A match to challenge the champion team without being intimidated by the pressure

　In Sec. 32 of the league, we will face Nagoya Grampus away. In the previous match against Kawasaki, we suffered a disappointing defeat, remaining in 15th place. The gap in points with 16th place Kobe has narrowed to just 1, and the situation remains tough. However, Coach Okuma and the players vow to approach the match with a strong mindset, stating, "If we give up or lose focus here, it's equivalent to losing from the start. We will feel the weight of earning 1 point or scoring 1 goal, and we will only think about giving our all." They will not look down, shake off the pressure, and challenge the champion team without fear. On the other hand, Nagoya won against Shonan away in the previous match, reaching 66 points. They achieved their first championship with three matches remaining. In this match, right-back Tanaka is suspended, and midfielder Danielson is out due to injury. However, DF Tulio has returned, and their stable defense remains unchanged. In terms of attack, particularly FW Tamada and Ogawa, the quality of the kickers is high, and they have many goals from set plays utilizing the height of FW Kennedy and DF Masukawa, so caution is necessary. Tokyo will change their system and lineup this match as Hirayama is suspended. The formation will be a 4-2-3-1 with Daigoku as the lone striker and Kajiyama in the attacking midfield. The double pivot will consist of Yonemoto and Tokunaga, with Mukuhara as the right-back, and Ricardinho will also be in the starting lineup. Coach Okuma explains about the attacking midfielder, "Kajiyama can receive the ball in uncomfortable areas for the opponent and create time. From there, we want to seek decisive plays that become a threat in front of the goal." Kajiyama states, "I will focus on receiving the ball securely and making simple plays. I think the pressure will be tough, but since we are closer to the opponent's territory, we will have time to return to defense, so I want to focus on work that leads to scoring as much as possible." How to contain long balls and counters sent to Nagoya FW Kennedy will be a key point, so we want to go for the ball against Nagoya's midfield, connect passes firmly, and take control on the sides. We will put our feelings and determination into every play and boldly challenge the top-ranked Nagoya! The match started at Toyota Stadium with Nagoya's kickoff at 14:04.

Take the lead with Daikoku's looping shot! Hold a one-point lead at halftime

　From the start, Nagoya focused on forward Kennedy, while Tokyo aimed to utilize Oguro's runs by exchanging long balls. In this context, Tokyo applied high pressure and created chances through quick transitions. In the 22nd minute, Mukuhara sent a counter-attack ball into the open space on the right side, where Ishikawa used his speed to catch up, cut inside, and shoot. The shot was blocked, resulting in a corner kick. In the 25th minute, after winning the ball in midfield, Kajiyama passed to Ricardinho, who was running on the left front. The final cross was slightly negative into the box, but it was cut off before reaching Ishikawa, who had run in from the right, and Kajiyama, who was further back. Then, in the 27th minute, following the flow of the corner kick, Ricardinho lost the ball but quickly regained it, and Kajiyama advanced with a dribble through the center. Mori-shige, who had remained in the area, dropped the vertical pass, and Oguro, in the right area, aimed for a looping shot that went over the outstretched hand of Nagoya GK Narasaki and into the net, scoring a goal!! With the connection between Kajiyama and Mori-shige, Oguro's skillful shot gave them the lead. Just after that, in the 35th minute, Kajiyama quickly reacted to a loose ball from a tussle between Oguro and the opposing DF in front of the goal. He broke into the right area and found himself one-on-one with the GK, but his shot was thwarted by a brave save. Nagoya also sent crosses repeatedly to forward Kennedy, creating chances from DF Tulio's powerful advances. In the 41st minute, Nagoya's left cross was headed back by FW Kennedy, and FW Ogawa in the left area shot. The Tokyo DF blocked it with their body, but the ball fell again to FW Ogawa. He took a decisive shot, but Yonemoto, who had come to cover, cleared it just before the goal line. They held off Nagoya's attacks with brave defending and maintained their lead into the second half.

They defended until the end with concentration and did not allow any goals, securing a valuable away victory.

　After the start of the second half, Nagoya intensified their attack, but Tokyo also countered with their own offense. In the 51st minute, DF Mito was brought on the left side, and conversely, Ishikawa utilized his speed to create a chance. In the 56th minute, he took a shot from the middle that hit the opposing DF and resulted in a corner kick. In the 57th minute, after getting past DF Mito, a cross was sent in but was cleared. Nagoya brought on the speedy FW Sugimoto in the 60th minute, and in the 68th minute, DF Chiyohanda was introduced, moving DF Tori to FW, applying pressure to the front line and launching a fierce attack. In response, Tokyo faced a longer period of being pushed back, but the DF line remained focused, engaging in a battle to counter from their tough defense. In the 69th minute, they allowed Nagoya FW Sugimoto to break through and send a cross to the far post. FW Kennedy in the left area headed it back, but Gonda caught it. In the 74th minute, while attacking, they lost possession, and Nagoya FW Sugimoto sprinted down the right side. A decisive shot was taken by FW Tamada from a right cross, but Tokyo DF closed in well, and the ball narrowly missed the target... escaping the danger. Tokyo also saw the return of Suzuki, who had been absent since September 12, coming on as a substitute in the 75th minute. Following that, they brought on Shigematsu and Maeda, thoroughly implementing pressure and ball retention from the front line. In the closing stages, Nagoya gathered the ball in the front line, while Tokyo launched short counterattacks, exploiting gaps. A tense back-and-forth continued between the two sides, but Tokyo maintained their physical commitment and focus. Even in the long stoppage time, players like Kajiyama and those in the front line created their own time, shutting down Nagoya's counterattack. They united to protect the single goal scored by Oguro, snatching valuable three points from the champions Nagoya. 【Player Comments】《Oguro》“(About the goal) The ball just happened to come in front of me. However, shooting from that area is my specialty. I could vaguely see the GK's position in my sight, so I aimed for a loop. I wasn't particularly looking at the goal frame. It's rare to have a clear shot during a match, so I focus on shooting based on my instincts. I feel like I've been embedding that sense into my body since practice. At the end, I was on the bench, so I was thinking, 'Please hold on!' (Was there space as a lone striker?) The opposing DF wasn't that tight, so there were aspects that made it easier. However, today's victory was achieved because everyone worked hard. Especially the players in the back... Yone cleared the opponent's shot, Tokunaga desperately followed the opponent who came out, and even Kon-chan, despite the height difference, managed to contain FW Kennedy. It was the result of everyone's efforts, so I want to continue this kind of fight and win the next two matches.” 《Mukuara》 “In the Kawasaki match, I was too focused on taking care of players like Vitor and JUNINHO, which prevented me from advancing from the side back. I wanted to utilize the team's strengths and my own by pushing forward today. I was wary of crosses from Nagoya's side and was conscious of strict defense against that, but I still thought I would go up, and if I lost the ball, I could just return to defense quickly. Since it was Oguro-san as the lone striker, I couldn't send in good crosses, and I have many reflections on the quality aspect. But I was able to push forward, return to defense, and attack again, so I think I was able to play in my own style. It's significant that we took three points from the champion team, but this is not the time to celebrate. I believe that not just the players, but everyone involved with FC Tokyo wants a victory at Ajinomoto right now. To ensure our survival, we absolutely want to conclude the final home match with a win.” 【Coach Okuma's Press Conference Summary】 “I think the players worked hard well in this atmosphere against a strong team after winning the championship. However, if we had been equalized, the development would have been uncertain. Until now, we haven't been able to use time well, but I think there was a bit of a plus alpha for the team in being able to go for the second goal while managing the time. We will leave today's victory here and want to utilize what we learned in the next two matches. (What about the sense of attack?) Rika is gradually getting used to Japanese soccer and the team. Whether starting or coming on to change the game, I think his presence was significant even though he was a last-minute starter. The accuracy of our finishing is improving, but we must humbly accept that we only scored one goal and continue to work on it. Even today, having so many chances but lacking the decisiveness to finish is a major reflection. I believe the players in the front line will do their best in the remaining two matches. (Are we one step closer to survival?) Honestly, if I think that way, I don't know what will happen. As I mentioned earlier, despite the various things in soccer, there are parts where we have operated under the assumption of 'this is how it should be.' We must tighten our focus for the next two matches. Since I have been saying this since I took office, I believe that giving our all in the remaining two matches is the most important thing.” 【Nagoya Coach Stojkovic's Press Conference Summary】 “Today was truly a hard game. However, I think both teams were able to play good soccer competing against each other. We lost today, but it is not a tragedy. I just want the players to learn to play with responsibility. I sincerely apologize to the customers who came today. (Was it a difficult match in terms of motivation after winning the championship?) I think today was not a matter of motivation, but perhaps there was some fatigue or tiredness. After the Shonan match, there were interviews, and I can understand that. What I told the players today was to show good soccer and go for the win. Of course, it is not an easy thing, but I think it all boils down to the word responsibility. If you are a champion, I believe you can do this properly. We had many chances today. However, I think the reason for today's defeat was that we could not convert those chances.