Chiba, armed with immense height, challenges the league's resumption

　Due to the impact of the Great East Japan Earthquake, the J-League schedule has also been changed. Today, we will resume the season and face JEF Chiba in the 8th section as the second match of this season. We will go away. After the first match against Tosu, there have been various changes in the team during the break. DF Jade NORTH has joined the team. MF Hashimoto, who belongs to U-18, has accompanied the top team. In addition to the end of suspension for Yonemoto, Konda, Kajiyama, and Takamatsu, who have been injured, have gradually returned.

　On the other hand, Pedro JUNIOR, Roberto CESAR, Ishikawa, and recently Hirayama, who broke his right leg, have joined. It is unfortunate that Hirayama, who was the mainstay of the front line, is out, but Coach Okuma and the players also emphasized the importance of fighting together, covering his absence and utilizing the characteristics of each player, in order to overcome Sota's frustration and fight.

　Chiba, on the other hand, has welcomed Dutch-born coach DWIGHT this season, as well as new signings such as 204cm tall FW MOTTRAM (Norway), MF MOTTRAM (Netherlands), and DF Talla NDAO. They play with a 4-2-3-1 formation, with a compact defense and counter-attacks led by FW MOTTRAM as their main weapon. It is important to be cautious of FW MOTTRAM, but also to control the second ball after a challenge and prevent Chiba's attacks from the second and third lines.

　A match between teams aiming for promotion to J1. It is expected to be a difficult game, as it is the first official match in a long time. However, it is important to not give up and persistently aim for the goal. The match started at 14:05 with the kickoff in Chiba at the Fukuda Denshi Arena, which was calm and sunny.

Tokyo Take On The Giants Of Chiba As League Restarts 

Following the Tohoku Earthquake, the J.League schedule had undergone major changes that meant Tokyo restarted their season with a trip to Chiba to take on Jef United in what should have been the 8th game of the year. During the break, Tokyo had made changes to the squad: defender Jade North arrived and U-18 midfielder Kento Hashimoto was promoted to the top team. Yonemoto had served his suspension while Gonda, Takamatsu, and Kajiyama returned from injury.
On the other hand, Pedro Junior, Roberto, and Ishikawa were missing while Hirayama was a long-term absentee with a fractured tibia. Hirayama's loss was keenly felt given his role as attacking lynch-pin. "He's obviously very frustrated, so to ease his disappointment we have to cover for his absence. Whoever plays in his place will have to make use of their own special ability and that's the most important thing," was the comment from his team-mates.
Opponents Jef United were led by a new manager, Dutchman Dwight Lodeweges, and featured three new signings, giant Norwegian striker Aaroy, Dutch midfielder Matt Lam, and defender Takeuchi. Jef lined up in a compact, counter-attacking 4-2-3-1 formation with the 2.04m Aaroy the target man. Obviously, Tokyo would need to guard the towering forward, but winning the second balls would be vital to prevent the Chiba midfield from pushing forward.
It was a fixture matching two teams with hopes of promotion to J1. The first competitive game for several weeks was expected to be difficult, but a positive approach and a tenacious spirit were most important. The hosts kicked off shortly after 2pm on a warm and sunny spring day.

Intense back-and-forth action continues with a fast-paced exchange.

　Tokyo has Murohara as the right full-back, Tokunaga as the defensive midfielder, Kajiyama as the attacking midfielder, and Takamatsu leading the front line. GK Konda, MF Kajiyama, Yonemoto, and FW Takamatsu are all making their first start of the season.

　The match was fiercely contested from the beginning, with both teams aggressively competing for the ball and quickly transitioning between offense and defense. The pace was high throughout. Chiba consistently played long balls towards FW Oroy, as expected, after winning the ball, but Tokyo responded by pushing up their defensive line. They maintained a compact formation and were able to connect their attacks.

　In the 6th minute, Mokuhara advanced and delivered a long early cross. Takamatsu from the far side attempted a header but couldn't connect properly. In the 7th minute, from a short counterattack, Yanzawa -> Suzuki crossed the ball into the goal area, but it narrowly missed Yanzawa. In the 14th minute, Chiba also had a chance as midfielder Mottram broke through on the right side, trying to create an opportunity, but Abe quickly returned and defended in combination with Imano. A cross was then sent in, but Mokuhara effectively contained Chiba's attacking line and prevented a shot.

　In the 28th minute, Suzuki in the center passed to Kajiyama in the left area. Kajiyama took a step forward and passed to the front, and Tanizawa timed his shot well. In the 37th minute, Suzuki on the right side received the ball from Yonemoto who picked up the second ball, and made a wide play with Abe who moved up on the left side. Tanizawa in front of the goal carefully adjusted the ball, but it was blocked by Chiba DF... Suzuki, Kajiyama, and Tanizawa created a "Tokyo-like style" through their combination play, but they were unable to score.

　A fierce attack and defense continued in the midfield, but in the 43rd minute, Yonemoto injured his knee, causing an accident that forced him to be substituted. As a result, Hayabusa was brought in as a defensive midfielder. In stoppage time, Chiba MF Yonekura made a sharp dribble and broke through the Tokyo DF, but the shot went wide, and both teams failed to capitalize on the chance, ending the first half scoreless.

Game Opens At Frantic Pace 

Tokyo lined up with Mukuhara at left back, Tokunaga in defensive midfield and Kajiyama playing just behind lone striker Takamatsu. Takamatsu, Yonemoto, Kajiyama and Gonda all made their first appearances of the season.
The game began at a frantic pace with a ferocious battle for possession. As expected, when Chiba won the ball they immediately played long balls towards Aaroy but the Tokyo defence dropped deeper and was able to deal with the threat. Tokyo maintained a compact formation and looked to pass their way forward.
In the 6th minute Mukuhara advanced down the left and hit an early cross that narrowly evaded Takamatsu at the far post. A minute later Yazawa and Suzuki combined on a short counter-attack with Yazawa inches away from reaching Suzuki's return pass in front of goal. Chiba's Matt Lam slipped through the Tokyo defence on the right in the 14th minute and raced down the flank but Abe showed great pace in tracking back and combined with Konno to quash the danger. Lam managed to cross but Mukuhara was able to clear ahead of the home attack.
In the 28th minute Suzuki fed Kajiyama on the left and the Tokyo midfielder picked out Yazawa with a fine pass. Yazawa met the ball with a well-timed shot but was unable to beat Okamoto in the Chiba goal. In the 37th minute Tokyo stretched the play with a sweeping move down the right after Yonemoto had pounced on a loose ball in midfield. Abe crossed and Yazawa connected again only for his effort to be blocked away by the home defence. Suzuki, Kajiyama and Yazawa combined neatly in a typical "Tokyo Style" to create openings but the breakthrough failed to materialise.
Yonemoto sustained a knee injury in the fierce battle for midfield control and was forced to leave the field in the 43rd minute, Hanyu taking his place. In additional time at the end of the first half Chiba midfielder Yonekura embarked on a solo run behind the Tokyo defence before shooting wide. Neither side had been able to conjure a decisive finish and the first period ended 0-0.

Conceded multiple goals in the final stages and couldn't capitalize on chances, resulting in defeat...

　In the second half, Tokyo substituted Suzuki with Roberto CESAR. There were high expectations for him to utilize his speed and seize the momentum. On the other hand, Chiba also brought in DF Mark Milligan as a center back.

　In the early stages of the second half, Tokyo took the initiative, and in the 55th minute, Tanizawa dived to head Abbe's left cross. In the 56th minute, Mokuhara's well-aimed short cross spilled, and Tanizawa ran freely and took a decisive shot, but... he couldn't find the target. In the 58th minute, Roberto CESAR competed for a left cross, and Mokuhara ran into the ball that spilled into the right area and took a shot, but it was weak and couldn't score.

　On the contrary, in the 67th minute, a decisive header by FW Aoki Takashi, who jumped out freely behind FW Oroi from Chiba's early cross, was missed and escaped from danger. In the 70th minute, Cesar, who dribbled, was fouled and obtained a free kick from just outside the right area. Morishige aimed directly by going around, but it slightly missed to the right. After that, both teams continued to attack each other, and a tense back-and-forth development ensued.

　In the 76th minute, Daichi was substituted for Takamatsu. Caio CESAR was brought to the front line, Yuu Hanyuu played as an attacking midfielder, and Kajiyama and Tokunaga moved to the defensive midfield to aim for a goal. However, immediately after that, Chiba DF Mark Milligan continuously threw in long throws, and in the 77th minute, they finally conceded a goal from a precise left throw to central FW Oroy.

　And with that, the tension broke, and in the 83rd minute, MF Yonekura was beaten by DF and lost the second goal. Still not giving up, Imano was brought up to the front line to counterattack. However, in the 89th minute, Imano dropped the cross, and Cesar ran into the left area from the central Kajiyama, but was blocked by Chiba DF. Then immediately after that, from Chiba FW Aoki's cross, FW Oroi stabbed it in with a header... Imano broke the absent DF line, and all hope was lost. Although the score did not reflect the content, they suffered a defeat without being able to break the bad flow.

　【Player Comments】《Tanizawa》"The reason for the loss was not being able to score the first goal. I really wanted to score it in the first half. I feel responsible, thinking that if I had scored... (Regarding the match against my former team), I didn't have any special awareness. No matter where the opponent is, I only think about my own play, our team's soccer, and I want to continue fighting for results in the future."《Suzuki》"Personally, I tried to exploit the opponent's blind spot as much as possible. I think we were able to fight with one priority as a team from the first half. However, I reflect on not being able to finish, and each individual needs to think about what is lacking to win in the future. We want to show our vertical driving force as a team. What's important is to switch to the next game. We can't afford to dwell on today's loss."

　[Summary of Coach Ooguma's Press Conference] "After Yonemoto got injured, the pressure in the midfield loosened a bit, and it cannot be simply attributed to the lack of finishing ability, but we allowed Chiba to gain momentum by not being able to score. We were keeping a high defensive line, and the first goal was difficult to prevent. However, I feel that if we had entrusted our bodies a little more and cleared the ball, it could have been avoided. We were able to cope with the flow of the game and corner kicks, but their accuracy, speed, and quality in throwing the ball with their hands were high. On the other hand, rather than that one goal, we couldn't score in the flow of the game, so we need to consider how to use Roberto CESAR and allocate roles. There were some positive aspects, but as a team, we need to bring out the good parts of CESAR and also include players who can take accurate free kicks and make minor adjustments to our offensive and defensive roles. We want to switch gears as a team and prepare for the next match."

　[Summary of Jeff Chiba Dwight's press conference] "At first, I think I was a little nervous. I wanted to prove what I could do at the stadium, but there may have been some stress. I couldn't effectively demonstrate what I had prepared and there was space between the defense line and midfield. In the second half, we were able to compact the distance between the lines and successfully took the ball. By putting in DF Mark Milligan, he was able to push up well. It was also significant that we were able to give clear instructions at halftime and regain control of the game. I think it was a game worthy of victory."

(Is the first goal the key point?) When I think about attacking, I also think about how to defend and where to steal the ball from. I think it starts from there. We couldn't do it well in the first half, but in the second half, the players defended well while giving information. Goals are born from there. We were playing worth three goals. Among the many fans who came, we were able to beat FC Tokyo, the strongest team in J2, and I think it was a good PR for the club."

Late Goals Cost Profligate Tokyo 

Tokyo replaced Suzuki with Roberto Cesar for the second half in an attempt to use his pace to gain control of the game. Chiba exchanged central defenders, replacing Ryota Aoki with Mark Milligan.
Tokyo seized the initiative as the second period began, creating a series of chances. In the 55th minute, Abe crossed from the left and Yazawa flung himself at the ball to make contact with a diving header. Moments later, a golden opportunity fell to Yazawa again as Mukuhara's short cross was deflected into his path in front of goal. Yazawa ran onto the ball and smashed it goalward but failed to hit the target. In the 58th minute, Roberto Cesar battled hard to win a cross from the left and the ball ran loose to Mukuhara on the right of the Chiba penalty area. Mukuhara struck first time but without power, another opening coming to nothing for the visitors.
Chiba were guilty of a glaring miss in the 67th minute as unmarked forward Kota Aoki directed an inviting early cross wide of the post. Roberto Cesar embarked on a powerful run forward in the 70th minute before he was felled in a promising position just outside the Chiba penalty area on the right. Morishige feinted to pass the resulting free kick but instead stroked the ball over the defensive wall and narrowly wide of the right-hand post. The game continued to ebb and flow as the nervous tension rose.
With just under 15 minutes to play, Tokyo replaced Takamatsu with Otake and altered the formation. Roberto Cesar led the attack with Hanyu playing off him, while Kajiyama dropped back into a deeper midfield position. Despite Tokyo's attacking intent, it was Chiba who took the lead. Substitute Mark Milligan launched consecutive long throws into the Tokyo area and from the second one, striker Aaroy rose to head past Gonda in the 77th minute.
Tokyo nerves frayed after conceding and in the 83rd minute, Yonekura raced behind the Tokyo defense to double the lead. Even so, the visitors refused to accept defeat, pushing Konno forward into the front line in an attempt to reduce the deficit. In the 89th minute, Konno knocked down a cross, Kajiyama moved the ball out to Cesar on the left of the area and the substitute lashed an attempt on goal. Once again, the Chiba defense blocked the effort away. Chiba launched an attack immediately and Aaroy was able to fill the space left by Konno, converting a cross from forward Aoki for the decisive third goal. While the scoreline didn't match the difference in quality of the teams, Tokyo were unable to stem the sudden change in the flow of the game and suffered their first defeat of the season.


Players' comments
Yazawa
"We lost because we didn't score first. We really wanted to score in the first half. If I had only taken my chances - I feel a strong sense of responsibility for it. I had no special feelings about returning to a former club, I just think about my game and the team regardless of the opponent. We want to pick up the results from now on".

Suzuki
"On a personal level I was aiming to get behind their defence. We managed to achieve that in the first half but the problem was that we didn't finish off the chances we made. Every one of us needs to think about what is lacking and what we need to win games. We need to have more forward momentum. What's important is to get over this defeat and bounce back in the next match".

FC Tokyo manager Okuma
"Yonemoto's injury led to a slight decrease in our midfield pressing and our lack of decisive finishing allowed Chiba to change the flow of the game. We kept a high line and although there wasn't much we could have done about the first goal perhaps if we had handed over marking duties better we could have cleared the ball. We defended well in open play and from set plays but it was a top quality throw, with speed and accuracy. More than that goal though we have to think about our failure to score and how best to use Roberto Cesar. There were some good aspects to our performance although we have to get the best from Cesar, bring in an accurate free kick taker and more clearly fine-tune the different roles in defence and attack. We want to come back strongly in the next match".

Jef United Chiba manager Dwight
"I think we were a little nervous to start with. We wanted to prove what we are capable of doing on the field so there was some stress. We're weren't really able to do what we'd prepared and left space between our midfield and defence. In the second half we kept a more compact shape, reduced the distance between the lines and won the ball well. We sent on Mark Mulligan and he was able to drive us forward. The team followed the instructions we gave at half time and we were able to regain control of the match. This is a very valuable win.
Was the first goal the key point? When I think about attack I think about how we defend and where we win the ball - it starts from there, I believe. We couldn't manage that in the first half but with more information at half time the players defended well in the second half. That's where the goals came from. I thought our performance merited three goals. A lot of fans turned up today so to beat the strongest team in J2 is great publicity for the club".