Finish with a victory in the final match of the league, and achieve a 4-game winning streak

Entering the final match of the J1 League this season, Omiya Ardija will face off against the opponent. They will be away.
In the previous match, we won against Sendai and achieved a 3-game winning streak in the league. Coach Shinoda said, "There is no special awareness just because it is the final match of the league. However, I want to win the last match and achieve a 4-game winning streak. Above all, we were defeated by Omiya in the opening match of this season. I have a strong desire to show our progress from there and take revenge." He also mentioned that he will give his full effort in the upcoming game against Omiya, as always.

Tokyo, like the previous match, will have Mizunuma starting and he will be in the starting lineup for the second consecutive game. Kawano, who has recovered from injury, will also be on the bench.

Omiya, the opponent, is in 5th place in the 2nd stage and 4th place in the annual points.
Not only are they currently on a 3-game winning streak, but they have also been in excellent form since their loss to Kobe in the 2nd Sec. 6 (July 30th) match, with 7 wins and 3 draws and no losses. They boast a solid defense that is characteristic of Omiya, and in the last 3 matches, they have scored multiple goals in each game, showcasing a good balance between offense and defense. In particular, caution is needed against their attacking play, which is led by the forward duo of Dragan Murgja and Ienaga, as well as the midfielders Izumisawa and Esaka on the wings. Even if they find themselves in a challenging situation, they should maintain their perseverance and focus, and demonstrate a never-give-up attitude until the end.

Furthermore, Tokyo is just one win away from reaching a total of 100 away wins in the J1 League, which is a significant milestone. We will unite our strength, maintain a dynamic and competitive attitude, and aim to finish the final match with a victory.

It was calm and sunny, but the wind was strong in the shade, and the game started at 13:33 with a kickoff in Tokyo, under the weather where coldness and chilliness could be felt.

Hashimoto scores a valuable opening goal from Mizunuma's corner kick

Both teams displayed an aggressive attitude from the start, engaging in a battle to win the ball. Neither team allowed the other to take control with their strong defense, resulting in an intense match.
6 minutes: Omiya quickly connected from their own half, and MF Izumisawa dribbled up the left side and took a shot from the left area, but Akimoto made the save.
12 minutes: Muraya initiated a second ball and Higashi took it, splitting the opponent's defense and aggressively attacking, but was brought down near the left area. However, there was no foul and Tokyo quickly countered, preventing a finish.
16 minutes: It becomes a counter exchange. Omiya's left cross is cleared by Muroya, and immediately Morishige connects it forward, but Azuma was blocked by the opponent on the left front line.

23 minutes: In the midst of intense exchanges between offense and defense, Omiya pushed into the opponent's territory, Tanabe carried the ball to the right area and quickly connected passes, Mizunuma put in a right cross, and earned a left corner kick. In the 24th minute, Mizunuma took the left corner kick and Hasegawa, who boldly jumped near the goal, headed the ball! The ball was sucked into the far net, resulting in a goal. They took the lead by making use of the set piece opportunity. The score is now 1-0.

28 minutes: Omiya's FW Ienaga shoots a middle shot from a slightly right position, Mori Shige blocks it, but a hand foul is called and a FK at the edge of the penalty area. This is aimed at MF Oyama, but Tokyo's wall blocks it. Furthermore, the loose ball is connected, and DF Kikuchi heads it from a left cross, but Tokyo DF also closes in and prevents the shot, and Akimoto catches it.

37 minutes: After that, Omiya continued to dominate the ball. Then, Nakajima boldly moved up the center and was fouled by the opponent, but Higashi quickly intercepted the loose ball and made a through pass into the penalty area. Tanabe rushed forward and had a great chance, but... his shot lacked power and was saved by the Omiya goalkeeper from close range.

42 minutes: Maruyama, followed by Kajiyama, demonstrated their strength. They bounced back the opponent and regained possession of the ball, passing it to the left to Higashi. Higashi carried the ball forward and sent a floating cross slightly on the negative side. In response to this, Mizunuma, who had run in from the far side, took a shot. They created a great opportunity, but the shot went well over the bar.
44 minutes: Omiya - Left side FW Ienaga's pinpoint cross was headed by FW Murja, who was free in the center... but it also missed to the right, avoiding danger and ending the first half.
Omiya held off the counterattack tenaciously and created opportunities for additional points, but they couldn't convert them. As a result, they entered the second half with a one-point lead.

We fought patiently and finished the league with 4 consecutive wins and no goals conceded, ending in 9th place.

The second half continued with Omiya being pushed back as they faced a counterattack.
48 minutes: Tokyo formed a block and had enough defenders, but Omiya FW Ienaga kept the ball and made a left cross. From here, Omiya MF Yokotani was left free in front of the goal and allowed a header.
53 minutes: This time, the press that tried to advance and steal the ball was avoided, and Omiya MF Izumizawa connected a direct pass. The ball was carried by the wind and reached FW Murja, who was free in the far area. It seemed like a scoring opportunity was created, but Akimoto jumped out and punched the ball with one hand. Furthermore, the second ball was stolen, and they attacked the right area, but Akimoto concentrated and managed to hold them off.

Tokyo launched a counterattack, but the ball did not settle in the front line and they quickly faced a counterattack. Omiya repeatedly sent crosses and attacked from set pieces, but Tokyo remained resilient and managed to hold on until the last moment.

68 minutes: Takahashi is substituted for Kajiyama.
75 minutes: Nakajima forcefully evades the opponent's press, falls down but manages to pass the ball forward. Tanabe -> Mizunuma earns a free kick from the right side of the opponent's field. From Mizunuma's kick, Maruyama heads the ball, and then Maeda on the right tries to aim. Both attempts are blocked, but there are increasing opportunities to play in the opponent's field.
77 minutes: From Tanabe's through pass, Maeda in the right area tries to turn around and aim for the right corner kick. But Mizunuma cleverly sends it to the ground in the area... and it is cleared.

I had consecutive chances for set plays, but I couldn't score an additional point.
78 minutes: Kawano is substituted for Mizunuma. They tried to regain momentum and flow.
81 minutes: Murai smoothly breaks through the opponent's defense with a pass to the left area, changes direction and makes a vertical run, and sends a cross... which goes to the far side. Hashimoto follows up on this and cuts in to send a floating ball towards the east side of the goal, but it hits East's chest and becomes an Omiya ball.

In the final stage, there was intense offense and defense between Omiya, who was chasing one point, and Tokyo, who was trying to hold on, and there was a sense that their legs were gradually starting to slow down.
86 minutes: Nathan BURNS is substituted. He maintains his attitude of trying to exploit the opponent's weaknesses, and in additional time, Nakajima from the left side makes a through pass from a distant position to the front line. Burns catches up and immediately aims for the goal from the left area, but misses the target. This was Tokyo's only shot in the second half, and the game continued to be difficult, but they still maintained their patience and protected Hashimoto's goal scored in the first half until the end of the game.
With a 4-game winning streak, the final match of the league concluded. As a result, we accumulated 52 points throughout the year and finished 9th in both the 1st and 2nd stages, as well as the overall season.

[Player Comments]
"Hashimoto"
"(About the goal) I usually go to that position as a decoy. Today, a wonderful kick was sent there and I was able to head it. I was aiming for a goal, but at the very least, I wanted to connect it inside and hope that someone would finish it. It went into a good course, and I'm a little surprised myself, but I think it's because we made the predetermined movement as a team. Looking back on the season, it didn't go as I imagined. However, in the midst of challenging various things including my position, it was the best season in terms of 'gaining confidence'. I want to continue to improve day by day with a sense of ambition for the Emperor's Cup and the next season."

"Nakajima"
"Looking back on this season, there were many games where we were defeated at the last minute. We learned from that experience and today, we had a strong desire to defend the goal together. I think that was really good. I have a desire to attack more, but it is my role to create those opportunities. I want to switch gears and increase the number of plays where I can score goals or assist."

[Summary of Coach Yoshiyuki SHINODA's Press Conference]
"It is wonderful that we were able to run for a solid 90 minutes and ultimately earn 3 points. We were able to play patient and resilient soccer against opponents who are higher ranked than us. Although there was a slight stagnation after scoring the first goal, if we were able to score the second and third goals, our morale would have been even higher and we could have played smarter and more securely. Nevertheless, the support from the fans was fantastic and we were able to earn 3 points as a team. In the league matches, there were difficult situations, but the players followed through with the tough training so that they could showcase their strengths on the pitch once again. I am grateful to the players, staff, and fans for their support. It was great to end with consecutive wins and I want to prepare positively for the Emperor's Cup."

[Summary of Omiya Hiroki SHIBUYA's Press Conference]
"I think we were able to achieve good results in the league matches this year because the team and staff were well prepared and fought together. We had the support of many people involved with the club, including fans and supporters. I am happy that I have been with the club since the beginning and have continued to strive for improvement, resulting in this outcome. Based on this achievement, which was accomplished by everyone including the players who experienced difficulties last year and those who joined this year, I want to aim higher and continue to fight in the seasons to come. Today, I keenly felt that we cannot move up without winning when it matters the most. I apologize to the fans and supporters, but the players demonstrated what they have been doing throughout the year in the game. It didn't go well at first, but we were able to pull out the ball and attack in a good shape, but we couldn't break Tokyo's defense."