Striving for a commitment to competition and achieving victory

The 5th section of the league will be held at home, facing Omiya Ardija. The Nabisco Nagoya match ended in a scoreless draw, and the league has currently lost 2 consecutive games. There is frustration in not being able to connect good content to results, but we must continue to strive for victory and aim to win.

In this match, which comes two days after the Nabisco previous round, Watanabe, who did not have a chance to play in the Nagoya match, will play as an attacking midfielder, with Lucas on the left side. Lee will be in the attacking midfield position, and Higashi will be the right midfielder. Hasegawa and Takahashi will form a double pivot in the same lineup as the Yokohama FM match.

Omiya, on the other hand, is currently in 4th place in the league with 2 wins and 2 draws. Although they suffered a loss in this season's Nabisco Cup, they have remained undefeated in the J1 League since September of last year, playing 15 matches. In response to this, Watanabe says, "I want to fight tenaciously, adapt flexibly to the situation, and play smartly." As such, this match will test the team's ability to address the challenges they have faced so far and control the flow of the game. We want to surpass Omiya's good form without fear, and strive for goals and victory with quick starts and transitions.

Ajinomoto Stadium, where a low-pressure system is forecasted to bring severe weather, with rain likely to start falling at any moment. The match started at 14:03 with a kickoff in Tokyo.

Struggling with the speed and intensity of Omiya's movements

Omiya started strong from the beginning and pushed Tokyo back into their own half with their speed. However, Tokyo remained composed and didn't allow any chances. On the contrary, in the 10th minute, Hasegawa was fouled and earned a free kick from just outside the left area. MoriShige aimed for it directly, but it hit the wall and bounced back to MoriShige for a shot. The ball found the bottom left corner, but the goalkeeper made a save and it resulted in a corner kick.

Intense ball battles continued, and amidst the tense development, both teams struggled to bring it to a finish. Tokyo tried to overcome the tough defense and find rhythm through short and long passes, but their attacks targeting the space behind Omiya's high defensive line were repeatedly caught offside. In the 33rd minute, Omiya created an opportunity on the left side and their defender Takahashi, who had advanced into the area, took a shot, which became Omiya's first shot on goal. In the 35th minute, Omiya's midfielder Cho entered the left area and took a shot that went across the goal, escaping danger.

In the 41st minute, Tokunaga passed to the right front line and behind the opponent's DF. Higashi caught up in the area and crossed to the far side. Lee jumped in, but was cut off by the Omiya DF just before and only managed to win a left corner kick. In the 43rd minute, Lucas skillfully turned and crossed after receiving a right throw-in. Watari headed perfectly, but... the shot went just left of the goal.

Despite being troubled by the intensity of Omiya's ball control and quick start, we were able to connect chances by focusing on defense and observing the situation. However, we were unable to convert them into goals. The first half ended with a scoreless draw.

Conceded a goal from a set piece... Ended with no goals, 3 consecutive league defeats

Even in the second half, Omiya's momentum did not wane, so in the 53rd minute, they substituted Lee for Yonemoto. To break through, Higashi moved to the center and Hasegawa moved to the right side. They were able to regain possession of the ball, but in the midst of their offensive play, in the 58th minute, Omiya's defender Takahashi dribbled up and passed to the free forward Toyama in the center, who took a shot. However, Gonda made a save. In the 64th minute, Omiya's right midfielder Watanabe's cross passed in front of Tokyo's defenders and was directly shot by Omiya's free forward Zlatan in the center, but it narrowly missed the target and was saved by a mistake.

Tokyo dominated the ball as time passed, and Omiya launched sharp counterattacks. In the 77th minute, Omiya's left side midfielder Cho Yong-chul dribbled the ball. Tokunaga chased him from behind but was bypassed, and Kaga, who covered him, stopped him with a foul. This gave Omiya a free kick from the left area outside the sideline. Omiya's defender Shimohira sent the free kick to the center. Gonda came out but missed it, and Omiya's forward Zlatan scored a header... Once again, we conceded a goal from a set piece.

In the 82nd minute, Mita was substituted, and in the 85th minute, Nemanja VUCICEVIC was brought in. They launched a fierce counterattack and pushed Omiya back. However, in the 88th minute, Mita broke through on the left side and delivered a sharp cross. It couldn't be connected in the center, but Ota persistently linked up and crossed again. This time, it was sent to Watanabe in the far post, and Watanabe headed the ball, but... it was saved by the goalkeeper and blocked by the post. In injury time, Ota's left cross was met by Tokunaga, who ran into the right area and scored with his foot... Despite continuously bringing in defensive players, they couldn't break through Omiya's defense. They ended up with no goals and suffered their third consecutive loss in the league.


[Player Comments]
《Tokunaga》"Throughout the game, I don't think we had much time for ourselves. Omiya was quicker in their reaction to the second ball, and overall it was a tough battle. Omiya was also aggressive in terms of their initial movements and predictions. Fatigue cannot be an excuse, and personally, I need to improve the quality of my play."

"I went onto the pitch with the intention of not conceding any goals and definitely securing at least 1 point. I feel sorry for losing. The real strength is still lacking in Tokyo... But I think it starts from here. We can't move up with this kind of losing streak, so it's important whether we can recover from here."


[Coach's Press Conference Summary]
《Coach Popovic》"I expected it to be a tough and challenging match, and I thought that the outcome would be determined by a small detail. We were the ones who decided the match with those small details. The start of the first half became tighter than usual. The reason for that was because we only focused on stopping Omiya's winning streak and couldn't do what we were supposed to do, which led us to play in a way that favored the opponent. In the first half, everyone couldn't show their involvement in both defense and attack."

In the second half, we showed what we should have done, but we were caught off guard for a moment and the result was a defeat. It can be said that this is a mental issue. However, it is important to analyze this defeat thoroughly and move on to the next. There is no need to look down, but we have been repeating childish mistakes when reflecting on the goals we conceded. We must make corrections and ensure that we do not repeat them again. We must have confidence in what we have done and give our all with full confidence in our abilities. It is important to show that on the pitch."

《Omiya Verdenik Coach》"I am satisfied not only with the results, but also with the aggressive attitude of the players, especially the performance in the first half. I talked to the players before the game about two things. One is to not lose in aggressiveness and to challenge in intense battles. The other is to focus on the quality of play in both offense and defense. It was difficult for the team six months ago to win in a game like today's, but now we are able to secure victory without losing. It is important to not lose in intensity and toughness, but the most important thing is to play soccer."

By rotating the ball with tempo and rhythm, the opponent's defense becomes confused. By taking control and confusing the opponent, mistakes occur. Today, we were able to shake the opponent and intentionally disrupt their formation. The areas that were lacking were the accuracy of shots and final passes. It may have been slightly lacking. In the second half, the opponent had power and attacked aggressively, and they were quick in transitions and duels, so we couldn't rotate the ball well. In that aspect, it may have been similar to the second half of the Yokohama FM match.

If the opponent becomes aggressive and attacks, spaces can be created, and it was necessary to take advantage of that and connect it firmly to a counterattack. However, due to the excellent defensive organization, we were able to steal the ball without being broken by the opponent. Our goal is to play our game throughout the 90 minutes. That is the objective, but there is difficulty in consistently fighting in a tight schedule of consecutive matches."