To secure a white victory, let's win away!

　In Sec. 4 of the league, we will face Omiya Ardija on Sunday, playing away. The previous match against C Osaka ended in a scoreless draw, and our current record stands at 1 win, 1 draw, and 1 loss. While we have shown defensive solidity with a total of "1" for both goals scored and conceded in three matches, no one is satisfied with the number of goals. We have been able to press from a high position and aggressively defend to win the ball, so the challenge will be how to convert that into chances and goals. Therefore, in practice, we have been trying many combinations, including an attacking formation with Hirayama, Ricardinho, and Shigematsu in the front line, as well as training with Kim Yong-gun at right back and Nagatomo moving up a line. In this match, Morishige, who was suspended in the previous match, returns to the starting lineup, forming the same defensive line as in Sec. 2. Nakamura and Ishikawa will play as left and right midfielders, respectively, with Akamine and Hirayama forming a two-top attack. Additionally, rookie Shigematsu will be on the bench for the first time as a professional. On the other hand, Omiya had a big win against C Osaka in their opening match, winning 3-0, but they have lost consecutively to Sendai and Kashima after losing their key forward, Rafael. However, Coach Jofuku warned, "FW Ishihara can create opportunities with his individual skill, and when he receives the ball, his attacks and counters are sharp. Everyone works hard on both offense and defense." He continued, "When we try to progress the game with possession, there will likely be several instances where we are countered. If we make mistakes in handling those situations, we must be prepared to concede goals." Therefore, against Omiya's midfield, where MF An Yong-ha serves as a lone defensive midfielder, we want to control the ball as much as possible and aim to take the initiative in the match, but it is important to manage risks as before and maintain concentration in defense. How to break down the defense centered around the absolutely tall DF Mato will be key. Although it is an away game, we absolutely want to secure a victory to take the lead in the points. The weather is cloudy, and it feels like winter has returned at NACK5 Stadium Omiya, where the match started at 14:01 with Omiya's kickoff.

大宮が2人退場する展開…しかし得点は奪えず

　In the 9th minute, the game took a significant turn early on. Omiya MF An Yongha received a red card for a foul on Hanyu and was sent off. Tokyo was able to proceed with a numerical advantage in the match. In the 13th minute, Ishikawa skillfully broke through the opponent's DF line during a counterattack, dribbled forward, and took a shot, but was crowded by a DF, losing momentum, and the ball went straight to the GK. Omiya, now down to ten players, made no substitutions, with FW Ichikawa as the lone striker, FW Ishihara moving to the side half, and MF Kanazawa coming in as a holding midfielder. There was no change in their strategy, maintaining a flat line of four in defense and midfield. In response, Tokyo dominated possession throughout, but could not break through Omiya's solid defense in front of the goal. In the 24th minute, Ishikawa and Hirayama attempted a one-two, but were blocked by Omiya's DF. Hirayama picked up the loose ball again and, from outside the penalty area, forcefully struck with his left foot, sending a powerful shot, but it went wide. In the 26th minute, a wedge pass from the center by Tokunaga reached Hirayama, who received it freely, turned, and took a shot, but it went to the left. Struggling against Omiya's fierce challenges for the ball, time passed without creating any clear chances. In the 42nd minute, they built up from the DF line, and Konno spread the play to the right side. Mukuara passed to Ishikawa, who delivered a cross. Akamine let it go, and Nakamura, who dropped the ball in the area, ran in, but his shot hit the opposing DF, missing a crucial opportunity. Just after that, in the 45th minute, Omiya DF Mato made a sliding tackle on Hanyu. This play resulted in a second yellow card for DF Mato, leading to Omiya having their second player sent off that day. The situation became 11 to 9, and the first half ended.

Imano's middle explodes! Shigematsu decorates his debut match with his first goal!!

　In place of Hanyu, who was injured just before the end of the first half, Tokyo brought in Young Gwon KIM as a DF at the start of the second half. The DF line was set up as a three-back with Morishige, Mukuhara, and Young Gwon KIM from the right, while Konno and Nagatomo were moved up to MF positions, adopting an attacking formation. Just after the start of the second half, in the 46th minute, Nakamura's right cross was received by Hirayama at the far post, who then returned it to the center. Although it was aimed at Akamine, the left-footed shot went high over the bar. In the 55th minute, Nakamura advanced deep down the right side and sent in a cross, which Nagatomo, running in from the far side, headed towards the goal, but both attempts went off target. Despite launching a fierce attack, they were unable to score against Omiya, who fortified their defense in front of the goal and had their goalkeeper making good saves. In response, in the 56th minute, Shigematsu was brought in for Nakamura, marking his professional debut. They increased their attacking numbers in search of a goal. Then, in the 61st minute, this aggressive stance finally paid off. Ishikawa's right cross was cleared by the opposing DF, but they regained possession, and a cross from Nagatomo to Young Gwon KIM in the center was again cleared. However, Konno was the first to react, striking a powerful shot directly from outside the area, securing the opening goal! In the 68th minute, Ricardinho came on for Akamine. Even after taking the lead, they did not ease off their attack, creating chances through Ishikawa's dribbling on the right side and using Hirayama as a pivot in the center. In the 71st minute, Shigematsu, targeting the space behind Omiya, skillfully faked out the DF and delivered a last pass, which Ishikawa connected with directly. This was thwarted by a good save from the opposing goalkeeper, but in the 79th minute, Nagatomo's cross from the left side was perfectly headed in by Shigematsu, despite a difficult position, scoring a goal! This marked Shigematsu's first goal in his professional debut, adding another point. After that, they continued to press for additional goals against Omiya's goal but could not secure a third. Despite taking 32 shots, they heard the final whistle with a score of 2-0. However, they effectively utilized their numerical advantage to secure all three points, marking their second league victory of the season. 【Player Comments】《Shigematsu》"Playing in front of many spectators was a completely different atmosphere than before, but I tried to play boldly. As a forward, I always thought about scoring in any form when I was on the field. With the opponent reduced to fewer players, we absolutely had to score, and I believed chances would come. My points for reflection are that I sometimes forced plays too aggressively and aimed for long shots. There were moments to pass, so I want to improve the accuracy of my play and judgment."《Konno》"In situations of numerical superiority, whether to make a last pass or choose to shoot. If we don't enhance our situational judgment, we won't be able to win against higher-ranked teams. I want to focus on that. So far, in four matches, the results have not been satisfactory, and to compete for the championship, the quality of our soccer still needs improvement. I want to practice more and increase our precision as a team to keep winning." 【Coach Jofuku's Press Conference Summary】"It was good to win 2-0. However, conversely, there is also a reflection that we only scored two goals. As a team, when Omiya's players were reduced to 9 or 8, we must not give the opponent any scent of a scoring opportunity, absolutely not create any gaps, and not allow them into the area. In such times, we must consciously aim to keep the score at zero. It is not about today's judgment, but when a player is sent off, it often leads to fouls being called against us as well. That's how soccer works... I made sure the players approached the game with a strong mindset to not concede any goals, and even when their concentration might waver, they maintained focus and managed to keep a clean sheet, which I think is commendable. Regarding the attack, if we had scored the second goal earlier, we could have played more relaxed. The shape wasn't bad. The opponent had to completely fall back, and Omiya is a team that works hard without anyone slacking off. It is not easy to take decisive shots when the vital area is tightly closed. We created opportunities from the sides behind the DF line, but the second goal was hard to come by. This may have induced some anxiety. However, the players should have learned that just because someone scored, forcing a shot themselves is not effective. Scoring means moving the ball, shaking the opponent, timing it right, and finally choosing the most decisive spot to score, not just blindly shooting from outside the area without considering other options. I hope the players have learned that. Today's three points will gain more meaning if we can secure points again in the next match. I want to prepare well and move on to the next one." 【Omiya Coach CHANG Woe Ryong's Press Conference Summary】"I apologize to the supporters for the consecutive home losses. However, I think there are such matches... In that, I believe the players fought well until the end, which will lead to our next match. Even with nine players, they covered for each other well. Of course, we intended to win today, and I think we both had a good match at the start. But this is soccer..."