2015 Season Opening! "Everything is for victory!" with the continuation and improvement of last season

Tokyo invaded the enemy territory, Expo '70 Commemorative Stadium, and welcomed the opening match of the 1st stage against Gamba Osaka. Under the guidance of coach Massimo, this season, which marks the second year, aims to build upon what was cultivated last season and strive for further improvement, fighting for victory in every aspect.
Newly joined experienced players such as Ryoichi MAEDA, Tatsuya ENOMOTO, and rookies, as well as returning members from loan transfers, started training in mid-January. They have gone through training camps in Okinawa, Miyazaki, and Fukuoka, as well as practice matches and preseason matches. In today's lineup, Canini played as a center-back, Kajiyama started as a defensive midfielder. Ota also started despite his injury. Yonemoto and Hanyu were used as inside midfielders, Maeda and Muto played upfront, and Kono played as an attacking midfielder.

Gamba Osaka, who they are facing, is the reigning triple champion of last season. Under the third-year leadership of coach Kenta HASEGAWA, the team has experienced minimal changes in the roster and continues to display both powerful attacks and a tenacious defense when needed. In the ongoing AFC Champions League this season, they have suffered two consecutive defeats without scoring a goal. However, in the Fuji Xerox Super Cup against Urawa, they displayed patient defense and capitalized on set pieces and the opponent's mistakes to score, showcasing their wealth of experience.

Tokyo focuses on suppressing the powerful attack centered around FW Usami and Patrick from the opponent while also focusing on how to break through their solid defense. Although the temperature is not very low, the game started at 14:04 with Gamba Osaka's kickoff in the situation where rain gradually began to fall.

Conceded a goal just before the end of the first half. Go into halftime trailing by one point.

The match started with 3 minutes. A free kick from the opponent's central area in the opponent's territory. Yonehara sent a gentle kick to the space in front of the goal, but no one could connect and it went to the opponent's goalkeeper. In the 16th minute, the opponent's corner kick continued, and Fujiharu, the opponent's SB, broke through to the left area and sent a powerful kick to the front of the goal, but Konda controlled it and it became another corner kick. The time of being attacked from set plays continued.

39 minutes, Tokyo's cross from Tokunaga's loose ball, Maeda and Hanyu follow on the right side. From the build-up there, Kajiyama rises up in the center and takes a daring shot. They earn a corner kick from the opponent's block. However, Ota's right corner kick is caught by goalkeeper Higashiguchi and they fail to score. In the following 40 minutes, the opponent's short pass is matched with a ball into the area, and Usami breaks free, but Morishige blocks him and disrupts his balance, and the ball is caught by Kawata with a quick dive.

Just before the end of the first half, it looked like the opponent's ball crossed the goal line in a match-up between FW Usami and Morishige, but in the momentary pause, Osaka connected a pass to FW Usami, and MF Endo crossed from near the left corner of the area. FW Patric then scored with a header over Canini... allowing a goal to be conceded.
We allowed a goal to be scored by taking advantage of a gap just before the end of the game, and ended the first half with a one-point deficit.

Equalizing with Muto's goal, they snatch a valuable 1 point away from home!

In the midst of heavy rain, Maruyama was substituted for Ota at the start of the second half. In the 49th minute, Tokyo launched an attack. They connected passes and expanded to the right from Maeda's post-play. Tokunaga, who had advanced forward, crossed the ball in front of the goal. Muto headed the ball perfectly, but it went straight to the opponent's goalkeeper. In the 52nd minute, Tokyo lost possession due to a pass error on the left side, allowing the opponent to quickly counterattack and Kajiyama in the area was judged to have fouled forward Usami, resulting in a penalty kick. Usami successfully struck the penalty kick into the bottom left corner... and Tokyo conceded their second goal.

Substitute HAYASHI for KAWANO in the 58th minute! He entered the front line and formed a formation similar to a front three. In the 60th minute, HAYASHI, who came in as a substitute, pressed fiercely against the opponent's goalkeeper and tried to snatch the loose ball. In the end, it was offside, but it was a play that conveyed HAYASHI's feelings. In the 65th minute, HIGASHI replaced HANYU and entered as a right inside half. On the left side, MUTOU, YONEMOTO, and KAJIYAMA formed a double pivot, with MAEDA and HAYASHI as the front two.

At the 75th minute, Tokyo launched an early cross from the right side. Maeda dropped the ball and Muto in front of the goal quickly and tenaciously controlled it, then smoothly redirected it to the opposite side, GOAL!! They scored one point. Tokyo, trailing by one point, had an opportunity at the 88th minute. Lin dynamically dove near the goal to meet Tokunaga's right cross, but... he got tangled up with the defender and ultimately was stopped by the opposing goalkeeper. Tokyo continued to push forward, and in the 90th minute, Maeda in the center and Tokyo on the far side both jumped to meet Tokunaga's cross... but they barely missed touching the ball.

And in the added time, Kajiyama's through pass was cleared by the opponent's DF Iwashita. It reached Mutoh in the front line, who shot with a half-volley from a one-touch! The ball flew over the goalkeeper's head with a drive-like trajectory and shook the net spectacularly, GOAL!! GOAL!! They caught up to an equal score! They allowed two goals due to misjudgment and carelessness, but they displayed a never-give-up attitude and headed towards the opponent's goal until the end. Mutoh scored two goals and brought the match to a draw in the final moments, taking a valuable 1 point away, and the opening match of the 2015 season ended in a worthy draw.

[Player Comments]
《Muto》
"Towards the end of last year, the number of goals decreased and I felt a little pressure. Today, being able to score a goal in this opening game also relieved some of the pressure. The first goal was all about the first touch. Maeda dropped the ball nicely for me, and I knew that if I went inside, the opponent's defense would take care of it, and I also knew that the goalkeeper would come out. I thought the second goal was decided the moment I hit it. Throughout the game, I wish I could have created more opportunities to receive the ball and make plays... However, I'm really happy that I was able to help the team as a result, and it was the result of everyone's never-give-up attitude and fighting spirit towards the goal. I was able to score two goals with the support of my teammates. Nevertheless, I still want to make use of the chances and score goals that contribute to the team's victory in the future."

"I was in a state of being two points behind, so I knew exactly what I had to do. I felt like I didn't have much momentum... so I pressed forward and tried to jump into crosses as much as possible. Even if I got crushed, I thought it would be good if I could connect with someone. That's what I can do and it's my specialty. It's the first time I've played this long in J1. When I stepped onto the pitch, I could hear the cheers from the stands, and I felt the expectations and it made me happy."

[Summary of Massimo FICCADENTI's press conference]
"In the first half, we possessed the ball with great confidence and continued to play wonderfully. However, the flow of the game changed with that goal conceded, and it became a difficult situation for the team. In the second half, we conceded a second goal from a penalty kick, making the game even more challenging. After that, the opponent closed down the central space, so we changed our formation. We simplified the midfield and focused on competing in the penalty area. We had a clear intention and executed our tactics with high intensity. Today, we were able to equalize from a 0-2 difficult situation. Gamba Osaka is the reigning champion from last season and undoubtedly the strongest team in Japan at the moment. Being able to play a game like this against such an opponent shows the true mentality of this team. I am truly satisfied with that."

[Summary of Kenta HASEGAWA's press conference]
"We wanted to start the season with a good result, and I think the players fought and played until the end in front of the many supporters. The performance was very good, and the players were motivated. They played in a way that didn't make it feel like the fourth game in a row. Until the last 10 minutes, they played with great determination. When we conceded a goal and the opponent started to attack, there was some fatigue. However, I want to take the positive aspect of earning 1 point. Of course, it was a situation where we needed to earn 3 points, but each player expressed a strong desire to fight and aim for goals. We will take the 1 point positively and prepare ourselves physically for the next game, as we have a week until then."