Overcoming the difficult away game, aiming for consecutive victories

　Sec. 28 of the league, we will play against Ehime FC away. In the previous match against Kyoto, we had a great victory with a total of 6 goals, including a hat-trick by Lucas. We want to continue this momentum, but currently we are struggling with 2 consecutive away game losses. However, Coach Okuma says, "It may be the first time playing at this stadium and on an unfamiliar pitch, but what we need is a tenacious and persistent fight, even if it's a tough one. Even if the opponent has studied us, we want to show changes as a team. We want to fight the remaining 14 matches thoroughly and win."

　Ehime, who is facing us, is currently in 10th place with 34 points. As they were troubled at home in the first half, Ehime's strengths lie in pressing from the front line, energetic counterattacks, and passing. Furthermore, with the addition of defender Ono and the return of forward Fukuda from injury, their game management has become more stable, and they have been in good form with no losses in the last 6 matches since their defeat against Mito on July 31st. We need to be cautious of Fukuda's post-play, attacks with height starting from forward Jojimar, and midfielder Saito's bold dribbling.

　Tokyo, Kanda is absent due to the activities of the U-22 Japan national team. The starting lineup remains unchanged from the previous match. In the attack, Lucas has been the focal point recently, creating chances. Furthermore, Coach Okuma aims to "increase the probability of breaking through by crossing the defensive line and opponents without hesitation, even if they are drawn back. If that happens, it will lead to another step up and confidence." Therefore, the side attack is expected to be the key in this match.

　Hanyu said, "I think the team's base, such as how to carry the ball and positioning, has been formed. In the future, we will focus on breaking through in the attacking third, being intense in the ball contest and not losing in running, and also surpassing with a "fighting" spirit to steadily accumulate points." It seems that the team has also grasped the sense of evolution. It will be a match where we want to overcome the weakness against away games and gain confidence with 3 points. The match started at 18:04 in Tokyo's kickoff at Ningineer Stadium after the rain.

Tokyo Take Aim At Awkward Ehime

For the 28th game of the season, Tokyo traveled to Ehime on the southern island of Shikoku. Buoyed by Lucas' hat trick in the 6-1 demolition of Kyoto in the previous outing, the side was looking to erase memories of two consecutive losses in the most recent away games. Manager Kiyoshi Okuma commented, "It's our first visit to the stadium and we're obviously not used to the pitch so what we need is a gritty and tenacious display. Even though we'll have been analyzed by the opposition, we need to show variety in our play. We want to keep it tight and win the remaining 14 games."
Opponents Ehime lay in 10th place with 34 points at kick-off. In the reverse fixture, played at Komazawa earlier in the season, Ehime had caused Tokyo various problems with their pressing from the front, dynamic bursts forward, and neat passing game. The side had been strengthened since then by the acquisition of defender Ono and the return from injury of striker Fukuda, and was unbeaten in six games since a loss to Mito on July 31st. The team had a steady, stable approach with the hold-up play of Fukuda and the height of Josimar the main threat, ably supported by the deft dribbling of midfielder Saito.
Tokyo were missing goalkeeper Gonda due to Japan U-22 commitments but were otherwise unchanged. In attack, with Lucas as the chief instigator, the side had begun to create chances again. Regarding the role of the sidebacks, the manager commented, "Even if the opposition sit deeply, we can increase our chances of opening them up by getting behind their defense. If we can achieve that, then it will take us up to the next level and increase the confidence of the team." Dominating the flanks was seen as vital in deciding the outcome of the game.
Hanyu commented, "With the way we move the ball and our positioning, I feel the basics of the team are there. After that, we need to focus on pulling our opponents apart in the final third, outrunning them, and being more aggressive in our approach to the ball; if we can manage those things, then the points will pile up." Tokyo entered a tricky away fixture against an awkward opponent aiming to see the team evolve further and to earn what would be a morale-boosting win.
The rain had abated as the visitors kicked off shortly after 6pm on a warm evening in the Ninjineer Stadium.

Tanabe and Konno score goals! Leading by 2 points, the first half ends.

　In the first half, the team struggled on a pitch with puddles due to the rain. In the 9th minute, Ehime FW Jojimar's shot hit the post, and left MF Saito dribbled through the center. Unable to stop this, he took a decisive shot from inside the box. However, the ball grazed the bottom of the left post and went out of bounds. Tokyo gradually started to connect passes and move the ball forward, creating opportunities by playing it to forward Lucas and building from there, finding their rhythm.

　In the 28th minute, Tanizawa, who received a through ball on the right side, skillfully turned the opponent's defender and passed it to Lucas, who was free on the outside. Lucas' early cross went past Hayu in front of the goal and flowed into the left area, but Tanabe, who timed his run well from the far side, calmly slotted it into the goal. Tanabe, who also scored in the home game against Ehime, opened the scoring.

　In the latter part of the first half, Ehime, who was facing a counterattack, launched a powerful attack, but they were able to hold them back without losing focus, with GK Shioda at the center. On the other hand, in the 45th minute, left fullback Maeno of Ehime received his second warning of the day and was sent off for a foul against Tanizawa. From the resulting free kick, Makoto Imano marked his first goal of the season with a diving header in injury time, widening the lead as they headed into the second half.

Tanabe And Konno Give Tokyo First Half Lead

The heavy rain prior to kick off had left puddles on the field, causing problems for both sides in the opening minutes. In the 9th minute, Ehime forward Josimar held the ball up and midfielder Saito made a run from deep before unleashing a drive that beat Shiota, then struck the left post before rebounding to safety. Following that lucky escape, Tokyo slowly began to connect their passes and fashion a rhythm as Lucas was brought into the game more.
The game had reached the 28-minute mark when Yazawa collected a pass on the right, neatly turned a defender and found Lucas unmarked on his outside. Lucas drove an early cross into the danger area, the ball evaded Hanyu's lunge in the center but Tanabe popped up with superb timing at the far post to finish coolly. Tanabe, scorer of Tokyo's goal in the reverse fixture, had given Tokyo the lead.
Ehime exerted increasing pressure as the clock wound down on the first half but the Tokyo defense, with Shiota in command, maintained its concentration. In the 45th minute, Ehime defender Maeno fouled Yazawa, received his second yellow card of the game and was sent off. From the resulting free kick, Konno buried a diving header past Kawakita for his first goal of the season and doubled Tokyo's lead at halftime.

They continued their attack without letting up and scored a massive 5 points, achieving a consecutive victory.

　In the second half, Tokyo took control of the game against Ehime, who were at a numerical disadvantage. In the 52nd minute, Kajiyama stole the ball from Ehime's midfielder in their own half. The looping shot from Taniyama, who received a through pass from here, hit the crossbar and couldn't be finished, but Lucas picked up the rebound and connected again in Ehime's half. Hayashi in the center passed to Taniyama on the left, who ran into the loose ball and expanded the lead near the goal despite losing balance.

　Substitute Sakata for Tanabe, who injured his left shoulder in the 60th minute. In the 71st minute, Tanizawa's left corner kick drifted to the opposite side, but Takahashi chased after it and connected, and Hayu lifted a cross into the area that hit the hand of Ehime FW Kan, who came on as a substitute, resulting in a penalty kick. Lucas calmly converted it. In the 73rd minute, Uesato was substituted for Kajiyama. Even after scoring four goals, they did not let up on their attack, with Tanizawa receiving the ball in front of the defense while passing the ball neatly and becoming the starting point of the attack, launching a wave-like attack.

　In the 84th minute, Tokunaga dribbled up the right side and crossed the ball into the goal area. Nagaoka, who came on as a substitute, slid in from the far side and scored a GOAL!! He scored his first goal in Tokyo, and the game ended with a score of 5-0. Goalkeeper Shiota, who was worried about playing due to an ankle injury during pre-match training, showed stable defense and secured 3 points away from home for the first time in 3 matches, achieving a consecutive victory with a large number of goals.

　【Player Comment】《Imano》"It was a difficult pitch condition in the rain, but apart from the early scare, we weren't really under much pressure. Even though Ehime had a player sent off, we didn't try to play defensively and stuck to our attacking mindset until the end. It was good that we kept attacking and managed to finish the game that way. As the opponent was already one player down, I took a bold leap and went for the goal. Tanizawa also delivered a great ball. I hadn't been able to score for a while, but when the opportunity came, it went in... that's my impression (laughs)."

　"I had a strong desire to score a goal in Tokyo, so I'm glad I was able to do it today. I came on when we were already leading, but everyone had an attacking mindset. It's meaningful to finish the game by giving it our all rather than just letting it end somehow, and it also helps us prepare for the next match. Scoring goals is my specialty. It's similar to what Gotsmanov used to do, but being in that position is also one of my strengths. It was really great to be able to score my first goal by being in the right place and utilizing that characteristic."

　[Summary of Coach Okuma's Press Conference] "In the second half, we had a numerical advantage and didn't come forward too much, so we aimed for the third goal while passing the ball around. Attacking using the wings was what the team intended, but we didn't have many good opportunities from the outside due to the number of players in front of the goal and timing. As expected, the opponent's defensive midfielder was solid, but we were able to score with a ball from the side, which gave the team momentum. Also, the goal scored from the late free kick was crucial. The timing was good. If the first half had ended 1-0, it would have been difficult to understand the game. Since we haven't been able to score many goals from set plays, I think scoring from a set play will give the team confidence for the future. We will switch gears and continue to play each game with all members."

　[Summary of the press conference by Ivica BARBARIC, coach of Ehime] "Regarding the match, the second half was already in a state of collapse, so if we were to analyze it, it would be the first half. In the first half, we were too defensive against a strong team like FC Tokyo. Especially in approaching the midfield line. We would approach once, but if we deviated, we would stop there. And everyone would stick to that approach, allowing the opponent to easily create space and take shots. We conceded the first goal in a weak defense. After that, DF Maeno was sent off, and at that point we were down to 10 players, and they scored another goal. Originally, the difference in quality was evident, and when you are one player down against a strong opponent like FC Tokyo, I think the game was practically over at that point. FC Tokyo played very good soccer. I congratulate them. One very regrettable thing is that I feel very sorry for our fans who came in bad weather."

Tokyo Run Riot To Earn Consecutive Wins 

With a man advantage Tokyo dominated the second half from first to last. In the 52nd minute Kajiyama stripped the ball from an Ehime midfielder inside his own half and stroked a through pass to Yazawa; Yazawa's lob beat Kawakita but struck the crossbar and bounced back into play. Lucas pounced on the ball and kept the attack moving, finding Hanyu in a central position. Hanyu's attempt to play in Yazawa on the left ran loose, allowing him to beat Kawakita at his near post and extend Tokyo's lead to three.
In the 60th minute Tanabe left the field suffering from a shoulder injury and was replaced by Sakata. In the 71st minute Tokyo won a corner on the left and Yazawa's effort reached Takahashi on the opposite side of the field. Takahashi found Hanyu who crossed and Ehime's substitute Kim handled the ball, gifting Tokyo a penalty. Lucas dispatched the spot kick with alacrity for his fourth goal in two games. Kajiyama then made way for Uesato in the 73rd minute. Despite being 4-0 ahead and having an extra outfield player, Tokyo continued to press forward, passing the ball around in defense before finding Yazawa who then led the charge upfield.
In the 84th minute Tokunaga raced forward down the right and drove a fierce low cross into the Ehime area. At the far post substitute Nagasato slid in to force the ball over the line for the first goal of his Tokyo career and the fifth of the evening. Despite sustaining a neck injury in the warm-up and being doubtful for the game, Shiota was rock-solid in the Tokyo goal as the defense dealt comfortably with the Ehime threat. The final whistle blew on a resounding 5-0 win, the first away victory in three games, that marked another three points in the bag.


Players' comments
Konno
"The pitch was very difficult from the start but even so, apart from that one early chance, they didn't really threaten us at all. Even though Ehime had a player sent off we didn't think about playing defensively and continued to attack until the final whistle. For the goal, Ehime had already had the player sent off and when Yazawa put a great ball in I just threw myself at it. I hadn't scored for a long time but when they go in, they go in!"

Nagasato
"I really wanted to get my first goal for Tokyo quickly so I'm delighted that I got one today. We were already well ahead when I went on but even so we were still attacking. It's much better than simply running down the clock and gives us something to focus on for the next game. The goal was a kind of specialty of mine; although it was close to a tap-in getting into that position is my forte. It's very satisfying to score my first goal for the club like that".


FC Tokyo manager Kiyoshi Okuma
"In the second half we had a man advantage and since they didn't come out to win the ball we aimed to pass it around while we looked for a third goal. It was our intention to use the flanks but we couldn't really get the numbers in front of goal or the timing quite right and so didn't really create much from wide positions. As we had expected the Ehime defensive midfielders were strong so scoring from a horizontal pass gave the team a real lift, I felt. Then we scored again from the free kick just before half time, which was perfect timing. If there had just been a single goal in it at half time you never know what's going to happen. We don't seem to score many from set plays so getting one today will be a good confidence boost. We want to continue taking each game as it comes".

Ehime FC manager Barbaric
"Well, we collapsed in the second half so we should analyze the first period. Basically, we played far too deeply against a strong side like FC Tokyo, particularly in our approach to the midfield line. We lost our shape moving forward and then stopped; it made it easy for them to change positions or get past us, allowing them space to shoot in. Lukewarm defending cost us the first goal. Then Maeno got sent off and they scored from the resulting free kick. When you're two down against a good team like Tokyo and playing with only ten men it's always going to be difficult. Tokyo played extremely good football today. I feel disappointed for our fans who turned up in the terrible weather and would like to apologize to them"