Fight for victory in the remaining 3 matches!

　J1 League 32nd round is an away game against Albirex Niigata. In the previous round against Chiba, we completely took control of the game with our high intensity and stole the opponent's thunder, winning with almost perfect performance. This season, we have lost all three matches against them, including the Nabisco Cup, but this time we will win decisively and the team atmosphere is also good. This week, we have a tough schedule with three consecutive games in two days, and it will be an away game at Niigata Stadium, but we will unite as one and aim for consecutive victories and a rise in the rankings.

　Niigata is currently in 12th place with 39 points, and from Sec. 27 they have had 2 wins, 3 draws, and no losses, so the team's condition seems good. In particular, the scoring ability of the Brazilian player trio = FW Anderson Lima, Edmilson, and Fabiano is a threat. In the previous match against Iwata, Edmilson scored a hat-trick, and in the last 5 matches, all 8 goals were scored by these three players. Coach Hara also cautions, "They can score even with few chances." Additionally, there is still a possibility of a playoff with J2 based on the numbers, so it is expected that they will aggressively go for the points today.

　Tokyo, on the other hand, will face the match with injuries to Baba, who injured his left knee in the Chiba match, and Kaji, who is suffering from an ankle injury. Manager Hara stated, "Both players could play if we push them, but considering that it's an away game, we will prioritize their rest." In place of Baba, Kurisawa, who will start for the first time since the 27th round, will play as an attacking midfielder, and Fujiyama will replace Kaji as the right full-back. Kanazawa, who has returned from injury, will play on the left side. "Kurisawa is fully recovered from fatigue, and Kanazawa is eager to play. These fresh players will bring new energy to the team," Manager Hara said.

　In the away match last season, Niigata showed their strength when they were able to concentrate and perform well, as mentioned by (Manager Hara), "We were overwhelmed by their high motivation." It is necessary to compete with determination instead of being on the defensive. Without being overwhelmed by the atmosphere of the away game, which attracted more than 40,000 spectators, let's show Tokyo's soccer to the fullest and aim to win 3 points! The match started with Tokyo's kickoff at 3:04 pm, despite the temporary rain and cold wind.

Both teams launched quick attacks from solid defense, but the first half ended with no goals.

　Both teams showed a cautious start, focusing on each other's fast attacks and launching quick counterattacks from solid defense. In the 4th minute, Tokyo had a left free kick from the opponent's half. Kajiyama aimed directly but missed the target. In the 6th minute, two consecutive corner kicks from both sides were cleared by the opponent's defense, and despite attacking the Niigata's half from the beginning of the game, they couldn't create any clear chances.

　On the contrary, Niigata seizes the chance from FW Anderson Lima's FK. In the 8th minute, he takes a direct shot but Doi clears it with a punch. In the 9th minute, the Tokyo DF escapes with a CK as Kaimoto, the DF in front of the goal, connects. Niigata often falls into the net of the defending DF who retreats, and each time they counterattack, they are stopped by fouls, creating a vicious cycle where they cannot control the pace.

　18 minutes, Niigata DF Kikuchi runs up the left side deeply and crosses negatively. FW Edmilson fills in the clearance of Tokyo DF and shoots from an angleless position, but it slightly cuts to the right of the goal. In the 19th minute, Edmilson runs up the right side from a quick attack, and FW Lima in the center follows up, but Doi catches it. Niigata creates a decisive scene, but manages to keep a clean sheet somehow. Then, following Coach Hara's instructions, Suzuki Nori and Abe Yoshiro switch sides gradually and begin to grasp the rhythm of the attack. In the 31st minute, a quick attack is launched and Abe Yoshiro jumps out to the area from Lucas, and it seemed like he was fouled by the opponent's DF, but it was not a foul. In the 32nd minute, Kurizawa runs up the right side again from a quick attack and takes a cross that hits the opponent's DF, winning a right corner kick. Connecting this corner kick, Lucas shoots from the left area, but it goes wide to the right.

　After 35 minutes, we finally took control of the pace and especially seized opportunities from set plays. In the 36th minute, Norio Suzuki's right corner kick couldn't be finished. In the 37th minute, Jean headed Kajiyama's left free kick, but it didn't meet the target. In the 43rd minute, Kurizawa kicked a right corner kick, and Imakuno tried to push it in from the goalmouth scramble, but was blocked by the opponent's goalkeeper. Despite the decent performance, we couldn't create decisive chances due to Niigata's solid defense, and ultimately the first half ended scoreless.

A stunning volley shot by Sasa secures a consecutive victory

　Shortly after the start of the second half, Niigata created a decisive chance. Tokyo quickly stole the ball near the halfway line and launched a counterattack. The ball was passed to FW Edmilson from FW Lima's dribble, and he skillfully evaded the Tokyo defenders and took a shot from the front of the goal. The ball hit the bottom left post, but somehow they managed to avoid a clear-cut opportunity.

　51 minutes, Tokyo tried to get a rhythm by substituting Suzuki Nori with Sasa. They formed a two-top with Lucas and put Kurisawa on the right. They put long balls to the two-top early and picked up the loose balls. In the 53rd minute, Kajiyama picked up a loose ball and played a one-two with Sasa, shooting from inside the right area, but the opponent's defender cut it off. In the 56th minute, Kurisawa dribbled centrally and passed to Lucas on the right. He broke free inside the right area and took a shot, but it was blocked by the opponent's goalkeeper's great save. They finally took control. In particular, Imano and Kajiyama picked up most of the loose balls and launched wave-like attacks. Also, Niigata's occasional counterattacks did not give any work to the three Brazilian players, Jean and Shigeki.

　66 minutes, Jean's long ball was headed by Imakano and passed to Abe Yoshito who ran into the left area and shot, but the goalkeeper caught it. In the 68th minute, Lucas took a direct volley from the loose ball of the right free kick, but it went over the bar. Despite having a scoring opportunity, it was not converted. In the 76th minute, Toda was substituted for Kurizawa, who showed signs of fatigue, in order to regain momentum on the side and score a goal. And then, in the 77th minute, the long-awaited opening goal was born. Abe Yoshito, who kept the ball on the left side, passed a ground pass to Kajiyama in the right area after dribbling past the opponent's defender. Just when it seemed like he would trap the ball and get into a shooting position, he passed it to the center. Sasu then perfectly volleyed it and scored the opening goal! Finally, the balance was broken.

　After that, in the 80th minute, Toda broke through the center and shot with speed, but it was saved by the goalkeeper and resulted in a corner kick. In the 82nd minute, Sasa aimed for a shot from mid-range, but it went slightly to the right. They struggled to score an additional goal. Niigata also made three substitutions in the 81st and 83rd minutes, changing their system and launching attacks. However, in the end, everyone defended with their bodies and prevented the goal from being breached, resulting in a 1-0 victory. They struggled against Niigata's fast and sharp counterattacks, but in the end, they managed to win thanks to the difference in finishing ability and achieved their second consecutive victory.

　【Player Comments】《Sasa》"(The goal) came from a good pass from Kajiyama, so I hit it directly because I was free. I had confidence in scoring at that moment. I was also happy to be selected for the Paraguay national team and to contribute to Tokyo's victory after returning from there. (You have been a substitute for a while, but?) It's true that I want to play more, but I am a member of the team. The most important thing is to contribute to the victory. We haven't lost for a while and I think we are a really good team. The "cradle" performance after the goal was for Lucas, who will have a child in December. I want to do it again."《Moino》"The team now has both strength and momentum. People watching might have thought, 'Is it going to be a draw?' but we were fighting to win. That's why we were able to make bold substitutions. For example, Toda, who just returned, came in, took a shot, and then we got a corner kick, and then we kept the ball... We were able to play like that. It's proof that our rhythm is getting better. (There were moments when you went up towards the end?) We were able to take the ball and attack, but then we kept losing it, so I wanted to calm things down a bit. We wanted to show our intention to make sideways passes and use the field more widely. If we keep taking the ball and attacking, we won't make any progress. Of course, we will attack, but we need to make plays that consider the timing and the opponent, such as not rushing after scoring one goal. That's what a strong team like Iwata was able to do at one point. I think we are also able to play that kind of soccer now. We also have players like Yohei who can receive the ball and keep it, and we want to make plays that make the opponent think, 'I want to take it, but I can't. If I go, it will be a foul.' It should lead to the next play."

　[Summary of Manager Hara's Press Conference] "Both Kaji and Baba could have played if they pushed themselves, but we decided to prepare them for the next home game. We included Kanazawa, Kurisawa, and fresh players who were adjusting for today's match. We expected a tough away game, so it was very good for us to win there. Niigata has the ability to take the ball and go with just the three Brazilian players in the front line when a good ball comes in. So, especially when attacking, I instructed to take care of them. They don't open up on the sides and stay in the center, making it difficult for our four backline players to grasp them, so we made adjustments at halftime. We used Fujiyama on the right after a long time, and he can go on the attack, but there were several times when we were countered after losing the ball from there. At the start of the second half, there was a shot by FW Edmilson that hit the post, which is the most favorable situation for Niigata. It's good that it didn't go in. I really wanted to use the ground more widely, but the pitch was wet due to the rain, and players like Suzuki Nori were conscious of their ball touch, so his strengths didn't come out. Also, because the ball was flowing, it didn't always reach Lucas' feet, so we put in Sasa early and aimed to put in simple crosses and pick up the second ball. It's not that Suzuki Nori was bad, but he was also tired, so we put in Sasa to balance with Kurisawa. Finally, while bringing in Toda, we tried to bring it to a simple scramble and exchange of blows to get 3 points. Sasa has always been energetic, and I thought his strength in front of the goal would come alive if there were loose balls. He scored at a really good time and the defense also defended well without losing concentration. There are 2 games left, but we want to play each game with all our might and have a good game, including the final home game. Niigata is a stadium where many supporters gather. For the players, it is a happy thing to be able to play under the eyes of so many spectators, even though it is an away game. They said they want to show their strengths freely."

　[Summary of Niigata/Hanamachi Coach's Press Conference] "We have been progressing the game in a good shape, but unfortunately we couldn't earn points and dropped in the rankings. Next is the game against Nagoya, so I definitely want to jump up. It's the same in marathons, but it feels good to run and score a goal in the final sprint, so I definitely want to win the next two games. As a number, I am happy that Niigata can continue to compete in J1 next season. Our big goal that we decided before the season was to stay in J1. Today, we lost the game and I can't laugh here, but honestly, I think it's good that it was decided. Despite the fact that the team is not in such a good condition, I want to express my gratitude to the supporters who cheered us on with hoarse voices. In defense, Tokyo plays with one top and wide wings, so I simply organized it so as not to be caught off guard. I could predict to some extent how we would play after Sasa entered, and I knew that we would put long balls in the front line. I thought it would be tough to have a 2-on-2 situation in the middle considering the strength of Lucas and Sasa, so I switched to a 3-back when Sasa entered. The result didn't come out, but we were able to fight with the stance of breaking Tokyo's strengths and showing our own good points. In the end, Sasa scored and there were still parts where we couldn't play our game well, such as dealing with long balls. We want to reexamine our footing before the next game. There were good points here and there, but Tokyo is stronger in the center's offense and defense, picking up second balls, and individual power. Especially Inomata and Kajiyama are very good talents who will carry Japanese soccer in the future, and I felt that in this game. Among them, we have to fight and I hope that by having this kind of competition, it will be a nourishment for ourselves. It may sound like an excuse for the loser, but I feel that it wasn't a bad aim."