Ishikawa, Li, and Hirayama bring a fresh breeze and dramatically bring it to a draw

In the second half, Tokyo continued to dominate the ball, but struggled to attack, so Ishikawa and Li were substituted in the 59th minute. Takahashi dropped back to defense, and Hasegawa moved to the midfield. Ishikawa and Higashi tried to break the situation by moving to both sides. This allowed them to gradually connect to a fast-paced attack.

66 minutes, Ota's left cross, Lee and Iwata DF competed for it, and Ishikawa took a direct shot with the ball that fell just behind. In the 72nd minute, Hasegawa aimed for the opponent's DF's back and sent a sharp floating pass, to which Higashi jumped out deep into the left area, but couldn't control it with a trap. Immediately after that, Hirayama was substituted, and this immediately proved to be successful.

73 minutes, connecting from a throw-in, Yonemoto plays a vertical pass into the area. Hirayama, who received it in the left area, uses his strength to bypass the opponent, carries it to the sideline, and plays a minus last pass into the central space. Ishikawa, who ran freely into this space, drives the ball into the net like a stab, scoring his first goal of the season to narrow the gap to one point. The stands also heat up. As the comeback mood intensifies, they launch a fierce attack.

In the 82nd minute, Ota → Nao on the left front line crossed. Hirayama at the far post headed the ball, but without power and it went wide. In the 88th minute, a pass from Tokunaga sent Ishikawa running to the front line. Ishikawa received the ball and brought it inside, shooting towards the goal. Li reacted with one foot, but it went wide. Iwata kept their defense tight and launched fierce attacks, but they couldn't convert the chances at the last moment.

Then, in the added time, Ota, who made a move on the left front line, was initially dispossessed by the opponent, but he pressed and regained possession, and Ishikawa, who followed from behind, crossed from the left. In response to this, Hirayama jumped in with a header in front of the goal, but the Iwata goalkeeper punched it in a collision. However, Ota in the left area calmly did not stop playing and made a direct ground pass to the center. Li kicked it in for an equalizer.

Came back dramatically from a 2-point deficit near the end and achieved the first draw of the season. Although we couldn't complete the comeback, we showed a never-give-up attitude until the end and earned a valuable 1 point.


[Player Comments]
《Daichi ISHIKAWA》
"I received instructions to 'aim for the back and go for it' and tried to use the space on the pitch. While taking advantage of my own characteristics, I also paid attention to the ball side and the overall positioning. It was all about being conscious of connecting everything to a goal. The goal was like, 'a good ball has come!' I think it led to a goal because Hirayama created an opportunity in the front. The goal was my determination, Lee's determination, and the team's determination."

"I am conscious of continuing to do what I should do as a FW. Today, I was thinking of not dropping too much and trying to compete in the final stage. I think I was able to demonstrate my own strengths with the goal. However, there were also chances to turn the game around, including my own heading... I wanted to score one more goal and win. I think I can do more and I can't be satisfied. It is difficult to achieve results in a limited time, but I want to continue producing results and contribute to victory."


[Coach's Press Conference Summary]
《Coach Popovic》
"It was a game that made my heart ache, but it is commendable that we were able to catch up after being two goals behind. Today, it was not satisfactory compared to our usual condition, but when we moved the ball quickly and made effective side changes, we were able to create chances."

However, we lacked aggression compared to usual. We couldn't pick up second balls and couldn't connect our attacks in the first half. In the scene of conceding a goal, we created a situation where everyone was just standing and watching. If that happens, it is easy to score a goal even against a strong opponent like Júbilo Iwata.

At halftime, I told the players, "If we can play our usual game, including winning the ball, transitioning between offense and defense, and improving the accuracy of our plays, we can win this match." In order to do that, we need everyone to fight together and increase our physical effort. We need to be more aggressive than in the first half. And instead of dropping back, the defensive line needs to control the line compactly and pick up second balls. In the second half, I don't think we let the opponents pick up second balls, and we had a lot of possession. There were also moments where we picked up second balls and created scoring opportunities."

Our players fought without giving up and caught up with the tie at the very end. Among the many people who came to watch during Golden Week, it is also a message to the children. We wanted to win firmly, but if we don't give up until the end, we can get a good result. So we will fight until the end. I think it was very good to be able to show a fighting spirit."

《Iwata・Nagazawa Head Coach》
"There was a big event last week, but I am grateful and thankful that the supporters came and supported us until the end. As for the analysis of the game, it was expected that Tokyo would have some initiative at the away stadium. In that situation, we prepared ourselves to bring the game to our pace. We only had one training session, but the players did more than enough. Although we were caught up by Tokyo's determination in the end, I am grateful to the players who gave their best away without thinking negatively."