To make use of the 3 points from the previous match, we need to win at home

Sec. 3 of the 2nd stage, which will be held on Sunday. We will play against Montedio Yamagata at home. In the previous match, East scored the opening goal with a dynamic play and continued his consecutive goals at his own Ajinomoto Stadium. Takahashi also marked his first goal of the season, and furthermore, Morishige scored the third goal from a set play to secure the victory. Although we conceded one goal, Coach Massimo says, "Showing a new form is evidence that the team is evolving. It is important for each player to continue to grow." However, the coach and the players all agree that "if we don't win the next match, the way we won the previous match and the 3 points won't mean anything." Therefore, we will give 100% effort in each match and aim for victory, striving for continuous growth.

However, Higashi injured his left foot in the Niigata match and will be absent for this round. As a result, Nakajima, who will make his first start of the season, will be deployed as a side midfielder. The rest of the starting lineup remains the same as the previous round, and they will kick off with a 4-4-2 formation.

Yamagata, on the other hand, had 14 points and ranked 15th in the 1st stage. However, in the 2nd stage, they drew with Yokohama FM and Urawa. Yamagata, known for their solid defense, changed their formation to a 3-man midfield in the previous match as a countermeasure against Urawa. They created numerous chances by aggressively attacking from the wings and midfield. Building on their confidence from that match, they approached this match with FW Diego leading the frontline, MF Frank Romero in a position close to the attacking midfielder, and MF Matsuoka, MF Arceau, and MF Miyasaka forming a midfield trio.

A tough defense is required against the attacking play led by Diego, Nobuyuki YAMAGATA, and Frank ROMERO, while the key to the game will be whether we can break through their defensive wall with numbers from the midfield and backline. We want to aim for a consecutive victory by taking advantage of any openings from the opponent.

Even just before the start, the temperature exceeded 30 degrees and the match started with a kickoff in Yamagata, amidst the intense heat and humidity.

There are frequent changes in offense and defense, and accidents are occurring one after another.

The start of the game saw Yamagata create chances with their attacking momentum. In the 3rd minute, they couldn't stop Yamagata's counterattack and were connected to Diego, the left side forward. From here, they tried to combine with a cross, but Romero Frank, the midfielder, attacked aggressively in the far area. In response, Nakajima held him back with a foul, giving a free kick just to the right of the penalty arc. In the 5th minute, Yamagata's midfielder Miyasaka directly aimed for this free kick, but the shot hit the post... They narrowly avoided conceding a goal. In the 10th minute, Tokyo's Ishikawa forcefully dribbled towards the center from Maeda's post play. Here, he was fouled and earned a free kick from the left side of the penalty arc. However, Morishige's shot went over the bar.

There were moments when Yamagata's quick attacks pushed Tokyo back, but Tokyo also responded quickly. The exchange between offense and defense was rapidly changing. In the midst of that, in the 22nd minute, Maeda received a ball cut on the left side of their own field, turned towards the front, and played a through pass to Nakajima on the left front line. Nakajima, who had timed his run well and broke free in front of the goal, faced the goalkeeper in a one-on-one situation. He took a well-aimed shot, but... it missed to the right of the goal. They couldn't capitalize on the scoring opportunity. In the 29th minute, Nakajima, who had moved up the right side after Ishikawa in the center, swung his right foot, but it narrowly went over the crossbar.

The number of finishing scenes gradually increased, but in the 32nd minute, Kajiyama was injured in his left ankle due to the opponent's tackle. He returned to play once, but was unable to stand up again. Therefore, Hayashi was substituted in the 35th minute. The formation changed to a 4-3-3 with Takahashi in the center midfield and Yonemoto and Hayashi on both sides. They effectively suppressed Yamagata's attacks focused on set plays, but when the 5-minute additional time started, Ota also got injured and couldn't continue playing. As a result, Maruyama was substituted in the 45th minute +3. Immediately after, Nakajima passed to Maeda who broke through the right area and crossed. Ishikawa in front of the goal tried to shoot with his right heel while carrying the defender, but it hit the opponent's defender and went wide to the side... The first half ended with a scoreless draw.

山形の反撃を抑え、最後までゴールに向かったが……

Tokyo continued their rhythm despite a series of accidents, and in the second half they launched an offensive. In the 47th minute, Maruyama pressed the opponent and stole the ball in their own half, and Yonemoto and Maeda expanded to the left. Ishikawa's cross earned a left corner kick. Maeda in the far post headed the ball freely from Ishikawa's kick, but... it was blocked by the opponent's goalkeeper's excellent save. In the 49th minute, Nakajima on the left front line passed to Ishikawa in the center. Hayashi, who had timely advanced, shot the ball and aimed for the upper right corner of the goal, but it was saved by the Yamagata goalkeeper.

In the 57th minute, Sandaza was substituted for Nakajima, using all three substitution slots and aiming for a goal. Immediately after coming on, Sandaza dribbled through the gap between two defenders from the left area and towards the center. He attempted a shot but it was blocked. In the 59th minute, Sandaza attempted a direct volley from Ishikawa's left cross in front of the goal, but it narrowly missed the top right corner.

While increasing the pushing force forward, the exhaustion also intensifies under the heat, gradually elongating the line and engaging in a counterattack. Still, they did not allow Yamagata to create any chances that seemed like chances. However, in the 68th minute, Gonda jumped out to punch away the FK from the right side of Yamagata, and in the process, he collided with Takahashi, injuring his face. Takahashi couldn't get up and had to leave the pitch temporarily for treatment. He returned to the pitch in the 72nd minute, but his condition remained unstable.

Still attacking, Sandaza used his strength in the 80th minute to shake off the opponent's defender and move to the right. Ishikawa volleyed the cross from Tokunaga, but it went over the bar. Even in the 7 minutes of additional time, they mustered their energy to aim for a goal. Takahashi headed the opponent's clearance ball to Sandaza in the right area just outside the penalty box. Sandaza turned and took a shot, but it was saved by the opponent's goalkeeper. Nevertheless, they didn't give up and threatened the Yamagata goal from set pieces. However, in the final moments, Yonemoto followed up on a loose ball from a left cross and his long-range shot missed the target by a wide margin. Time was up. They couldn't convert any of the 9 shots in the second half. Although they kept a clean sheet in the league for the first time since the Niigata match on April 25th, they ended up with a goalless draw.

[Player Comments]
"Nakajima"
"I had a chance, but I couldn't score there, and I'm frustrated. I think I could have done more and I feel that I need to receive the ball more often. I want to be able to play in the game as I do in my usual practice."

"Maruyama"
"I have been preparing all the time so that I can play whenever. I didn't feel nervous or pressured, but I made sure to focus on getting into the game. While playing without taking any risks, I was conscious of connecting the ball firmly and aiming for spaces. I wanted to win 3 points, but I want to take the 1 point we gained by keeping a clean sheet positively."

[Summary of Massimo FICCADENTI's press conference]
"Yamagata erased the space as expected and aimed for counterattacks. Among them, Nakajima's chance in the first half was a big scoring opportunity. If we had scored there, the content would have been more settled. However, we couldn't take advantage of the chance and time passed. Kajiyama and Ota had no choice but to be substituted. Therefore, it became difficult to make tactical changes in the second half, but we were able to prevent Yamagata from creating many chances and push them back. MoriShige and Ishikawa created scoring opportunities... If you look at Yamagata's last two matches, it was clear that they were opponents to be respected, and their good condition was also an important factor. It was not a game where the technique shone throughout, but it became a match where the strength in the duels was often seen."
（Regarding the condition of injured players）
Kajiyama has a strong contusion on his ankle. We won't know for sure until we conduct further examinations. Ota seemed to have discomfort in the back of his thigh, but we want to monitor his progress. Takahashi has a contusion on his nose, but I believe it can be resolved quickly. Despite facing these issues, I don't consider obtaining 1 point a bad result."
"I tried to challenge Tokyo, who finished 2nd in the 1st stage. Although we faced some difficulties, we were able to control the defense to some extent. We were able to handle Tokyo's changes in the system well and maintain a good balance. However, we couldn't create good opportunities in the attack. This is not limited to today, but we still need to practice more. However, the players fought well in the consecutive matches of 3 games in 1 week with only 3 days of rest, under the hot and humid weather conditions. We will take the result of 3 draws positively and move on to the next match."