The J1 League, which we are facing for the first time in two years, is starting a long season.

　The first match of the 2012 season will be against Omiya Ardija, away. Tokyo, who will be facing J1 for the first time in two years, has already played in the "FUJI XEROX SUPER CUP against Kashiwa" and "ACL against Brisbane" this season, so it can be said that there is no unique hardness at the start of the season. Especially in the Brisbane match, they demonstrated Tokyo-like soccer and won convincingly away, and the team atmosphere is very good. However, they will face their third match within a week, and they will have to face a tough schedule of consecutive matches.

　For the preparation towards this match, it was essentially only the day before. Coach Popovic said, "The team formation will prioritize the condition of the players." Lucas and Kajiyama, who had missed the Brisbane match and focused on the league opening, returned to the starting lineup based on that match's lineup. Watanabe and Ishikawa started on the bench.

　Omiya, on the other hand, finished 13th in last season's J1. This season, under the leadership of coach Jun Suzuki in his third season, they have strengthened the quality of their football by acquiring midfielders Cho Yong-chol (transferred from Niigata), defender Shimodaira (from G Osaka), and Brazilian midfielder Carlinhos Junior, aiming for a higher position.

　FW Rafael, FW Higashi as the attacking midfielder, MF Cho Yong Chol on the side, Omiya has players who can break through individually, but we want to prevent them from controlling the flow by suppressing the distribution from MF Carlinhos in the defensive midfield. It can be said that how to increase the number of chances in Tokyo's attacking side is the current challenge.

　The beginning of a long league season. There are 34 matches, and not a single one can be lost. It is a battle where we unite as one and give our all to aim for victory with our own style of football. Although the rain finally stopped since last night, it is still cold at NACK. The match started with a kickoff by Omiya at 19:04.

Gonda prevents Omiya from scoring by making a series of superb plays and riding the momentum

　Shortly after the start, Kaga, who received a pass on the DF line, was targeted by Omiya FW Higashi as he tried to connect, and was stolen and entered the area freely. We immediately faced a big pinch, but the shot was saved by Kanda and we avoided conceding a goal. Still, without being shaken, in the 6th minute, Tokunaga -> Kajiyama -> Hasegawa on the right exchanged passes, and Kajiyama advanced centrally with a dribble. He sent a last pass to Tanihara, who had gone up on the opposite side just before the right area, but both of them couldn't control it, perhaps because the pitch was slippery.

　Trying to take the initiative but the coordination is not working, and gradually the momentum goes to Omiya. In the 12th minute, Omiya attacked from the left side. The Tokyo defense cleared the cross, but the loose ball was picked up and a free shot was taken. In the 22nd minute, another decisive scene for Omiya. From a vertical pass by right back Murakami, FW Higashi broke through behind and a low cross was delivered. In response to this, Omiya MF Cho Yong-chol took a decisive shot from close range, but Gonda made a save! The loose ball was targeted again, but Gonda made another save!! With Gonda's consecutive fine plays, the goal was not conceded.

　Unable to grasp the rhythm, Kajiyama changed positions to attacking midfielder and Hasegawa moved to the defensive midfield position after 25 minutes. Finally, Kajiyama was able to create more opportunities in the front. In the 41st minute, Takahashi passed a long ball to Yawazawa on the left side. Yawazawa took the ball forward and took a shot to the right before the opposing defender closed in.

　In the first half injury time, Kajiyama dribbled the ball forward, connecting Ota's clear ball to the front line. He advanced to the left area and sent a last pass in front of the goal, but it did not reach Lucas near the goal, who jumped in from behind... Throughout the first half, Omiya aimed for the back and forced us to run, but Kanda stood in the way of Omiya's scoring opportunities and we managed to survive the danger and end the first half.

Lucas scores a stunning opening goal! Grabbing the victory and starting with a win

　In the second half, after regrouping, immediately after the start, a switch was made from a vertical pass, and Tokunaga ran into the area with good timing from Kajiyama's development and took a controlled shot, but the GK caught it. In the 47th minute, Lucas stole the ball from the Omiya DF and sprinted down the right side. However, the shot was blocked by the GK's save... In the 50th minute, Hanyu aimed for the goal from Hasegawa and Kajiyama's passing play, but there was no momentum.

　Gradually took control, but Omiya had the second ball stolen and thrown in, and the clearance was picked up again... and there were also scenes of being attacked. In the 58th minute, Omiya MF Choyon Chol broke through and jumped into the goal front by FW Rafael... but the shot was saved again by Gonda with his whole body!!

In the 61st minute, after surviving this pinch, Ishikawa and Tokunaga, who came on as substitutes, connected directly, and Hayashi connected the vertical pass with tenacity to Kajiyama near the right area. Kajiyama passed to Lucas on the left penalty arc. Lucas controlled the ball with a trap and pierced the net with an eye-opening shot with his right foot! From Kajiyama's calm pass, Lucas scored a brilliant goal and took the lead in a dazzling manner!!

　In the 70th minute, a shot by Ishikawa from the combination with Lucas shook the net, but it was offside. Omiya also aimed for an equalizer, and in the 71st minute, they brought in the tall forward Hasegawa, followed by the accurate kicking midfielder Hashimoto, launching a fierce counterattack. In the 72nd minute, Tokyo substituted Watanabe for Hayu. They countered with a formation where Lucas moved to the side.

　In response to Omiya's cross, Tokyo still raised the line and responded compactly. In the final stages, they were unable to calmly connect their own balls, and the exchange between offense and defense intensified. However, they did not lose focus in defense and shut out the counterattacks until the final whistle. They defended Lucas' valuable goal and secured the victory, starting the J1 League this season with a win!

　【Player Comment】《Lucas》"It was a very tough game, but we helped each other as a team. The goal was not solely my effort, but if you can see the process behind it, you will understand that it was the result of everyone's cooperation. Omiya's pressure was intense, and we couldn't grasp the flow in the first half. In the second half, I think we were able to create a good flow a little better than Omiya. I think that should be recognized. The goal was a difficult shot, but I believe it was a good goal that will remain in my soccer career as a memorable one. I will do my best to score in the next game at the Aji Sta!"

　"Gonda: "(It was a series of great saves, wasn't it?) We need to prevent such scenes from happening. Even if they are created, I think there might have been better ways to respond, looking back on the game. This season, I'm also trying to expand my defensive range and make sure to step out when the defense can't cover in time. (Did you manage to endure the situation?) Tokyo this season is determined to take action on their own and take control in both defense and attack. Today, I think Omiya was more exciting for the spectators. We want to work hard to be able to do that."

　[Summary of Coach Popovich's Press Conference] "In the first 30 minutes, we were still half asleep. The opponents were well organized and created two decisive chances from our mistakes. But Kanda saved us. Only Kanda knows how he prevented that crisis. It was an amazing save that cannot be explained. Towards the end of the first half, we started to play our own football and move the ball. As for the second half, both teams played at a high tempo and it became an attacking game. Both teams played good football and I think it was an enjoyable match for everyone watching. Considering that we were able to turn the game into a victory from such a situation, I think it was truly a fantastic match. Luck also played a big part in it."

　Today, I have been telling the players, "You may be tired from long travels and such, but throw it all away from your mind. Just focus on making the best preparations for today's match." As a result, even in the second half, we were surpassing the opponent and showing evolution. The thing we should continue to do is to dominate the game and play attractive football. To continue doing that, I want to make use of today's match. Last week, we had snow, and this week, we had long travels, so we couldn't have satisfactory training. But starting from tomorrow, we can train again. It's just the beginning of the season, so we can't say we're tired. We want to improve on the areas that need fixing and carry it over to the next match."

　[Summary of Omiya Suzuki's press conference] "Both teams aggressively pressed and attacked... That was the form. I'm disappointed that we couldn't get 3 points. There were several decisive moments in the first half, but we couldn't score, and I feel that we lost momentum in the second half. It's regrettable that our attack became monotonous, but overall, it wasn't a bad performance. I think we were able to play with confidence."