Win 3 points at home in the league match to be held in 2 days!

　Moving the battle to the league match, Sec. 19 is held. Albirex Niigata will face them at home. Although there were still challenges in the Nabisco Sendai match, they took the lead with two goals from Watanabe and Ishikawa. Despite facing this match in just two days, Coach Popovic stated, "It is important to continue the good performance from the Sendai match. We strongly emphasize playing in our own style, exerting our full potential, and achieving results that match the performance. We will fight with determination to achieve victory."

　The preparation for this round was only one day in substance, but Lucas, who was substituted in the Sendai match, was not seriously injured. The starting lineup is the same as the Sendai match. Kajiyama will make a comeback to the bench for the first time since June 23.

　Niigata, who will face us, is currently in 16th place with 17 points. Although they have not been able to completely escape from the bottom, they welcomed Masaaki Yanagishita as the new coach in the middle of the season, and their record since then is 2 wins, 2 draws, and 1 loss, with only one defeat (against Kobe on June 23rd). They are originally a team that relies on solid defense and sharp counterattacks, but they have gained perseverance and the ability to win close matches or bring them to a draw.

　Especially in Niigata, there is a two-week interval from the previous league match, and they should have been preparing for this match. However, for Tokyo, it is a home game and a victory of 3 points is expected. It will be crucial to not give any opportunities throughout the 90 minutes and to continue to exploit Niigata's weaknesses. In this match, Ajinomoto Stadium, which has reversed the positions of home and away for the first time, started the game with a kickoff in Tokyo at 18:34, even though the pitch before the match exceeded 30 degrees with the beginning of the sunset.

Unable to break through Niigata's solid defense due to slow movement

　Tokyo created a chance early in the game. In the 2nd minute, Watanabe in the midfield sent Shioda's kick forward with a header, and Taniyama ran into the area to attempt a shot, but couldn't control it well due to competition from the opponent and it went over the bar. As a result, Tokyo only had this one shot in the first half. They tried to grasp the rhythm by not only using short passes but also making big plays, but they struggled against Niigata's quick start.

　At the 15th minute, Niigata attempted a counterattack but Nakamura intercepted and dribbled forward. However, he was fouled by Niigata and lost the ball. In the 16th minute, Hasegawa in the midfield sent a blind pass to the area, and Ishikawa made a run from the right side, but their timing was slightly off and it went to the Niigata goalkeeper.

　Tokyo controlled the ball and passed it around, but they were unable to make effective movements. In the midst of struggling to attack, they were caught off guard in the 28th minute when Niigata MF Michel aimed for the gap between Tokyo DF with a long pass. In response to this, MF Tanaka made a run towards the center of the area. The ball grazed his head and they escaped the danger, but in the 32nd minute, Niigata MF Mito intercepted Mori Shige -> Takahashi's pass, allowing them to advance towards the front line.

　Niigata MF Mikado hit the previous FW Michel and entered the area. Tokyo was unable to suppress MF Michel here, and was connected to the area again, allowing MF Mikado to be attacked by the opposite of DF and allowing a shot, resulting in a goal. In the midst of a lack of attacking power, they were hit by Niigata's counterattack from a mistake and allowed the opening goal that should not have been given. After that, Niigata took the initiative and ended the first half in a lackluster manner.

Kajiyama makes a comeback but allows Niigata to score an additional point, resulting in the team's second consecutive loss...

　Substituting Tanizawa with Edmilson from the second half, we launched a counterattack. In the 47th minute, Watanabe carried the ball vertically from the left side and crossed from the sideline. Edmilson tried to connect near the goal, but was blocked by the defender, resulting in a corner kick. However, afterwards, Niigata created consecutive chances. In the 52nd minute, Tokyo lost possession and a through pass was sent behind the defense, allowing Kikuchi, the left full-back, to take a decisive shot, but Shioda made a save and held onto it.

　Therefore, in the 55th minute, Kajiyama was substituted for Kaga. Takahashi first aimed for an equalizer by moving to the defense. With this, they began to grasp the rhythm, and in the 57th minute, they connected from Ishikawa on the right side to Edmilson in the center and then to Lucas on the left. However, Lucas was unable to hit the target with his left-footed shot.

　In the 58th minute, Niigata was pushed back and Hasegawa followed up on a loose ball from the crowded front line. It was developed on the left side and a right corner kick was obtained from Edmilson's cross. In the 59th minute, Edmilson intercepted a pass from Niigata's defender. He dribbled up and created a decisive opportunity, but the opponent's defender quickly returned and the shot was weakly saved by the goalkeeper.

　Unable to take advantage of the good rhythm period, they were instead caught off guard in the 67th minute. Tokyo's left throw-in was headed forward by Niigata DF Ooi. MF Mikado in the center connected directly with FW Bruno Lopes, who then expanded to the left. In response, substitute MF Alan Mineiro rushed into the left area. He evaded the cover of Nakamura and decisively scored into the far net. They conceded the second goal in a counterattack from Tokyo's throw-in situation...

　In the 72nd minute, Yamamoto was replaced by Kanemoto and inserted into the defensive midfield. They pushed Niigata forward with Kajiyama and Hasegawa, but they couldn't create any decisive opportunities against Niigata's solid defense. Then, Lucas and Ishikawa tried to score from mid-range, but their shots were blocked by the quick defensive response, and they couldn't score before the time was up. They suffered their second consecutive loss in the league, losing at home.

　【Player Comment】《Kajiyama》"It was good to be able to return to the game, but I couldn't produce results. There was a heavy feeling overall from the first half, and there were many moments where I rushed too much forward. In terms of participating in the game, I wanted to make the opponent run in the heat, so I was conscious of calming down the game and connecting passes firmly. It was painful to concede an additional goal in the process. Personally, I think I need to make plays that directly lead to goals, and in the midst of the continuing heat, we need to reexamine our team's way of fighting and unify our will."

　"Edmilson" "There are many points to reflect on because we lost. In terms of attack, the number of shots was low and we couldn't score. However, it's not only the fault of the defenders for conceding goals. The midfield and us forwards also need to make adjustments. Above all, I think we need to score the first goal. I had a chance to score as well, but I couldn't convert it and I feel sorry. However, we are also a strong team. Today is very disappointing, but we need to lift our heads, practice well next week, overcome our challenges, and strive to win."

　[Summary of Coach Popovich's Press Conference] "I'm not feeling good about the result of 0-2 at home. We were also scored on the first goal by the opponent's first shot, but the start of the game also made us nervous. We need to talk to the players about that. We need to be patient and persistent in our fight, but today it seemed like we lacked confidence. Simply put, the opponent had more sharpness and physicality. However, we cannot allow that and we cannot make excuses."

　No matter what kind of game it is, I have a desire to create a team that can surpass it in terms of physical fitness, mental strength, and strength in ball contests. It is true that there are injured players and we cannot rotate the players, but I still want to think about what we should have done in terms of movement. What was it like when we won? What was lacking today compared to that, and what should we have done? I think it is necessary to look back and regain what we were doing and fight with the attitude we had when we were winning."

　【Summary of Niigata Yanagishita's press conference】"Tokyo had a game in two days, so I thought that the players' bodies wouldn't move well at the beginning, and I told them to push the opponent from the start and overwhelm them. We couldn't score in the first 15 minutes, but the Tokyo players were still heavy and slow in switching between offense and defense. We were able to score the first goal, but I think it would have been an easier game if we had scored the second and third goals right away. The most important point was the first 15 minutes of the second half. When Tokyo came forward, the team was able to stay together and keep the score at zero, which led to today's result. The players were highly focused and fought aggressively. I felt confident that we can continue to fight with confidence."