Aiming to defeat the top team with aggressiveness and fighting spirit!

Sec. 20 of the league continued with an away match against Sagan Tosu. The match against Cerezo Osaka was also affected by bad weather, resulting in only 1 point. However, the team showed a calm situational judgment and resilience at crucial moments, keeping a clean sheet for the fourth consecutive game. They have only conceded 1 goal in the 7 matches since Sec. 13, demonstrating outstanding stability.

On the other hand, in terms of attacking, we ended up with no goals, and Muto reflects, "There were challenges in changing the decision from fast attack to slow attack." However, Coach Massimo said, "We did not retreat as a team. I am satisfied with the players' desire to score goals," and emphasized the importance of continuing to improve while gradually building up step by step.

Tokyo made changes to their frontline, with Muto and Watanabe starting as forwards for the first time since the 13th round against Tokushima. Hirayama, registered as a midfielder, also started for the first time since the 17th round against Sendai. Hayu, who missed the previous round, returned to the starting lineup. On the other hand, Higashi and Edu were left out of the squad due to injuries.

Sagan Tosu, who welcomed a new coach, has played with the same starting lineup for two consecutive matches as before the coaching change. On the other hand, Sagan Tosu is currently tied with Urawa in terms of points, total goals scored, and total goals conceded, both teams are in first place (with 12 wins, the most in the league). Although they lost to Hiroshima in the previous match, they have maintained their good form by relying on a solid defense centered around goalkeeper Lin and utilizing the scoring ability of forward Ayumu Toyoda.

After going through a sudden change in coach, this will be the second game with Megumu Yoshida as the new coach. They are expected to approach the game with a strong attitude to enhance team unity and motivation, and to prevent consecutive losses at home. The match will also draw attention to both teams' strong defense. Although it is an away game for Tokyo, they will aim to defeat the top team with greater aggressiveness and fighting spirit than Tosu.

Yurtec.S covered by clouds in Tosu. Despite the humidity, the temperature is not high. The match started at 19:04 with the Tokyo kickoff.

Solid defense with a sense of unity, holding on to a one-point lead into the second half

The match started in the 5th minute. From the flow of a left throw-in, Hayashi, who is slightly towards the right in the midfield, connected with Watanabe in the right area with a vertical pass. Watanabe made a move forward and crossed the ball with a negative angle. Yamamoto, who was near the area, received the ball that went through the central space and neatly placed a controlled shot into the bottom left corner, GOAL!! They have taken an early lead with the opening goal.

In the following 7 minutes, Tosu left SB Yasuda advances to a high position and crosses. FW Toyota jumps into the goal, but Kanda jumps first and catches it. At this point, there is a collision, and Kanda falls to the pitch and sits down. Afterwards, Kanda stands up without any problems and the game resumes.
　
In the midst of a back-and-forth battle, Tokyo launched an attack in the 17th minute. Muto broke free on the left side and boldly made his way into the penalty area. Utilizing his ball control, he tenaciously evaded two opposing defenders and momentarily found himself open. However, his attempt to chip the ball from that position was unsuccessful as his balance was disrupted, resulting in a shot that failed to find the target. It ended up hitting the goalkeeper from close range.

In the 22nd minute, Tosu's left MF Kan was released behind the left area of the defense. Yoshimoto stretched his leg to intercept, but it spilled into the left area, and Tosu FW Erik took a decisive shot. However, it was saved brilliantly by Gonda and resulted in a corner kick!

35 minutes had passed, and Tosu had been holding the ball for a while. However, Tokyo remained calm and pushed up the line, with Hayu, Yonemoto, and the Takahashi brothers working together in the midfield. They stayed focused and effectively suppressed Tosu's counterattacks.

Yuzuru and Watanabe's combination led to a first goal by Yone Moto in the early stages! However, afterwards, we were often pushed back by Tosu's strong attacks.
However, never panic and defend with concentration and unity to maintain a one-point lead into the second half. In the second half, we want to score additional points through effective counterattacks.

Seize victory with skillful game management!

Entering the second half, in the early 52nd minute. Ota takes a precise shot-cross from the left side and a distance. It flies just above the bar, and the opposing goalkeeper Hayashi manages to scrape it out, but Watanabe quickly reacts to the loose ball in front of the goal. He calmly pushes it in for an additional point. Watanabe marks his first goal in the league in about a year (since August 31, 2013).

In the 66th minute, Muto pressed Tosu in their own half and successfully stole the ball, passing it to Hirayama up front. Hirayama advanced freely and took a decisive shot from the area, but was blocked by a quick sliding tackle from the recovering Tosu defender, resulting in a corner kick... In the 68th minute, Tosu passed the ball around in Tokyo's half and a shot was held by the advancing right full-back Niwa, but caught by Gonda!

In the 72nd minute, Mita was substituted for Hayu. In the 75th minute, although they were once tied to Tosu, they regained possession in their own half and counterattacked. Mita advanced to the right area and sent a final pass to Muto in the center just before the area. Muto bravely aimed for the goal despite losing his balance, but the ball grazed the opponent's defender and went out of bounds. Muto seemed momentarily injured in this play, but he quickly got up and was not seriously hurt. In the 77th minute, Ishikawa substituted for Muto.

87 minutes, Ota from our own goal sends a pass to Ishikawa on the left front line. Ishikawa receives it near the touchline and passes it to Watanabe who supports him. In the next scene, Watanabe on the left changes the side to Mita on the right, and this time passes it to Tokunaga who supports him. Although they couldn't bring it to a finish, they never rushed their attack and instead looked for opportunities to exploit Tosu's weaknesses at crucial moments. In the 88th minute, Kono replaces Watanabe.

In the second half additional time, Toyoda, the forward of Tosu, receives a feed to the front line and crosses it back with a header from a high position on the right area. From here, Okamoto, the midfielder who became free in front of the goal, is headed but caught by Kanda.

In the second half, Watanabe scored his first goal of the season in the early stages, adding another point! As the lead widened, the defense quickly shut down Tosu's attacks, continuously repelling crosses centered around Morishige. In the final stages, Ishikawa returned to the pitch for the first time since April 2nd! Taking advantage of Tosu's weaknesses, the counterattacks were shut out. They also demonstrated skillful game management and secured the victory.

[Player Comments]
《Yonehara》
"I had been thinking that I needed to score soon... and today, I was able to make it happen. I think it's because I was able to show what I had been working on during the break period's training camp. Even though it didn't work out in the practice matches, I have been discussing it with the coach and the players. I think it's now heading in a good direction."

"Watanabe"
"(It's been about a year since my last goal in the league?)
It was a long time... I haven't been able to contribute to the team for a long time, so I'm glad I was able to contribute in this way today. But one goal is not enough. I want to work harder to score more. Everyone said, 'Watanabe's goal was important,' but in such a tough situation, the players behind me worked hard, and if we could have scored another goal earlier or scored a third goal, it would have been even more helpful. There were other chances today too. I want to make the most of those opportunities and work harder to score more goals and help the team."

《Ishikawa》
"(Regarding my participation)
Apart from my own emotions, I was able to organize what I should do for the team and what I needed to do. There should have been space during that time, but first I pressed from the front line and then tried to exploit Tosu's weaknesses. Of course, it would have been easier if we scored a third goal, but if we conceded one goal, it would have been difficult. That's why I started with defense. I have the desire to play in the game, and it is important for me to participate, but I understand that there are individual roles within the team, such as starting roles, deciding the game, changing the flow, and closing the game. Now, while doing what is required and fighting for the team, I want to showcase my strengths. I was really happy with the cheers from the stands after the game. We will continue to build on this step by step!"

[Summary of Coach Massimo FICCADENTI's Press Conference]
"We were able to play very aggressively from the start of the game. By pressing the opponent from the front with our three forwards, we aimed to prevent them from easily passing the ball from behind. After scoring the first goal, there were also opportunities for Muto twice and Hiraoka twice, and even after adding a goal in the second half, there were three or four decisive chances. Although there were some dangerous situations created from crosses, I think that is a characteristic of Tosu, so there are some unavoidable parts. However, I think the players read the situation well and responded appropriately. I think taking 3 points away from Tosu, who are the top team, carries twice the weight. I think the players played exceptionally well."

[Summary of Tosu Yoshida's Press Conference]
"First of all, I am filled with deep regret for losing the game despite having so many fans and supporters who came to cheer us on and gave us their full support for the entire 90 minutes. I feel truly sorry to all the supporters. Regarding the game, I consider it as a defeat that will lead us to the next step. It is unfortunate that we lost, but we were able to make adjustments from the previous match against Hiroshima to this FC Tokyo match. There were many positive aspects in our attacking play, so I am taking this defeat in a positive light."