Aiming for victory with an aggressive and calm play even as the away team!

Sec. 16 of the league, which will be played three days after the previous match. We will face Albirex Niigata away. In the Kashima match, we took the lead with a splendid goal by Mita, but were caught up in the final moments and ended in a draw.

The players reflect on not being able to win, but also see it as an opportunity to showcase what they have been working on during the break as the team's foundation. Coach Massimo also emphasized the importance of continuing to grow with perseverance and confidence, saying, "The Kashima game was a wasted opportunity. We needed to score more goals and close out the game, but we must continue to grow with consistency. It requires patience and the desire to move forward with confidence." In this week's training, they also dedicated time to improving the team's situational judgment and accuracy while maintaining their conditioning.

Niigata, who is the opponent, is currently in 8th place with 22 points. They lost their first match after the restart to Urawa with a score of 0-1, but their total goals conceded so far is 13. Although their total goals scored remains at 14, they can be considered a team that "is compact and well-organized (Coach Massimo)" and has been steadily accumulating points. During the break, DF Kim Jin-su transferred to Germany, but MF Yamamoto joined from Iwata and FW Shibukusa joined from Spain, aiming for further improvement. In the front line, there are speedy FW Suzuki and MF Tanaka, who boast breakthrough power, and their attacking strength should not be underestimated.

Tokyo will face the Emperor's Cup with the same starting lineup for the third consecutive match. Niigata will also have a similar starting lineup as the previous match. Lee will be deployed as a side back. FW Kawamata may be excluded from the squad. Today's match is crucial as a victory will result in a change in the standings. Despite being away, Tokyo aims to win with an aggressive and composed play.

Niigata, covered in thick clouds, Denka Big Swan. The temperature is not that high, but occasionally, fine rain mixes in and the humidity is high. The game started with Niigata's kickoff at 19:03.

Despite being constantly attacked by Niigata, they managed to maintain a one-point lead going into the second half!

The match started with a mistake in their own half in the 7th minute, and the loose ball was taken by Niigata MF Leo SILVA and quickly carried to the goal. Tokyo DF responded near the area, but Niigata FW Suzuki followed up and brought the ball into the area. However, it was blocked again, and the high floating ball was caught by Kanda. In the 9th minute, Mita from Tokyo tried to aim from the right area, but was blocked by the opponent. Connecting this loose ball, Yonemoto and Edu linked up, and finally Yonemoto from the left area tried to cross from the right side of Kono. However, they couldn't hit it properly as their posture collapsed.

After that, the attack and defense continued to go back and forth, and in the 17th minute, Tokyo launched an attack. Starting from the right side, Kono moved to the left by going around the center, becoming free outside the left area, and quickly sending a low cross in front of the goal. Muto slid in from the far side and touched it first, despite competing with the opponent, GOAL!! Furthermore, in the 20th minute, Muto stole the loose ball in the Niigata DF line and rushed into the left area while carrying the Niigata DF on his back. There was no one to support him on the far side, and Muto chose to shoot, but the angle was not good and it was saved by the opponent's GK.

After 35 minutes, Mutoh was hurt in a contest but was able to return to the pitch without any serious consequences. However, in a subsequent contest, both players got tangled up and received warnings from Yoshimoto and Niigata MF Leo Silva. After that, they were unable to win the second ball and struggled to move forward. They were in a situation where Niigata was attacking.

Tokyo dominated the ball from the beginning, but Niigata took control. In the 17th minute, Kono skillfully exploited the gap in the opponent's defense and Muto made the most of the one chance to take the lead. After that, Tokyo failed to win the second ball and allowed Niigata to attack throughout the game. However, the defense line held up well and maintained a one-point lead heading into the second half.

Show your determination for victory and take valuable 3 points!

The start of the second half saw the opponent create chances through corner kicks, etc. However, in the 54th minute, Tokyo quickly launched an attack, with Muto running towards the right side of the field and bringing the ball into the center. Despite attempting to aim from the center of the area, Muto was blocked by the defense of Niigata's DF Ooi, who threw his body in front of the ball.

In the 56th minute, Yoshimoto responded to Niigata FW Suzuki's breakthrough on the left side. However, the clearance from here was too short and Niigata was able to connect, passing through the center from MF Tanaka Aya and reaching the free MF Kobayashi on the opposite side. The shot deflected off FW Okamoto's foot just before the goal and went to the right... They escaped the danger, but were overwhelmed by Niigata's quick passing game.

65 minutes have passed, Tokyo is keeping a high line and trying to prevent Niigata's attacks, but when they turn to attack, they cannot connect and quickly lose the ball to Niigata, leading to a counterattack... It's a difficult period. In the 68th minute, Edu receives a warning, his 4th in total. He will be suspended for the next match.

73 minutes, left CK kicker is Yonemoto. Senma chased after the ball to the far side and sent a minus grounder to the central space. It was a decisive opportunity, but no one was here and couldn't make the connection. In the 76th minute, Higashi was substituted for Kono. In the 82nd minute, Higashi and Tokunaga tried to keep the ball on the right front line and create time, but it was stolen here and Niigata quickly switched to attack. The ball was swung to the right front line and Leo Silva's shot through the middle grazed the Tokyo DF and went out for a right CK.

In the 83rd minute, Higashi broke through the opponent's defense line and calmly tried to pass the goalkeeper and score into the empty goal... but was blocked by Niigata DF Matsubara who came to cover, and couldn't score an additional goal... In the 85th minute, Hayashi replaced Mita as a substitute. Then in the 87th minute, Niigata was given three consecutive right corner kicks. The third clearance was also picked up and crossed, but somehow bounced back, showing resilience. As additional time began, Higashi pretended to keep the ball on the right front line and broke through vertically. From the right area, he passed minus in front of the goal. Edu's shot in response to this... was decisive, but it grazed the opponent's DF and the crossbar and went out. Right corner kick.

Niigata, which launched a counterattack in the second half, took control of the pace. Tokyo tried to respond without lowering the defensive line, but they couldn't connect after winning the ball and were constantly pushed back, facing a difficult period. However, they remained focused on defense and managed to hold on somehow. They couldn't capitalize on the late counterattack chances and couldn't score additional points, but they fought with determination and secured valuable 3 points away from home.

[Player Comments]
"Muto"
"In the previous match against Kashima, I was responsible for losing two points, so I wanted to score a goal and lead the team to victory. Regarding the goal, two Niigata defenders were closing in on me, but I believed that my speed was superior. I thought that the only way to touch the ball before the opponent in front of the goal was with the sole of my foot, so I pushed it in firmly while being conscious of not making it too deep. I am the type of player who likes to dribble, but the coach told me, 'When the cross comes from the far side, if it's your speed, you can definitely go forward and score.' I was asked to jump into the cross. I think I was able to do that, and I feel like I have grown by expanding my variations."

《Gonda》
"It would have been good to score more goals, but in order to win 1-0, it became such a tough game... However, the three substitute players who came on worked hard and fulfilled their roles properly, pressing from the front until the end. It shows that everyone is prepared. It was good that everyone stayed focused and managed to defend until the end, but I don't think we should settle for just being 'OK'. It's important to continue winning and make the necessary adjustments for the next match against Sendai."

[Summary of Massimo FICCADENTI's press conference]
"We were able to approach the game cautiously. I think we had a very wonderful game where we didn't give the opponent time and space easily and didn't allow them to create decisive chances. Regarding Niigata, they haven't been getting results recently, but I had the impression that they have been playing very good football. The previous match against Urawa didn't produce results, but I felt that the performance was good. Because of these factors, I thought this would be a difficult game. If there is one thing missing in this match, it is not being able to score a second goal and finish the game more easily. We want to address this issue as a team going forward. Even without that, I think today's game was truly wonderful and had perfect content."

[Summary of Niigata Manager Masaaki Yanagishita's Press Conference]
"It's inevitable to make technical mistakes in the final part, but we need to correct plays that involve judgment errors or predetermined movements. The inconsistency in those areas made it difficult to break through in the end. However, what we are trying to do is not bad, so we want to continue. The next match is in three days, so we want to improve our condition as much as possible and face the next game."