Sec. 17, the first round of the league, securing a consecutive victory and moving on to the second half of the season

Sec. 17 will be held at Ajinomoto Stadium, welcoming Ventforet Kofu. As the final match of the 4-game series and the completion of the first round of league matches, we aim to continue our winning streak and start the second half of the season in a good shape. However, MoriShige will be suspended for this match due to accumulated warnings. Therefore, Kaga and Hyun Soo JANG will be deployed as center-backs. Lucas will also start for the first time in 3 matches. Yonemoto and Ota, who were injured in the previous match, have recovered well and have been included in the starting lineup.

Kofu, who will face them, is currently in 14th place with 14 points. Under the guidance of coach Hiroshi Jofuku, Kofu returned to J1 this season and has been showing competitive performances against any opponent, dominating the ball and playing well. However, they are currently on a 6-game losing streak since the 11th section. Especially in these three games after the break, they have been suffering close defeats. However, they will surely come out fighting for a result in this section.

It is a match against Kofu for the first time since the final match of 2007. In response to that, Tokyo will aggressively fight for 90 minutes without losing focus on offense and defense, aiming for a consecutive victory. Ajinomoto Stadium, where the rain intensified before the match. The match started with Kofu's kickoff at 19:34, a little later than usual, on Wednesday.

Despite conceding a goal right after the start, Lucas' goal equalizes the score

The match started with movement. From the development of Kofu DF Tsuchiya to FW Hiramoto, Tokyo's left side was attacked, and from there a ground vertical pass was made deep into the right area. Kofu midfielder Sasaki dropped it from the sideline, and Kashiwa midfielder followed with a minus pass to the center. FW Hiramoto, who was free, scored with a header... In the early stages of the match, they were caught off guard and conceded a goal by breaking the defense from a direct pass.

However, Tokyo calmly counterattacked without being shaken. Although they allowed Kofu to possess the ball for a while, they defended without panicking and tried to move forward and create chances. In the 7th minute, Lucas' cross was intercepted, but the second player connected and Lucas again cut into the right area and took a shot. He had controlled the shot well, but it was blocked by a great save from the goalkeeper. In the 17th minute, they intercepted the ball in the midfield and moved forward, and Watanabe seized the loose ball from the feet of the Kofu defender and took a shot from the left area near the goal.

And in the 18th minute, the ball was connected in the midfield, Yonemoto -> Takahashi -> Ota, who went up on the left, sent a high cross to the far side. Lucas competed with the opponent's defender and headed the ball, which bounced into the left net! Lucas skillfully equalized with a header shot.

In the 27th minute, Sho Smith intercepted Kofu's passing. He passed it to Watanabe in front, and together with Higashi, they launched a dynamic counterattack. Watanabe dribbled up and passed to Yonemoto on the left side. Yonemoto shot from outside the left corner of the area with speed, but it was saved by the goalkeeper. After that, there were some mistakes, and although they couldn't take the lead, they didn't allow Kofu any chances either. The game was carried over to the second half.

Filled with dynamism, Nema's first goal and Watanabe's two goals push Kofu ahead!

In the second half, both teams quickly attacked each other. In the 52nd minute, Kofu connected from a throw-in, and Kofu forward Kaneko broke through the right side. The Tokyo defenders were narrowly evaded and Kofu took advantage of a minus pass to the center, where Sasaki, the Kofu midfielder, jumped in... a decisive opportunity was created, but Tokunaga managed to block the shot with his body, resulting in a miss.

Tokyo brought in Nemanja VUCICEVIC in the 53rd minute. They launched a faster attack. Then, in the 69th minute, Ota ran into the loose ball that spilled from the opponent's DF on the left front line and crossed it. In the center, Watanabe headed the ball with a high contact point. The floating ball evaded the outstretched hand of the Kofu GK and was sucked into the net for a goal. They successfully took the lead.

With this, we completely seized the momentum, and in the 74th minute, Ishikawa came in. Starting from the left side, we connected to a powerful attack. In the 82nd minute, we connected from our own half, Jang Hyun Soo → Ota sent a vertical pass, Ishikawa broke through to the left front line and sent a low cross to the center. East let it go through, and Vucicevic, who had come around from behind, confidently stabbed it into the goal with his right foot. Nemanja's first goal of the season was born, and we scored the third goal.

Kofu has no power to counterattack, and in the 89th minute, Mita, who came on as a substitute, received a pass from Yonemoto from the right rear of his own goal and turned forward to connect to the right front line. Watanabe, who received this, rushed into the area with a dribble. He feinted and cut back the opponent's DF inside and took a shot. The ball bounced off the opponent's DF who had entered the cover and went into the net. They scored 3 goals in the second half and won with a season-high 4 goals. They achieved consecutive victories and as a result, they finished the first half of the league in 8th place with 26 points.


[Player Comments]
《Arata WATANABE》
"The team didn't have many opportunities from crosses, so I had been wanting to score for a long time. I was able to connect well. We had been discussing timing and other things with Ota player since practice. For the second goal, I decided to take it on my own and dribbled. I think my greediness paid off. I have been able to score 12 goals so far, but there were scenes where I could have scored more, and the future is important. I will aim for the next one without thinking too much. Winning is the most important thing for the team, and it also gives me confidence. Not only the content, but also the results are important, and I want to fight for them."

"Lucas"
"As soon as the cross from player Ota went up, I felt that a good ball was coming and jumped in. I was able to win the battle with the opponent's defender and bring it to a header. The whole team wanted to continue winning, and I was also motivated. We conceded a goal first and I wanted to catch up as soon as possible. There will be a little break from here, but I think the team's condition is gradually improving. I want to continue working hard without letting my guard down and aim for a higher position."


[Coach Popovich's Press Conference Summary]
"There was a difference in the content between the first half and the second half. I think conceding a goal right after the start also had an impact. We challenged to attack and aim for goals, but in the first half, there were many instances where we lost the ball to the opponent due to free passes and easy mistakes. In the second half, we were able to make proper adjustments. We organized our thoughts and were able to threaten the opponent's goal with quick decision-making and ideas. We need to continue playing like in the second half, and I believe we have the ability to show it."

In the midst of a tight schedule of playing 4 matches in a short period of time, he showed a great performance even in the 4th match. It was an intense schedule that not only took a toll on the physical aspect but also on the mental aspect, but I am satisfied to have been able to show such a game as the conclusion of the 4-match series. I want to say "well done" to the players. I believe that this victory was achieved by everyone, including the starting players, substitute players, and players on the bench. I also want to express my gratitude for the fact that so many fans and supporters came to the stadium despite the bad weather. I want to repay them by showing soccer like today and continue to do so."


[Kofu - Coach Hiroshi Jofuku's Press Conference Summary]
"Despite the team's difficult situation, the supporters of Kofu have given us passionate and warm support. We will never forget this. We want to repay their feelings. As for the match, until the 70th minute when we conceded the second goal, it was a good performance that we want to acknowledge. However, as a result, there have been several matches where we cannot say it was a good performance when the 90 minutes are over. The challenges are very clear, so I will continue with this football. There may be changes in the squad. We want to show a new Kofu after the 18th round."

(When I saw Tokyo players and supporters on the pitch), my feelings were that when I had to leave Tokyo three years ago, I left without being able to greet the supporters who cheered for me very warmly. So I decided to bow as a sign of gratitude. I bowed only to convey my gratitude up until now. However, I am with the players and supporters of Kofu for the rest of the time."