Home Final Match, Aiming for 3 Points

　Only 2 sections left in the 2nd stage. Sec. 14 will be against Ichihara. Looking back, Tokyo has not won since the match against Urawa in Sec. 6. The match against Ichihara has also been a draw game since last season. In the 1st stage, despite leading by 2 points, they let the victory slip away and now they desperately want to secure 3 points. Also, in the final match of this season, which will be held at home, they want to end it with a victory as a response to the support of many fans.

　However, while Jean returns, Shigeki is absent due to injury this round. Kerry, whose condition has not improved, also failed to make the lineup. Ishikawa and Miura were on the bench. Ichihara, currently in 4th place, achieved a big victory of 5-1 in the previous match against Kobe. While they have momentum, they are also struggling with injuries to key players. The average age of today's starting lineup is 24.45 years old for Ichihara, compared to Tokyo's 24.82 years old. Both teams are approaching the match with fresh members. The game started with Ichihara's kickoff at the Ajinomoto Stadium, with perfect weather.

Conceding goals in quick succession from mistakes, leading to a difficult situation

　In the previous match against Niigata, Tokyo conceded 4 goals and first and foremost wanted to rebuild their defense. However, it happened just 2 minutes into the game. Toda, who was trying to connect a clearance ball from the defense line, had the ball stolen in their own half and Chiba midfielder Murai crossed the ball from the left. Makoto picked up the loose ball from Fujiyama's clearance and controlled it with one touch, then kicked it into the goal, resulting in an early goal against Tokyo. And just 4 minutes later, Makoto broke free in front of the goal, following a long pass from defender Milinovic who had pushed up to the halfway line. He cut inside from the left side of the penalty area, evading Kaji, and scored a clean shot. Chiba got 2 goals from Makoto's 2 shots. Tokyo couldn't find their rhythm at the start and made mistakes under pressure from Chiba's determination, leading to consecutive goals and a significant deficit.

　Before the tough press from Ichihara, the movement started late, and it was finally after 10 minutes that they launched a counterattack. Toda headed the cross from Kanazawa who overlapped and won a corner kick. In the 12th minute, Kaji advanced up to the end line and won a corner kick on the right. Suzuki connected the loose ball from the corner kick he took himself and took another corner kick. Finally, they regained their composure and created a chance. After that, both teams continued to engage in a pressing battle with back and forth developments, but in the 23rd minute, from a pass exchange inside the Ichihara's territory, Baba broke through into the space on the left front and crossed. Lucas, who was waiting in front of the goal, was brought down by this ball, and they got a penalty kick. Lucas himself scored it perfectly and equalized the score by one point.

　Tokyo, who regained confidence, uses the pitch wide from Baba and Kajiyama's quick ball handling to grasp the rhythm. In the 29th minute, Baba received a loose ball from Kaji's right cross and shot it while turning around, resulting in a corner kick. In the 31st and 32nd minutes, there were also chances from corner kicks. In the 35th minute, Baba headed Kaji's early cross, but the shot lacked power. In the 36th minute, Toda dropped Baba's right cross, but Lucas couldn't control the ball. Despite dominating the attack, they couldn't show their threat in the final play. On the contrary, towards the end, there were scenes where Ichihara's players running long distances troubled them. In injury time, Maki competed for an early cross from the left and Yoda's shot from behind the defense went in, but it was disallowed due to Maki's foul. The first half ended with a score of 1-2.

Despite repeatedly launching wave attacks, they were unable to gain control of the game...

　Tokyo showed aggressive movement from the beginning of the second half. They frequently regained possession from Ichihara and went on the attack. In the 47th minute, Suzuki received a side change from Baba and stole a corner kick with a dribble shot. In the 51st minute, Kanazawa attacked from the middle after Lucas kept the ball. However, in the immediate 52nd minute, a long ball was thrown into Ichihara's goal area and connected. Murai's cross from the right area was intended to be connected by MF Abe in the center, but the loose ball was momentarily controlled by Kaji in the area. However, the pass intended to be connected was passed directly to Ichihara's free MF Sato in front of the goal, who kicked it in directly. Ishikawa was substituted for Toda and an attempt to counterattack was made, but once again a goal was conceded from a mistake, exposing the fragility of the defense. The situation became difficult.

　However, in the 53rd minute as planned, Ishikawa came in. Then, starting with Ishikawa's breakthrough, there were many scenes of winning free kicks, and the mood in the stadium also increased. In the 56th minute, from a free kick obtained after Kajiyama was fouled in front of the goal, Suzuki aimed for the goal with a powerful shot, but the goalkeeper caught it. In the 57th minute, Kaji went up deep into the end line, and Lucas connected with a fast cross, but it was blocked by the goalkeeper's fine play. In the 58th minute, Kajiyama dribbled up after exchanging passes with Kanazawa, entered the left area. Once again, Kanazawa → Baba → Konno connected directly. Konno's shot, which he bravely took, hit Lucas' foot in the center of the front line, but Suzuki cleverly closed in on the loose ball and kicked it with his left foot, scoring a goal. They bewildered the Ichihara DF with their quick passing play inside the area and closed the gap to one goal again!

　Tokyo, riding on this momentum. In the 63rd minute, Abe was substituted for Suzuki. Gradually, they advance the game in a dominant position against Ichihara, whose physical strength is gradually declining. Ichihara's combination play is divided, and they dominate the ball, but their attacks from the left and right are not well coordinated, and crosses in the center do not come together. They fail to create decisive scenes. In the 73rd minute, there is also a scene where Ichihara's attacking line breaks through the defense due to a lack of concentration. In the 77th minute, Miura is substituted for Baba. They launch a total attack with a formation that moves Kajiyama one row forward.

Unable to catch up with Ichihara DF, one step short

　This formation fits. And each player's persistent and aggressive attitude to aim for the goal resulted in an equalizer. In the 81st minute, Kaji ran up the right side and passed it back to Ishikawa. Ishikawa cut inside while competing with the defender and sent a sharp ground cross from outside the right area, aiming between the goalkeeper and defender. The opponent's goalkeeper Kushino deflected it, and the ball fell in front of Kajiyama. Although he initially missed with his right foot, he immediately shot with his left foot. The ball pierced the net, equalizing the score.

　In the 82nd minute, Ichihara DF Yuuki received his second warning and was sent off. With 10 players, Ichihara became defensive and faced fierce attacks, with a comeback seeming imminent. However, in the 87th minute, Abe broke through and won a left corner kick, but couldn't finish. In the 88th minute, Miura's shot from a loose ball after a cross was saved by the goalkeeper. In the 89th minute, Kaji's cross narrowly missed Abe in the center. In injury time, Abe passed to Kajiyama with one touch, and Kajiyama's through pass to Miura, who had jumped out in front of the goal, was slightly too long. They just couldn't score the winning goal. Despite constantly being behind Ichihara, they persistently counterattacked and managed to equalize with 3 goals, but fell just short. The early goal against them weighed heavily, and the match ended in a 3-3 draw.

　【Player Comments】《Suzuki》"I was able to score the goal because I happened to be there. But more than that, I wanted to win. I don't think my movements were good. I think if I pressed a little more, I could have created more chances. To become a regular, I need to make small adjustments and contribute more to the team by showing my strengths. I want to play in a way that leads to victory."《Kajiyama》"It was painful to concede a goal from our own mistakes at the beginning. Today, I tried to play with balance near Baba, but it was difficult to keep up with Ichihara's players' runs. It became easier gradually when I started defending with Konno. (Regarding the goal scene), I sensed the opponent's presence and initially missed the ball. But it fell nicely in front of me, so I just focused on hitting it into the goal. I definitely wanted to win, but I wish we could have played our game from the beginning."

　[Summary of Manager Hara's Press Conference] "Ichihara is a team with momentum, as they scored 5 goals and won in the previous match. Today is also the final home game, so we talked about starting strong... However, we conceded 2 goals from mistakes and were in chaos. Around the middle of the first half, we finally started to effectively utilize Kajiyama and Baba, who were our targets for today, and create opportunities to use the wings if the ball goes there. Ichihara presses man-to-man, especially the fullbacks and stoppers press quickly. In the 1st stage, Tokyo actually pressed and took the lead early. Ichihara probably had that image, so they pressed faster than expected. So instead of being afraid and dropping back or making sideways passes, we should have kicked the ball into the space in front and picked it up from there. Or if the opponent starts to retreat, we should connect the spaces. However, we conceded the 3rd goal from a ball that Akachi couldn't clear or pass, and it was tough. But we managed to come back and score from there. Ishikawa has been overthinking and his movements have been unsatisfactory lately, so I had expectations when I used him from the middle of the game today. Since the ball was getting to Kajiyama and Baba, I thought that if Ishikawa could face forward, we could definitely create chances. There are still mistakes, but I think he was able to play with the speed that is characteristic of Nao (Ishikawa). So I thought that if I put Abe in, we could also attack from the left. Baba was also getting tired, so I brought in Miura and moved Kajiyama forward to balance the team. We managed to catch up well, but honestly, we wanted to score one more goal. We couldn't produce results in the league matches, but many supporters came to the home game, and we wanted to win at all costs. The games lately have been like waking up after conceding a goal. I still want to play like we did in the second half today from the beginning. Kajiyama and Baba have what it takes to succeed in the J-League, so while using them effectively and monitoring their condition, we want to give our all in the next match against G Osaka and in the Emperor's Cup."

　[Summary of Ichihara Osim's press conference] "Today's game was a game that symbolizes Ichihara's season. We are running well and always scoring goals. However, we lack the ability to continue playing the same way and scoring goals after taking the lead. Even if we have the ability, we lack experience. In that sense, it can be said that it is also the quality of the team. If we can remain in 3rd place, it will be a good thing for the young players in the future, but the way Ichihara has been playing until now is like pouring a liter of milk and spilling it just before it's all gone. That's how we are losing. Experience is not something that can be gained immediately, it takes many years. Ichihara has many players who have been fighting for survival and mid-table positions for a long time, and that habit remains. It is really difficult for them to change their mindset and aim higher with ambition. If we can't change that, we can't reach the top. FC Tokyo won the Nabisco Cup and may have been a little complacent, but I think they are a good team with a future. Tokyo was closer to winning in the previous matches, but today Ichihara was closer. Both teams know each other well, so it becomes a close battle. Today, both teams attacked each other and it was a good game. The unfortunate thing is that Ichihara was far from their best lineup. The regular forwards have been missing for half of the season, and today the stoppers Hayashi, Hayami, and Yamagishi were also injured. They are very important players for Ichihara, but on the other hand, players who haven't had many opportunities to play have stepped up, so there were both unlucky and lucky aspects. However, we don't know how far those players can go in the future. We will consider these things and think about the future."