Enter the second half of the league, maintain a good flow

Entering the second half of the league matches, Sec. 18 will be held. Shimizu S-Pulse will be playing. After the break, the team has won 2 out of 3 consecutive matches and is currently on a 2-game winning streak. In particular, in the previous match, they scored 3 goals for the first time since Sec. 14 (May 17th against G Osaka), showing a high level of physical fitness despite the consecutive matches. They aim to build on this positive momentum and achieve their first 3-game winning streak of the season.

This week, Edu, who has finished serving his suspension, returns to the starting lineup. The rest of the starting lineup remains the same as the previous match against Sendai. Additionally, new signing Canini has made it onto the bench. On the other hand, Shimizu is currently in 12th place with 21 points. They went winless for seven matches from the 10th round, but finally secured a victory in the previous match against Kashiwa after eight games. However, after changing coaches from Ghotbi to Oeno, this match will be the first game under the new manager. However, as coach Massimo stated that he wants to prevent Shimizu's individual players from showcasing their potential, it can be said that the attacking power of Novakovic, Omae, and Toshiyuki Takagi is their biggest strong point.

On the other hand, the key to victory will be how to suppress goals while taking advantage of the opponent's weaknesses. This season, including the Nabisco Cup, we have had one win and one loss in our matches, but it is also a match where we want to show our growth since the last meeting and achieve victory.

Ajinomoto Stadium, where the intense heat continues, the match started with Shimizu's kickoff at 18:34.

Edu scores a powerful opening goal! Muto and Ota extend the lead

The start of the game saw a back-and-forth battle. However, in the 6th minute, Muto broke free on the left side after receiving a feed from Takahashi on the right side of the midfield and took a shot. The ball crossed the frame but this play allowed Tokyo to find their rhythm. In the 8th minute, Muto kept the ball on the left front line and sent a minus pass in front of the area, and Takahashi took a ground shot. However, the goalkeeper touched it slightly, resulting in a corner kick. In the 12th minute, Shimizu quickly moved forward and took a middle shot against forward Omae, but Tokyo's defense quickly returned, escaping with a corner kick.

15 minutes into the game, from the flow of a throw-in on the left side, Muto and Hanyu connected with quick passes, and Kono from the corner of the area aimed for a goal. The ball hit the DF in the area and was cleared by the Shimizu DF, but Edu in the center dropped back and volleyed with his left foot, even though the ball had fallen short. The powerful shot had a strong trajectory and found the net on the right side, giving us an early lead!

After that, there were moments when Shimizu's attack was received, but they did not allow any decisive moments with their quick switching and composed defense. In the 37th minute, Yoshimoto from their own team made a long feed to the front line. Muto followed this and broke through behind the opponent's defense, shooting with his left foot from the area, but it went just to the right... In the 43rd minute, Ota sent a ball from the right corner kick to the goal area, and Edu near the goal reacted, but it hit the left post... However, Ota from the right side picked up this clearance and made a sharp early cross to the goal area. Muto, who had slipped through the opponent's defense, pushed it in with a header, GOAL!

In the additional time of the first half, Muto used his speed to make a move and earned a free kick from just in front of the left penalty arc. Ota aimed for it with a light run-up, and the shot grazed the right post and went inwards! He scored a brilliant free kick and added consecutive goals towards the end of the first half, leading by 3 points as they entered the second half.

Sealing the game tightly, the team achieves their first three consecutive wins of the season!

Tokyo took the lead in the early stages of the second half. In the 48th minute, Takahashi on the right midfield passed to Edu in front, who then broke through the right side with a one-two with Kono. He entered the area and took a shot, but it missed wide. In the 51st minute, Hanyu was replaced by Azuma. In the 53rd minute, Edu in the center headed the ball from Tokunaga's cross, but it went wide. In the 57th minute, Shimizu attacked into the area, and Novakovic and Toshiyuki TAKAGI took consecutive shots, but both hit the post and Tokyo avoided conceding a goal.

After 58 minutes, Erik and Edu competed with the opponent's defender on the right side of the area, and Muto, who reacted to the loose ball, dribbled into the right area. He cut inside and then outside the opponent's defender twice and took a shot with his right foot! It went near the goal and became his second goal, extending the lead to four points.

Despite receiving counterattacks from Shimizu, Gonda and the defense held strong and in the 61st minute, Mita replaced Kono, and in the 77th minute, Hirayama replaced Edu. The game was coming to a close. In the 84th minute, Takahashi in the midfield moved to the left side. Ota received the ball and entered the area after passing it to Muto on the left front line. Ota received a return pass from Muto and took a decisive shot, but it was saved by the opponent's goalkeeper, preventing the fifth goal from being scored. However, they shut down Shimizu's counterattacks and achieved their third consecutive clean sheet in three games. At the same time, they scored a season-high of four goals and secured their first three-game winning streak of the season, rising to fifth place in the standings.

[Player Comments]
"Edu"
"Being able to enter the game with a good rhythm and score first in the early stages makes it easier. I think it's a good factor that not only the mental aspect but also the team can play compactly. The physical aspect has improved since the camp during the break period, and the coordination has also increased. It is leading to a good form."

"Muto"
"I missed two shots at the beginning of the game, but Edu scored the opening goal, which gave me a little more confidence. I have been working on scoring goals since practice. For the first goal, I thought the ball would come to me if I got free. I also practiced shooting near the goal for the second goal. I have started to understand the movements from the back to the side and from the center to the side, which are the positions of a forward. The players around me are also watching my movements, and I had confidence that I could compete with speed if I could break through."

[Summary of Massimo FICCADENTI's press conference]
"The first half was almost perfect, just like the previous Sendai match. We didn't give the opponent much space and played aggressively while maintaining compactness. We were able to press well even in this heat. It was also good that we displayed high-quality plays in goal-scoring opportunities and scored three goals. In the second half, after scoring four goals, we were threatened with dangerous counterattacks and long-range shots a couple of times, but in the end, we were able to play our own game. The players are satisfied with playing with courage and confidence, and we want to continue this momentum."

[Summary of Coach Taku SHIMIZU and Katsumi OENOKI's Press Conference]
"We approached the game with a focus on defense, but it was difficult to turn it into a victory after conceding 3 goals in the first half. There may have been some unfortunate incidents, but I still felt some weaknesses in terms of line control, ball movement, and marking. As for the attack, we didn't have much time to prepare and left it up to the players. However, we couldn't move forward after winning the ball in a low position. We ended up just passing the ball around at the back and couldn't accelerate from the sides. There were a few chances to break through the sides, but we couldn't score due to a lack of precision in entering the box and crossing. However, the players fought until the end and felt the need to do something. That is pleasing, and I think I saw a glimmer of hope there."