Heading towards a perfect victory in the last four matches!

　Since winning the Urawa Reds match on September 29th, FC Tokyo has not won a single game for over a month. On this day, they faced C Osaka, who is on the verge of relegation, at home Tokyo Stadium. C Osaka is facing the possibility of relegation to J2 if they do not achieve a victory with a V-goal in this match, so it was expected that they would launch a desperate all-out attack from the start. On the other hand, Tokyo has the reliable veterans Amaral, who returned from suspension in the previous match, and Miura, who has recovered from injury, back on the pitch, and an intense and exciting game was expected.

　FC Tokyo has lost the goal of winning, but it is important to win this game in order to achieve better results than last year and to aim for the first title in the Emperor's Cup. The stage to demonstrate Tokyo's strength is set. Let's go for it towards "Last 4 games, all wins!"

"Solid defense and fast counterattack" explodes! Continuously gets 2 goals!

　At 4:04 PM, under the intermittent rain at Tokyo Stadium, the whistle announcing the beginning of FC Tokyo's "Last 4 Games, All Wins" challenge resounded loudly.

　From the very beginning of the match, C Osaka launched an all-out attack without holding back, while FC Tokyo seized the ball with solid defense and created big chances through sharp counterattacks. The first decisive chance created by FC Tokyo came in the 9th minute when Yukihiko, who had returned to his own half to cut off C Osaka's attack, received the ball and passed it to Seigo KOBAYASHI, who was positioned on the left side, and then made a sprint forward. Seigo KOBAYASHI delivered a perfectly timed through pass behind C Osaka's shallow defensive line, allowing Yukihiko to break free and go one-on-one with the goalkeeper. Although Yukihiko managed to dribble past the advancing goalkeeper, he couldn't take a shot and barely managed to pass it back to Amaral, who had made a run into the center, but it was slightly off-target and cleared by the defender. Although it didn't lead to a goal, it was a big chance created from Yukihiko's excellent situational judgment. Unlike the previous match where they struggled to build up attacks due to the inability to create a pivot in the front line and lack of buildup in midfield, on this day, FC Tokyo saw their defensive midfielder Miura create space in midfield, feeding the ball to forwards Amaral and Toda, and from there, they built rhythm in their attacks by spreading the play to the sides. Up front, Amaral served as a stable pivot with his hold-up play, and Toda, making his first start of the second stage, stirred up C Osaka's defense with his abundant movement and aggressive actions, while Yukihiko on the right side created chances with sharp runs into space.

　In the 15th minute, after stealing the ball on the right side, Komine quickly fed it to the front line, where Yukihiko timed his run perfectly and received the ball from the deep right side, crossing it back to Miura who kicked it powerfully with his right foot to take the lead. Tokyo, riding on the momentum, scored another goal in the 19th minute. Once again, Yukihiko broke through on the right side and carried the ball close to the goal before passing it to Amaral in the center with a ground pass. Amaral lifted the ball with one touch and struck a powerful volley with his right foot for the second goal. C Osaka, who had to win, became too aggressive and disrupted the balance between offense and defense, allowing FC Tokyo to exploit the space behind their shallow three-back line, especially targeting Yukihiko on the right side. As a result, FC Tokyo quickly scored two goals in the early stages.

Own goal that decided the match

　C Osaka, having lost two goals early on, made a move shortly after. In the 21st minute of the first half, they brought in the Korean genius playmaker, Yoon, and C Osaka's attack transformed from a monotonous rush forward to a more layered attack utilizing the ball retention skills of Yoon and Morishima along with intricate passing. However, on this day, Tokyo's defense was more focused than usual, with Sandro tightly marking target man FW Okayama, while Komine and Fujiyama effectively shut down FW Ooshiba, who was using his speed to exploit the spaces on the sides, preventing any decisive chances. In the 30th minute, Yoon exploited the space behind on the right side, and from there, a cross to the far side saw FW Okayama dive in with a header, but Sandro managed to clear it just in time. In the 38th minute, Yoon unleashed a powerful shot from the center, but Doih caught it right in front of him. Furthermore, in the dying moments of stoppage time, a crucial last pass was intricately connected within the penalty area, but Yamao, who came in to cover just in time, made a sliding clearance. The middle shot taken immediately after was also deflected by Doih with a punch, but C Osaka maintained their pace and ended the first half.

　One minute into the second half, C Osaka maintained possession on the left side with Yun, who made a penetrating pass to the top, but FC Tokyo's defender cut it off. However, the clearance was weak, and Yun picked up the ball again and took a shot from the center, which deflected off the defender's foot (changing its course) and went into the goal. "The next goal will be crucial," Coach Okuma had said at halftime, making this conceded goal all the more regrettable. But the sadness was short-lived. Recently, FC Tokyo has gained confidence in being able to recover even after conceding, and they remained completely unfazed by the goal, calmly executing their style of play. Four minutes later, Yukihiko dribbled in from the right side and, at just the right moment, Miura broke through behind the defense, receiving a perfectly timed through pass from Yukihiko. Miura returned the ball to the center from just inside the goal line, but it hit the chest of a C Osaka defender and resulted in an own goal. This made things much easier for Tokyo, but for C Osaka, who had just thought, "Alright, let's counterattack!" right after the own goal, it must have been an immeasurable shock.

King is still alive! Amaral achieves his first hat trick of the season, extending the "undefeated myth"

　C Osaka, who was once again two points behind in a shocking time, still had their fighting spirit (=soul) intact. After conceding a goal, they substituted Marcelo, the defensive midfielder, and brought in the attacking midfielder Okubo, who is only 19 years old but has become the team's mainstay in his first year as a professional. C Osaka, who shifted to a more attacking style, launched a thick all-out attack with the combination of Yin, Morishima, and Okubo. In the 7th and 9th minutes, they were hit by mid-range shots, but both times, Toi managed to punch the ball away and FC Tokyo's defenders cleared the ball a moment faster than the opponents. Furthermore, in the 11th minute, Yin's free kick from the front of the goal hit the post. In the 13th minute, Okuyama attempted a jumping volley from Yin's cross from the left, but it went wide. C Osaka's desperate attacks only increased in power, but Tokyo, who had high concentration, calmly waited for the "opportunity to come."

　The long-awaited opportunity came in the 14th minute. C Osaka, who had been showing a fierce attack until then, had completely committed forward, including their defenders. In the 14th minute, Fujiyama intercepted the ball, and with a wall pass to Amaral and Seigo KOBAYASHI, FC Tokyo found themselves in a numerically advantageous situation within the C Osaka territory. Seigo KOBAYASHI sent a long pass to Miura, who had burst into space on the right side, and Miura passed directly to Amaral, who was running into the center. As Miura drifted to the side, pulling the defender out, Amaral found himself one-on-one with a C Osaka defender in the center. Taking a gamble, Amaral made a big feint to the left and shot with his left foot. The sharp ground shot slipped through the narrow space on the same side and shook the goal net. At this point, Amaral was unstoppable. In the 18th minute, Yuki Hiko sent in a cross from the right side, and with a powerful header that soared above the opponent at the goal front, he achieved his first hat-trick of the season, extending the score to 5-1 and pulling away from C Osaka significantly.

　There was a decisive goal by Amaral, but C Osaka fought back until the end, responding to the passionate support from the supporters. C Osaka created a fresh movement with Okubo and Tokyo's defense, including Shimohira, defended well with high concentration. The intense back and forth battle continued, but in the 41st minute, Morishima dropped the ball floated by Yin from the center onto the post, and Oshiba ran in to score. The match continued with C Osaka showing their determination until the final whistle, but ultimately the game ended like this. At this point, C Osaka's relegation to J2 was decided.

　FC Tokyo tasted their first victory in about a month and took a steady step towards "winning all the last four matches". Although they conceded an unnecessary goal at the end, overall Amaral and Miura returned and the team tightened up significantly compared to the previous match. Moreover, players like Toru Kaburagi who joined the squad from the previous match have raised their level through their experience in actual matches. We are still far from the best lineup, but someone reliable will surely return to the pitch in the next match. With Amaral scoring goals, the "undefeated myth" has extended to 9 wins and 2 draws this season (counting from the 2nd stage of last year, it is 15 wins and 2 draws). With Amaral in great form, this record is reassuring. The next match against Kashima Antlers will be a "big showdown" for both us and the opponents. We will face the reigning champion Kashima in their home ground in order to achieve "winning all the last three matches"!

[Manager Okuma's Comment] Knowing that Kelly is absent and considering the current situation of C Osaka, we knew that the opponent would come to win from the beginning. Today, with Toda's entry, the movement of the front line increased, and we were able to score at a good time by running into the opponent's disliked areas and making effective runs. It became a comfortable development after a long time. If Toda can do this much in matches against other teams, he will be a significant force. We have high expectations and want him to aim higher and work harder.

[Joao CARLOS Coach's Comment] The situation has been tough since before the match, and with this defeat, it has been decided that we will be relegated to J2. In terms of the match content, we built the game properly and scored points. However, FC Tokyo also played well and demonstrated football worthy of winning. I think it was a good game. The record of 2 wins and 8 losses since I took over means that I couldn't change the team. The front office has supported us to the fullest, and the players have done well. We have faced issues with injuries, but I don't want to use that as an excuse. The team has many excellent players. It's just that I couldn't make the changes needed. I am a professional and I have responsibilities. I will not run away from this result. I will take responsibility for the team not being able to stay up, but as long as I have a contract, I want to fight. The current situation and what the players are facing is tough. I myself am facing the biggest wall in my career. I understand that the players are suffering the most. However, for the supporters who cheer for us, and for our families and friends, we must do our best.