Tokyo Decisive Battle with Unbeatable Verdy

　Sec. 10 of the J2 League will be held as an away game against Tokyo Verdy at Ajinomoto Stadium. The previous match ended in a scoreless draw, and the team has been unable to score in the last two matches. It's not that they haven't been able to create chances. They have also had control of the game for a long time, but Coach Okuma reflects, "We are taking too much time and closing the spaces. If we don't improve the quality of our decision-making, we won't increase our certainty."

　Therefore, in practice, we made small adjustments and used Hayu on the side. Following Hirayama and Yonemoto, Roberto CESAR also left the team, and the team situation can be said to be difficult. However, we continued to try in a midfield formation that is close to a diamond, with Tokunaga playing as a one-man anchor and Kajiyama playing as a top midfielder. Roberto CESAR started again in the previous match. He formed a two-top with Takamatsu and faced the game with Suzuki on the right side and Hayu on the left.

　Verdy, who finished 5th in last season's J2, is our rival based in Tokyo. However, they haven't been performing well this season with 3 consecutive losses. Nevertheless, their aggressive and speedy attack, led by FW Kawano, is powerful. In this match, sharp FW Hirashige will start. Additionally, midfielders Sasaki, Kobayashi, and Kikuoka have high technical skills and can calmly connect the play.

　We want to press in the midfield as much as possible and prevent Verdy from bringing the ball to the front line. We want to maintain a quick transition, increase awareness towards the goal, exploit the gaps in Verdy's defense, and take the victory. The crucial match, which cannot be lost, started with Verdy's kickoff at 15:04 in the sunny Ajista, where it was warm enough to sweat.

Tokyo Take On Verdy In Capital Clash 

FC Tokyo were back at Ajinomoto Stadium for the 10th game of the season but this time as the away team as they faced up to Tokyo Verdy. Tokyo had failed to find the net in their previous two outings despite dominating the games for lengthy spells and creating a reasonable number of chances. Manager Kiyoshi Okuma commented, "We take too long in the build-up and that denies us space. If we can't improve the quality of our decision-making we won't increase the number of clear-cut chances we create". Tokyo worked on fine-tuning the team in training, employing Hanyu on the wing. With Hirayama, Yonemoto and Roberto all injured, Tokyo practiced with a diamond midfield featuring Tokunaga as midfield anchor and Kajiyama behind the two strikers. Roberto Cesar made his second consecutive start alongside Takamatsu in attack with Suzuki on the right and Hanyu on the left of midfield.
Opponents Verdy had finished 5th in J2 last season. The side, also based in the capital city, were expected to be promotion rivals but had made a disastrous start to the year, losing all three games so far. However, the aggression of forward Kawano and darting runs of his strike partner Hirashige carried some threat in a pacy attack. Coupled with the ball-playing ability of midfielders Saeki, Kobayashi and Kikuoka, it meant that Tokyo would need to press hard in midfield to deny the front pair any service. Swiftly turning defence into attack would be the key to exploiting space left by Verdy defenders who frequently pushed forward.
A bumper Bank Holiday crowd of nearly 29,000 created a carnival atmosphere as they basked in the sunshine on a warm afternoon. Tokyo Verdy kicked off the "unloseable" game shortly after 3pm.

Missed early chances, gradually dominated by Verdy

　Both teams showed their fighting spirit from the start, and there was intense competition. In the midst of that, they launched quick attacks, and in the 3rd minute, Kajiyama and Hayashi connected with fast passes in front of the opponent's goal. Kajiyama then jumped into the area in response to the loose ball from the defender's clearance. It became a situation similar to a 1-on-1 with the GK, but the opponent's GK made a great play, resulting in a corner kick.

　In the 6th minute, Imakano → Abe goes up and crosses. Takamatsu jumps into the center and tries to create a shape from a quick development, but the diving header is not finished and goes outside the frame. In the 15th minute, a starting point is created on the right side, and Hayashi tries to score a middle shot by filling in the loose pass to the center. However, it was not possible to take it here, and gradually the rhythm is with Verdy. They connect passes quickly and thoroughly target the back of Tokyo DF, aiming for FW Hirashige.

　However, Tokyo DF, centered around Morishige, also demonstrated their strength. In the 17th minute, FW Kono took a shot from the rebound, but Gonda made a save in front of the goal. In the 28th minute, FW HiraShige came down the pitch and FW HiraMoto came in. Immediately after, Tokyo lost the ball while attacking, and Verdy countered. FW HiraMoto dribbled into the area, but Morishige, who had covered, held him firmly.

　Against Verdy's speedy attack, we were focused on defending, but we made mistakes when trying to move forward after stealing the ball, leading to another counterattack. There were scenes where Roberto CESAR was targeted and the ball was stolen, and we were pushed back. Our defensive line started to drop, and we couldn't create many chances, ending the first half.

Tokyo Miss Early Chances Before Verdy Slowly Dominate 

The opening exchanges were as fierce and frenetic as expected, with possession frequently changing hands. In the 3rd minute, Hanyu and Kajiyama exchanged rapid-fire passes on the edge of the Verdy area before a loose clearance fell to Kajiyama who bore down on Doi in the Verdy goal. Kajiyama shot but Doi produced a fine save to turn the ball around the post for a corner.
In the 6th minute, Konno found Abe and the young Tokyo side curled an early cross into the Verdy area that narrowly evaded Takamatsu's diving lunge. In the 15th minute, Tokyo crafted a move down the right and when an infield pass was deflected into his path, Hanyu let fly from middle range. With Tokyo unable to make their early chances count, Verdy slowly began to find their rhythm through some brisk pass-work while Hirashige attempted to run in behind the visitors' defense.
However, with Morishige leading the line, the Tokyo defense showed its strength. In the 17th minute, Gonda comfortably held Kawano's blast from outside the area. In the 28th minute, Verdy replaced Hirashige with forward Hiramoto. Moments later, Verdy stole the ball as Tokyo pushed forward and launched a counter attack, Hiramoto dribbling into the Tokyo area. Morishige was on hand to provide defensive cover and clear the danger.
The Tokyo defense was coping well with Verdy's pacy attack but possession was soon lost again in midfield, allowing the home side to counter attack. Verdy were clearly focused on preventing the ball from reaching Roberto Cesar and intercepted several passes to the striker, increasing the pressure as the first half drew to a close. The Tokyo line began to sink deeper, unable to create much in attack. The first period finished 0-0.

Roberto CESAR was sent off, but even with 10 players, they tried to grasp the rhythm and aim for victory...

　It was a second half where we wanted to calm down and regroup, but in the 54th minute, Tokyo launched a counterattack and Roberto CESAR dribbled the ball. He tried to pass the Verdy DF but fell down, resulting in a foul. He received his second yellow card and was sent off... We were forced to play with 10 men, and in the 59th minute, Tanizawa was substituted for Takamatsu on the side. Suzuki led the team in a formation aiming for chances. However, despite being at a numerical disadvantage, Tokyo started to apply pressure from the front, and the rhythm shifted to Tokyo's side.

　In the 68th minute, Pedro JUNIOR was brought on to the front line instead of Hayu. In the 71st minute, Kajiyama → Pedro JUNIOR skillfully kept the ball and Suzuki took a shot from the back. In the 72nd minute, Tanizawa received an early cross from the right side and shot the ball into the net from the left area, but there was a handball foul during the trapping stage, so it was disallowed.

　Riding on the momentum of the stand's comeback mood, they launched a fierce attack, but Pedro JUNIOR's header from Murahara's cross in the 78th minute went wide. In the 81st minute, they connected passes from the defense line, Suzuki to Abe, with a floating ball inside the area. Pedro JUNIOR skillfully tried to control it and bring it to a shot, but it was cleared at the last moment and resulted in a left corner kick. From this left corner kick, Imakano from the right area took a shot, but it was saved by the goalkeeper... In the 90th minute, Kajiyama hit a header from Morishige's cross, but a foul was called in front of the goal.

　In the 4th minute of injury time, Verdy GK Doi was injured. Since all substitution slots had been used, FW Hiramoto took on the role of GK. However, they were unable to capitalize on the chance from the subsequent corner kick. Despite being numerically behind, they showed a strong attitude towards victory and did not give up. However, once again, they ended up with no goals and settled for a second consecutive draw. They only managed to gain 1 point from the draw.

　[Player Comment] "In the first half, Verdy had possession of the ball, but I didn't feel like we were being overwhelmed. Especially in the early stages, we had chances as well, and if we had scored there, the game would have taken a different turn, including myself. We played thinking about what we should do, but we couldn't bring the ball to the attacking third or finish well as a team. After we became 10 men, our mindset changed and we were able to pass the ball and have more time for ourselves. We can consider that as a positive. Of course, we have to reflect on the result, but the fact that we were able to show a winning attitude even with 10 men and that we were able to show our emotions more than in the previous match, isn't that a positive thing?"

　"In the first half, we let the flow slip away, but there will always be moments in the game when it's the opponent's time. It was longer than usual, but we were still able to keep a clean sheet. The next challenge is how quickly we can regain the momentum. We have to keep working towards that. With Cesar being sent off, I thought I should run for two people, and I think everyone's intensity also increased."

　[Summary of Coach Okuma's Press Conference] "In the first half, we couldn't find our rhythm as the opponent had possession of the ball, but we showed great patience as a team during that time. However, we couldn't get the ball to our front two in the attack, and we aimed to play through Hanyu and send the ball behind the defense, but it didn't quite work out for Takamatsu either. We couldn't establish a high starting position."

　Kajiyama rushed too much. He should have been conscious of using Takamatsu and Hanyu while connecting. In the second half, the situation became such that player substitutions as a game plan could not be made due to the expulsion of a player, but even in that situation, we were able to show our determination to score a goal. However, it is necessary to show the feeling of "forward" like in the second half from the first half, including passing the ball a little more.

　(About Kajiyama) He has been working hard since early spring, but after injuring his calf once, he doesn't feel his best. In fact, in the first half, there was a lack of simplicity, and the trust and positioning in the ball exchange with Tokunaga were not smooth due to Yonemoto's injury. Still, in the prolonged game, the fact that he can play as well as he did in the second half is proof of his potential. It is not just Kajiyama alone, but we need to examine his relationship with others as well.

　(About ZAGO) He is saying to consciously keep ZAGO in mind, but we also need to verify whether he is moving in a situation where he can pass. This is not only up to him alone, but we also need to consider the positioning of the people nearby in the future."

　[Verdy Kawakatsu's press conference summary] "In the past two matches, we had possession but lacked awareness in terms of penetrating and breaking through. We saw that Tokyo's defensive line is vulnerable, so today we tried to quickly put the ball in from the midfield. We started the first half well and targeted the opponent's left side, which was a weak point in their defense. We wanted to exploit that because their cover was also weak. We were able to do that, but we wanted to score in the first half."

　(Specifically, the left side target?) It seemed that the relationship between the final line of four in Tokyo was not going well. Imano is concerned about the left side, but there is a gap between Morishige and Imano. When the ball is put on the left, the center becomes empty. FW Hiraishi often attacked there, and usually instructs FW Hiramoto to widen a little more. MF Inoue is marking on the side and can also win aerial battles. By putting the ball there, Imano is pulled out. It seemed that there was not much awareness of the space behind the defensive midfielder today, so I wanted to use the center while showing the side. That was possible in the first half. I wanted to continue in the second half and delay the pace a little more, but we were too careful and entered the center too much, and the opponent had a player sent off, which made our movements smaller.

　FW Kono was free a few times and wanted to start from there, but the center was also thin, so I couldn't break through the small number of opponents by simply going vertically. If the team had a little more room, they could have pulled out the opponent while using the outside more and added numbers to the attack to create variations, but they couldn't take advantage of the one-man advantage. In the second half, it felt like we were helping the opponent. The team doesn't have the luxury of no points. It was a game of gradually remembering things like speeding up and simply heading towards the goal..."

Ten-man Tokyo Find Rhythm

Tokyo needed to calmly regroup as the second half opened but were soon reduced to ten men as Roberto Cesar was shown a second yellow card for fouling a Verdy defender as Tokyo broke forward on a counter attack in the 54th minute. Yazawa replaced Takamatsu in the 59th minute and played on the flank, with Suzuki pushed forward into attack. Despite being at a numerical disadvantage Tokyo began to press hard from the front and soon found a rhythm.
In the 68th minute Pedro Junior replaced Hanyu and moved into the front line. In the 71st minute Kajiyama picked out Pedro Junior, who held the ball up skillfully, before laying it off to Suzuki who shot from middle distance. Tokyo managed to put the ball in the net in the 72nd minute as Yazawa fired an early cross past Doi but the goal was disallowed for handball.
Roared forward by the crowd Tokyo attacked in waves, Pedro Junior heading Mukuhara's cross narrowly wide in the 78th minute. In the 81st minute Tokyo passed the ball across the backline before Suzuki found Abe, who floated a pass forward to the edge of the Verdy area where Pedro Junior neatly controlled the ball and shaped to shoot. Before he could pull the trigger though a Verdy defender whipped the ball off his toe and out for a corner. From the resulting corner Konno cracked a shot on target from the right side of the area but Doi made the save. Kajiyama made contact with Morishige's cross in the 90th minute but again a foul was called.
Verdy keeper Doi suffered an injury in additional time and was forced to leave the field. Having used all three substitutes forward Hiramoto went in goal for the final couple of minutes. Tokyo won a corner after the change but were unable to put the substitute keeper under pressure and the match finished in a 0-0 draw. Tokyo had shown admirable tenacity to play with ten men for 40 minutes and still come close to snatching a win, yet the result was a second consecutive scoreless game and a single point earned.


Players' comments
Hanyu
"We allowed Verdy to have a lot of the ball in the first half but I didn't feel that they really put us under much pressure. Particularly in the early stages we made a few chances and if we could have put one away then the game might have been very different. We were thinking hard about what we should be doing but couldn't really bring the ball forward well or end moves with an attempt on goal. Going down to ten men forced us to change our approach completely and after that we were able to move the ball around and enjoy a lot of possession. We have to think of that as a plus to take from the game. Of course, we have to look at the result but even after we were a man down we showed a positive commitment to win the game and greater desire than in the last match, which is another bonus for the team".

Abe
"We took control in the first half but in all games there's going to be some time where the opposition are on top. Even though that was longer than usual today we were still able to keep a clean sheet. There isn't much time before the next game now so it's a question of us recovering quickly. After Cesar was sent off, I felt that I had to run twice as hard, and the team raised its work rate to cope with his absence."

FC Tokyo manager Kiyoshi Okuma
"Although we allowed them to have a lot of the ball in the first half and couldn't find a rhythm we stood firm when we needed to. We couldn't get the ball up to our strikers and when we used Hanyu to try to play Takamatsu in behind their defence we couldn't get the ball through to him. We couldn't start from a position high up the field. One cause of that was Kajiyama being in too much of a hurry. He should have been aware that we were trying to move the ball around and bring Hanyu and Takamatsu into play. With the sending off our game plan and substitute planning went out of the window but we showed great desire in the way we went for a goal. I think we needed to have shown more of that desire in the first half.
What about Kajiyama? He's been working very hard since the beginning of spring to shake off a calf injury and still isn't at his best yet. In the first half perhaps he needed to keep it simpler and the injury to Yonemoto means that his new partnership with Tokunaga isn't as smooth as it could be yet, in terms of reliability in movement and positioning. Even so, his performance in the second half was proof of his potential.
As for the sending off Cesar is saying that the defender deliberately put himself in his field of vision but I'll have to look at it again to see if he was moving when the pass was hit. Again, it's not only him but the other players around whose positioning we will have to look at".

Tokyo Verdy manager Kawakatsu
"In our last two games we've enjoyed a lot of possession but we've had trouble getting through and behind the opposition defence. Tokyo's defensive line seemed brittle so we decided to try and move the ball forward quickly from midfield today. We managed to get forward in the first half, particularly along their left side where the cover was thin. We really wanted to score in the first half.
Why did we target their left side? It seemed that their back four weren't working together smoothly. Konno was being drawn over to the left and that was leaving some space between him and Morishige that we felt we could exploit. Hirashige was able to make some use of it and Hiramoto was also playing wider than usual. Midfielder Inoue was pushed out wide and was winning the aerial battle. The idea was to lure Konno out to the left. It looked as though we weren't focusing on the space behind the defensive midfielder today and instead were concentrating on the left flank but in fact we wanted to come through the middle. We were able to achieve that in the first half. We continued in the second half but were a little too cautious, slowed the pace too early and came inside too much. Then they had a man sent off and our movement slowed right down.
Forward Kawano found himself in space a few times and we wanted to build from there but the support in the middle was lacking so we ended up hitting the ball straight which played into Tokyo's hands, making it easier for them to defend. If we'd had a little more composure we could have drawn them out by using the wings, added more bodies to the attack and shown some variation in our approach. As it was, we didn't make the best use of the man advantage. I felt we let them off the hook in the second half. We haven't won yet and have no room for manoeuvre. We have to remember how to speed up the play and attack with simplicity".