Breaking through Kyoto's defense, and achieving the first victory in 5 league matches!

　Sec. 18 of the league will be an away match against Kyoto Sanga F.C. In the previous match against G Osaka, we managed to avoid a third consecutive loss and earned 1 point. However, we haven't won a match since the league resumed, so this match, which is the first of the second half, will be an important game for us to fight for the top positions. We want to take advantage of the gains and momentum from the G Osaka match and aim to secure our first victory in 5 league matches, even though it's an away game.

　Kyoto, who is currently in 11th place, has been in good form with no losses in the last three matches after the break, with the addition of FW FERNANDEZ and DF Mizumoto. Coach Jofuku also analyzed, "The new players who joined have become the core of the team and have powered up both in attack and defense." Starting from a solid defense centered around Mizumoto, they launch accurate and fast counterattacks, especially with FW Yanagisawa, who has shown excellent speed and quality in his movements and has scored in the last three matches. In addition, they have players with unique characteristics such as FW Hayashi on the bench, and Shibata also cautions, "The variety of our tactics has increased."

　Tokyo, there are no changes in the starting lineup from the previous match. Ishikawa, who is in good form, said, "I shouldn't be able to aim for the back of the defense as much as in the G Osaka match. However, I want to create chances by continuing to move and finding space to attack. I always want to be aware of moving after passing and use plays that connect actions. I also want to focus on the collaboration with the side back." The point is how much they can break down Kyoto's defensive setup. With no space behind the defense and strong players in the center line, including MF Shijikurei, they want to create a numerical advantage on the side and make their moves.

　Manager Hiroshi JOFUKU declared, "We haven't had any wins in the past few matches and there is fatigue. However, both teams are facing the same challenge of not being able to stop their feet in the heat. In that situation, it is important for us to execute what we need to do. We will harness the players' strong desire for victory and fight with a strong awareness of winning, while not losing to Kyoto's quick start and moving the ball and people in Tokyo's soccer. The match started at 19:04 with Tokyo's kickoff in the hot and humid Nishikyogoku."

The first half ended with no goals from both teams, thanks to Shioda's great save.

　From the beginning, we launched attacks from the sides as planned. Shortly after the start, Ishikawa created a chance from Kajiyama's run, but it didn't reach Cabore. In the 5th minute, Ishikawa took a shot inside the area from a drop pass by Hirayama to Cabore. The opponent's goalkeeper made a save and it resulted in a corner kick. In the 6th minute, Tokunaga and Hirayama made a move on the left side and sent a final pass to Cabore in the center, but it was cleared. Tokyo continued at their own pace, but there were few decisive moments and gradually lost the ball, leading to Kyoto's sharp counterattacks.

　23 minutes, Kyoto long ball from MF Shijikurei → Tokyo inside the FW Yanagisawa drops with a header, FW Fernandinho dribbles fiercely. He shoots from the right area but misses over the bar, avoiding danger. In the 26th minute, left full-back Kakuta dribbles up the center and passes to the free FW Fernandinho in the left area. The shot is punched away by Shibata. Tokyo also seizes chances from counters and earns multiple corner kicks, but all of them lack accuracy and the attacks do not continue.

　At 30 minutes, Tokyo launched a counterattack, with Nagatomo dribbling up the center and breaking through the right front line in combination play with Ishikawa. From the sideline, Kabore headed the cross, but the shot missed the target. After that, Kyoto's FW Fernandinho and Yanagisawa created scoring opportunities. In the 39th minute, Kyoto's MF Sato took a shot from inside the area, but it was saved by Shioda. The end of the first half was dominated by Shioda's excellent saves, and it ended 0-0.

Equalizing goal by Akamine brings the game to a draw

　In the second half, Tokyo changed positions with Nagatomo and Tokunaga. They focused on having Ishikawa play on the side and aim for goals in a wide formation. However, in the 50th minute, Kyoto FW Fernandinho persistently made a move on Tokyo's right side and eventually crossed the ball. Although it was cleared as a corner kick, from the left corner kick taken by FW Fernandinho, DF Mizumoto was perfectly headed and allowed the first goal. After that, Tokyo faced a Kyoto team that gained momentum from the first goal, resulting in more defensive time and unable to launch attacks.

　Then, in the 63rd minute, Asari and Ishikawa were replaced by Otake and Emerson. With Hanyu moving to the center, they calmly aimed to counterattack with their own style of soccer. Gradually regaining composure, they completely dominated the ball. However, they struggled to break through Kyoto's defensive formation and were unable to take a shot. In the 77th minute, Akamine was substituted for Cabore, and they launched a fierce attack. But in the 83rd minute, Otake picked up a defensive mistake by the opponent on the left side and crossed the ball in front of the goal. Akamine headed the ball, but it went wide of the goal.

　Next, in the 84th minute, Otake cut inside the right area and attracted the attention of the defender, passing the ball to Emerson in the center. His sharp shot hit the crossbar. It seemed like the game would end like this, but in injury time, Hirayama was fouled outside the left area, earning a free kick. Emerson took the last chance free kick, and the ball narrowly escaped the hands of the Kyoto goalkeeper, finding its way into the far corner of the goal. Akamine then headed the ball into the net right on the goal line. The game ended immediately after this goal. The never-give-up spirit finally paid off, bringing a tough away match to a draw.

　【Player Comments】《Akamine》"(In terms of playing) we were able to keep possession of the ball, but I felt like we didn't have enough shots. I was thinking of taking more shots, so I'm glad I was able to score in the end. I was able to react quickly to the loose ball. However, if we had scored earlier in the flow of the game... Kyoto was defending well and attacking on the counter, but surprisingly their defensive line was high. So I was thinking that there would be space behind and I was conscious of taking advantage of those opportunities. I have been coming on as a substitute a lot, but if I can produce results, I believe it will lead to the next step for both myself and the team. The team is starting to connect passes better. If I can take more shots, there should be more chances, so I want to be more aggressive and aim for goal. Next, I want to do my best to get 3 points for the fans."《Emerson》"It was a tough game. We expected it to be tough away from home, but it became even tougher after conceding the first goal. However, I think it was the fact that no one gave up that led to us getting 1 point. I wanted to contribute to the team when I came on. I believed that the free kick would go in, so I kicked the ball towards goal. I'm glad Shingo was able to score. Of course, we wanted to win, but I want to think positively about the fact that we were able to get a draw away from home. (We haven't won in a while, but?) I think it's important to work even harder in practice and have confidence as a team."

[Summary of Manager Shirofuku's Press Conference] "Currently, Kyoto is a very strong team, and we entered the match while paying close attention to their key players, DF Shijikurei, FW Fernandinho, and Yanagisawa. Regarding their counterattacks, they didn't create many dangerous situations, but we were caught off guard and conceded goals during their fast attacks. Also, there was a difference in accuracy in set pieces such as corner kicks. The opponent's kicks were accurate and had many potential opportunities, but as you can see, we didn't perform well in that aspect. Technical skills don't change overnight, but we need to firmly address this issue. We feel like we shot ourselves in the foot. As for our attacking play, I believe we stuck to our game plan. Despite the poor way we conceded goals and put ourselves in difficult situations, I want to commend the team for their efforts. Finally, it was great that we were able to equalize, and I hope we can build on this point and not let it go to waste." (In the second half, you switched positions between Nagatomo and Tokunaga, right?) There were a few reasons, but one of them was that we struggled against FW Watanabe Daigo's dribbling in the first half. Also, Ishikawa made some mistakes when he moved inside a few times, but he is a player who can excel when he stays wide. We wanted to let him focus on his strengths by putting Hayashi on the opposite side. And in terms of who to use on the outside, we wanted to utilize Nagatomo's work rate."

[Summary of Kyoto Kato's press conference] "After winning against Kashima, the top team in the league in the previous match, I didn't want to feel too relaxed, so I told the players to show the highest level of concentration in the first 10 minutes of the game. However, right after the kickoff, there was a scene where the ball crossed the goal from the right side, indicating that there was a lack of tension or concentration in the beginning. After about 15 minutes, we were able to regain our rhythm. Compared to the Antlers and Verdy match, when the ball was passed to our side back, we were pressed at an early timing, so we couldn't stabilize our ball control. We couldn't keep the ball with the side back as we did before and bring it into the opponent's half. The opponents have also studied us, and at halftime, I told the players that there are times when the ball doesn't stabilize and the opponents are not always calmly connecting. As for the second half, we made the midfield a little thicker and created a block on the side of DF Nakatani, who was exposed in the first half, to prevent the side from being broken. In the end, we were scored on a set piece, but there were parts where we were done despite studying how to defend it. There was a mistake where the goalkeeper couldn't touch the ball when he came out, but I think he did well throughout the 90 minutes. It is very difficult to earn one point like this, and I want to use this point as momentum for the second half of the season."