Always get 3 points at home!

　In the previous match against Kawasaki, we missed out on 3 points by just a step. However, Coach Garo said, "It was a game with good passing, tough marking, and a fighting spirit," and we are regaining our confidence. With this momentum, we want to grab 3 points at home in this match.

　Rychely injured his left foot in the Kawasaki match and left the team. In the forward position, Kawaguchi, who made his first start of the season, was selected. On the other hand, Kajiyama, who missed the previous match due to a right foot injury, returned to the starting lineup in a lively manner, although he still feels pain when twisting his foot.

　Kyoto, on the other hand, currently has 2 losses and 2 draws with no victories yet. However, in the last 2 matches, they have managed to come back and hold on for a draw after conceding the lead. We should be cautious of FW Paulinho (who scored 22 goals in J2 last season) and FW Lemon (who scored 15 goals) as their top two attackers. Paulinho has already scored 3 goals this season, so Inoha will mark him closely. The match started at 16:04 with Kyoto's kickoff at the partially cloudy Nippatsu Stadium.

Jean's goal gave the lead, but Kyoto was overwhelmed...

　The game started off with a bang. In the 2nd minute, Kawaguchi, who received a vertical pass from Tokunaga, challenged the opponent's defender and won a corner kick on the right side. Kajiyama's kick found Jean's well-placed header, scoring the opening goal. In the 6th minute, a similar scene occurred again. This time, Tokunaga challenged the opponent's defender on the right side and won a corner kick. Once again, Jean attempted a header shot from the right corner kick, but the opponent's defender cleared it with his head. In the 8th minute, Jean once again met Baba's free kick, but this time it went over the crossbar.

　Tokyo grasps the rhythm and dominates the ball. They continue to advance the game advantageously. The opponent FW PAULINHO is closely marked by Inaba and is not allowed to shoot easily. In the 19th minute, FW ALEMON's shot from outside the area became Kyoto's first shot. In the 20th minute, Suzuki drops Lucas' left cross and Imano runs into the area for a shot. They create a good opportunity but are blocked by the goalkeeper. In the 23rd minute, Kajiyama sends a long pass to the space on the left front line, and Suzuki catches up and crosses. In the 26th minute, a pass is made to Imano, who is free in the left area, and from the shooting motion, a last pass is made to Lucas in front of the goal. They connect passes and create an attacking shape by using the width of the pitch.

　After 30 minutes, Kyoto invited danger from a counterattack, but Shigeki and Inoha made the cut. In the 36th minute, FW Paulinho aimed directly at the goal with a powerful shot from about 30 meters in front of the goal, but the ball was saved by Doi and the subsequent wave attack was defended well. In the 39th minute, Tokunaga flew out to meet Baba's pass and crossed from the right. Suzuki, who received the ball far from the goal, crossed from the left. They showed another wide attack, but no one was able to follow up after Kajiyama dropped the ball in the center.

　Kawaguchi became the starting point on the front line, with Tokunaga from the right and Suzuki from the left continuously crossing, but the accuracy was not enough. The finishing was also not decisive, and they couldn't score an additional point. In the midst of that, in the 43rd minute, Jean marked against Kyoto FW Alémon's move, the ball spilled and gave Kyoto a corner kick. The left corner kick taken by MF Hoshi was cleared by Jean. The ball that went up high landed on top of FW Alémon in the right area. Alémon's header grazed the head of Baba, who was competing to clear it, and ended up in the top left corner of the goal. They conceded a goal at an unfavorable time and went into the second half with a score of 1-1.

In the final moments, Takeuchi's valuable goal secures the victory!

　The second half was expected to be promising, but it was Kyoto that managed to recover. Early in the second half, MF Mio boldly aimed for a goal with a middle shot. Shortly after, in the 46th minute, Tokyo made a side change from Kawaguchi, and Suzuki crossed directly to the center. Lucas, who was trying to receive it, and Baba, who jumped in, collided, and couldn't take a shot. In the 48th minute, Tokunaga snatched the loose ball on the right side and rushed towards the area. He sent a last pass to Baba in the middle, but the shot was blocked by the opponent's DF. After that, Kyoto gradually launched a counterattack. They picked up second balls and sent fast passes to the front line.

　In the 56th minute, Sasa was substituted for Lucas, and Kurisawa was substituted for Baba in an attempt to quickly change the situation. However, in the 61st minute, a pass was made to Kyoto's right area midfielder Hoshi, who cut inside the Tokyo defense and took a shot. Doi made a save in the lower right corner of the goal, avoiding a crisis. In the 63rd minute, Sasa headed Kurisawa's right corner kick, but missed the target. Ino picked up the loose ball and switched sides. From Jean's drop, Kawaguchi took a shot, but the goalkeeper made a save. In the 65th minute, Abe was substituted for Kawaguchi. However, Tokyo struggled against Kyoto's defense, which quickly transitioned from attack to defense and crowded the goal area.

　75 minutes, Suzuki steals the ball from the opponent's DF and advances to the left area, passing to Abe in the middle who takes a shot, but fails to hit the target. In the 82nd minute, Tokunaga passes to Abe in the left area from Kurizawa. Abe drops it directly and Konno makes a run and takes a shot... showing good teamwork, but Abe is offside. In the fast-paced exchange of offense and defense, Kyoto also threatens the goal from FW Alermon's keep in the 77th minute, and midfielder Saito takes a shot. The rebound is picked up and another chance is created. In the 80th minute, MF Nakaharai jumps into a right cross, but misses the target.

　Unable to take advantage of each other's chances, it seemed like a draw... until the 89th minute, when Suzuki's left corner kick was contested by the opposing defender in the center, and the ball went to the right area. Tokunaga, who had run into this area, took a one-touch and invaded near the end line. From an angleless position, he forcefully shot with his right foot, curving it to the outside. The ball passed through the narrow gap between the goalkeeper and the goalpost with tremendous force, hitting the far-side post and bouncing in! Finally, Kyoto, who had been clinging on with Tokunaga's valuable go-ahead goal, pulled away. The attitude of aiming for victory until the end resulted in a goal, and they achieved their second victory of the season.

　【Player Comments】《Tokunaga》"We couldn't score in the flow of the game, but we were able to play our own soccer in the first half. However, we couldn't score and it became a tough match. (My first goal) The middle was chaotic, so I just hit it with all my might. I think the strong desire to win ultimately led to the goal. I want to build on today's victory and accumulate points in the next matches."《Inoha》"Today, we played in a 3-5-2 formation, and when attacking, I moved up to the midfield. It was easy for me personally. Coach Garo instructed me not to let Paulinho do his job. I studied it on video and focused on not letting him dribble and not letting him face forward. We didn't have many situations where we were pushed back, so we just had to be cautious of the counterattacks. I was able to focus on cutting off the passing lanes."

　[Summary of Coach Garo's Press Conference] "Today, we concentrated until the end, played with passion, and had a match where we marked tightly and fiercely. I think the players did well. The last goal was earned by everyone, and I want to praise the players. (What about Kajiyama?) He played in the defensive midfielder position today, but in the first half, there was a large space between the defensive line and the midfield, so I instructed him to correct that. In the second half, including that positioning, we were able to play well. (What about Inoha?) Following Juninho in the match against Kawasaki, this time he marked Paulinho, and both did very well. His marking is an important role for us. (What instructions did you give to Tokunaga?) Today, the ball circulation and switching sides were going well, so I instructed him to take on one-on-one situations with Suzuki. There were quite a few chances to move forward, so I told him to get into the area and take on the challenge. They are both fast and strong players, and they played well. (Shouldn't there have been more goals?) Indeed, there were several chances. The important thing is that we were able to create many such opportunities. I think we couldn't score because the opponent's defense was good. Tactics change depending on the opponent, so today we adapted to Kyoto, but we will study the next opponent for the Nabisco match and respond accordingly."

　[Kyoto Coach Hashiraya's Press Conference Summary] "The players worked very hard. It was a flow where we could have taken not just 1 point, but 3 points, so it's disappointing that we couldn't. Since we haven't been able to secure 3 points since the opening, I am very grateful that the supporters came all the way to Tokyo. Next, we have the Nabisco Cup in two days, and I want to prepare well for that and ensure we can secure points in the following league matches as well. (Substitutions) Both sides of Tokyo, Tokunaga and Suzuki, ran quite a distance, and our players on both sides were also tired, so I wanted to bring in fresh players to create an advantageous shape on the sides. We were somewhat pushed back, so I thought if we stabilized our defense and the midfield players who came in for the two forwards pushed up, we could take the initiative and attack effectively. In the first half, the opponent was in a 3-5-2 formation and dominated the midfield, so we changed our shape to counter that in the second half, which stabilized our defense. In the end, we were in a situation where we were being pushed back in a one-on-one scenario, so we prioritized stabilizing our defense. If Yoneda hadn't cramped, we could have substituted the forward players. Alemon, who is returning from injury, had some good combinations with Paulinho, so if both of their conditions improve, they should pose a threat to the opponent. The reason for today's defeat is that we need to push the line up more. If we stay inside the penalty box, we will lose second balls and anything can happen. After clearing the ball, everyone needs to get out of the box, and the goalkeeper has to cover the space behind, or we will be stuck there. Today, Inoha was assigned to Paulinho, but the better the player, the more they get marked. The fact that Tokyo changed to a 3-5-2 formation to counter us proves how good Paulinho is. I think that while they eliminated Kyoto's strengths, they also diminished their own strengths."