Aiming for the first victory in 3 league matches

Sec. 12 of the league, which will be held two days after the Nabisco Cup. We will face Shimizu S-Pulse at home. We achieved a brilliant victory in the Nabisco Niigata match, but we couldn't advance to the qualifying league. The players' expressions showed a mix of frustration. However, we want to use the momentum gained from this battle in the league. Especially in the league, we haven't won in the past two matches, and in the previous round against Shonan, we lost due to our own mistakes. Therefore, in this round, it is required to secure 3 points at home.

However, Hasegawa injured his leg in the Niigata match, and Ishikawa also had pain in his ankle and was absent from this match. On the other hand, Lucas, Watanabe, Yonemoto, and Morishige, who did not have a chance to play in the previous Nabisco match, returned to the starting lineup. Therefore, Watanabe and Li will be in the front line, with Lucas and Higashi on the sides.

Shimizu, on the other hand, is currently in 10th place with 15 points. Although they suffered a big defeat in the early stages of the season due to defensive weaknesses, they have steadily accumulated points by regrouping and winning close matches. In addition, their attack, centered around FW Vale, has scored in 7 consecutive league matches. At the same time, they have also scored many goals from their defense and set plays, showing their strength in crucial moments.

On the other hand, Tokyo's key to victory is not only to increase ball possession rate, but also to score chances reliably. They want to seize victory in a battle where they take the initiative in both offense and defense without losing their aggressiveness and tenacity. The last home game before the break started at 19:04 with Shimizu's kickoff at Ajinomoto Stadium on a sunny May day.

Unable to break down Shimizu's organized defense, they proceeded cautiously.

From the beginning, Tokyo dominated the ball. While overcoming Shimizu's tough press, they mainly tried to exploit the opponent's defense by attacking from behind. In the 4th minute, Takahashi intercepted the ball in their own half. He dribbled up and played a long pass behind the opponent's defense. Wakabayashi broke through on the left front line, but the cross didn't connect in the center. In the 20th minute, Li stole the loose ball in the front line and passed it to Lucas on the right. Lucas sent a ground cross in front of the goal, but Wakabayashi didn't touch it before the goalkeeper caught it.

In the 28th minute, Hyun Soo JANG floated a pass to the right area. Higashi ran diagonally from the left side to a deep position and dropped the ball, and Watanabe shot from the right area. In the 33rd minute, Li received the ball in the center and turned towards the goal, passing it through to the right area. However, Lucas's reaction was a step late and it didn't connect.

Although the game was progressing with a pressing approach, there was a period of time where the coordination in the front line did not come together. In the 42nd minute, Lucas intercepted the ball in his own half and initiated a counterattack. However, the ground pass from Watanabe to Tokunaga from the side into the area was cleared by Shimizu's defender. Takahashi followed up on the loose ball and attempted a shot, but it was blocked by Shimizu's defender.

On the contrary, in the 43rd minute, Shimizu's right throw-in was dropped by FW Valley on the post, and a right cross was lifted. This crossed to Shimizu FW Ito in the left area, who took a decisive shot... but Konda made a save! Escaping the pinch, in the 45th minute, Yonemoto forcefully evaded the opponent from the pass sent by Li to the left area, and Watanabe followed up by cutting back the opponent in the left area corner and taking a shot. However, it narrowly missed the target... Unable to break down Shimizu's organized defense, the first half ended scoreless.

Takahashi scores his first goal of the season! Lucas adds a second goal and shuts down the counterattack.

In the second half, Tokyo continued to pass the ball and wait for a chance. In the 53rd minute, Lucas and Takahashi quickly connected on the right side, and Lucas, who had broken through to the right front line in response to a vertical pass from Higashi, made a negative pass into the area. Higashi entered the area with a pass and go, and Takahashi, who had run in from behind, took a shot! Although the ball didn't have much power, it passed between the opponent's defender and goalkeeper and went into the net!! With Takahashi's first goal of the season, they finally succeeded in taking the lead.

However, Shimizu also counterattacks. In the 56th minute, a back header from FW Vale from a free kick on the right side catches the frame, but escapes to a corner kick with a save by Gonda. Tokyo, who connects the attack from persistent defense, expands again to the left from the post of Lucas → Li in the 61st minute. Watanabe, who was flowing to the left front line, sends a sharp cross between the opponent's DF and GK. Shimizu GK punched it out, but it hit Lucas' chest in front and was sucked into the net.... They succeeded in scoring an additional point.

After leading by 2 points, Tokyo kept a high line and in the 64th minute, Shimizu's forward, FW Valley, broke through and hit the bar with a shot, causing a close call, but it was offside in the previous stage. After that, there were moments when Tokyo had the ball taken by Shimizu, who launched a counterattack, but Tokyo remained calm and defended, and even tried to score a third goal.

75 minutes, Tanabe is brought in on the side. Higashi moves to the center. And against Shimizu, who comes to steal the ball, they pass it around to create their own time and try to suppress the counterattack. In the final stage, Mita and Hayashi are brought in. In the 90th minute, Mita in the midfield sends a long pass behind the opponent's defense, and Hayashi breaks through, but the goalkeeper catches it a step ahead. In injury time, against Ota's left cross, Hayashi jumps into the area and tries to directly hit it, but... fails to hit the target and goes wide.

Although we couldn't score a third goal, we were able to close the game by utilizing the strengths of our fresh players. We kept a clean sheet in defense and secured our second consecutive victory in official matches. We obtained 3 points in the league for the first time in 3 games.


[Player Comments]
《Takahashi》
"Recently, I have been considering the balance and restraining myself from attacking too much because we have been conceding a lot of goals. However, I also had the desire to contribute in a way that is easily understood by everyone, such as scoring goals or providing assists. Although my shots were not very accurate, I feel that it is important to enter that area again. I believe that by playing collectively and fluidly, not only the midfielders but also the other 10 players apart from the goalkeeper, we can surpass the opponent's defense. I want us to become a team where heroes come and go."

"Lucas"
"We have been talking about how it would be a tight and difficult match since before the game, and it turned out exactly that way. Especially in the first half, it was a tight match and neither team had any chances. However, we all talked about how if we continue to play our usual game, we will get chances in the second half and it is important to convert them when they come. I think we were able to do that. The goal was a momentary reaction."

[Coach's Press Conference Summary]
《Popovich coach》
"We were shown a game with a high level of completion. We were able to firmly take control throughout the 90 minutes and control the game. Shimizu also played a frustrating style of soccer, keeping their lines compact and provoking our mistakes to launch attacks. However, against their compact and aggressive press, we were able to connect passes, bypass opponents, and create chances, capitalizing on scoring opportunities. We were able to express what we have been aiming for."

The way of moving the ball was smooth, and the side changes were also used effectively, showing what we have been working on. Also, even though it was a game in two days, the amount of exercise was perfect. Of course, there are areas that need improvement. There have been situations where we have conceded goals due to small details, so I want to focus on that. Still, today, I want to say well done to the players who played high-quality and attractive football.

Today, many fans and supporters came to visit again, but in my mind, I still remember the sad faces of everyone after losing to Shimizu in last season's Nabisco Cup semifinal. I have always wanted to turn that into a smile, to repay the debt from that time. I think we were able to achieve a good result today, and I hope you enjoyed it."

"Shimizu Ghotbi (coach)"
"We played good football but the way we conceded the goal was bad. We let them slip through the gap between two players and score, but until then, I think we were able to control the game. Especially in the first half, we were able to create a solid organization and break through the opponent from there. Regarding MF Takeuchi, he was able to create attacks and receive or pass the ball well. However, when playing away, we need to make sure to convert the chances we had in the first half."

After the first goal, the players may have lost some confidence. There was still enough time to catch up, but the ball deflected off Lucas's punch and went in, resulting in a strange goal. After it became 2-0, the task became more difficult. This is partly because of the tight schedule so far. It is tough to overcome such a goal while working hard and controlling the game."