A match where we want to bounce back from the toughness of being away and change the bad flow

　Sec. 22 of the league will be a match against Urawa Reds away. In the previous match against Kashiwa, it was a spirited game where we created many chances, but we suffered a defeat. However, after three consecutive defeats since the league resumed, today's match is crucial to break this bad streak and somehow seize the opportunity to rise up.

　There was a one-week interval from the previous match, but Makoto, Hirayama, and Kajiyama left the team for the activities of each Japan representative, and the overall practice was limited to only two days in reality. Still, Makoto and Kajiyama prepared their condition and started the game. The starting lineup remains largely unchanged from the previous match, with Lucas and Akamine as the top two, Ishikawa and Rychely on both sides, and Makoto serving as the center back. In addition, Kurisawa, who has not played since the Kashima match on June 30, replaced Baba, who was suspended, and Evaldo, who injured his leg during the Olympic representative training camp on May 9, was on the bench.

　Urawa, on the other hand, has risen to the top with 43 points in the previous round. Their strong defense is a characteristic, boasting the fewest total goals conceded in the league with 16. Against Urawa's defense, which has height and strength, Coach Hara said, "Just throwing long balls won't break them down." Therefore, we want to try to win the ball at a high position and quickly distribute it to the sides to make use of Ishikawa and Rychely's speed. Urawa's attacking lineup is without FW Washington, but Coach Hara is cautious, saying, "FW Tatsuya Tanaka and Nagai as the two top players can play speedy soccer." MF Ponte, in the attacking midfield position, creates opportunities with dribbles, while Tatsuya Tanaka and Nagai make runs during that time. Also, we need to be careful of the counterattacks that come quickly from long balls.

　Tokyo wants to press from the front, match the intensity, and pick up loose balls to create attacks. The battle for second balls will also be a decisive factor in the game. It is expected to be a tough match away against the league leaders, Urawa Reds. Manager Hara said, "We cannot win unless we have a stronger mentality than Urawa. We want to come together as a team and overcome the difficult conditions with aggression, even though it's an away game."

　The match started at Saitama Stadium 2002, where the scorching heat of the day finally eased. Although the humidity remained, the wind started to blow. It kicked off with Urawa's kickoff at 19:04.

Create a good shape and take the lead, but let the opponent capitalize on two scoring opportunities...

　From the beginning, we pressed forward and didn't let Urawa have any freedom, launching quick attacks. In the 11th minute, we intercepted the ball in our own half and immediately sent it to Akamine on the front line, winning a throw-in. Rychely, who had been drifting to the right, cut into the area and sent a minus pass to Ishikawa in front of the goal, creating a chance. However, the shot was too close to the Urawa defender and was blocked. But Urawa also quickly sent the ball from their defensive line to the front line, gaining momentum from a sharp counterattack. In the 15th minute, we quickly connected passes from a throw-in in our own half, and midfielder Yamada crossed the ball. Tatsuya Tanaka, who was free, jumped in and made a perfect header, but it was saved by Shioda and resulted in a corner kick.

　If Tokyo can hold on to this pinch, they will regain their rhythm and create chances by expanding the ball to the side from Kajiyama as the starting point. In the 23rd minute, Akamine dropped Kajiyama's left cross, and Lucas cut inside from the right side and took a shot. In the 24th minute, Tokunaga jumped into the ball sent by Kajiyama to the far post from a free kick earned on the left side. In the 30th minute, Lucas in front of the goal tried to receive a left throw-in. Despite being pushed by the opponent's defender and having the ball poked from behind, Ishikawa followed up with a looping shot. Although none of them resulted in a goal, they created good opportunities and formed an attacking shape.

　In the 32nd minute, Kajiyama -> Rychely connected with Lucas on the left side, and Lucas advanced with a dribble. He sent a through pass to Rychely who broke through into the area. Facing the goalkeeper one-on-one, Rychely's shot grazed the goalkeeper and rolled forward, and Akamine pushed it in for a goal! With a well-coordinated attack, they scored against the solid defense of Urawa. They wanted to build momentum after taking the lead, but as the players reflected after the match, they were unable to press from the front and the whole team ended up dropping back instead.

　And in the 36th minute, Urawa's right to left side change was received by left MF Hirakawa, who made a breakthrough into the area. He dodged Tokunaga who was facing him and sent a ground cross to the front of the goal. Fujiyama tried to clear it, but Urawa FW Tanaka quickly entered and kicked it into the goal. The equalizer caused some panic, and in the 39th minute, Urawa's Hirakawa cut back Tokunaga again and this time sent a floating cross. DF Horinochi jumped in with his head and scored. Tokyo had been playing well, but Urawa took advantage of their chances and scored two goals in just 4 minutes, ending the first half.

Failed to catch up with a one-point difference despite launching an all-out attack

　It was a second half where we wanted to approach the counterattack without losing our momentum, but Urawa started off with a speedy attack and pushed us back. In the 47th minute, Rychely broke through to the front line from Shioda's long kick and entered the area, but was stopped, and Urawa midfielder Suzuki quickly countered. Ponte carried the ball to the area. In the 50th minute, Urawa forward Nagai became a wedge and Ponte passed to the front line with one touch. Tatsuya TANAKA broke free and took a shot, but it was saved by Shioda and resulted in a corner kick.

　In an attempt to change the flow of the game, Hirayama was substituted for Rychely in the 56th minute. They aimed to increase the attacking opportunities by creating more chances up front. In the 59th minute, Hirayama was fouled slightly to the right of the opponent's penalty area, resulting in a free kick. Hirayama headed the ball from a low position, following Kajiyama's quick kick. They almost seized the momentum for a counterattack. However, in the immediate 60th minute, Yamada contested the goalkeeper's kick and the ball was carried forward to the front line. In an attempt to connect with the ball, Urawa forward Tatsuya TANAKA was marked by Konno and collided with each other. Both players fell, but in the meantime, Urawa midfielder Ponte quickly reacted to the rolling ball. He broke free in front of the goal and effortlessly scored the third goal...

　Without giving up, in the 63rd minute, Fukunishi was substituted for Asari. Then, in the 68th minute, Fukunishi was fouled in the left corner area, earning a free kick. Lucas played a short pass from this free kick, and Kajiyama shot the ball towards the goal. Imano, who had jumped out here, slightly changed the angle with his right foot and pushed it in! As the counterattack mood increased, in the 71st minute, a through pass was made from Fukunishi to Akamine on the left front line. Akamine crossed the ball on the ground in front of the goal, and Hirayama shot it! They created a decisive opportunity, but it narrowly missed the target. In the 76th minute, Kurizawa was substituted for Ishikawa. Both teams launched a quick attack, but Tokyo calmly passed the ball between Kajiyama, Kurizawa, and Fukunishi, and continuously delivered the ball to the front line from the sides.

　In the 82nd minute, Lucas and Fukunishi connected in front of the Urawa goal, and Kurisawa, who had drifted to the left, crossed the ball, but the goalkeeper caught it. In the 87th minute, Hirayama dropped Kanazawa's cross, but no one was able to follow up on the loose ball. In the 88th minute, Lucas headed the ball from Tokunaga's right cross. Then, Hirayama, who received Kurisawa's pass on the right, circled inside and took a shot, but it was cut off by the Urawa defenders... Unable to score an equalizing goal against Urawa's solid defense, the game ended. Despite not being discouraged by the top-ranked Urawa, they played with great determination, but ultimately lost due to a difference in finishing ability. It was their fourth consecutive loss.

　[Player Comments]《Shiota》"I think we didn't allow them to create any decisive chances until we conceded. We pressed from the front, the full-backs moved up from the side changes, and we were able to compete near the penalty area. The opponent must have disliked that. However, after we took the lead, the whole team fell back. I wanted to simply target behind the opponent's defense and create a point up front, but during that time, we couldn't unify our intentions and ended up on the back foot. I wanted to somehow reorganize that well, but... In the next match against Hiroshima, they also have fast players up front. I want us to discuss and make corrections together, and work hard in the same direction. I'm sorry we couldn't win today despite many fans coming to support us away. We absolutely must meet their expectations next time."《Kurizawa》"I was thinking about receiving a lot of balls in the midfield and developing from there. The cross went to Hirayama, but it became just one point of origin. I think it would have been better if we had connected a bit lower to draw out the opponent's defense and then brought it inside. I reflect that we became indecisive about whether to connect passes or to throw it in immediately. However, even though it was my first appearance in a while, my motivation was high. The results haven't come, but we can only hold our heads up and prepare for the next one."

　【Summary of Coach Hara's Press Conference】"A match against league leaders Urawa. We are on a losing streak, but we all talked about challenging with an aggressive approach as we entered the match. In the first half, we created several good opportunities by effectively using both flanks from side changes, with the full-backs involved in the play. We were able to score. After taking the lead, we wanted to fight a bit more in our rhythm. However, with Urawa's one chance, the midfielder Hirakawa faced forward after a side change, and the forward Tatsuya TANAKA scored from a cross. At that moment, it wasn't that the Tokyo players were slacking off, but I think we were turned around and conceded two goals due to Urawa's high finishing ability. We were superior in the midfield battles, but Urawa knows how to finish when it counts. In the second half, we discussed changing sides and using fast players up front to create a numerical advantage of 2 against 1. Just then, we conceded the third goal. In the situation where Konno and forward Tatsuya TANAKA got tangled, only midfielder Ponte reacted to the loose ball. That highlights the difference between us and Urawa at the moment. (Is it a difference in individual strength?) Urawa's forwards Tatsuya TANAKA, Nagai, and midfielder Ponte have the ability to finish the play on their own. They have speed and high attacking power, which is a fact. Therefore, the Tokyo back four had no choice but to tighten up against those three. Aside from the moments we conceded, Konno, Fujiyama, and both full-backs responded well. When we regained possession, Tokunaga and Kanazawa pushed forward, gaining an advantage, but the intense up-and-down movement made it difficult to return to defense. With Ishikawa and Rychely positioned offensively, it put a burden on both full-backs. Along with that, Urawa's finishing ability surpassed ours. (What about Rychely's substitution?) It wasn't that he was performing poorly; rather, he was doing well along with Ishikawa. The issue was physical stamina. So, we brought in Hirayama, aiming to create a focal point in the center rather than focusing on side attacks. Urawa's defense is strong against crosses, so Lucas took a position on the left side, and we wanted to target Hirayama and Akamine as the two forwards. There was a time when we lacked momentum, but even though we haven't seen results in the last two matches against Kashiwa and today against Urawa, I believe Tokyo-style football is starting to return. Including the fact that we scored two goals, we want to continue this momentum. We want to correct the precision of our final finishes and continue to fight hard as we approach the next match."

　[Urawa - Coach Ojek's Press Conference Summary] "We were able to earn 3 points, but FC Tokyo played good football and it was a very tough match. In the first half, we started well and played speedy football. However, that fell apart midway through the first half, and we allowed the first goal. Fortunately, we managed to regroup and were able to turn the game around just before the end of the first half. In the second half, we started with focus and scored the third goal. Tokyo made three substitutions and aimed for a goal from a high-risk set play. In response, we were able to create chances multiple times on the counter. We couldn't secure an additional goal, and it was truly a difficult match. Midfielder Hirakawa has had injuries this season and was unable to participate in practice. I think it was hard for him to find a position within the team. However, he has been improving since he played in the satellite team. He seems like a player who can do something special. The current gap with second place doesn't matter. The season is still long, so we want to focus on our own matches rather than thinking about other games."