Covering for Mobata and Konno's absence, victory in the final home game!

　Sec. 33 will be a match against Omiya Ardija. It's hard to believe that we are already approaching the final home game, and today will be the last game of the season at Ajinomoto Stadium. In the previous match against G Osaka, we finally showed our momentum and tenacity, playing the kind of soccer that Tokyo is known for. This match can be considered the culmination of the season. We will give our all to win and meet the expectations of all the fans who have continued to support us.

　However, Shigeki and Konno are suspended. In addition, Hirayama and Inoha joined the team for the Olympic qualifiers, so they only had two days to integrate and started on the bench. On the other hand, Ishikawa has returned energetically and Baba and Kajiyama, who just returned to the starting lineup in the previous match, have improved their condition and started. Lucas is up front, Baba is in the attacking midfield, and Ikegami and Kajiyama form the defensive midfield. Hatta, who is making his first start as a center back, covers and supports the team as a whole, and they face the upcoming match together.

　Omiya, who is currently in 15th place with 31 points, will come at us with all their might in order to secure their spot in J1. It is crucial that we match their determination. The key will be how we can break down Omiya's solid defense, which concedes few goals. If Baba and Kajiyama can set the rhythm and take control, we should be able to create chances. To overcome Omiya's tough press, we also want to launch speedy attacks. In defense, we need to be cautious of their accurate counters. If we lose the ball while attacking and they swiftly bring it to our goal, Omiya will gain momentum. We want to quickly transition between offense and defense and prevent any dangerous situations.

　Ajinomoto Stadium, where the gentle sun shines, the match started exactly at 2:00 PM with Tokyo's kickoff.

Although they dominated the ball and advanced advantageously...

　Both teams cautiously started the game, with the ball moving back and forth between the two sides. In the 5th minute, a pass from Omiya reached Fujiyama inside the Tokyo team's territory, and Fujiyama quickly fed the ball to the right forward. Ishikawa caught up with it and tried to connect with Lucas for a cross, but it was cleared by the Omiya defense. In the 9th minute, Omiya's forward, Yoshihara, broke through the left side, but Fujiyama intercepted the cross and initiated a counterattack. Baba -> Ikegami -> Ishikawa quickly linked up to win a corner kick, but Omiya cut off Baba's right corner kick. In the 11th minute, Omiya won a free kick on the left side of Tokyo's territory, and Baba sent the ball to the center, which Kajiyama took a shot at. However, it was blocked by the Omiya wall.

　Omiya also threatened the Tokyo goal mainly through set plays, but they defended safely and gradually controlled the midfield with Baba, Kajiyama, and Kurisawa connecting passes intricately. In the 17th minute, Ishikawa dropped a header from Kanazawa's early cross into the right area, Lucas passed it to the center, and Tokunaga, who had moved up, connected the pass persistently with Kajiyama, but in the end, they were surrounded and lost the ball. In the 18th minute, from Ishikawa's dribble shot, Kajiyama and Ikegami connected the loose ball, and Tokunaga earned a corner kick from his cross. However, Hata's header from Baba's right corner kick did not hit the target.

　After that, we continued to dominate the ball and attacked into the enemy's territory, but Omiya DF quickly returned and even when we sent crosses, they were repelled and we couldn't create any decisive chances. In the 25th minute, we were robbed in the opponent's territory and Omiya MF Kobayashi's pass was met by FW Yoshihara who broke through the front line at close range to shoot. Although we allowed a chance to be created with a vertical pass, Shioda made a bold move to escape with a CK and when we defended it, Tokyo regained its rhythm. In the 29th minute, Baba flew out to Kanazawa's through pass. In the 32nd minute, Kajiyama cleared the opponent's pass in our own territory and passed it to Kuriyama on the far side from Ikegami -> left Kajiyama. Kuriyama dropped a header to Baba in the area and received a return pass to send a cross. We launched a good attack from a direct pass and a big development, but they were all defended.

　Omiya sent a long ball to the goal area in the 42nd minute, with DF Murayama dropping the ball for FW Morita to receive. MF Kataoka then took a shot from outside the left area. Hata blocked it. Omiya tried to counterattack, but couldn't finish before the quick return of the Omiya DF. In the end, Omiya had 4 shots in the first half compared to Tokyo's 2 shots. Despite having the advantage in the midfield, they couldn't break through the solid Omiya DF and the match ended with no goals.

石川が先制するも、大宮の同点弾にリズムを失い、痛い逆転負け

　In the second half, which was expected to bring goals, the opening goal was created from the desired development right from the start. In the 46th minute, Omiya FW Yoshihara aimed for the back of Tokyo DF, but Hatta firmly closed in and escaped to a corner kick. From this corner kick, Tokyo gained possession of the ball and launched a quick counterattack, evading Omiya's press. In the 47th minute, Baba attacked through the center, and Kajiyama on the right cut back the Omiya DF and passed to Tokunaga who moved up the side. Kajiyama continued to run towards the edge of the penalty area and received a return pass from Tokunaga, then swung his right foot with a heel flick into the penalty area. In response to this pass, Ishikawa fell down but swung his right foot powerfully and scored a goal! The quick passing play, Kajiyama's unexpected play, and Ishikawa's movement that closed in on the goal without any gaps resulted in the opening goal.

　However, the joy of the goal did not last long. Two minutes after taking the lead, the opposing defender sent a feed into the Tokyo territory. It was just an ordinary ball, but Hatta, who went to get it, lost control as he was tripped up by the turf and was taken away by Omiya forward Yoshihara, who quickly ran to the front line. Even the sliding tackle from Ikegami, who had returned, was not in time, and Omiya midfielder Fujimoto easily connected with the minus pass sent from the goal line and scored... In an instant, the game was tied.

　There was still time. In the 55th minute, Kurisawa picked up the clearance from Omiya DF from Baba's left CK and took a middle shot, but it was right in front of Omiya GK. In the 56th minute, Lucas in front of the area stuck to Kurisawa's long cross and dropped it, and Ishikawa aimed but missed the target. In the 57th minute, Tokyo DF couldn't clear the long ball sent by Omiya DF Leandro to the front line, and MF Fujimoto headed it into the area after bouncing in front of the area. FW Yoshihara slid in here, and the looping shot just went over the bar. There were also moments that made us nervous. In order to break the flow of Omiya trying to gain momentum, Tokyo substituted Hirayama for Baba in the 58th minute and put him in the front line. They aimed for an additional goal with an attack starting from Hirayama.

　62 minutes, Kurizawa, who received a side change, dribbled past the opponent on the left side and cut into the area, sending a pass to the front of the goal. However, Kajiyama and Lucas closed in, but couldn't take a shot. In the 64th minute, Inaba was substituted for Yata, who had cramps. However, Omiya also substituted MF Saito for FW Yoshihara. Both teams quickly sent the ball to the front line with one top each, competing for second balls. In the 76th minute, Suzuki Nori was substituted for Ikegami on the left side, and Kurizawa moved to the defensive midfield position in an attempt to score a second goal. As the battle for the ball continued, in the 84th minute, Suzuki Nori crossed from the left side after Hirayama hit the post. Hirayama followed with a header, but it went over the bar...

　It was in the 89th minute, when it seemed like the game would end as a draw. After intercepting the opponent's ball, Lucas, Ishikawa, and Hirayama tried to launch an attack but lost the ball. Omiya DF Leandro dribbled fiercely from their own territory into Tokyo's half. None of Tokyo's players were able to stop him. DF Leandro received a return pass after a collision between Fujiyama and Omiya MF Kobayashi on the front line, and quickly entered the penalty area. Inoha tried to catch up but was left behind, and the shot pierced the net...

　Never give up until the end, and go on a power play targeting Hirayama. In the corner kick of the injury time, Shioda also went up and aimed for a goal, but it did not bear fruit. It was a painful comeback loss in a game where mistakes that have been repeated this season seemed to have occurred again. We couldn't decorate the final home game with a victory.

　【Player Comments】《Ishikawa》"The goal was made possible because Kajiyama used me well. I was confident that the pass would come. I knew the defenders were closing in, but I was able to face forward and shoot. Today, Baba and Kajiyama were able to be the starting point of our attacks, so I wanted to receive the ball between the opponent's midfield and defense line to create gaps. We were able to score first in the second half, but after that, it didn't go well. Even though the opponent's pace had dropped, they gained momentum with that goal. I wanted to show determination in the final home game for everyone who has continued to support us at Ajinomoto Stadium. I'm frustrated that I couldn't do that."《Hatta》"We were able to play a good game in the first half, especially considering the balance, but we were tired towards the end. I'm very frustrated that we conceded a goal from my own mistake, but I want to develop the ability to bounce back from this. I had injuries this year, but I wanted everyone to see how hard I've worked throughout the year, so I approached this game with that mindset. I tried to shout and fight as a team. I think we were able to do that. The support from the fans was very heartwarming. I want us to continue fighting as a team and aim for the Emperor's Cup in the next match."

　[Summary of the press conference by Coach Hara] "Omiya fought with concentration, perhaps due to the tension of the relegation battle. I don't think our performance was bad, but it was a typical representation of this season, where we were reversed just before entering stoppage time, losing our chance. There have been various reports about my resignation and the players, and each player had a strong desire to win at Ajinomoto Stadium, which is the last game of the season. So, there was a bit of excessive pressure. Mochida and Konno were suspended, so we used Hatta and Ikegami instead. Both of them did well, especially Hatta, who was almost perfect except for one mistake. However, his leg was cramping a bit, so we replaced him with Inoha. I think Ikegami also did well enough. Baba had just returned from surgery, so we substituted him to avoid any adverse effects. Also, there were many situations where there was only Lucas in the middle against crosses, so we brought in Hirayama to make a different approach. In order to have various options for the upcoming Emperor's Cup and to prevent Baba's injury from recurring, we made the substitution early. We wanted to give the fans a victory in the last home game... I have no regrets about the challenges we faced at FC Tokyo over the past year, and Hatta, Ikegami, Kajiyama, and others have shown personal growth. It is my responsibility that these efforts did not translate into results. There are players who are starting to show potential, and what we should do now is to prepare well for the Emperor's Cup with Baba, Kajiyama, Mochida, Konno, and others. We must ensure that we do not waste this past year, both as a team and personally."

　[Summary of Omiya SAKUMA's press conference] "Last week we drew with Kofu, and now we have Tokyo and Kawasaki matches left. Today's FC Tokyo match could be our last chance to secure our survival and avoid the relegation playoffs, so I told the players about that. Ajinomoto Stadium has a unique pitch, and FC Tokyo has strong individual players, so I thought they would be stronger in battles. Therefore, we prepared to handle man-to-man situations and to never lose in winning second balls. We used FW Yoshihara in the starting lineup intentionally to exploit the space behind Tokyo's defensive line. I thought it would be okay if we could keep the score 0-0 in the first half, but Tokyo's pressure weakened in the middle of the first half. Although the combination of Lucas and Baba was threatening, I believed that once Hirayama came on, we would not be vulnerable in the vital area. However, Tokyo would have a higher chance of winning second balls, so we brought in Saito and switched to a 4-1-4-1 formation to compete for them. However, we conceded a goal too early in the second half, and while I was thinking about how to switch to attacking, MF Fujimoto scored the equalizer. It was a goal according to the plan where FW Yoshihara used the space created by Kanazawa's forward movement. It was a very tough match, and FW Morita, MF Fujimoto, and MF Kobayashi had difficulties in terms of their condition, but in the end, DF Leandro scored, and substitute players FW Sakurai, MF Hashimoto, and MF Saito understood their roles well and fought hard. We focused on creating a triangle with Saito and the two CBs, and tried to increase our ball control. I think we were able to control the game as we wanted. These 3 points have a significant meaning for the club's history. Also, I'm not a philosopher or a religious person, but I still believe that there is a god of football, and if you work hard every day and face forward, there is something like today's divine protection. "