scoring opportunities without disrupting the balance. Fortunately, during the time of that goal, there were several scenes where we had a strong consciousness and power towards the goal. In the end, the scene where we allowed a free header was unavoidable, but for the other shots, they were all blocked by the body, and I think it was a game that showed the attitude of the players who were very eager for results. (What was the intention and evaluation of player Emerson's substitution?) He had a strong desire to play, and since his last appearance at Yamaha Stadium, he had a lot of motivation. However, I felt that his physical condition was still not catching up, so the plan was to bring him on after 15 minutes into the second half. The situation had opened up quite a bit, so I think he was able to play his natural game, and I believe he did his job as it led to the final goal. I also think he had a strong awareness in defense. (Overall assessment of the league so far?) It's only the 13th round, not even halfway through. In terms of aiming for continuous improvement and leveling up, we still have a lot of immaturity, but I think we are gradually becoming more patient. However, in terms of quality, I still think we need to continue pursuing it."

　[Summary of Iwata Uchiyama's press conference] "Until the 40th minute of the first half, things were going somewhat as we had planned. We were able to score by sending our fullbacks out to the left and right a few times and winning corners from there. However, the part we were afraid of, the midfield's strength and the mistakes in the build-up, continued to happen from the remaining 5 minutes of the first half and the beginning of the second half, and we ended up conceding under pressure. That has been a consistent issue, but regardless, even though we have the ability to move the ball by just taking a few steps, we create situations where we stop or kick the ball straight and get it taken away from us, allowing the opponent to push us back. We have been talking about this, but it's difficult to solve. Especially when we get tired in the second half, we tend to stop and our decision-making becomes delayed. That is a major problem. (The first half had a good flow, but what improvements were made compared to the Niigata match?) We tried to improve by compacting the team because without doing so, we cannot regain the ball from a high position in the front line, and that affects the defensive rhythm. The opponent came with a somewhat unconventional formation, so we tried to prevent Murai from being pulled out as much as possible. When it becomes a burden for the central midfield in a single match, various problems arise. From around the remaining 5 minutes of the first half, we started losing loose balls and our sliding tackles were delayed, and the most worrying aspect happened again in the second half."