Seeking revenge away, aiming for consecutive victories at home

　Sec. 21 of the league will be held, facing Urawa Reds at home. In the previous match against Nagoya, we defended our 1-point lead with a focused battle and obtained 3 points for the first time in an official match since the Verdy match on June 8th (Sec. 6 of the Nabisco qualifiers). In this match, we aim to achieve consecutive victories based on the confidence we gained from that match and play our own style of soccer.

　However, Tokunaga injured his ankle and decided that he would not be able to perform at 100% (according to Coach Shirofuku), so he was absent for the first time this season. As a result, Konno played as a left back, and Nagatomo, who had just returned from the Olympics on the 14th (Thu), started as a right back. In the midfield, the formation was the same as the previous match, with Hayu and Asari forming a double pivot.

　Urawa Reds, who are currently in second place with 34 points, will face their opponent. In the previous match against Kashiwa, they were caught up in the final moments, and although they have been in good form with 2 draws and 1 loss in the last 3 matches, everyone recognizes their individual abilities. In this match, forward Tatsuya Tanaka, who has recovered from an injury, will start. Midfielder Ponte will also make a comeback and be on the bench. To break through Urawa's strong defense, they need to take control on the sides and push the opponent's wing-backs. Cabore, Hirayama, Emerson, and Ishikawa need to aggressively exploit the spaces and create more scoring opportunities.

　In away games, we suffered a frustrating 0-2 defeat, so we will aggressively attack to seek victory and overcome that frustration! Amidst localized heavy rain in various parts of Tokyo, Ajinomoto Stadium, where clear skies can be seen. The match started at 18:34 with Tokyo's kickoff.

They did not allow Urawa to move freely and attacked while dominating the ball, but...

　From the beginning, Tokyo did not allow Urawa to play freely and dominated the ball. They attacked by passing the ball around. Shortly after the start, Emerson ran up to the left front line from Hirayama's wedge. However, it did not reach Ishikawa in the center. The ball cut by the defender floated to Cabore in the left area, but he couldn't finish the header. Still, Emerson tried to create chances by taking advantage of Cabore's runs and frequently sending through passes.

　8 minutes, Hanyu, who exchanged passes with Ishikawa, entrusted the ball to Emerson in the center and entered the right area. A perfect through pass came from Emerson, but he couldn't shoot before the quick approach of Urawa DF Tatsuki Sekigawa. In the 13th minute, Urawa launched a counterattack from a corner kick, and Sato made an early cross from the left side. Ishikawa on the right front jumped and sent a volley into the middle, shaking from left and right. However, Cabore in the center competed with Urawa DF Tatsuki Sekigawa and couldn't receive the ball as he fell. There was no foul by Urawa.

　In the 27th minute, Cabore dribbled into the area from the left and attracted the attention of the defenders. He then sent a minus last pass to Hirayama, who closed in near the goal. However, the timing was off and Hirayama couldn't make contact. The combination and accuracy were lacking in the final moments, and they couldn't create a decisive scene. On the other hand, Urawa also had their first shot of the day in the 32nd minute, when forward Tatsu Tanaka took a shot from the middle. In the 34th minute, Emerson made a last pass to the center after advancing into the left area. It was cut off by the Urawa defenders, causing a loose ball in the left area. Cabore ran in, but was a step too late and the defense held firm. In the 35th minute, Konno took a powerful shot from a 45-degree angle on the left, but Urawa defender Tatsuya Tanaka cleared it with a header, resulting in a throw-in.

　Tokyo struggled to find a rhythm and failed to capitalize on their opportunities. They lost possession while on the attack, leading to a dangerous counterattack by Urawa's defenders. In the 38th minute, Hirayama, Cabore, and Hayashi failed to connect in midfield and Urawa took possession. Urawa forward Nagai passed the ball to Takahara, who had managed to break the offside line, and he faced off against Shioda in a one-on-one situation. Takahara took a decisive shot, but it hit the left post... The rebound resulted in a shot by Urawa midfielder Soma, but Sato blocked it, saving Tokyo from a desperate situation...

　In the 44th minute, Asari advanced into the central area from Cabore's post. Despite being surrounded by opponents, he took a shot, but it lacked power and the goalkeeper caught it. Immediately after that, Saltada saved a middle shot from Urawa FW Tanaka Tatsu, and it escaped to a corner kick. Urawa's left corner kick flowed to the far side, and Emerson tried to make it his ball. However, it was taken back as he tried to launch an attack, and Urawa counterattacked again. FW Takahara flew out on a through pass from FW Tanaka Tatsu, and once again faced Saltada in a one-on-one situation. However, the shot hit the crossbar...! With the help of the opponent's mistake, they avoided conceding a goal and ended the first half with a 0-0 score.

Unable to break through Urawa's solid defense and suffered a defeat with no goals scored

　In the second half, Tokyo suddenly became unable to connect passes and was pushed back by Urawa. In the 49th minute, FW Tatsuya TANAKA took a shot after circling around from Urawa's right throw-in, hitting the post... Next, FW Tatsuya TANAKA broke free into the right area from a floating pass by Urawa MF Abe and was able to take a close shot. In the 60th minute, Kajiyama was substituted for Asari in an attempt to change the flow. In the 62nd minute, Cabore broke through the right side and sent a floating cross after cutting back the opponent's DF. Kajiyama closed in on the goal, but missed the volley...

　In the 67th minute, Urawa connected a pass and attacked from the left side of Tokyo. Saitoh cleared the ball once, but it hit Urawa MF Ponte and the ball went to Tokyo's central midfielder Suzuki. Suzuki quickly sent a lofted pass to the left front line, and Soma, who had run behind Tokyo's defense, scored a volley shot, finally allowing a goal... In the 71st minute, Akamine was substituted for Ishikawa. Hayashi aimed for an equalizer with a formation where Hayashi supported the right side.

　However, in the 74th minute, Cabore → Hirayama made a short drop, and Hayabusa ran into the area and created a good opportunity for a shot, but it went wide to the right. In the 77th minute, Kawaguchi was substituted for Cabore. They tried to strengthen the front line and launch a counterattack. In the 79th minute, Kajiyama made a move from the right area, and Akamine → Kajiyama → Kawaguchi in the center took a shot. The loose ball rolled to Hirayama in the right area, and he took a free shot, but it was also off target. In the 85th minute, Emerson → Nowano, who overlapped, sent a cross, and Hirayama at the far post headed the ball, but it hit the goalkeeper in the face.

　In the 87th minute, Hayu passed a right corner kick to Kajiyama with a short pass, and Kajiyama entered the right area. He took a shot after cutting back against the DF, but it was blocked by the DF... Despite launching a fierce attack by gathering the ball in the front line, they couldn't break through the solid defense of Urawa DF, who took the lead with one goal and tightened their defense. Every cross was consistently repelled and the game ended. They ended up with no goals and suffered a frustrating defeat at home...

　【Player Comments】《Emerson》"In the first half, I think we were able to fight in our own flow, but we conceded a goal in the second half. I thought it would be a difficult game if we were to concede first, but that's how it turned out. Of course, we wanted to turn the game around but we couldn't. We lost 2-0 in the away game, and we have been conceding goals when we make mistakes, including today. That's one of our problems. Furthermore, we haven't been able to score a single goal against them. We had chances, but they didn't result in goals, which is a problem. We have to continue practicing and improving in those areas. The league is still ongoing, so we want to keep fighting."《Nagatomo》"I think we were able to play our own football from the first half, but in the second half, we conceded a goal due to a mistake in my marking, and it's frustrating. Urawa has a high quality counterattack, and I could feel that they are a top team. It was our first game back from the Olympics, but our condition was not a problem at all. There may have been some miscommunication in terms of offside traps, but other than that, there were no concerns in our teamwork. We have been having frustrating games, but this is the time to stand firm. We want to reflect on ourselves and keep going. We couldn't use the sides well today, so I think we should demand more from ourselves and attack from the sides. We have tall players in the middle, so if we can deliver good crosses, we can score. It depends on us. We want to win against our opponents in front of us and give our supporters a victory in the next match."

　[Summary of Coach Jofuku's Press Conference] "First of all, I would like to apologize to the supporters and fans. I take full responsibility for the result. Of course, Urawa played a fantastic game and won, but I feel very sorry for the Tokyo supporters and fans who spent their time and money to come and support us, and were made to feel sad by hearing Urawa's song after the match. As for the content, the players did a good job of creating a defensive pace that prevented Urawa's front three from working, and they played our own style of football. There were some moments where we were confused about offside calls, and our defense became a bit unstable, but overall, our defense was good apart from our own mistakes. However, there were mistakes in trying to connect from clearances and also in the passing. We were caught off guard and panicked in those situations. We conceded goals from those mistakes, and I feel that we still lack the necessary strength. In the second half, there were more easy mistakes and difficult decisions in passing. We lost confidence in connecting the ball from the defensive line, so we brought in Kajiyama. In terms of attacking, we tried to regain our composure and create our own opportunities. However, in the period just before conceding the goal, both the receiving and passing sides were lacking confidence and showed uncertain play. It is not just a matter of the passer and receiver, but also involves positioning and various other factors. Ultimately, we thought there would be more battles in front of the goal, so we brought in Akamine. Akamine has the ability to momentarily get past the opponent in front of the goal and score with his feet or head. As long as the opponent's line doesn't drop and there is space, Ishikawa's movement behind the defense was effective and he did well, but we made that decision based on how the opponent was dropping back."

　[Summary of Urawa GERT ENGELS's press conference] "The start of the game was very tough. Tokyo had a strong defensive mindset with many quick counters in the first 25 minutes. Due to the pitch condition, we couldn't connect our passes well and it was mostly about running and fighting. After 30 minutes, our passes started to connect. There were also shots from FW Takahara that hit the post and crossbar. In the second half, we were able to play with almost the same rhythm. We progressed the game in the opponent's half, made side changes, and there was also a scene where FW Tatsuya TANAKA's shot hit the post. There were various scenes, but we finally scored a great goal. Towards the end, there were many offensive and defensive battles near the area because we dropped back too much. The defense in that area was very good, but it would have been easier if we could keep the ball a little longer when considering the offense. It would naturally be easier to score on the counter when entering the opponent's half. If we could approach the ball a little more in the front line, it would have been easier in the back as well. There were some close counter scenes, but it would have been good if we could connect them well. However, the result of 1-0 in the 90 minutes is important. It is significant to have obtained 3 points without conceding a goal. I am satisfied considering that it was an away game. (Today, the final line breakthroughs of FW Nagai and FW Tatsuya TANAKA were noticeable, but was it because of the image of Tokyo's flat defensive line?) It was not specifically imagining Tokyo, but I thought it was something we needed to be aware of. Even if the opponent drops back, if there is even a little space behind, we will aim for it. If it reaches there, it becomes a chance. If it doesn't reach, it becomes the opponent's goal kick. If the ball at our feet is intercepted, it immediately becomes the opponent's counter. That's why we have been consciously aiming for the back in recent training sessions. FW Tatsuya TANAKA is a player with that characteristic."