We want to overcome the difficult team composition together

　After a two-week interval from Sec. 16, Sec. 17 will be a match against Urawa Reds. In this section, which marks the halfway point of the season, we aim to win as a team even in an away game. During this break, we played a preseason match against FC Seoul in Korea, and Makoto IMANO was called up to the Japanese national team. Masahiko INOHA, Kajiyama, and Masaki increased their workload as they participated in the U-21 national team's expedition to China. However, Makoto IMANO injured his left knee and Miura injured his right foot, leaving the team. Yesterday, Shigeki Shigeno continued to adjust with a separate menu due to lower back pain. In addition, Tokunaga will be suspended for this section, making the team composition difficult.

　On the other hand, FW Washington has joined the team. Although the period of joining is short, he is facing it with new expectations. Washington himself also said, "It will be my first battle in Japan, but I am very enthusiastic. I am also good at heading. I want to enter the area with momentum and show intense soccer." He seems to have no confusion.

　Urawa is currently in 2nd place and will surely aim for 3 points at home today in order to regain the top spot. Seven players have been selected for the Japan national team and will participate in the Trinidad and Tobago match on the 9th. There are concerns about their condition due to consecutive matches, but they are highly motivated and a tough battle is expected for Tokyo.

　The starting lineup consists of Washington as the lone striker, with Lucas and Baba in the second row. Inoha and Ishikawa are the left and right midfielders. Asari and Kajiyama, who are starting for the first time this season, form a double pivot in midfield. The back three consists of Mashima, Motonoba, and Jean. In order to counteract Urawa's attacking players, Motonoba is positioned centrally in the back three, with Mashima and Jean acting as stoppers against the opponents. The aim is to create rhythm from a strong defense and increase ball possession. In addition, Inoha and Ishikawa will take control on the wings and look to feed the ball to Washington to find attacking opportunities.

Allowing an opening goal, Urawa gains momentum

　The Toyota Stadium, where the rain stopped during the day and only the sunny sky could be seen. The game started at 19:04 with a kickoff from Tokyo. However, in the first 5 minutes, Urawa's right MF Hirakawa crossed the ball, and central FW Tanaka Tatsuya competed for a header, while MF Ono attacked from the far side. Tokyo was unable to mark MF Ono and he scored with his left foot, resulting in a goal. Once again, they conceded a goal early on and Urawa was able to take control of the game.

　Urawa, who deployed speedy plays in both offense and defense, troubled us. In the 10th minute, FW Nagai took a shot. In the 14th minute, FW Tanaka Tatsuya broke through in front of the goal and managed to take a difficult shot. In response, Tokyo launched a counterattack with Lucas and Kajiyama as the starting point. Washington also put his body on the line in the front line and tried to establish a rhythm. In the 15th minute, Inoha ran up the left side and sent a cross, which Washington jumped and headed. They collided with the opponent's goalkeeper, but neither suffered any serious injuries.

　In the 24th minute, Ono, the MF, crossed the ball from the right to the left side of Urawa. Nagaoka and Tanaka Tatsuya jumped into the goal area, but Tokyo DF held them back. In the 26th minute, Urawa's attack was prevented, and they took advantage of the opportunity to turn the tables and pass the ball to MF Hasebe, who was left free in the area. He took a decisive shot, but it went over the bar. After conceding a goal, Tokyo focused on defense and tried to switch to offense, but they struggled to create shooting opportunities.

　At 40 minutes, Kajiyama unleashed a powerful mid-range shot, but the opposing goalkeeper Yamagishi spilled it, only to catch it immediately. At 44 minutes, Kajiyama once again passed to Lucas, who was positioned towards the center, from the motion of a mid-range shot. Lucas' shot from just outside the penalty area floated, but it provided hope for a comeback in the second half as they went into halftime trailing by one goal.

After Inoha's expulsion, they conceded a second goal and despite a counterattack with 10 players, they suffered a complete defeat.

　In the second half, we started off aggressively, but in the 54th minute, Inoha fouled an opponent without the ball after receiving a counterattack from Urawa. He received his second warning of the day and was sent off. However, Tokyo lost concentration during the resulting free kick, allowing Urawa midfielder Mitsushu to dribble from the left to the center and score a goal from just outside the penalty area into the top right corner. This goal ultimately had a significant impact on the game.

　Tokyo, which became 10 players, introduced offensive players Abe and Kawaguchi. They tried to regain a point with a 4-3-2 formation, with Shigeki on the left and Ishikawa on the right side back. However, in the 71st minute, Urawa midfielder Yamada crossed from the right and forward Tanaka Tatsuya dropped the ball in the far post, allowing midfielder Mitsushu to push the ball into the low position and concede the third goal.

　In the 74th minute, the ball was taken back by Urawa in their own half and passed to MF Mitsudomoe, who broke free in front of the goal. It was a decisive moment, but Ishikawa dashed back and escaped with a sliding tackle to earn a corner kick. In the 83rd minute, Miyazawa was substituted for Baba. They never gave up attacking until the end, but in turn, in the 88th minute, Urawa MF Hasebe broke free in front of the goal after receiving a vertical pass. Hasebe attracted Tokyo DF and made a last pass to the left. FW Tanaka Tatsuya neatly put it into the goal, the fourth goal...

　It became a one-sided defensive battle against the surging Urawa. The defense line, including Jean, and the midfielders Asari and Ishikawa fought with all their might, but they couldn't stop Urawa's attacks. They were completely outplayed, with the opponent freely passing the ball and suffering a complete defeat. Every play was on the back foot, and they were defeated by conceding 4 goals.

　【Player Comments】《Dohi》"Regardless of being one player down, we must focus on the opponent in front of us. Even after going down to ten men, it’s more about concentration and mentality than positioning. We need to show a bit more fighting spirit... Each individual needs to think a little more. I want to regroup starting from tomorrow's practice." 《Asari》"I was instructed to be tough in the midfield, but I became loose. We couldn't stay compact, which led to being overwhelmed by Urawa. The way we entered the match was an issue. Whether to press from the front or to challenge strongly was half-hearted, and we were caught early on. It was the same in the match against FC Seoul. However, it would have been better if we had kept it to just one goal conceded, but conceding the second was significant. We should have thought about the battle with ten men after that one play from the free kick. (I started for the first time this season and played the full 90 minutes?) The result is everything. We need to start over once again."

　[Summary of Coach Garo's Press Conference] "Following the last match against Hiroshima, it turned out to be a very poor game. We have been working hard to regroup and practice this week, but unfortunately, we couldn't. I think our performance in the first half was very bad. It improved a bit at the beginning of the second half, but then Inoha was sent off, and we conceded goals one after another from there. However, even if Inoha hadn't been sent off, both halves had poor content. Since we were losing, I thought we couldn't just lose, so we attacked to try to earn points. We aimed to score, placing Shigenobu on the left, switching to a four-back and two defensive midfielders to attack, relying on two speedy forwards to aim for goals. But instead, we were countered by Urawa. Conceding a goal early in the first half was significant. The damage was great, and everyone was looking down. With many young players, we couldn't recover mentally. I have seen Washington during his time in Brazil with Portuguesa and Palmeiras, so I know him well, including his characteristics. Since joining, we have only played one practice match, and I knew the combination wasn't good. However, I used him considering that as well."

　【Urawa - BUCHWALD's Press Conference Summary】 "The schedule for this match was very difficult. After the World Cup break, we suddenly had four consecutive matches, and there was also a 14-day gap without league games. While it's great and an honor that many players were selected for the national team, it made training difficult since nearly half of the players were absent. I was worried about the condition in which the selected players would return, but during Thursday and Friday's practice, we worked with high motivation for this match against FC Tokyo. The way we started today's game was good. We created many chances, and scoring the first goal quickly was the key factor. Our combinations were good, but we struggled to score the second goal. After about 15 to 20 minutes, FC Tokyo began to apply pressure. The reason was that we were too focused on penetrating passes and behind-the-back plays without using the flanks, which led to them cutting us off and counterattacking. I am satisfied with our defense in the first half, but I think we needed a bit more creativity in our attack. In the second half, especially after the opponent had one player sent off, we were able to play really good football. We avoided the mistakes that often occur when we have a numerical advantage, connected the ball well, and executed good attacks with variation. In that context, Mito was able to score. We didn't give the opponent any real chances. The players proved that 'we are part of the top group of teams.' I want to praise all the players who played today."