Aiming for the first victory since 2006 against Kyoto... at Ajinomoto Stadium, aiming for the first victory since the start of the league

　On the 17th (Sat), the 7th round of the league will be held, and we will face Kyoto Sanga F.C. at Ajinomoto Stadium. In the Nabisco Omiya match, we won with a passionate play from all members, even though we had a player sent off. Following the Kashima match in the previous league round, we have shown a spirited fight, so this round is a crucial match where we want to improve the quality even further and secure 3 points at home, where we have not achieved a victory since the opening. Although we will face this match with only 2 days of rest after the Omiya match, Ishikawa and Gonda have returned to the squad, and Ricardinho will start for the second consecutive game. On the other hand, Mokuhara is suspended, so Kim Young Gwon will play as left full-back, Nagatomo on the right, and Tokunaga and Hanyu in the defensive midfield. On the other hand, Kyoto is currently in 11th place with 7 points in the league. Based on their solid defense from last season, this season they "value build-up, not only boasting passing and combination play, but also being able to attack the opponent's defense with individual skills and find breakthroughs. They are also strong in set pieces. The squad is also deep and they have everything," says Coach Jofuku. Kyoto has conceded a total of 11 goals in the league, which is a lot, but "if we don't recognize Kyoto's way of playing properly, we will not only lose control but also have to be prepared for defeat," he warns. To achieve victory for Tokyo, the key is how to break down Kyoto's defense, which fills the spaces tightly. Kyoto's defensive line, centered around center-back Mizumoto and Guo, is known for its strength, and in past matches, we have often struggled to break through this solid defense. Since March 2006, we have not won against Kyoto for two seasons, but this time we want to take advantage of the attacking runs from Kyoto's full-back Masushima and others, and utilize Tokyo's strong points from the sides. Above all, in the league, we have only gained 1 point in the last two matches. We want to show a strong desire for victory in our play and turn it into 3 points. Although the unseasonable snow mixed with rain that fell from last night to this morning has stopped, the coldness remains in the shade at Ajinomoto Stadium. The match started with Kyoto's kickoff at 17:04.

Unable to take advantage of the one chance and conceding the first goal, unable to mount a counterattack...

　The time continued with both teams fighting for the ball from the start. In the 4th minute, Ishikawa received a vertical pass from Hayami and connected with Hirayama and Matsushita on the left, but their left cross was blocked by the defender. In the 8th minute, Ricardinho tried to exploit the opponent's defense, but it was offside. After that, neither team was able to create chances, but in the 11th minute, Kyoto's forward Yanagisawa headed the ball deep into the right area from a throw-in. Nishino, the right midfielder, made a run and sent a low cross into the goalmouth. Left midfielder Nakayama jumped in from the far side and kicked the ball, but it hit Morishige at close range and bounced to the opposite side. Kyoto's midfielder Kakuta quickly closed in on the ball... Unfortunate events piled up, and they conceded the first goal in a momentary lapse. However, there was still plenty of time left, and they wanted to calmly play their own soccer and launch a counterattack. But even when they carried the ball into the opponent's half, they couldn't convert it into chances. In the 14th minute, they earned a free kick from the right side, and Matsushita took a direct shot, but the goalkeeper caught it. In the 27th minute, Tokunaga and Morishige showed a dynamic attacking movement from their own half. Matsushita on the left provided support and passed to Ishikawa, who ran inside from the right. However, Ishikawa's shot from just outside the penalty area was saved by the goalkeeper, resulting in a corner kick. In the end, Tokyo only had these two shots in the first half. They lost the ball to Kyoto's tough defense multiple times and gradually resorted to using long balls. On the other hand, Kyoto only had one shot that led to a goal. Neither team could take control, and the game continued with back and forth movements until the end of the first half.

Despite the strong attitude of Shigematsu, who came on as a substitute, the match ended in a draw

　In the second half, Nagatomo and Matsushita changed positions, trying to create chances from the sides. In the 52nd minute, Ricardinho received a cross from the left side, following a combination with Nagatomo and Kim Yong-gun. The ball fell to Ishikawa in the right area, but he couldn't take a shot. They tried to attack again, but Ishikawa's middle shot from a 45-degree angle was saved by the goalkeeper. In the 60th minute, Shigematsu replaced Ricardinho, and then in the 63rd minute, Nakamura came on for Matsushita. In the 65th minute, Kim Yong-gun sent a left free kick into the goal area, and Nagatomo aimed for a middle shot from the rebound, but it was blocked by the defense. In the 69th minute, Akamine was brought on for Hirayama. By using substitutions, they increased their movement and momentum, leading to longer periods of play in the Kyoto half. Then, in the 72nd minute, Akamine received a throw-in high up the right side and sent a backward pass into the area. The Kyoto defense cleared it once, but the ball bounced back off a Kyoto player in front of the goal, landing at Shigematsu's feet. Just as Shigematsu was about to quickly transition to attack, he was fouled by Kyoto's defender Mizumoto, earning a penalty kick. In the 73rd minute, Shigematsu calmly converted the penalty to equalize. His strong determination towards the goal led to the penalty. From there, Tokyo aimed to take the lead, launching a powerful attack. Nagatomo, who returned to right back, aggressively overlapped, and Nakamura and Shigematsu effectively utilized their movement to create chances. In the 75th minute, Akamine headed a right early cross from Tokunaga, but the goalkeeper saved it. In the 80th minute, Nakamura aimed for a shot with no spin from a free kick in the center of the opponent's half, but this was also blocked by the goalkeeper. Kyoto launched a quick counterattack, and in the 83rd minute, FW Diego initiated a play, allowing MF Ando to break free and shoot from just outside the area, but Gonda caught it. As the counters exchanged, in the 90th minute, Nakamura made a last pass to Ishikawa in the left area. However, Ishikawa, with his back to the goal, attempted an overhead shot but was defended against by the defense. Until the end, they couldn't break through Kyoto's strong defense, managing only one goal from the penalty, ending in a draw at home. 【Player Comments】《Shigematsu》"Given the few shots in the first half, I was thinking on the bench about what I could do if I came on. I wanted to run around, break through, disrupt the opponent, and change the flow with my movement. I tried to express my feelings through my play so that everyone could feel like 'Let's go!' When I was about to take the penalty, other players encouraged me, so I took it with confidence. I thought that since the opponent wouldn't have data on me, kicking it down the middle would likely result in a goal rather than to the side. I kicked it without any tricks, just focused. Scoring a goal from a penalty is nice, but what I really want is three points. It's disappointing that the team couldn't win." 《Nakamura》"While starting from defense, I aimed to play with a focus on scoring. There may have been momentum, but both teams engaged in counterattacks. I think if we had calmed down a bit more and circulated the ball, we could have created more effective attacks. Not being able to calm the team down is a significant point of reflection." 【Coach Jofuku's Press Conference Summary】"In the league, we have only earned one point from the two matches in Sec. 5-6, so we desperately wanted three points today. I believe the fans expected us to win at home, so it's truly disappointing to end with just one point. In the first half, I think the first time we were entered into the area was during the conceding scene. To concede from just one shot shows that we are still immature. Just being run behind on a throw-in disrupted our game plan and various other things, and both the player involved and the team must realize this. Since we didn't start poorly, we lost our mental rhythm there. Our positioning should have allowed for more connections, but everyone rushed forward, and we only managed two shots. The first half was a regrettable 45 minutes. In the second half, we tried to score by changing the lineup, but we only managed to get one point from the penalty. There are aspects we need to review from the build-up, but we must improve the accuracy of our decisions leading up to the finish. The fact that the players who frequently showed up only managed to score one penalty in recent matches must be recognized. We can't just say 'That was close' or 'We got near the goal.' We need to understand how much that puts the team in a difficult position and be ready to step onto the pitch next time. While we need to reflect on how we build the team, I think it's also a time for strong individual reflection. We wanted to play more football. We want to increase actual time, and I believe it was our responsibility that the Kyoto players walked off the pitch and quickly returned. We want to reflect on many things and move forward." 【Kyoto Coach Kato's Press Conference Summary】"To be honest, I think it was a game where we could have taken three points. It turned into one point, and I feel more regret. Regarding the content, I believe we were able to play organized football in both attack and defense. Of course, FC Tokyo pressed us, but in a situation where we scored first, we lowered our block and tried to create a chance for a second goal. Regarding the conceded goal, it was more about us panicking in our handling than the opponent creating a chance. Ultimately, it was Mizumoto who fouled, but he bears no responsibility. I regret that we lacked a moment of calm. Recently, we have been focusing on defensive corrections and balancing with our attack, and although we conceded a penalty today, I think the corrections worked well and brought stability to our game. We need to prepare our condition for the next match and aim to play well at home to earn three points."