Restarting the league, we want to ride the momentum with fast-moving soccer.

　The league match resumes. Sec. 19 welcomes Oita Trinita at home. During this break period, we have been focusing on addressing the challenges of the first half of the season based on the momentum we gained in June and July = playing soccer in our own rhythm, and "players working towards the same goal (Manager Hara)". Konno, Inoha, and Hirayama have spent a long time away from the team due to their respective national team activities, but they have been working on conditioning and are now in perfect condition. The players have been practicing with the consciousness of not being easily countered, "finishing the attack", and "compactness of the whole team, enhancing the coordination of side changes and passing work".

　　Oita, on the other hand, currently has 4 wins, 4 draws, and 10 losses, with 16 points, ranking 17th. They are in a relegation zone position, so they should come out with a desperate counterattack to turn things around. During the break, they acquired MF Roberto CESAR, Edmilson, and Suzuki. MF Umesaki also returned, resulting in a different lineup from the first half of the season. MF Roberto CESAR is still not fitting into the team due to injury and is not included in the squad for this match. GK Nishikawa, who is part of the U-22 Japan national team, is absent due to injury, and GK Shimokawa starts in his place. The defensive line consists of Fukaya, Morishige, and Uemoto as the back three. MF Edmilson and Fujita form a double pivot in midfield, with MF Umesaki playing as an attacking midfielder and FW Takamatsu and FW Matsuhashi Shou partnering as the front two in a 3-5-2 formation.

　Tokyo, Fujiyama is absent due to a right ankle injury. Therefore, Moino and Konno form the center back, Inoha and Kajiyama in the double pivot, Fukunishi as the attacking midfielder, Suzuki Nori and Ishikawa on both sides, and Lucas as the front line. The key is to prolong the time in the opponent's territory and utilize the spaces on the sides of Oita's back three. We want to take control of the midfield and sides in the offensive and defensive battle and proceed with the game in an advantageous position. We want to win with a strong performance and start the restart on a good note.

　The match started at 19:04 with Tokyo's kickoff at Ajinomoto Stadium, where the heat and humidity linger even after the sun has set.

Fukunishi scores the opening header! Tokyo holds off Oita's counterattack and goes into halftime with the lead

　The game started off lively. In the 3rd minute, Ishikawa and Lucas successively approached from the right side and won a throw-in. Lucas in the right area trapped the ball with his chest from the throw-in by Tokunaga and sent a floating pass directly to the front of the goal. Fukunishi timed his jump perfectly and headed the ball into the goal! They took the lead early in the game. They wanted to build on this momentum, but Oita gradually found their rhythm of counterattack. As Tokyo players later reflected, they were unable to apply pressure and Oita sent the ball to the front line, launching attacks from loose balls. Nevertheless, Tokyo held their ground in the final line and managed to avoid Oita's long balls resulting in corner kicks, preventing any decisive opportunities.

　17 minutes, Oita's CK flow allows MF Umesaki's shot, but it goes wide. In the 19th minute, Ishikawa, who was flowing to the left, cuts inside with speed and is brought down in front of the goal, earning a FK. Suzuki Nori, who takes the penalty arc FK from just outside, aims directly but is blocked by the defense wall. In the 27th minute, from Oita's right CK by MF Umesaki, a high heading shot with a strong impact is taken by FW Matsubashi near the goal, but it goes wide. In the 30th minute, Tokyo earns a FK from the left side of the goal, about 25-6m away, and Kajiyama takes the shot. However, the Oita GK saves it.

　Both teams had several chances from set plays, and the game was evenly matched. In the 31st minute, Fukunishi jumped into Ishikawa's cross, but it was cut off by the defender and resulted in a corner kick. From Suzuki Nori's kick, Lucas from the far side tried to head it back, but it went over the line. In the 36th minute, Oita MF Umezaki unexpectedly looped a shot from a distance. Doi made a save and it resulted in a corner kick. In the 38th minute, Ishikawa on the right passed to Fukunishi in the middle, who then passed to the left, and finally Kanazawa crossed the ball. They created a wide attacking shape, but Lucas in the middle didn't connect with it. Oita's attacks were safely defended, but they couldn't bring the ball into shooting range from the flow of the game. The first half ended with a score of 1-0.

Conceding 2 goals from Oita's restart, painful comeback loss

　It was a second half where we wanted to score an additional goal, but in the 47th minute, a free kick was given to Oita on the left side. MF Tsukasa UMESAKI's kick was cleared by Shigeki MOBATA, but Oita quickly restarted the game with a corner kick they obtained from it. MF Suzuki connected with a short pass and MF Tsukasa UMESAKI crossed the ball. For a moment, the Tokyo defenders lacked concentration and allowed FW Takamatsu to be left unmarked, resulting in a header shot. This goal was scored, and we were caught up to a draw early in the second half.

　51 minutes, the ball was stolen in the opponent's territory and a quick counterattack was launched. Fukunishi took a long shot at the goal where the Oita GK had jumped out, but it went wide to the right. In the 54th minute, they failed to steal the loose ball in their own territory, allowing Oita to launch an attack from fast passing. Umezaki, the MF, advanced into the area, but the Tokyo DF closed in and did not allow a shot. It wasn't that their defense was broken by Oita, but in the 57th minute, they allowed an additional goal. Oita obtained a FK in their own territory, Suzuki, the MF, quickly connected with Morishige, the DF, and Uemoto, the DF, made a long pass to the front line. In response to this feed, Takahashi, the MF, slipped behind the Tokyo DF. The Tokyo DF couldn't mark him properly, and Takahashi skillfully volleyed the ball into the goal. They conceded the second goal in a form that disrupted their concentration during Oita's restart.

　Tokyo, who is preparing for a counterattack, substituted Kawaguchi for Ishikawa in the 59th minute. In the 62nd minute, Konno, who had penetrated into the area, connected with Kanazawa, who sent a low cross in front of the goal. Kajiyama pushed it in and shook the net, but it was offside. In the 66th minute, Akamine was substituted for Suzuki Nori, and Kajiyama aimed for the goal with a 4-4-2 formation with the left side covered. In the 70th minute, from Lucas to Akamine's pass, Fukunishi jumped out to the front line, but the opponent's defender cleared it and it became a left corner kick. In the 71st minute, Kajiyama broke through with Kanazawa's lob pass, but the opponent's goalkeeper also came out and crossed the line without touching it. In the 74th minute, Akamine tenaciously kept the ball in the opponent's territory. From there, Lucas quickly expanded to the right, and Kawaguchi crossed, but it crossed the line widely.

　Raise Konno forward, with Inoha covering the defense, and in the 76th minute, Hirayama was substituted for Fukunishi. We went for "one goal" with a more attacking formation, but there were also mistakes in the midfield, and we couldn't effectively send the ball to the front line. In the 88th minute, Konno dropped Kanazawa's left cross with his chest in the area and tried to volley, but it didn't hit. In the end, Oita had the advantage in terms of movement and midfield dominance, and Tokyo couldn't create attacking opportunities. Oita also had a total of 12 shots, while Tokyo had only 3 shots in both halves, resulting in a painful comeback loss at home.

　【Player Comments】《Masahiko INOHA》"The front line was isolated and we couldn't create a strong attack. The distance between players was far. It was good when I could win the ball in a high position, but I couldn't connect from the back and was dominated by Oita. Also, there was little communication and all the goals were due to a lack of concentration. If we had shouted, we might have been able to prevent them..."《Noriyuki SUZUKI》"It's disappointing that we couldn't win at home with many fans gathered for the start of the second half. The way we entered the second half was bad, and not being able to score the second goal was the reason for the loss. I couldn't do my job either. When we took the lead and the opponent started attacking, I wanted to exploit the space in return... I think it's necessary to compete more from the sides and take initiative."

　[Summary of Manager Hara's Press Conference] "We scored an early goal and had a very good feeling, but as a result, our players became a bit passive and Oita started to attack with the ball more in the first half. In that situation, we conceded corner kicks and had a few dangerous moments. At halftime, I talked about the ball starting to move from the middle of the first half and instructed Lucas and Fukunishi to deliver low balls instead of high balls. By doing so, we could draw fouls more often, so I told them not to be afraid to make contact once and then use the sides. After that, I mentioned the need to start the second half without conceding goals. However, we gave away a free kick and everyone momentarily thought that the loose ball hit the corner flag and was a goal kick. As a result, our reaction was delayed and Oita's forward, Takamatsu, was left free. That one goal was painful. However, even if we conceded a goal, I also told them not to panic and keep fighting. I was considering making substitutions while observing the situation, but just before that, Oita's midfielder, Takahashi, exploited the space behind our defensive line. It felt like we were caught off guard rather than being broken down because everyone was thinking 'someone will mark him'. It was chaotic. I wanted to utilize both sides more, but considering the pitch conditions, it was difficult to play wide. Also, Lucas was isolated, so I brought in Akamine to have two forwards and try to pick up the ball from there. I thought about whether to bring in Hirayama or Baba, but because the pitch was rough, I decided to bring in Hirayama and keep it simple by playing the ball to him. However, I do have regrets that other players didn't go for the challenges and there was no one to react to loose balls. We couldn't win at home, so I tried to make changes from today. It's disappointing that we couldn't do that despite having so many people gathered here. We have another match on Wednesday, so I want to lift our spirits and prepare well for the next game."

　[Summary of Oita Chamusca's press conference] "It was a really tough game to start the second half. The players approached it with a tough mindset, knowing that each game from now on will be crucial. Today, we were able to show the true Oita that we haven't been able to show before, and we were able to play a game without giving up until the end. I think we were able to win because we were able to keep fighting until the end without getting discouraged after conceding a goal. In the first half, we created chances from set pieces, but in the second half, we were able to move the ball and create chances. The opponents' players like Norio Suzuki, Lucas, Ishikawa, and Kawaguchi, who came on as substitutes, are players who never let their guard down for even a second, but it was good that everyone didn't take their eyes off them until the end. In the first half, the position of ball circulation was low, and the players were slipping on the slippery pitch, and the long balls were not timed well. But it started to work well in the second half. The reason for that may be that they started running without sparing their efforts, and I think the quality of the passes also improved. The break period was about 40 days, but we were able to practice together for about three days due to new additions and activities of each representative. In that short period, I think the soccer they showed us today was fantastic."