What the team needs to do now is to earn points.

　J1 League Sec. 9 was an away game against Oita Trinita. In the previous match against Kashiwa, we attacked rhythmically from the first half and had control of the game, but despite that, we fell into the trap of their defense and counterattacks after conceding the first goal, making it a frustrating match for both the players and the fans. In this match, we challenged with fresh members, including Danilo, who made his first start as a catalyst, and Sakoi, who made his first appearance in the J1 League in 5 years, but we couldn't break the losing streak. Since Manager Hara took over, we had a 3-game losing streak in 2002, but this is the first time we have had a 4-game losing streak. With 3 wins, 1 draw, and 4 losses, we are currently in 10th place. We have already played against Oita in the 2nd round of the Nabisco Cup (Ajinomoto Stadium), where we had a scoreless draw against them with 10 players, and we haven't won against Oita, including last season.

　Oita had a tough start to the season, but since April they have had 3 wins and 3 losses. In the previous match, they suffered a comeback loss to Omiya, but before that they had 2 consecutive wins and changed their system to a 4-4-2, which has improved their performance. In particular, their attacking line is in good form. With the fast and skilled FW Magno Alves leading the way, along with new foreign player FW Dodo and the currently in-form FW Nishino, these three players have scored 7 out of the team's 10 goals. Additionally, MF Abe and FW Yoshida contribute to the attack from the left and right sides, creating chances with a balanced approach.

　 　Tokyo, on the other hand, welcomes back Norio Suzuki on the right side after being sidelined due to injury since the Iwata match. With the team continuously losing since Suzuki's absence, he is expected to be a savior-like figure. On the contrary, Kanazawa on the left side is out with a left quadriceps injury, and Noriyuki Suzuki will make his first start of the season in his place. While there may be some concerns about the defense, there is also an increased expectation for chances to be created from the left side in terms of attacking. In addition, there have been changes in the lineup since the previous match. Kurisawa has been replaced by Toda on the left side, and Miyazawa has been replaced by Asari in the defensive midfield, partnering with Konno.

　Although we have slipped into a four-game losing streak, we must believe in our own strength and continue to fight. Kashima has fallen slightly behind in the title race, but the league is still in a tight spot and it will be a tough situation. However, we want to play with all our might and momentum and earn as many points as possible.

　Today's Big Eye closed the roof, so the pitch is windless and humid. The game started at 2:03pm with a kick-off in Tokyo, aiming to break the losing streak.

Launch a fast attack from the side...

　Before leaving the locker room, Doi flew a Geki to everyone, saying "Forget about everything so far and let's definitely go for a win" and the feeling was reflected from the start of the game. They took the ball from the tough press in the midfield and launched a fast attack from both sides. Then, a big chance came in the 6th minute. Ishikawa and Norio Suzuki broke through on the left side and passed it to Lucas in the center, who then passed it back to Toda who was running up on the right side. He then made a centering pass, which Ishikawa was waiting for, but unfortunately hit the bar with his shot. After that, the attack continued from both sides. In the 11th minute, Toda passed to Ishikawa on the right side, who then dribbled to the center and passed a through pass to Lucas, but it didn't connect. In the 13th minute, from Noriyuki Suzuki's throw-in on the left side, Imakano passed to Toda in the center, but he couldn't take a shot. Although Tokyo had complete control of the game, they couldn't find a decisive blow.

Oita slowly circulated the ball with the DF line, and in order to avoid Tokyo's midfield press, they only had a monotonous attack of kicking the ball to the front line FW Magnol Alves and FW Dodo. In the 16th minute, Dodo dribbled into the center and finally Magnol Alves took a shot, but it was cut off by the DF. This seemed to be the only chance in the early stages.

　Toda creates a chance from the left side in the 17th minute, and Ishikawa creates a chance from the right side in the 19th minute, but it doesn't connect with Lucas or Danilo in front of the goal. In the 20th minute, Imakano passes to Kaji on the right side, who crosses it from the end line to the center, but Toda's header misses the goal to the right. In the 22nd minute, Nori Suzuki switches sides with a big pass, but it is cleared once, and Kaji picks it up and passes it to Ishikawa for a one-two, but he misses the goal from outside the penalty area. In the 30th minute, Imakano switches sides from a free kick, and Kaji picks up the cleared ball and dribbles it for a shot, but this time it is saved by the GK.

　In the midst of that, an accident occurs. In the 36th minute, there is a heading contest and Norio SUZUKI dislocates his right shoulder. He returns to the pitch once, but it is determined that he cannot continue playing. In the 44th minute, Noriyuki SUZUKI is substituted in. Towards the end, Toda and Danilo take consecutive shots, but no goals are scored. The first half ends with a score of 0-0.

The difference in scoring ability decided the match, with a loss of 2 points.

　At halftime, Manager Hara's instructions were simple: "Adjust Danilo's positioning and shoot when you can." However, despite everyone's aggressive efforts to score in the second half, another accident occurred. In the 51st minute, Lucas injured his left ankle and was substituted by Baba, changing the formation to have Danilo as the lone striker. However, Tokyo continued to attack Oita's goal without losing their spirits. In the 52nd minute, Baba passed to Ishikawa on the right side for an early cross, but Danilo couldn't connect. In the 53rd minute, Asari dribbled into the center and took a shot from around 25 meters, but it was saved by the GK. Shortly after, Asari passed a liner ball to Danilo from the right side, but he couldn't shoot after heading it back to Toda. In the 56th minute, Asari, Baba, and Danilo combined for a quick direct play in the center, but the GK saved Danilo's shot.

　However, after 60 minutes, due to fatigue from consecutive games and the hot and humid conditions, the pressing from the front line becomes ineffective and there are more scenes where loose balls are taken away. Still, in the 61st minute, Ishikawa directly aims for a free kick from 30m in front of the goal, and in the 65th minute, Asari takes a long shot, but both miss above the goal and they cannot score. Then, in a moment of vulnerability, Oita takes the lead. In the 71st minute, FW Dodo enters the penalty area with a dribble from a counter attack, and although the defense manages to hold him back, FW Magnolauves scores from the loose ball.

　73 minutes, Tokyo substitutes Danilo for Kurisawa and places Baba at the top. However, they are unable to launch effective attacks against Oita, who have gone into defense. Both sides are completely blocked, and even when attacking from the center, they are either intercepted or pushed back by the final line, unable to reach the finish. Then, in the 80th minute, the combination of FW Magnowaubes and Dodo launches a counter attack, resulting in the worst possible outcome of conceding an additional goal.

　Tokyo, which had no choice but to attack, took risks and launched an attack. In the 83rd minute, Kurisawa took a free kick from the left side and the ball went straight into the goal, narrowing the gap to one point and continuing the counterattack. Jean was brought up to the front line and attacked relentlessly, but in the added time, Kurisawa and Jean both missed their shots, sealing the fate of the game with a 1-2 loss. Tokyo attacked with a good rhythm throughout the game, but only managed to score one goal from Kurisawa's set piece. On the other hand, Oita demonstrated their superior finishing ability with two goals from two shots in the second half. In addition, Lucas and Norio Suzuki were both injured and had to leave the game, making the situation even more difficult. However, in the next match, they will face the top-ranked Kashima. It is without a doubt an extremely important game that will determine the fate of the team this season.

　【Player Comments】《Asari》"I think we needed to move our defense forward a little earlier. In the end of the game, there was space in the midfield to move the ball. We may have needed to create that kind of space from the first half. (Asari experienced a 7-game losing streak in 2000 with a draw in between?) The situation is different now. Injuries are also a factor. The content is not always bad, so we have to switch our mindset and keep going."《Kaji》"It's been like this before, but I think the biggest reason for the loss today was not being able to score in our chances. All the goals we conceded were on the counter. For the first goal, we couldn't keep up with the one-two pass. We should be able to fix that. However, we also needed to keep possession for a little longer. It's a tough time now, but it's a time when Tokyo can become really strong. There will definitely be times like this. We want to fight with the remaining players. We want to overcome this together and start again."《Kurisawa》"I thought I would get the ball in the midfield, so I tried to spread it to the sides. (On the free kick) I kicked it with the feeling of someone connecting. I think it led to the goal because I never gave up until the end, but I really wanted to score the winning goal... However, I have to just go for it without thinking too much. I want to show my desire to win rather than my technique."

　[Summary of Manager's Press Conference] "Recently, the team has lost its momentum, so we decided to not be afraid and hit the ball forward and follow it. In the first half, we were able to create good opportunities, especially on the right side. I think there were a few good chances, such as Ishikawa's shot hitting the bar, but our current challenge is that we can't seem to score in those situations. We had a lot of disjointed moments, with players passing when they should have shot and shooting when they should have passed. Early in the first half, Suzuki dislocated his shoulder and had to come off, which was a big blow for us. The whole team was thrown off by this injury. I told Danilo to get involved in the play and receive the ball in midfield during halftime. We were trying to hold on and see how things went, but then Lucas got injured unexpectedly. It wasn't a tactical change, but rather a response to the injury that we were forced to make. We thought we could create chances while defending in the second half, but unfortunately, we conceded a goal from a loose ball in front of our goal and then another goal while attacking, due to our lack of strength and coordination. We wanted to bring Baba and Kurisawa on earlier, but it was very hot and we had injuries, and Kaji was also playing for the first time in a while, so we had to be careful. It's a shame that we couldn't make any changes, but there are still more games to come, so we have to find a way to overcome this rough patch."

　[Oita Kwan HWANGBO Director's Press Conference Summary] "We lost to Omiya in the previous away game, so today's match felt really heavy. In these consecutive games, the players' physical strength is really tough, so we changed the players a little today, but it was good. We expected Ishikawa and Kaji on the opponent's right side, but Yoshida has a higher defensive awareness than Abe, so we had Yoshida take care of Kaji. I don't think we completely stopped Tokyo's attack, but in soccer matches, various things happen. The point is how much we can maintain the team's tactics in the midst of that. Today, everyone faithfully defended. Young players like Shibakoya, Fukaya, Komorita, and Pat are working hard and staying calm. There are still mistakes, but we want to reduce them as a future challenge. We still have consecutive games, so we want to prepare and think carefully. The players followed what they prepared and that led to today's victory."

Late Goals Sink TOKYO 

J.League started our markers when they played the one two but that's something we can fix. We need to increase the amount of time in possession a little. Things are difficult now but it's like a test of how strong we can become. This kind of thing will always happen. The players left want to fight together, ride out the slump and make a fresh start.

Kurisawa:
"When I got on the field I aimed to receive the ball in the middle and play it out to the wings. At the free kick I was just hoping somebody would get on the end of it. We fought to the end and that's why we could pull one back but we just couldn't find another goal. More than anything we need to play with desire right now".


F.C. TOKYO manager Hara:
" The team has lost its vigor recently so I told them not to be afraid, to get the ball out to the wings and follow up. In the first half we made several good moves, particularly on the right wing. Ishikawa hit the bar and we had some chances but that's our major problem right now; we just can't take those chances. We're passing when we should shoot and shooting when we should pass. Suzuki was injured and we sent him back on but he couldn't continue and that disturbed our rhythm. Danilo couldn't really get into the game so at half time I told him to drop back to pick up the ball in midfield. We decided to stick with it and see how things developed but then Lucas was injured. We were forced to find a response to that. And then the ball just landed at the striker's feet for the first goal and the second came from a good counter attack after we had lost the ball. What with the injuries, the heat and Kaji's absence for a few games it was a very disappointing game to lose. But the games go on and we'll just have to find some way to overcome this situation ".

Trinita manager Kwan:
"We had lost away to Ardija in our last game and felt today was extremely important. The schedule is tough so I made a few changes and that worked very well. We know all about TOKYO's right side and since Yoshida is better defensively that Abe I sent him out to deal with Kaji. I didn't think we would be able to completely hold the TOKYO attack but you never know what's going to happen during a game and the key point today was how well our tactics would hold up. The players defended very well I think. Shibakoya, Fukaya, Komorida, Patrick and the younger players were all very steady out there. We weren't mistake free but that's something we have to work on from now. There are more games coming up and we want to think about it as we prepare. The players followed our preparations to the letter today and that's how we could gain the victory ".