J1 League resumes! Aim for consecutive victories with the hard work of all team members!

After a break of about two weeks, the J1 League resumes. Sec. 15 will be played at the away Ecopa Stadium against Júbilo Iwata.

In the previous match, Maeda's goal became the final round goal, and we won against G Osaka. As a result, our league record finally reached a draw, and we have had three consecutive matches without conceding a goal. Based on the hard work of all team members, we are also increasing our dominance in both offense and defense.

During this break period, Morishige and Maruyama participated in the activities of the Japanese national team, so there was not much time for everyone to prepare together. However, without losing the confidence and aggressive attitude they had gained until then, they aim for victory in each match and head into the five consecutive matches from here.
This round, Yonemoto is suspended due to accumulated warnings. Tanabe and Hanyu have been named in the starting lineup in the midfield.

Iwata, which returned to J1 this season, is currently in 10th place with 19 points. Currently, GK Kaminski is injured. DF Fujita is suspended for this match. However, even in such circumstances, the attacking lineup centered around FW Jay, side MF Adailton and MF Ota, and top MF Kobayashi has both scoring ability and tenacity to never give up until the end.

For Maeda, who is approaching his 150th goal in J1, Ecopa Stadium is also the stadium where he scored his first J1 goal (against Shimizu on September 1, 2001), which he considers to be the most memorable. Maeda said, "I may be able to fight with a feeling of being at home in a good way. I want to contribute to Tokyo's victory with all my might," and we can also expect his consecutive goals in the next two matches.

Despite the thin clouds blocking the sunlight, the humidity lingers at Ecopa Stadium. The match started with Iwata's kickoff at 15:03.

In the midst of intense offense and defense, the first half ends scoreless due to a lack of decisive plays

2 minutes: Iwata MF Kobayashi → FW Jay connects, and finally MF Adailton brings the ball into the left area and takes a shot, but the ball goes wide to the right of the goal. It was a scene where they faced an immediate pinch at the start of the game.

10 minutes: Tokyo launches a wave-like attack. Tanabe cuts back sharply near the area and his left-footed shot is blocked by the opponent's defender. Picking up the loose ball, Hashimoto on the right side aims for a teammate with a cross, but the opponent's defender also clears it with his head.
15 minutes: Both teams fiercely compete for the ball in a compact midfield.

20 minutes: Kicker Mizunuma's right corner kick was headed by Morishige, but GK Shimura caught it in front. No opening goal.
24 minutes: Takahashi fouls midfielder Ota, resulting in a foul. In response to this play, an Iwata player confronts Takahashi, but the referee intervenes. Takahashi receives a yellow card.

The game continued with both teams attacking each other, but neither team was able to score, and the first half ended with a scoreless draw.

Unable to convert scoring opportunities into goals, resulting in a scoreless draw

48 minutes: Tokunaga enters the right area. Maeda meets the ground cross, but his close-range shot is blocked by GK Shimura, missing a great chance.
55 minutes: Tōhoku steals the ball inside the opponent's territory. From there, a pass is made to Mizunuma running from the right side of the area to the left, but his left-footed shot goes over the frame.
59 minutes: Kawano replaces Mizunuma on the pitch.

67 minutes: Kajiyama replaces Tanabe on the pitch.
69 minutes: Tokunaga, who evaded the opponent's defender with a sharp turn, crossed the ball. Maeda, who won the battle in front of the goal, headed the ball, but it narrowly missed the goal.

74 minutes: The cross from the left side was cleared by Tokyo DF, but MF Miyazaki volleyed the loose ball. The shot flew into the goal, but GK Akimoto made a fine save with a quick reaction.
75 minutes: Muriqui is substituted for Tokyo.
78 minutes: Kajiyama, who came on as a substitute, dribbles up and confuses the opponent with quick turns. He passes to Hashimoto on the right, but it doesn't connect.
80 minutes: Tokyo launches a counterattack. Kono dribbles up from his own half and sends a long pass to Muriqui, who runs up the opposite side. Muriqui receives the pass and enters the right area, but fails to score with his shot.
82 minutes: Muriqui steals the ball from the opponent's defender. Kajiyama, who received a pass on the left side, crosses it to the far side, but it is cleared by the opponent's defender.

87 minutes: Muriqui, who stole the ball from the opponent's defender, faces goalkeeper Kou SHIMURA in a one-on-one situation. However, his right-footed shot is blocked by the goalkeeper's body and does not result in a goal.
Unable to convert scoring opportunities into goals, it ended in a scoreless draw.


[Player Comments]
《Atsushi MAEDA》
“I approached the match against my former team as usual, but since I couldn't score, I feel like I couldn't fulfill my duty. It's difficult to put into words, but I have nothing but gratitude for the calls from both teams' supporters after the game.”

"Muriqui"
"I received instructions from the coach to mark the opponent firmly and play as usual. It was my first J1 match in a while, but I think I made a good start, and my condition is close to 100% as I have been playing in J3 matches. Of course, I want to score goals quickly. Even when sitting on the bench, I can hear the loud voices of the fans and supporters. I believe that we can achieve good results because of their support."

[Summary of Coach Hiroshi JOFUKU's Press Conference]
"Many fans and supporters came and created a good atmosphere. I approached the game with the intention of winning three points with them, but unfortunately, it didn't happen."
《Q&A》
Q=Regarding the coordination of the attacking unit from the attacking third to the goal
"That point is something we have always been pursuing. Based on a solid defense, we are constantly aiming to improve the quality of our attack. We missed three chances for a 1-1 draw in the second half alone, but if we had scored even one, it wouldn't have been considered bad. I think we need to improve the accuracy of our finishes and create more scoring opportunities. We want to push for a good attack from a good defense."

[Iwata - Coach Hiroshi NANAMI's Press Conference Summary]
"First of all, I am here now with a very pleasant feeling because our supporters have shown such behavior towards Maeda. A top-class club cannot always compete for the championship without top-class supporters and a top-class front office working together. The supporters' encouragement and the volume and rhythm of their voices today were very good, and I think it was a respectful and wonderful attitude towards someone who has worked hard for the club for 15 years. As for the game, I think a fair point would be 1. However, there were several 1-on-1 situations due to our own mistakes, and I don't know what would have happened without Shimura's fine play. Other than that, the impression is that both teams struggled to attack each other."