Fight fair and square and defeat the tough Iwata!

　Sec. 4, which will be held on Sunday. The three consecutive games that will follow in just two days from here are one of the crucial points in the early stages of the league. In order to accumulate points firmly in the tough schedule, today's game against Iwata is particularly important. In particular, the past league match record is 1 win, 1 draw, and 8 losses. Since the 2000 1st stage, there has been no victory, and we have always challenged and missed the victory. It feels like a big wall that we have to overcome.

　Under the command of coach Yamamoto, who took over from last year's Emperor's Cup, Iwata has new additions such as GK Kawaguchi, DF Chano, Kim Jin-kyu, MF Murai, and FW Choi Yong-soo. In addition, there are a number of players at the national team level, such as DF Tanaka and MF Fujita. However, in the league, they are currently in 9th place with 1 win, 1 draw, and 1 loss, and have not been able to ride the wave. On top of that, on April 6th (Wednesday), they will face South Korea's Suwon Samsung in the AFC Champions League, making it a tougher schedule than Tokyo. However, GK Kawaguchi (formerly of FC Nordsjælland), who has recovered from a right index finger injury, will return to the J-League after 4 seasons. Today, in his first game back, he will receive a lot of attention.

　Manager Hara said before the game, "I don't think Iwata is in good condition, but the lineup was unexpected. Only GK Kawaguchi and MF Naruoka were replaced by MF Fujita since the game against Suwon Samsung. Manager Yamamoto's plan may be to endure the first half and go for the win in the second half. Regardless of how the opponent thinks, we will fight with confidence and aim for victory. Today, we want to overcome our bad compatibility! We want to show our true strength." Both the manager and the players are determined to "fairly and squarely compete and turn the tide of bad compatibility." The game will start at 2:04pm under the warm spring weather.

Battling The Bogey Team 

The 4th game of the 2005 season saw TOKYO take on Jubilo Iwata at Ajinomoto Stadium on Sunday afternoon. With three games in six days, the match marked the opening of a tough week for the home side. Jubilo have proved difficult opponents in the past as the W1 D1 L8 record showed; in fact, TOKYO hadn't beaten the men from Iwata since the 1st stage of the 2000 season, just over five years previously. It would be the first major hurdle of the season.
Jubilo, with new manager Yamamoto at the helm since the 2004 Emperor's Cup, had added several top-level players during the off-season: goalkeeper Kawaguchi, defenders Chano and Kim, midfielder Murai, and forward Choi boosted an already strong squad. However, the results hadn't been forthcoming and Jubilo entered the game in 9th place with a W1 D1 L1 record. Furthermore, Jubilo had played against Korea's Suwon Samsung in the AFC Champion's League on the previous Wednesday evening. Goalkeeper Kawaguchi had recovered from a finger injury and made his first appearance in the J.League for 4 years since his transfer from FC Nordsjaelland of Denmark.
Before kick-off, Tokyo manager Hara commented, "I don't think Jubilo are in such good form at the moment but their lineup is rather unexpected as Kawaguchi, Naruoka, and Fujita have come in after the Suwon Samsung game. I imagine their plan will be to fight it out in the first half and then go for the win in the second. We've just got to go out and play our own game; hopefully, we can wipe the slate clean. I want the team to play to the peak of their ability." "We want to beat them fair and square," he added forcefully, "It's payback time." The match kicked off shortly after 2pm on a glorious spring afternoon.

Create chances from the side, but unable to break through Iwata's strong defense.

　From the beginning, the attitude of not being afraid of Iwata and putting pressure on them from the front was well shown. Immediately after the start, Lucas dropped the feed from the DF and Kurisawa crossed from the left after dribbling. It didn't reach Ishikawa on the right, and in the 2nd minute, Toda crossed from the left after a big side change from Miyazawa. Ishikawa took a one-touch and shot a volley. Although it was saved by the opponent's GK and escaped to a CK, they chased after the ball with determination and created chances from wide plays starting from the side.

　Iwata took the ball in the 12th minute, Julian ran up freely and shot from just outside the area. He showed the fear of "if there is a chance...". In the 19th minute, MF Nabata -> Fukunishi -> FW Karen, who drifted to the right, developed widely. Karen dodged Jean and entered the shooting position, but Shigeki blocked it with a sliding tackle. Iwata does not force anything and looks for chances with a safe attacking style. However, the defense with 3 backs is strong. Tokyo creates chances from the sides and also takes several corners, but they couldn't bring it to a decisive finish as they fell into the opponent's trap.

　Create many chances in the final stage. In the 36th minute, Kaji → Kanazawa changed sides and went to Toda. Ishikawa jumped in with a perfectly timed header in the center from Toda's left cross, but unfortunately missed the frame. In the 38th minute, Kaji went up to the deep goal line on the inside of Ishikawa on the right side and sent a fast ground cross. Lucas jumped in, but the Iwata DF cleared it just before the goal. In the 41st minute, Toda dropped Ishikawa's cross on the post and Miyazawa ran in from behind to shoot, but missed. In the 43rd minute, Kaji cleared the opponent's cross with a header and connected with Ishikawa. Toda shoots a header from Ishikawa's right cross, but it goes to the left of the goal. They couldn't break Iwata's goal and ended the first half with a 0-0 tie.

TOKYO Dominate The Wings 

TOKYO showed their resolve straight from the kick off as they pressed Jubilo hard from the front. Kurisawa latched onto a knock down from Lucas, raced down the left wing and crossed. The centre evaded Ishikawa on the right but he registered the first shot on goal in the 2nd minute. Miyazawa played a superb crossfield ball to Toda on the left, then Ishikawa controlled Toda's deep cross on his chest before smashing a powerful volley goalward that Kawaguchi tipped over the bar at full stretch.
Jubilo responded in the 12th minute, winning a loose ball in midfield and finding Fukunishi just outside the area with room for a shot. His effort drifted wide but the danger was apparent. In the 19th minute Jubilo moved the ball neatly along the right wing to Cullen; Cullen jinked inside Jean and shot but a sliding block from Moniwa cleared the danger. The visitors were playing conservatively, creating chances without over-committing themselves in attack and the three man defence looked very solid. TOKYO used the flanks to create openings and won several corners but were unable to fashion a clear strike on goal.
As half time loomed TOKYO increased the tempo and created a flurry of chances. In the 36th minute Ishikawa headed a pinpoint cross from Toda fractionally wide under pressure from a defender, Kaji raced down the right to the byline and crossed low in the 38th minute only to see a defender whip the ball away from the onrushing Lucas and in the 41st minute Toda knocked down a cross from Ishikawa into the path of Miyazawa, who failed to keep his shot down. In the 43rd minute Kaji headed a Jubilo cross out to Ishikawa on the right. Ishikawa hared down the wing and crossed towards Toda but once again the Jubilo defence prevented Toda from hitting the target. The first period ended 0-0.

Kurisawa scores first goal of the season! First victory since 2000!!

　In the first half, Iwata, who had seen scenes where the FW on the front line was isolated, substituted FW Nakayama for FW Choi and went for the win in the second half. In the 48th minute, Nakayama showed a sharp run in front of the goal, but Doi caught it a step early. In the 49th minute, Iwata's right corner kick. Nami→Kane's header missed by a large margin. In the 50th minute, Kaji was substituted for Fujiyama due to a foot injury. In the 54th minute, Lucas→Fujiyama again connected with Fujiyama's right throw-in and crossed from the right. Imakawa, who picked up the loose ball from the opponent's DF, aimed for a middle shot, but was stopped by Iwata GK Kawaguchi's great save.

　In the midst of a fast-paced back-and-forth battle, both teams had their chances. In the 56th minute, Iwata's Fujita rose up to head down a left cross, and Karen took a shot. In the 59th minute, Tokyo's Lucas ran up the left side and aimed a shot at the bottom right corner of the goal. Ishikawa followed up on the goalkeeper's save, but narrowly missed. In the 60th minute, Iwata earned a free kick just outside the penalty area on the right. Nabe's direct shot was blocked by Tokyo's wall. In the 65th minute, Lucas received a left throw-in, turned well, and sent a sharp ground cross into the box, where Toda jumped in. In the 67th minute, it was Iwata's turn. MF Murai's early cross was headed by Nakayama. The tension continued to build, and the game remained intense.

　Tokyo substituted Kajiyama for Miyazawa in the 67th minute. However, Iwata created numerous chances from accurate balls by Nabe and Murai. In the 70th minute, Iwata replaced Karen with MF Nishi. Tokyo also substituted Kondo Yu for Ishikawa in the 78th minute. Immediately after, Iwata had a left corner kick. A shot was taken freely from the chaos in front of the goal, but Doi saved it with one hand. There were also decisive moments, but ultimately the attitude of "scoring with a two-top and aiming for 3 points" proved successful.

　At the 85th minute, from Tokyo's goal kick, Kurisawa picks up the opponent's DF clear on the left side and passes it to Kajiyama in the center. He himself advances towards the center. Kajiyama passes to the left space as if he saw Imakawa, who had come up from behind. Imakawa, who received the ball, makes a fierce run into the area and sends a ground pass to the center. Kurisawa calmly swings his left foot and shoots! The ball neatly finds the top left corner of the goal, scoring a valuable goal in a difficult time!!

　With the remaining time, including stoppage time, Iwata launches a fierce counterattack centered around set plays, but Tokyo stands strong as a united team and defends. In the second half, despite facing 8 corner kicks, 10 free kicks, and 9 shots from Iwata, Tokyo endures well and secures 3 points with passionate play. This marks their first victory since the 1st stage of 2000!

　【Player Comments】《Kurisawa》"I knew that Iwata was good. But I didn't feel any pressure and just focused on playing our own football. We couldn't get to the ball in the middle of the first half and it may have become the opponent's rhythm. It was difficult, but that's also a way to fight. In the second half, we tried to create a rhythm from defense. There were moments when we were pushed, but I think we were able to withstand it and that led to our victory. I believed that the ball would come from Ima-chan in the goal scene. I just calmly took the shot. It was a goal that we all took. I'm thinking of treating Ima-chan to something (laughs)."《Kajiyama》"Compared to before, I think we were able to enter the game well today. Our game sense also came back. We made sure to defend well when the opponent was free in the midfield. We balanced the whole team and didn't leave any space. I think it was the result of everyone going for the win."《Imano》"In the goal scene, I started moving before Yohei got the ball. There was space in front, so I was confident that a pass would come. I didn't see Kurisawa for the last pass, but I'm really happy that we were able to score there by taking a chance."

　[Summary of the press conference by Coach Hara] "We have had a bad record against Iwata and haven't won in the past 4 and a half years. In the away game of the season when I took over, we lost by conceding 6 goals, and last season, even though the opponent had 10 players, we ended up with a draw despite mostly controlling the game. So, we approached today's match with the intention of winning at home, with everyone together. Last Wednesday, I watched the match between Iwata and Suwon Samsung Bluewings, and honestly, I thought Iwata's condition was not good. However, I couldn't predict the lineup, including the substitutes, for today's match. Then, when I saw that GK Kawaguchi and MF Naruoka were replaced by MF Fujita, I thought we would enter the game cautiously and endure our momentum, and in the crucial moments of the second half, bring in FW Nakayama and MF Nishi. So, instead of adjusting to Iwata, we tried to play our own football. Pressing on the ball became weak in the middle of the first half, and we started to drop back. As a result, Iwata picked up loose balls and created a rhythm, and they attacked us with set pieces from a good ball by MF Nabe. At halftime, I talked about using the wings more simply, picking up loose balls, and firmly controlling the ball without fear. In the second half, I brought in Kajiyama because Miyazawa seemed a bit tired. There was an incident where Kaji injured his leg, but I wasn't worried at all because Fujiyama was there as a replacement. I wanted Kajiyama to pick up loose balls and create a better situation if he could take his time. I brought in Yusuke Kondo because I wanted to go for goals. I wanted to convey the attitude of going for all 3 points until the end. When I put him in and went for a two-top, Imamura made a good cut and Kurisawa scored for us. We may not have the same quality as Iwata, but I think everyone showed a never-give-up attitude until the end. I'm happy to finally win against Iwata after a long time, but we need to switch gears quickly because we have a match against Nagoya, and we want to fight each game with importance."

　[Summary of Manager Yamamoto's Press Conference] "The result is disappointing, but the players showed their strength in this tough schedule. There were some moments where we could have had better luck...but there's no point in getting discouraged, so it's important to use this frustration as motivation for the next game. We haven't been able to create many shooting opportunities lately, but today we were able to. We need to continue to push forward in that aspect. The heat was really tough, but in the end we were overwhelmed by Tokyo's determination and momentum. We have no choice but to keep fighting for the next game."

Kurisawa's First Goal Of The Season Gives TOKYO A Famous Victory 

After seeing their forwards isolated for most of the first half, Jubilo brought on Nakayama for Choi after the break. In the 48th minute, TOKYO keeper Doi raced smartly off his line to snatch a long ball away from the veteran striker. In the 49th minute, Kim headed Nanami's corner well wide. TOKYO were then forced into a substitution as Fujiyama replaced the injured Kaji. In the 54th minute, Fujiyama received the ball back from Lucas from a throw-in on the right and centered; the Jubilo defense cleared the ball only as far as Konno lurking just outside the area. Konno struck a low, bounding drive that Kawaguchi turned around the post at full stretch.
The match began to open up and both sides created chances. In the 56th minute, Fujita headed down a right wing cross for Cullen to shoot, and three minutes later, Lucas drew another save from Kawaguchi with Ishikawa unable to reach the loose ball. In the 60th minute, Jubilo won a free kick just outside the TOKYO penalty arc. Nanami struck the ball into the wall and the TOKYO defense cleared the danger. In the 65th minute, Lucas produced a deft turn to wrongfoot his marker on the left and fired a low cross into the danger area; once again, a Jubilo defender whipped the ball off Toda's boot when the slightest connection would have scored. In the 67th minute, Nakayama headed Murai's early cross fractionally wide of Doi's left post.
TOKYO replaced Miyazawa with Kajiyama in the 67th minute. Jubilo then threatened the TOKYO goal with a string of accurate crosses from Murai and Nanami. In the 70th minute, the visitors replaced Cullen with midfielder Nishi, and TOKYO responded by bringing on Yusuke Kondo for Ishikawa. Jubilo immediately won a corner, and the ball ricocheted around the crowded area until a Jubilo player sent a low drive heading for just inside the left post. Doi produced a superb one-handed save to tip the ball around the upright. TOKYO were under pressure but had switched to a twin striker formation and went for the goal that would surely win the game.
Then, in the 85th minute, Kurisawa collected a clearance on the left and slipped the ball inside to Kajiyama. Kurisawa continued his run into the center while Kajiyama played the ball to Konno, breaking down the left flank. Konno advanced into the area and played a low cross into the heart of the penalty box for the unmarked Kurisawa to curl a glorious shot inside Kawaguchi's right post.
Jubilo went in search of an equalizer in the few remaining minutes, bombarding the TOKYO area with high balls, but the defense held firm. In the second half, Jubilo managed 8 corners, 10 free kicks, and 9 shots, but TOKYO's vigor and determination won the day. Three points and the first win over Jubilo since April 2000 was the prize.


Players' comments:
Kurisawa
" We knew Jubilo were a good team but we weren't overawed and just tried to play our own game. From midway through the first half we couldn't get the ball and they found their rhythm. It was very difficult but that's the way it goes sometimes. We were looking to the defence to dictate our rhythm in the second half. They pressured us but we kept our shape and that contributed greatly to the win. For the goal, I was sure Konno would get the ball to me; all I had to do was keep calm and hit it. It was a real team goal. I suppose I'll have to treat him to something for that pass ( laughs )".

Kajiyama
"That's the best I've played so far I think. My game sense has really come back. We couldn't allow them any freedom in midfield or they would score so I concentrated on defense, shutting down space and keeping the balance. That was a win earned by the whole team".

Konno
"For the goal, I got ahead of Yohei (Kajiyama) when he had the ball. I saw some space and felt sure the ball would come to me. I didn't actually see Kurisawa when I played the last pass but I'm ecstatic that we scored there as we really went for it today".


F.C.TOKYO manager Hara
" Jubilo have been a real bogey team for us and we hadn't beaten them for four years. The year I took over here they put six past us away and then last year we could only manage a draw after they had a man sent off and we dominated the game. I watched Jubilo play Suwon Samsung on Wednesday and, to be honest, thought they weren't in very good form. But we couldn't really predict their line up or organisation today. When I saw the team sheet with Kawaguchi and Fujita instead of Naruoka I felt they would play a cagey first half then bring on Nakayama and Nishi in the second. We knew we couldn't allow them to dictate play, that we had to play our own football. Midway through the first half we stopped attacking the ball, became loose and were playing too deeply. They were winning the loose balls and threatening us from set plays, with Nanami hitting some good balls in. At half time I told them to keep it simple along the wings, pick up the loose balls and control the ball in possession. Miyazawa began to tire in the second half so I sent on Kajiyama. Kaji picked up an injury but Fujiyama was on the bench and I had no qualms at all about sending him on. I thought that if Kajiyama could pick up the loose balls we might be able to improve a little. Yusuke Kondo was sent on to score, of course. I wanted to send the message that we were going for the three points. We switched to a twin striker formation, then Konno broke forward well and Kurisawa finished expertly to give us the lead. We don't have the players that Jubilo do but the team's determination to fight to the very end came out well today. We're delighted to beat Jubilo after such a long time but there's another game against Grampus on Wednesday night. We'll try to refresh ourselves and take each game as it comes".

Jubilo manager Yamamoto
"The result is disappointing but the team played strongly considering the difficult schedule. If only we had a little more penetration. We can't help being a little battered but it's important to use this disappointment as impetus for the next game. We haven't been able to create many chances recently but we did today. This is something we really need to work on. We gave a good account of ourselves in the hot weather but it was TOKYO's tenacity and will to win that forced us onto the back foot. We'll do our best in the next game".