Match against Urawa to be held at away Saitama

As the 4th match of the 5 consecutive matches, the postponed 1st Stage Sec. 13 will be played at the away Saitama Stadium 2002 against Urawa Reds. This time, only the Tokyo vs Urawa match, which advanced to the ACL Round of 16, will be held.

Tokyo has been "undefeated" in the last 6 matches, but the last 3 matches have all ended in draws, and the players unanimously express the feeling of "not being able to win". This round is a game against a top team, and it is also a game in Saitama where they have not been able to secure a victory since 2003, but it is a match that they will approach with the aim of winning.

This round, Muriqui and Nathan BURNS will start in the lineup and form a two-top. Additionally, Hayabusa and Takahashi will also return to the starting lineup. Hashimoto will be deployed as a right-side half, with Takahashi and Yonemoto as a double pivot, and Hayabusa will take on the left side in a 4-4-2 formation.

Urawa plays their usual 3-6-1 formation with FW Koroki leading the line, MF Lee and Muto in the shadow, and MF Sekine and UGAJIN on both sides. They boast a versatile attack and we want to grab a victory this season by fighting tenaciously against Urawa and controlling the game even though we are playing away.

The match started at 19:34 in Tokyo with high humidity and annoying weather conditions throughout the day.

Muriqui scores his first goal in J1! Bridge's additional goal widens the lead

Allowed Urawa to dominate the ball from the beginning and put pressure on the Tokyo defense.
4 minutes: A long ball from the midfield of Urawa to the right forward, and it is received by the right MF Sekine. He passes it to the MF Lee inside the area. He gets into a shooting position, but Tokyo clears it just before.

11 minutes: From Urawa's right DF Moriwaki's early cross, FW Okazaki was hit with a perfect header, but Akimoto made a save. Akimoto defended firmly around him and aimed for a counterattack, utilizing Muriqui and Nathan BURNS in the front line.

13 minutes: Intercepted by midfielder Yonemoto who pressed against the pass from Urawa DF. This led to a short counterattack with Nathan Burns on the right. Burns took a step forward and passed to Muriqui who had run into the center. Despite being closed down by two opposing DFs near the penalty arc, Muriqui calmly aimed and shot the ball into the bottom right corner of the goal! Muriqui marked his first J1 goal and scored the opening goal. 1-0.

After that, Urawa continued to possess the ball, but Tokyo defended tenaciously, launched counterattacks, and created chances from set plays. 23rd minute: Urawa's left cross was dropped by the central forward Okazaki, followed by the central midfielder Lee swinging it to the right side, and the right area midfielder Sekine taking a shot. It was wide, but the shot was saved by Akimoto.

24 minutes: Immediately after escaping a pinch, Nathan BURNS and Muriqui launched a powerful counterattack, but Muriqui's final pass was blocked by the opponent in front of the goal, resulting in a left corner kick. Furthermore, from Ogawa's corner kick, Hasegawa, who was right in the area, controlled the loose ball with one touch and took a shot, but it was also blocked by the Urawa DF.

31 minutes: On the left side, Ogawa and Muriqui exchange passes, and Muriqui changes to the right side. Tokunaga, who overlapped, is surrounded by the opponent's defenders and falls down in front of the right area. However, Hashimoto reacts to the ball that spilled forward. He breaks free from the opponent's defenders one step ahead in the right area and securely puts the ball into the net to score a goal. With this, it's 2-0.

Over 40 minutes: Urawa continued to attack, but did not concede any goals. As planned, they skillfully exploited the opponent's weaknesses and scored an additional goal, ending the first half with a 2-goal lead.

After conceding 3 goals in the second half, we suffered a difficult comeback loss...

In the second half, we also tried to keep the line compact and push up as a whole. Urawa repeatedly tried to exploit the space behind our defenders, but Tokyo quickly switched their focus and didn't allow the opponents to play freely.

50 minutes: Ogawa marks against Urawa's right MF Sekine's dribble, and in the end, it escapes to a corner kick. The ball then falls to the left area, and MF Muto shoots, but Akimoto makes the save.

52 minutes: The battle for the ball continues in the midfield, Nathan BURNS passes to Hashimoto but it is initially intercepted. However, Nathan BURNS regains possession and Hashimoto dribbles up the center. Nathan BURNS moves to the right while Hayu comes up from the left, creating a 3-on-2 situation.

56 minutes: From a quick passing sequence, Nathan Burns sends a through pass to the right area. Muriqui breaks free from the left and takes a shot towards the goal, but the ball goes past the outstretched hand of the opposing goalkeeper and hits the left post...
59 minutes: Muriqui's shot-like cross from the left flies just past the bar. It was blocked by the opponent's goalkeeper's save, but a left corner kick was obtained. However, they couldn't finish from here.

The chance to score additional points was not taken advantage of, and gradually the rhythm of Urawa's counterattack was grasped. As the game progressed at a high pace from the beginning, the amount of movement also began to decrease, and Tokyo's team was pushed into their own half.
63 minutes: Nathan BURNS is replaced by Atsushi MAEDA. He tried to create some time in the opponent's territory.
65 minutes: From a big side change from the right by Urawa, MF Tomoya UGAJIN makes a vertical breakthrough. Tatsunaga follows him and clears it, resulting in a corner kick.
66 minutes: From the flow of this left corner kick by Urawa, DF Moriwaki on the right area advances to the right front line. A cross is lifted from the sideline and allowed a header by DF Makino in the center... Goal conceded. 2-1.

67 minutes: Kawano is substituted for Tokunaga and brought in as the right MF. Hashimoto moved to the right full-back position. However, they were unable to break the flow.
72 minutes: From the right front line of Urawa, the ball is intricately connected to the center and then dropped short to the left bottom corner where DF Makino in the center scores... We have been caught up to the same score. 2-2.
78 minutes: Urawa brings in FW Zlatan in an attempt to take the lead. Immediately after, MF Kashiwagi sends a ball to the front line from a free kick on the right side, which Tokyo clears. However, they are able to follow up on the loose ball and take consecutive shots. The final shot hits the right post, seemingly avoiding danger, but it bounces back and is picked up by MF Lee in the right area... The ball is softly sucked into the goal... Allowing a 2-3 comeback.

In the second half, we were pushed back and spent a long time playing in our own area, resulting in 3 goals against. We couldn't take advantage of the 2-goal lead and suffered a bitter comeback loss... We suffered our first loss since April 29th.

[Player Comments]
"Muriqui"
"It's really disappointing that we couldn't produce results as a team. We knew it would be a tough game, but we were able to take the lead with two goals. There's nothing more frustrating than losing the game after that."
（Regarding the first goal in J1)
We were aiming to score a goal from a quick transition attack. Nathan BURNS gave me a good pass, and I was able to finish it off in a good way. I think it was a good goal... "

"Nathan Burns"
"The first half was a good game. We were able to take a 2-0 lead by capitalizing on two chances. However, a soccer match consists of both the first half and the second half. The second half became a different game. We wanted to earn 3 points, but unfortunately, we ended up with zero points. It's very disappointing. I think I can create a good combination with Muriqui and improve even more in the future. However, that alone is not enough to win. It is also necessary to collaborate with other players and grow individually. What we can do is prepare to win the next match. We want to switch our focus towards that."

[Summary of Coach Hiroshi JOFUKU's Press Conference]
"We approached the game with the shared goal of aiming for counterattacks. In the first half, we were able to control the ball and execute quick counterattacks effectively, just as planned. We wanted to score a third goal early in the second half. However, we must accept that our current ability led us to concede three goals without being able to score any additional goals."
(Regarding the factors that we couldn't hold on in the second half)
There is not just one reason, but there was little time to have the ball under my control. It was good in the fresh first half, but in the second half, we were pushed back both in the midfield and on the sides. One of the reasons is that we couldn't raise the line anymore. That's something we want to fix.
（Regarding the use of Mouri and Burns)
They are not only fast, but they can also use their teammates. Their combination has led to the team's speedy attacks and they have shown other aspects besides just counterattacks. However, there are also players who work as supporting actors to make the most of their strengths. Considering the overall situation, the decision was made to substitute Nathan Burns. Despite it being a weekday, many fans and supporters came all the way to the away game to share the joy with them, but unfortunately, we made them feel frustrated. However, we have another game in just three days. We want to prepare ourselves to redeem today's frustration in the next game."

[Summary of Urawa Petrovic's press conference]
"We made the game difficult for ourselves, but throughout the match, we showed plays deserving of victory. It was a fantastic game. We created numerous chances from the first half, but we couldn't convert them into goals. The opponent capitalized on their few chances and took a 2-goal lead. In the second half, we continued to create many opportunities and managed to convert them into goals. Tokyo had few chances in both halves and couldn't capitalize on those chances. It should be said that taking 3 points is important, but what's crucial is to fight without wavering and to showcase a spectacular battle. I believe that such awareness will lead us to victory. Football is a game of competition, so there are times when we lose, but it is important for our football to have matches with substance, tension, and spectacle like today. It is crucial to persevere in the type of battle we choose."