A match aiming for 4 consecutive victories with attractive soccer against Hiroshima, which has not won since 2007

　Sec. 4 will be held. We will face Sanfrecce Hiroshima at home, Ajinomoto Stadium. In the previous match against Kobe, we scored 2 goals from sharp counters and achieved a 3-game winning streak. No one is satisfied with the performance, but we still want to stubbornly take points away and aim to win with attractive football at home. In that sense, this match will be a focus on how well we can win with our own football throughout the 90 minutes at home.

　However, Hasegawa will be suspended for this match. Kajiyama is also injured in the calf and will be absent. Therefore, Tanabe, who is starting for the first time this season, will play as a defensive midfielder, and Hanyu will play as an attacking midfielder.

　Hiroshima, on the other hand, currently has 2 wins and 1 loss in the league. Although they have a new coach in Hajime Moriyasu this season, they have been maintaining good form by utilizing the team's characteristics from previous years. In particular, caution is needed for the quick movements and fluidity in penetrating spaces by forward Sato. Young and fresh players like Osaki and Notsuda can also be a scary presence when they gain momentum, so it is important to press and be aware of the source of their passes in order to prevent Hiroshima from making good passes in the forward line.

　Kajiyama and Hasegawa, who have been the main players so far, are absent, and it can be said that this is a crucial moment. However, under the goal of "playing the same soccer no matter who plays (Coach Popovic)", we aim for victory with synchronized soccer while utilizing each player's characteristics. The match started with Hiroshima's kickoff at 14:03 under strong winds and stormy weather.

Quickly switch between each other's strengths in attack and defense. However, unable to create scoring opportunities.

　From the beginning, they showed an attacking attitude and in the 2nd minute, Tokunaga took the first shot of the day with a middle shot. However, Hiroshima also effectively eliminated space with quick defensive returns and consistently aimed to counterattack by stealing the ball at the midfield. Tokyo struggled with this and was unable to switch effectively from vertical passes.

　In defense, they did not lose focus and did not allow Hiroshima to play freely, but in the 20th minute, Hiroshima's shadow midfielder Osaki expanded to the right. He combined with right midfielder Mikic's cross and was intercepted by forward Sato in the center. The Tokyo defenders closed in and prevented the shot from hitting the target, but they allowed a certain shape to be formed. On the contrary, in the 23rd minute, midfielder Tanabe intercepted in the midfield. He quickly connected the pass and Hanyu dribbled up and took a shot... but he couldn't find the target.

　In the 26th minute, Hiroshima's left corner kick targeted FW Sato from the far side. Although it wasn't stopped, the ball was skillfully connected and created a decisive opportunity for MF Osaki in the center of the area, but the ball grazed the Tokyo DF and went out of bounds. In the 38th minute, MoriShige intercepted the ball towards Hiroshima's front line, and Kaga, Hanyu, and Lucas skillfully kept the ball, involving Tanizawa and Takahashi, and passed it to the right to Tokunaga. They continuously moved forward from fluid positions, carrying the ball forward, but they did not create any chances. Despite the fast-paced back and forth, no clear opportunities were created, and the first half ended with both teams having 3 shots each.

FW Sato's goal allowed again... first scoreless game of the season, league defeat

　Tokyo tried to find their rhythm from the start of the second half. In the 49th minute, Takahashi switched the ball to the center, Ishikawa passed it to Ota on the left, and Lucas headed the ball but missed the target. Immediately after, Hayashi dropped the ball to Lucas from the center, and Ishikawa made a through pass to Hayashi who ran behind the defense. It was a good opportunity, but it was offside. In the 54th minute, Takahashi tried to pull out the Hiroshima defender who had fallen back by taking a shot, but it lacked power.

　In the 56th minute, without being able to fully utilize the chance, Hiroshima DF passed to Aoyama, the midfielder, on the right side, and Mikic, the MF, dribbled up the side. They couldn't control this and were able to put in a high-precision cross at an early timing. In response to this, they couldn't catch Sato, the FW, who had jumped out behind Tokyo DF with exquisite timing. Hiroshima was able to score a splendid goal with their first shot in the second half... They ended up conceding the first goal from a cautious position.

　In the 65th minute, Watanabe was brought to the front line, replacing Tanizawa and Hanyu, and Otake, who made his first appearance this season, was introduced as the left midfielder. Two players were substituted at once, aiming to activate the attack. In the 73rd minute, the ball was moved quickly, incorporating side changes and advancing forward. Otake on the left side crossed between the goalkeeper and the defenders. The loose ball from the goalkeeper's punching seemed to pass to Tanabe in the right area, but was held back by the Hiroshima defenders.

　In the 74th minute, Ishikawa stuck to the left side line with a speedy move and brought it into the middle. He put a wedge to Lucas in the central area, and Watanabe jumped out to where he dropped it, but was blocked by the defender and only got a corner kick. In the 85th minute, Hirayama was substituted for Kaga. The height of the front line increased, but there were few scenes of crossing, including the 4 minutes of injury time.... Although they pushed Hiroshima's defense into their own half, they couldn't break the defensive block until the end and suffered their first defeat in the league this season with no goals scored.

　【Player Comment】《Tanabe》"First of all, I was instructed to start from defense and also be conscious of balance. However, we couldn't create a fluid shape as a team, and both of our central midfielders ended up dropping deep to circulate the ball... that's how it turned out. Hiroshima had a quick start from the beginning. In the second half, we were thinking of moving the opponent with one-touch passes, but we were completely targeted with vertical passes. We couldn't make plays that would engage or draw out the opponent's central midfielders, and we kept giving away passes to where they were waiting and got intercepted... that's what kept happening. We couldn't quite make effective vertical passes. However, I don't think we should dwell on this defeat. I want to make use of today's reflection in practice again."

　"Ota" "I couldn't bring it to a shot. Especially in the first half, there were no passing routes, the opponent's return was fast and they quickly became a 5-back, so there was no space. I couldn't face forward and could only bring it down. Maybe a little more boldness was needed. In the second half, I think we were able to connect to some extent... The problem is how to break down such opponents in the future. I want to take today's challenges as a positive."

　[Summary of Coach Popovich's Press Conference] "Of course, I can't be satisfied with the result, but I think the performance was not bad. We continued to try to move the ball and take control, while the opponent defended well and everyone was pulling back for counterattacks. Even against such opponents, we can appreciate that we were trying to do what we should do. Regarding Hiroshima, all I can say is congratulations for defending well with 10 players, and the quality of their counterattacks was also high. We didn't have favorable results, but in order to achieve good soccer and get results, we want to find the challenges from today's match and make use of them."

　(The impact of not having Hasegawa and Kajiyama?) I think we showed that the things we should do don't change even if we are missing two players. I am satisfied with that aspect. We kicked the ball away in the final period, but that is not our power play. Our power play is about connecting until the end, doing what we have been doing, and doing what we should do. I want to use today's experience for that part in the future."

　[Summary of Hiroshima Moriho's press conference] "I think the reason for the victory was that the players ran for 90 minutes with the desire to win and fought with discipline to do what the team should do. In the away Shimizu match two rounds ago, we disappointed many supporters in the rain. It was good that the players ran in the rain today and were able to present a victory for the supporters who came to support."

　If you hold the ball during an attack, the concept is for MF Mi-kitchi and MF Yamagishi to take high positions, which leads to scoring opportunities. The goal itself was created by taking the ball from our own half and having FW Sato enter the center with a cross. At halftime, I told the players to make sure to get into the center for crosses because there were several crosses in the first half but not enough players in the center. (Tokyo had the ball for a long time, right?) We tried to quickly switch and create a compact block to respond. I told the players to get closer to each other and respond firmly when the opponent enters the block."