Overcoming adversity, aiming to stop the losing streak at the difficult Saitama Stadium

　Sec. 20 of the league is being held. We will play against Urawa Reds away. In the previous match against Niigata, we couldn't show our strength in both offense and defense, resulting in a disappointing loss at home. Coach Ranko POPOVIC said, "We can't make excuses about the schedule, and we want to develop the strength to overcome tough conditions like the heat. We have regrets about the content of the Niigata match, but we want to see it as a step towards becoming stronger. Let's not be pessimistic and move forward towards what we need to do, aiming for further progress and victory."

　Urawa, who is currently in 3rd place with 34 points, will face Yokohama FM on May 3rd. They have not lost since then and have 4 wins and 6 draws in their last 10 games. Although they have more draws, they are in good form. In this match, MF Kashiwagi will be suspended due to accumulated warnings, but MF Marcio Richardes and MF Umezaki will be used in the second row as shadows. They have been playing with MF Hirakawa and MF Uga as wingers on both sides.

　In the first half against Urawa, we showed an excellent game but ended up with a draw, and we have not been able to achieve victory against Urawa since 2004. Also, at Saitama Stadium 2002 (against Urawa), we have only won twice in the past, so it can be said that it is a "difficult place". Nevertheless, we will return to the basics of our soccer and dominate the game to secure a victory. We hope for the strength to "break through" various data and jinxes in this match.

　Tokyo, with Tanabe as the attacking midfielder and Yonemoto as the defensive midfielder, started the game. At the same time, the positions were swapped from before, with Lucas on the left side, Takahashi as the center back, and Kaga as the right back. Although it rained temporarily during the day, the humid weather at Saitama Stadium. The match started with Tokyo's kickoff at 18:04.

Unable to grasp the rhythm of attack, and conceded two goals...

　Urawa was actively aiming for shots from the beginning. In the 10th minute, Tokyo's Lucas sent a clear to the front line, Ishikawa connected it, and Yonemoto took a middle shot. As they both tried to take control, just after that, Urawa's MF Hirakawa was able to break through on the right side, but it was escaped by a corner kick. However, in the 11th minute, Tokyo's DF cleared the ball once from this right corner kick, but it fell to MF Ugajin just outside the penalty area, and he struck a powerful middle shot into the upper left corner... They conceded the first goal in the early stages.

　However, Tokyo did not panic, and in the 13th minute, Watanabe unleashed a powerful shot. The powerful shot surprised the Urawa goalkeeper, but the ball went wide after Tanabe followed up. In the 27th minute, they had their biggest chance of the first half. From a left throw-in, Lucas passed to Tanabe in the central area, but the ball ended up in front of Watanabe in the left area after a battle with the opponent's defender. Watanabe took a step forward and took a free shot, but it curved to the right.

　Tokyo tried to pass the ball with a compact formation and go on the offensive, but they were intercepted and faced a counterattack from Urawa. Then, in the 35th minute, Suzuki, Urawa's defensive midfielder, exploited the space behind Tokyo's defense and sent a lofted ball to the right forward. Umazaki took advantage of this and broke through, and from there, Marciolishardes, the central midfielder, scored... Tokyo couldn't establish a rhythm in their attack and instead gave Urawa opportunities by being caught off guard behind their high defensive line, resulting in conceding two goals and ending the first half.

Taking advantage of the lineup change, we ride the momentum and secure 1 point with goals from Mukuhara and Hasegawa!

　The second half, which tried to rebuild, saw Nakamura replace Watanabe. The formation also had a 3-back with Morishige, Takahashi, and Kaga as the defenders. Nakamura and Mukuhara attacked in a formation close to 3-4-2-1 on both sides of the midfield. Early in the second half, Nakamura aimed for a goal from a direct free kick. In the 55th minute, Tanabe ran up to the right area from Lucas' drop. The pass to Nakamura, who followed, did not go through, but in the 58th minute, the ball was passed from Ishikawa on the right to the center and then to the left, and Nakamura, who had returned to the center, turned towards the goal and took a shot, increasing the tempo and momentum of the entire team.

　In the 59th minute, Kajiyama was substituted for Tanabe. This immediately brought the flow closer, and in the following 60th minute, Mokuhara from the left side passed to Hasegawa in the left area corner from a shooting feint. He took a step forward to attract the defender and connected to Ishikawa in the right area. Mokuhara, who ran into the goal area from the cross, closed in and GOAL!! They catch up to a one-point difference with a fast-paced passing play!

　In the 64th minute, Ishikawa sprinted down the right side. He cut back past the opponent's defender and passed it to Hasegawa who was moving up on the inside. With speed, he took a shot from a close distance in the right area. Although it was blocked by the Urawa goalkeeper, Tokyo's fierce attack continues. Then, in the 70th minute, Kajiyama passed to Hasegawa, who dropped it to Ishikawa on the right front line. Lucas, who broke free, fiercely contested with the opponent's defender and went towards the center. Hasegawa closed in on the ball and equalized the score!

　Tokyo, which continued to ride the momentum, aimed to take the lead. In the 80th minute, Nakamura took the ball inside from Ishikawa's free kick on the right side and bravely took a shot, but it narrowly missed to the right. In the 83rd minute, Edmilson was brought in. While taking risks to attack, both teams had chances in the counterattacks, but neither could score in decisive moments. In stoppage time, Edmilson, who broke through into the penalty area, took a shot that went over the crossbar.

　On the other hand, in defense, they maintained their concentration until the end. In the second half, they showed a passionate fight and took 1 point at the difficult Saitama Stadium, stopping their losing streak.

　【Player Comment】《Hasegawa》"In the first half, I had the intention to go forward, but I wanted to pass the ball well and keep the score at zero, and connect it to the second half. In the meantime, Urawa's two shadow players squeezed into the center, making it difficult to respond, and we ended up conceding a goal by using the sides against us. I had a sense that we were able to pass the ball well in the first half, but it wasn't effective. In the second half, we changed the formation and I think it worked well. We were able to connect good defense to good offense. Lucas and Kajiyama became targets in the front line, and we were able to create chances from various combinations, such as Ishikawa's drop. The goal was also scored in that way."

　"Mukuhara: "In defense, I was conscious of sliding sideways, but in the first half, it didn't fit well and we were caught off guard. I still have regrets about that, but it's not a completely dark situation that we were able to recover from there. There was frustration in defense in the first half. So we changed the formation and had a clear idea of winning against the opponent in front of us and not losing in the race. In attack, when I passed to Lucas or Edmilson, I was also actively trying to move forward. The goal also came as a result of being conscious of that and moving forward."

　[Summary of Coach Popovic's Press Conference] "I think we were able to have a game that everyone could enjoy today. We were able to show an attacking and attractive style of soccer, so I want to congratulate both teams for being able to show such a game. What I told the players before the match was to stay calm, patient, and persistent, and to fight without rushing. Urawa has a sharp and precise counterattack, so we didn't want to let them take advantage of us by rushing forward. Regarding passing, we wanted to use the width effectively and unsettle the opponent to create opportunities for vertical passes. We kept saying that, and if we couldn't move the ball forward, we would patiently and persistently move the ball and look for opportunities to put it forward."

　The start was not bad, but we lost our pace due to careless goals. We were scored against and it became chaotic, resulting in a 2-0 score. However, we changed our system in the second half and were able to move the ball in the opponent's territory, showing a more attacking style of soccer. Urawa's counterattacks were truly amazing and accurate. We were cautious of that, but our players did not give up even with a two-goal deficit and fought courageously until the end. I think both teams' players fought well today. In the end, it was a situation where we could have had a bit more luck... but even if the third goal didn't go in, I am satisfied with the play and attitude our players showed."

　[Summary of Urawa Petrovic's press conference] "I think we had a good game in the first half as planned. In the second half, our energy level dropped and we were pushed back by the opponent, resulting in conceding a goal and ending in a draw. There was a scene where the opponent handled the ball inside the penalty area, and I think it could have been a penalty... At halftime, I told the players that a 2-0 scoreline is very dangerous. Unfortunately, we didn't have enough strength to score a third goal in the second half. However, we are taking this result positively. FC Tokyo is one of the teams in J1 that can fight the most in terms of player quality and quantity. They have reinforced the team firmly by spending money in preparation for the new season. Considering such progress, they should be a team competing for the top position in J1. We are not pessimistic about this result, considering that we were able to surpass the opponent in the first half and draw against such a team."

　The players give more than their own strength in every game. In the second half, the physical condition declined and we were pushed back, but that is understandable. We are a team that, rather than reinforcing with new players, has more players leaving, but last season, a team that experienced a situation where they might be relegated is now competing for the top. It is the result of the players working really hard. And the direction we should go and the place we should aim for are visible. We may be able to achieve something this season, but for now, we just have to keep pushing forward towards that goal. We haven't lost in 11 consecutive games as of today's match, but that is not something many teams can do. I intend to continue fighting with this team."