Cover the absence of injured players with fresh energy and secure a victory at home.

　On May 22 (Sun), in the 13th round as the 7th league match, Shonan Bellmare will face off against the opponent. In the match against Kusatsu, they took the lead with a penalty kick but suffered a painful comeback defeat. At the same time, Takamatsu left the team. The team continues to face difficulties with successive injuries. However, the team does not look down and is trying to overcome the difficult situation by uniting as one, including fresh power. Due to the absence of Hirayama and Takamatsu, the team has slightly changed their way of playing and also conducted training focusing on defensive play from the front and connecting passes to create opportunities.

　Shonan, on the other hand, is currently in 4th place with 3 wins, 2 draws, and 1 loss. In the last 3 matches, they have only scored 2 goals, so it can't be said that their attacking power is high. However, they have a well-balanced game, especially with MF Azier as the playmaker, FW Maki as the target man, and energetic FW Takayama as the second striker. In the previous match, they started to gain momentum by scoring a goal from the attacking run of central midfielder Nagaki. They also have confidence that they can win if the game develops into a low-scoring match. In order to break through that, they want to grasp the rhythm of the match from the beginning and score the opening goal.

　Tokyo, Tanabe started as left MF for the first time this season. Roberto CESAR also started for the first time in three games. Nakamura played as left fullback, Tokunaga and Kajiyama formed a double pivot in midfield, Suzuki on the right side, and U in the attacking midfield position. The weather suddenly changed in the afternoon, and Ajinomoto Stadium was occasionally hit by heavy rain. The match started with Tokyo's kickoff at 16:04.

Injury-hit Tokyo Call On Fresh Legs 

Shonan Bellmare were the visitors to Ajinomoto Stadium for the 7th game of the year, in what should have been the 13th fixture. In the previous outing, against Thespa Kusatsu, Tokyo had been hit by the double blow of losing an early lead and slumping to defeat, while striker Takamatsu suffered a fractured tibia and would be out of action for at least three months. Although the injuries continued to mount there was no reason for the side to be downhearted as fresh reinforcements were called into the squad. Missing the height of Takamatsu and Hirayama in attack, Tokyo were forced to alter their approach with emphasis on pressing from the front and a short passing game in training.
Opponents Shonan sat in 4th place in the league at kick off with a W3 D2 L1 record. With only 2 goals scored in their previous three games the side was far from prolific but had begun to develop a team balance centered on midfield game-maker Adiel, the hold-up play of striker Maki and the hard-running of fellow forward Takayama. Defensive midfielder Nagaki had chipped in with a goal in their last outing as the team showed signs of finding some momentum in J2. Defensive solidity had been the key to success so far with only two goals conceded, so it was vital that Tokyo begin strongly and score first.
Tanabe made his first start of the season on the left of midfield while Roberto Cesar returned for the first time in three games. Nakamura appeared at left back, Tokunaga and Kajiyama teamed up in central midfield, Suzuki played on the right and Hanyu slotted in behind Cesar in the withdrawn striker position.
The hot, summery conditions of the morning gave way to a storm front that brought torrential rain and a fierce wind. Tokyo kicked off shortly after 4pm.

Lightning fast! Roberto CESAR scores the first goal!!

　The game started with a lot of movement. In the 1st minute, starting from Morishige, Roberto CESAR broke free on a pass sent by Tanabe to the front line and crossed the ball. It was cleared once, but Kajiyama picked up the loose ball and won a throw-in. Tanabe received this right throw-in and sent it to Mokuhara in front, who turned around and carried it forward to the center. Roberto CESAR, who was free, directly shot with his left foot and scored a goal in the bottom left corner! CESAR's lightning-fast first goal gave the team the lead.

　After that, they continued to press from the front, stole the ball, connected passes, and approached the Shonan goal. In the 8th minute, Suzuki chased after the ball on the right side and stole it from the opposing defender's clearance. From there, Mokuhara sent the ball to the center, and Hayu aimed for a precise shot. He hit it just inside the right upper corner, but it was saved by the goalkeeper. In the 22nd minute, Cesar used his right foot, and in the 25th minute, Tanabe passed to Kajiyama, who had run forward. Kajiyama evaded the opposing defender's tackle and took a shot.

　On the other hand, in the 15th minute, FW Takayama entered the area for Shonan, but escaped with a CK due to Morishige's sliding. From this CK, DF Usui took a shot, but it was blocked by Tokyo DF. In the 38th minute, a counterattack was received, and a shot was taken by DF Ishigami from the loose ball, but Konda made a save. Safely holding back, and also creating an attacking shape with intentional positioning from players like Hayu, Tanabe, and Suzuki. However, they were unable to score an additional goal due to the save by Shonan GK, and the first half ended with a score of 1-0.

Cesar Bags First For Tokyo In Lightning Start 

The game burst into life in the very first minute. Morishige brought the ball out of defence, Tanabe picked out Cesar unmarked on the right and the Brazilian curled a challenging cross into the Shonan penalty area. The visitors cleared the ball out for a throw in but then failed to mark up correctly, allowing Tanabe to find Mukuhara. Mukuhara took the ball on and slipped it inside to Kajiyama who turned past a defender, burst into the penalty area and cut the ball back to Cesar, alone and in acres of space. Cesar struck the ball first-time, low and hard, and although Nishibe made faint contact with his fingertips he was unable to prevent it nestling inside the far post. Cesar's first goal for the club had given Tokyo the lead with less than a minute on the clock.
Tokyo continued to press hard from the front, settled into a passing rhythm and threatened the Shonan goal. In the 8th minute, Suzuki chased a long ball down the right channel then pressured a defender into losing possession. Mukuhara played the ball infield to Hanyu who unleashed a thunderous drive that was headed for the top corner until a fine fingertip save from Nishibe turned the ball around the post. In the 22nd minute, Cesar cut inside from the left and drew a save with a right-footed shot while Tanabe picked out Kajiyama with a neat through ball in the 25th. Kajiyama evaded a defender and shot but was unable to beat Nishibe.
Shonan threatened briefly in the 15th minute through forward Takayama's burst into the Tokyo area until Morishige's sliding tackle took the ball out for a corner. Defender Usui shot from the edge of the penalty area but the home defence blocked his effort away. The visitors countered in the 38th minute, defender Ishigami drawing a good save from Gonda with a raking drive. Following that moment of danger, Tanabe, Hanyu and Suzuki showed great fluidity of movement in attack but Tokyo were unable to find the net again and the first half finished 1-0.

Missed chances for additional points, resulting in a draw against Shonan's tenacity...

　In the second half, Shonan tried to recover and came out with momentum in the early stages. In the 47th minute, right fullback Usui dribbled up and forward, and forward Maki took a direct shot from a pass to the center. In the 59th minute, a shot was taken by left midfielder Sakamoto, who found a course from the ball dropped by forward Maki, but Kanda escaped the pinch with a one-handed save. They maintained a solid defense against Shonan's momentum and did not let them establish a rhythm.

　However, in the 65th minute, Shonan substituted two top players and introduced fresh players to the front line. Tokyo also substituted Tanabe for Tanihara in the 72nd minute. However, the precision of the last play was not enough, and the game was in a back and forth situation. In the 78th minute, with chances for both teams, Shonan connected passes and entered Tokyo's territory. A sharp cross was sent from the right full-back Usui, and FW Nakamura jumped in at the perfect timing in the center... and scored a header to equalize the score.

　In the 79th minute, Otake was substituted for Hanyu. We tried to launch a thick attack to aim for a lead, but we couldn't take advantage of the chance from the corner kick obtained in the final stage. In the 87th minute, Kajiyama pushed into the Shonan territory from the development power and Suzuki in front of the area aimed for a middle shot, but it curved to the left. We tried to create an intentional attack by passing the ball, but we couldn't score an additional point until the end. It ended in a draw at home.

　【Player Comments】《Roberto CESAR》"(About the goal) I aimed for a controlled shot because the pitch was slippery. I'm happy to contribute with a goal as I've been wanting to score, but my main goal is victory. So, the result of a draw is disappointing. I want to work hard to score and strive for victory."《Tanabe》"I wanted to contribute by playing my usual game without putting too much pressure on myself. I think I was able to create rhythm from passes, but I have room for improvement and reflection on my shots and final passes after moving up to the front line. I need to practice more. I want to raise awareness for shooting and enhance everyone's common understanding to make decisive plays."

　[Summary of Coach Okuma's Press Conference] "There have been multiple injuries to midfield and forward players, and we have been experimenting with different approaches. However, Cesar's condition has improved and we have been able to clearly establish the direction we will take. The team has shown resilience and there have been many positive aspects. We need to reevaluate our approach, including player substitutions, to prevent conceding goals. Additionally, we have been able to create opportunities but have struggled to convert them. We want to pursue both individual decision-making skills and team collaboration. (Regarding Tanabe's utilization) It was a key point today. There were signs of improvement and quick defensive transitions. That was a significant gain. Moving forward, we want to incorporate him into the team in a suitable position. Although he is young, we hope he approaches it with a mindset of becoming a key player."

　(The cause of not being able to score chances?) The direction is becoming clear, such as the quality of crosses and the way to get into the final position. It is necessary to grow in terms of accuracy, quantity, and quality, and I think patience is necessary. (Advantageous to play on a rainy pitch?) There are many players of that type, but their physical strength to carry it through and the number of passes to the back have decreased. It became just passing the ball, and there were parts where players like Hayu, Cesar, and Tatsuya should have gone out to the space and connected as they did in the early stages, but it became slower and there were also parts where they were satisfied with having the ball. I felt that we need to consider the stamina to continue playing soccer to score the second goal in that rhythm for 90 minutes and make substitutions.

　[Summary of Shonan - Manager Hanamachi Press Conference] "Although it was an away game, many supporters gathered and supported us even after being scored against. I am grateful to the supporters. FC Tokyo has been able to score points from throw-ins in the past, which is a characteristic of theirs. When we tried to suppress that, it didn't work out well, and that was my mistake. However, after Tokyo took the lead, they may have played more safely. I want to commend them for being able to have an equal fight. In the second half, they continued to push forward without stopping. In the rain, we were able to win even the 50-50 balls and it was a good game. We wanted to turn the game around if possible, but Tokyo is a team with high-quality players, so we are satisfied with catching up. The 1 point we gained today is valuable to us."

Tokyo Rue Missed Chances As Shonan Grab Equaliser 

The visitors regrouped at half time and fought back strongly as the second half opened. In the 47th minute, right back Usui raced forward and set up Maki for a shooting opportunity, while Sakamoto drew a superb one-handed save from Gonda in the 59th minute after Maki neatly knocked the ball down into his path. Tokyo defended solidly against the newly resurgent visitors but were struggling to regain their rhythm.
Shonan replaced their front pair in the 65th minute while Tokyo responded by sending on Yazawa for Tanabe in the 72nd. The home side failed to find any accuracy with the final ball and the game ebbed and flowed until the 78th minute when the visitors constructed a passing move down the right. Right back Usui curled a tempting cross into the Tokyo area where substitute Nakamura flung himself between two defenders to power a header past Gonda and tie the score.
Otake replaced Hanyu in the 79th minute as Tokyo sought to add weight to the front line in the search for another goal. Tokyo failed to take advantage of a late corner and Suzuki lashed a low drive narrowly wide following good work from Kajiyama in the 87th minute. The home side moved the ball around with intent but the Shonan defence remained impervious and the game ended in a 1-1 draw.


Players' comments
Roberto Cesar
"The pitch was very slippery so when the ball came to me I was focusing on controlling the shot. I had wanted to contribute with goals so I'm happy but winning is the most important thing. It's disappointing that we could only draw the game. I want to score goals that win games for us in the future".

Tanabe
"I didn't want to get too worked up and just wanted to contribute by playing my usual game. I thought we created a rhythm through our passing but the issues of shooting and the accuracy of the final ball still remain. We have to practice more, particularly shooting, and I have to work harder to improve my understanding of how to create decisive openings with my teammates".

FC Tokyo manager Kiyoshi Okuma
"We've lost midfielders and forwards to injury one after another so it's been a case of trial and error to find the right direction to take. However, Cesar has regained his fitness and I think we showed the direction we should be moving in today. The team showed great tenacity again and we can take a lot of positives from the game. The goal we conceded shows we have to organize our approach, including the use of substitutions. We made several chances again but didn't put them away. We have to search for a way to improve our finishing, both individually and collectively.
Tanabe's performance was an important point today. He showed promise for the future and the way we quickly switched over from defence to attack bodes well. It's a question of how to fit him into the team from now on. He's still young but I believe he's going to become a central player.
Why can't we convert our chances? Well, I think we saw the direction we should be taking in the quality of our crossing and the way we got players forward today. We need to improve our quality and we need to persevere, I think.
Was the wet pitch to our advantage? We have several players who favour those conditions but we lack some physical strength and didn't play enough passes behind their defence. We passed the ball around a lot and that was satisfying but were a little slow in getting forward into space. We have to think about how to maintain that rhythm for 90 minutes, considering the players stamina and the substitutions, as we aim to score a second goal".


Shonan Bellmare manager Sorimachi
"I'd like to thank our fans for making the trip to support the team today and for the great boost they gave us after we fell behind. Scoring from throw-ins is one of FC Tokyo's specialties so we had wanted to restrict them but it didn't work and I have to accept the blame for that. After they took the lead they played it safe I felt, and the game was fairly even. We didn't let up in the second half, kept pushing forward, won a lot of the ball and played a good game. We had wanted to get the winner but Tokyo is a top quality team with top quality players so finishing the game on level terms is a good result. This is an important point for us".