Regain confidence and aim for 3 points away!

In Sec. 21 of the league, we will face Vissel Kobe away. In the previous match against Hiroshima, we lost after failing to advance the ball for the full 90 minutes. Recently, we have not been able to secure any wins, leading to a loss of confidence and a downward spiral, facing further challenges. Coach Jofuku analyzed the situation, stating, "Our attack has 'shrunk.' The biggest issue is when we have the ball. We want to attack without fear, clearly showcasing our characteristics and finishing the plays." On the other hand, Kobe is currently in 15th place. This match will be contested with both teams having the same points, 20. GK Enomoto is suspended, and MF Edmilson is out due to injury, but their organized defense and sharp counterattacks starting from the front line are notable. Particularly in attack, FW Lee Je-min, who joined during the break, will be at the forefront, with FW Botti as the pivot, and MF Popo and MF Park, who are 'players who can run,' will make speedy advances. In response, Coach Jofuku stated, "First, we need to prevent FW Botti, who can supply the ball, from showcasing his strengths," emphasizing the need to not lose in the quick transitions between offense and defense. Tokyo will start Ohtake in the lineup while missing Morishige and Hanyu. Tokunaga and Kajiwara will form a double pivot, with Nakamura and Mukuara as the full-backs. Meanwhile, Shiota has injured his left toe, and Abe has been included on the bench. Maintaining a compact formation, forming a defensive block, and being aggressive in attack after regaining possession will be key. "Positioning, how to hold the ball, and what to think about before the ball arrives (Coach Jofuku)..." We want to return to the fundamentals we have built up and play soccer that is characteristic of Tokyo. Additionally, Coach Jofuku mentioned, "While preparing for the match against Kobe, we approached it with the stance of starting for the future. I want to organize the issues, delve into them, and draw out the maximum strength of the players who will stand on the pitch once again. I want to regain our confidence and make this a turning point," emphasizing the need for the team to unite and break the negative flow in this match. The game started at 19:04 with Kobe's kickoff at Kobe Sports Park Universal Memorial Stadium.

石川のシュートはポストをヒット…　0対0で前半を折り返す

　At the start, Kobe maintained possession of the ball and there were moments of speedy attacks, but we managed to hold on firmly and gradually found our rhythm from good defense to good offense. In the 8th minute, Young Gwon KIM intercepted the ball, and Daigoku, who broke through to the front line, attempted a header from a difficult position with his back to the goal, but it went wide. In the 12th minute, we stole the ball in the opponent's half, and after a dribble from Ohtake, Ishikawa took a left-footed shot, but it was blocked by the DF. In the 14th minute, Young Gwon KIM intercepted the opponent's ball around the halfway line. Ohtake quickly connected to the right front, and Ricardinho, who dribbled centrally just before the area, aimed for a shot from Ishikawa, but it hit the post... In the 20th minute, Ricardinho broke through on the left side. Ohtake connected with a negative pass, and after receiving a return pass from Kajiyama, Ohtake took a shot, but it was blocked by the DF. In the 21st minute, Muku Hara dribbled up the right side and made a cutback to the near post. Ishikawa turned and took a left-footed shot, but this too was blocked by the DF. After that, we concentrated on fending off Kobe's counterattacks, creating chances from Kajiyama's distribution and the movements of Ishikawa, Ohtake, and Ricardinho. In the 40th minute, Ricardinho received a last pass from Ishikawa to Ohtake in the left area, but he couldn't take a shot due to the quick approach of the Kobe DF. In the 41st minute, Kajiyama made a big play to the left side from the center. Nakamura advanced, cut back inside the opponent, and took a shot, but it missed the target. The first half ended 0-0.

Although they kept a clean sheet, they couldn't secure a win and ended in a scoreless draw.

　However, in the second half, both teams made noticeable mistakes, leading to a rapid exchange of offense and defense. In the 55th minute, they stole the opponent's ball in their own territory and launched a sharp counterattack. Daigoku passed to Ricardinho, who dribbled up the left side, and Otake, who received the ball in the center, seemed to be fouled by the opponent's DF just as he entered the area, but there was no whistle. In the 65th minute, Tokunaga passed to Ricardinho, who burst down the left side at high speed, delivering a last pass to Ishikawa, who dove in front of the goal. It was a decisive moment, but it just missed, and the Kobe DF managed to defend it. In the 63rd minute, Suzuki was brought in to replace Otake. Suzuki then ran up to a high position on the left side and sent in a cross. From a deflection by the DF, Ishikawa at the far post aimed for a shot, but it was blocked by the DF. In the 69th minute, Hirayama was brought in to replace Ricardinho to go for a goal. In the 70th minute, Nakamura took a shot from the middle after a deflection from a left corner kick, but it was saved by the GK and turned into a throw-in. In the 79th minute, Suzuki made a speedy dribble from the halfway line and took a shot from outside the area. It was blocked by the GK, resulting in a corner kick. In the 84th minute, Suzuki made a cutback and sent a left cross. Tokunaga, who had run up to the far post, was free, but his header was cleared... It was a decisive chance, but in the end, the Kobe DF defended with their bodies, and they couldn't capitalize on the set-piece opportunity. In the closing stages, there were many moments of losing the ball, and they faced sharp counterattacks from Kobe, but thanks to Gonda's series of good saves, they did not concede a goal. They managed to keep a clean sheet for the first time since the match against Yamagata in Sec. 11 of the league, but they couldn't shake the net, ending in a scoreless draw and earning just one point. 【Coach Jofuku's Press Conference Summary】"We are in a situation where we desperately need three points, but the most important thing is for the entire team to start together without conceding goals and not creating holes ourselves. Even if we score, or even if we concede, we always want to start from there when the second half begins or when we face a crisis. Right now, we cannot afford to have zero points, so we started from that point. I believe the players did that, and I want to take it positively. Of course, there are issues in our attack, so we scored zero, but rather than focusing on that, I think it is most important to recognize what we did well and stand confidently on the next pitch. As always, I am truly grateful to the fans who came to the distant night game. I want to keep their feelings in mind and prepare for the Nabisco Cup on Wednesday." 【Kobe Coach Miura's Press Conference Summary】"First of all, I would like to thank the supporters who have been waiting for the bus after every match and those who came to the stadium. When we played at the Universal, it seemed like there were a lot of people. I thought that no matter what, I wanted to give three points to the supporters when I came here. I am grateful. I feel sorry for not being able to get (three points), and since I am in a position to take responsibility, I personally feel regret. In terms of content, the start of the first half was good, but gradually we were pushed back, and there was a period of 15-20 minutes where Tokyo's strengths came out. Especially the two at the back and Kajiyama's possession was good, and we couldn't narrow down the target. How to endure this period is key. Last time, we easily conceded a goal during a bad period. There was a dangerous moment when the ball hit the post, but I think we gradually regained momentum towards the end of the first half. In the second half, I feel that the opponent's strengths did not come out much, and including substitutions, I think we had situations where we could score. There were big chances. In that sense, I wanted to win." 【Player Comments】《Gonda》"It would have been great if we could have scored while defending well like today. Everyone's defensive awareness was high, and I was really helped. There were moments when Nao and Rika came back to the line of our territory. The full-backs also helped, and the approach to the ball was good. However, I think that made it harder to go on the attack. Even so, we were able to create some chances, so I wanted to somehow get one goal... (In the closing stages, there were several good saves in a row?) There was a one-on-one crisis when my goal kick was given to the opponent, but other than that, most were Kobe's middle shots, so there was no problem. As a point of correction, if we could put a few more people into the attack... For that, I think our defensive line needs to prepare well and hold down key points. Also, if we are careful about how we lose the ball and avoid counterattacks, the number of times the field players have to return to defense will decrease. The matches continue, so I want to make corrections in the battles. It is important to make use of today's 0-0 draw for the next match. The team may not be able to change dramatically, but there are some changes from the previous match against Hiroshima with a little awareness. Personally, I want to fight with a strong mindset that even if we concede two goals, we want to score three, and even if we concede three, we can score four! I think a little awareness can change the atmosphere, so I want everyone to work together and do our best." 《Suzuki》"Since I played in a 0-0 match, my first priority was to defend well. Especially in the previous match against Kobe, their full-backs troubled us by pushing forward in the closing stages, so I was quite conscious of defending in coordination with our full-backs. As a result, I think Kobe didn't come out of balance too much, but I also think our balance was maintained. In offense, I tried to mix receiving the ball wide and entering the vital area inside. I was conscious of making accurate judgments, and I think the balance in attack wasn't bad. I don't feel like we didn't have a sense of accomplishment, but honestly, I wanted the substitutes to come in and change the game. It was a match between teams with the same points, and I really wanted to take three points. Still, everyone stayed focused until the end and kept a clean sheet. I want to make this our minimum base. Next is the Nabisco Cup, but I have the impression that the momentum from the Nabisco last year led to the league. So I am happy to be able to compete in the Nabisco here, and I want to go all out to win. I want the team to gain momentum and connect it to the league."