Facing Hiroshima to aim for the 100th home victory in J1

Sec. 29 of the league will be held. Sanfrecce Hiroshima will face off against Ajinomoto at home. In the previous match, they suffered a defeat against Omiya. After the match against Sendai, they suffered two consecutive defeats against lower-ranked teams. Although the two matches had different game contents and "ways of losing," they want to fix the issues that arose and stop the losing streak in this match.

Hiroshima, who will face Tokyo, is currently in 7th place with the same 42 points as Tokyo. Since September, Hiroshima has been in a situation where they couldn't win with 1 win, 2 draws, and 2 losses until the previous round. However, they secured a spot in the final round of the Nabisco Cup on October 9th and had a big victory over Nagoya with a score of 4-0 in the previous round. With the recovery of FW Sato and MF Aoyama, it can be said that the team's situation is improving. Above all, they are a team that does not miss the opponent's weaknesses and has the ability to score with "one shot". Since they were defeated by a goal from a corner kick in the away game of the first half, it is key for them not to repeat the same mistake and to bring the game to their own pace. They want to play aggressively while maintaining balance without being caught up in Hiroshima's calm pace.

Tokyo's Edu, who has finished serving his suspension, returns to the starting lineup. Canini is once again deployed as the center-back, following last week's match. Yuu enters the midfield, while Watanabe, Edu, and Muto form the front three. Hiroshima sticks to their usual 3-6-1 formation, with Sato leading the attack. Shimizu and Kashiwa take the sides as midfielders, while Aoyama and Shibasaki play as defensive midfielders.

If we win this match, it will be our 100th home victory in J1, making it a milestone game. A tense battle is expected, where a single mistake could make all the difference. However, we will push forward with a fighting spirit and aim for victory while maintaining focus for the full 90 minutes. Unfortunately, the weather is unfavorable, with cold, freezing rain pouring down. The match started with Hiroshima's kickoff at 19:04.

Watanabe scores the long-awaited opening goal! Escaping danger with Konda's great save

Immediately after the start, Hiroshima was able to attack vigorously. However, in the 5th minute, Muto broke through the left front line as if swapping with the opponent's defender. Furthermore, he passed the Hiroshima defender and sent a last pass to the front of the goal. It didn't quite reach Edu, but Yonemoto connected the loose ball, and in the end, Watanabe in the center took a decisive shot, but it was blocked by the Hiroshima defender who entered the goal line. In the 7th minute, Muto broke through between two Hiroshima defenders and rushed to the front of the goal. He tried to break into the area, but was crushed by a sliding tackle from three Hiroshima defenders. Edu ran into the ball that spilled forward and tried to take a shot, but the angle was not there and it crossed the goal.

Muto created a scoring opportunity from his breakthrough, but after that there were also some missed passes, and it became difficult to keep the ball in the front line. As both teams tried to take control and attack each other, there were many scenes where Hiroshima picked up second balls and attacked. In the 18th minute, Hiroshima's right midfielder Shimizu's cross was blocked by Tokyo's defense. However, with momentum, Hiroshima's forward Sato reacted to the ball that flew into the far area. He was able to take a free header, but Canini cleared the ball at the drop point and escaped with a corner kick.

After a calm defense, in the 25th minute, MoriShige from our own half passed to Ota on the left front line. Ota made a precise cross to the goal area. Watanabe from the far side jumped in with a low posture, heading the ball that went over Edu in the center, and pushed it into the goal from a close distance. GOAL!! Hiroshima couldn't grasp the rhythm, and Watanabe scored his first goal since the Tokushima match on September 23, taking the lead.

However, in the 29th minute, Hiroshima DF Shiotani was able to advance into the area and Mori Shige, who responded from behind, was judged to have committed a foul, resulting in a penalty kick. However, in the 30th minute, GK Gonda saved FW Sato's penalty kick with his right hand! Gonda's excellent play saved the team from a pinch. In the 39th minute, they obtained a free kick from the opponent's side near the right sideline in the opponent's half, and Ota kicked a long ball to the far side. Edu slid to connect with the shot, but the goalkeeper made a save. Watanabe followed up on the ball that spilled into the right area, but his direct shot grazed the opponent's DF... They couldn't score an additional goal, but they maintained a one-point lead and ended the first half.

Equalized, but Muto's goal puts Hiroshima in the lead!

In the second half, both teams aimed to attack each other's weaknesses from the beginning. In the 46th minute, Hiroshima crossed from both sides, and in the end, left midfielder Kashiwa aimed for a sharp shot, but Gonda made a save and forward Sato was offside. In the 49th minute, Watanabe from their own side on the right passed to Muto in the center, who then passed directly to forward Edu on the right. However, he couldn't escape from the marked defender and his one-touch shot lacked power and was saved by the goalkeeper. In the 54th minute, Hiroshima was given consecutive corner kicks. Up until that point, they had defended well, but on this occasion, Edu's attempted header to clear the ball from Hiroshima midfielder Takahagi's kick and Gonda's attempt to catch it overlapped, resulting in the ball being kicked into the goal by Hiroshima forward Sato... and a goal was conceded.

The game started with another goal conceded from a corner kick. However, in the 58th minute, Mutoh turned and evaded Hiroshima DF Shiotani while making contact with his body, breaking through the left front line. He sent a ground pass into the area, but it flowed between the previous Edu and the back Watanabe and was cut off by Hiroshima. In the 63rd minute, Mutoh sprinted down the left side. Watanabe, who had entered the near side, let the pass through to the center, but it did not reach Edu on the far side.

Tokyo, which launches a counterattack from Muto as a starting point, gradually allows Hiroshima to dominate the ball and is attacked. In the 65th minute, Hiroshima's substitute left MF Yamagishi crossed between Tokyo DF who tried to mark. Hiroshima FW Sato in the left area near tried to match it, but couldn't hit it. In response to the loose ball, MF Ishihara in the center reacted. He was shot directly, but Gonda made a save! In the immediate 67th minute, Mita was substituted for Edu and played as a left MF. Watanabe and Muto formed a 2-top, with Hayashi and Yonemoto serving as a double defensive midfielder on the right side, and a 4-4-2 formation. However, in the 70th minute, FW Ishihara, who went up the center from Hiroshima MF Aoyama, broke through to the area and took a decisive shot. However, it narrowly missed to the right and avoided a crisis.

Hiroshima's FW Minagawa came in at the 71st minute. Tokyo also made a change at the 74th minute, with Kono replacing Hayu as a attacking midfielder. They changed their formation again, with Watanabe at the front, Muto on the left, and Mita on the right. Before this substitution, Muto was fouled on the left side and won a free kick. Ota sent this free kick to the front, and Muto, who jumped near the goal, headed it in. The ball hit the opponent's defender and was sucked into the net, resulting in a goal! Muto's 12th goal of the season gave Hiroshima the lead.

The latter part of the game continued with Hiroshima launching fierce attacks and pushing us back, but we maintained our focus on defense. We took advantage of the gaps and launched counterattacks. Although we couldn't score a third goal, we managed to hold off Hiroshima's comeback and the game ended. We secured our first victory in three matches and achieved our 100th home win in J1. With 45 points, we have a 15-point lead over 16th-place Kofu (30 points) at the end of this round. However, since there will be matches between lower-ranked teams in the future, we cannot surpass Tokyo's points. With 5 matches remaining, it is confirmed that we will continue to compete in J1 next season.

[Player Comment]
《Watanabe》
"Today, we tried to put pressure on from the front with a front three. There were parts where we did well and scenes where we couldn't do well, but it was good that we got results. I was aiming for the space behind Edu. I was able to adjust well as the ball came as I intended. I was conscious of the three players in front going simple and moving inside against crosses. Regarding the attack, there were few opportunities to create a shape with the front three, but I think it's a good thing to have variations as options for the team. I want to continue contributing to the team by producing results in the future."

"Canini"
"It was a very tough battle, but there were also great opportunities and plays that saved us from difficult situations. I'm really glad we were able to win. Today, considering our consecutive losses, the team only focused on winning when stepping onto the pitch. Of course, giving my best and playing for the victory is also my motto. When facing Hiroshima's attacks, we emphasized on containing them through combination play, and with the help of my teammates, we were able to shut them down within the flow of the game."

[Summary of Coach Massimo FICCADENTI's Press Conference]
"It was a difficult match for both teams as we both wanted to win. However, we believed in victory and fought even during tough times, and our mental strength was remarkable. Hiroshima is a fantastic team, as evidenced by their two consecutive league titles. They may be struggling a bit this season, but there is no doubt about their quality. It was a deserving performance for victory against such opponents. I think our tactics with a front three worked well, and we created many chances while keeping possession of the ball. In the second half, even after changing the formation, we were able to score goals and withstand the pressure in the later stages of the match."

[Summary of Coach Hajime MORIYASU's Press Conference]
"Today was a battle between the 6th and 7th place teams, where the points were tied. We expected a tough fight away from home, but we approached the match with the intention of winning and moving forward. In terms of performance, we attacked aggressively with courage from the first half. We conceded goals, but we fought tenaciously, defended with our bodies, and worked hard. We also challenged in our attacks, and I am satisfied with the efforts of the players. However, although we created many chances, we couldn't finish the final part, and today the opponent's finishing ability was superior, resulting in a loss. Many Hiroshima supporters came to the away game, and I wanted to give them not only a good performance but also the result of 3 points. It's disappointing that we couldn't do that, but I want to convey to everyone, 'Thank you for your support today.'"