Winning the ball and victory at Ajinomoto

　Sec. 28 will welcome Yokohama F.Marinos at home. In the previous round, they were defeated by Chiba and the winning streak was stopped. The players are determined not to have consecutive losses and are eager to repay their debt in the Nabisco Cup. This season, they have faced Yokohama FM three times, winning twice away. In the Nabisco Cup, they were eliminated from the semifinals with a defeat at home, so the players have a strong sense of revenge. They will continue to show the momentum they displayed in the second half of the Chiba match and aim for victory at Ajinomoto Stadium.

　In this match, Inoha started as a right back due to Tokunaga's suspension. In the midfield, Nori Suzuki was deployed on the left and Rychely on the right. Expectations are high for an attacking play that utilizes their speed from the sides. Evaldo also made a return to the bench after three matches. Konda achieved his first inclusion in the squad.

　Yokohama FM, who are currently in 6th place with 42 points, will be facing off. In the past two matches, they suffered consecutive defeats against Urawa and Omiya, despite having control of the game, they were unable to score and ended up losing. They quickly send the ball forward after winning possession, with FW Oshima as the focal point and FW Sakata exploiting the spaces. Their speedy attacking style, with MF Yamase and both fullbacks also making daring runs, remains intact if they can hold their ground in the front line. It will be a battle between two teams that excel in solid defense and quick attacks. The key will be to maintain a compact formation and not lose out in the battles for loose balls and duels. Start strong, find the rhythm, and secure the victory! Ajinomoto Stadium on a clear autumn day. The match kicked off at 14:04 with Yokohama FM taking the kickoff.

Lacking accuracy and decisiveness in finishing, unable to fully capitalize on opportunities

　From the start, both teams fought for possession and launched quick attacks. Tokyo created chances from the wings. In the 1st minute, Lucas skillfully passed to the left, and Kanazawa sent a ground through pass behind the opponent's defense. Akamine broke free and took a shot, but it went straight to the goalkeeper. In the 3rd minute, Akamine brought the ball inside from the left side and crossed it in front of the goal. Suzuki Nori made a strong run towards the center, but couldn't take a solid shot. In the 5th minute, Rychely stole the ball from the opponent's defense, passed it to Fukunishi, and then to Inonami. Akamine headed the cross from the right, but it was blocked by the opponent's defense and couldn't be finished.

　Yokohama FM did not create any chances, and in the 12th minute, Kanazawa, who advanced from Inoha's side change, aimed for a goal after receiving Akamine's return. In the 17th minute, Rychely made a move in the right area and passed to Fukunishi in the center. Fukunishi slipped through the opponent's defense and took a shot while falling, but the shot lacked power and the goalkeeper made a save. Although they attacked in the intended manner, they lacked precision and determination in the finish, and were unable to make the most of the chances.

　After 20 minutes, Yokohama FM gradually started sending quick passes to the front line and began to find their rhythm. However, Tokyo remained calm and did not face any decisive threats. In the 29th minute, Yokohama FM quickly restarted the game and MF Koji Yamase entered the area. He took a shot with momentum, but Shigeta blocked it and caught the ball easily. In the 31st minute, Yokohama FM's MF Shimizu broke through into the area from a restart and managed to take a shot, but Shigeta bravely came out and made the save.

　In the 35th minute, Yokohama FM's MF Yamase kept the ball from a right throw-in and was cut inside the right area by DF Nasu, who overlapped on the outside. FW Sakata jumped in for a near last pass and created a scoring opportunity, but Inonami blocked it with a sliding tackle, and it resulted in a corner kick. Tokyo created a chance from a quick counterattack, and in the 39th minute, Suzuki Nori dribbled into the opponent's half after winning the ball in their own half. Akamine became a wedge and Suzuki Nori, who received the return pass, rushed into the area. However, he did not take a shot and the last pass to Lucas did not connect. In the end, Yokohama FM's attack was safely defended against almost without danger, but they were unable to convert the chances created from Rychely as the starting point. The first half ended scoreless.

Although conceding the first goal, HIRAYAMA and ISHIKAWA's goals led to a brilliant comeback

　In the second half, Yokohama FM substituted left full-back Komiyama with right full-back Hayato TANAKA, and approached the game with Nishio moving to the left. They started the game by dominating the ball and progressing the game inside Tokyo's territory. In the 47th minute, midfielder Koji YAMASE dribbled forward after stealing the loose ball in the midfield and passed it to the left. Midfielder Yamasaki received the ball and aggressively attacked the left corner of the area with speed, taking a daring shot. Inaba tried to respond, but the ball was shot with such speed that even Shioda's stretched hand couldn't reach it, piercing through the net's ceiling. They were caught off guard for a moment and conceded the first goal with midfielder Yamasaki's fine goal.

　However, Tokyo never gets discouraged and changes the positions of Norio Suzuki and Rychely on the left and right sides, planning a counterattack. In the 51st minute, Norio Suzuki, Kanazawa, and Akamine enter the area one after another from Rychely's left cross. They create a chance, but there is a foul on the goalkeeper, and the ball goes to Yokohama FM. In the 58th minute, Yokohama FM's DF Nakazawa shoots overhead from a free kick. Shioda makes a save, but the game continues with back and forth.

　In the midst of a stalemate situation, in the 61st minute, Hirayama was substituted for Akamine. The ball was passed to Hirayama in an attempt to break the situation. This strategy was successful. In the 66th minute, Lucas, who had stolen the loose ball from the opponent's defense after Inonami's clearance in their own half, made a big side change from the right to the left forward space. Rychely, who had vigorously chased after this ball, turned around one, then two opposing defenders in the left area and crossed the ball. Hirayama jumped in and scored with a powerful header! The score was equalized with a goal that utilized Rychely's speed and Hirayama's height! It should be noted that this goal by Hirayama was the 200th home goal in J1.

　69 minutes, YOKOHAMA FM is given a free kick from the left side. Although there was distance, MF Koji YAMASE aimed directly at the sharp shot, but Shioda punched it while colliding with the post. Escaping the pinch with a great play, the mood for counterattack increased. In the 71st minute, Asari was substituted for Fukunishi, who showed signs of fatigue, and in the 77th minute, Ishikawa was substituted for Rychely, whose leg cramped. As a result, this strategy turned out to be spot on.

　Sending the ball to the front line with the aim of "the next point" for each other, it became a quick exchange. In the 82nd minute, Lucas on the left side passed a liner-like pass to the right front line. Hirayama jumped and crossed it directly inside. Ishikawa jumped in freely here and created a decisive chance, but the timing was slightly off... However, immediately after that, in the 84th minute, Shioda's long goal kick bounced in front of the Yokohama FM goal. Yokohama FM GK Enomoto jumped out of the area and cleared it. Suzuki Nori took the ball that fell short and passed it to Ishikawa, who had moved up in the center. Ishikawa trapped the ball, calmly volleyed it into the goal, and scored. They took advantage of the opponent's mistake and achieved a comeback.

　In stoppage time, while persistently keeping the ball in the front line, everyone maintained their attacking attitude until the end without losing focus. Time's up. With a solid defense and a well-executed strategy of attacking from the sides, they achieved a comeback, accumulating 38 points and achieving their 100th victory in the J1 League.

　【Player Comments】《Ishikawa》"I wanted to maintain good concentration even on the bench and get results. In the previous match, we conceded a goal due to my mistake and it was difficult to keep my emotions in check, but once I stepped onto the pitch, my only thought was to win for the team. When Hirayama equalized, I thought the next goal would decide the outcome. I thought it was an important goal, so I actively went for it. The scoring scene was made possible by Norio Suzuki's good pass. I was only thinking about hitting the target. I don't know how many of my 100 J1 wins I contributed to, but I want to keep adding to that number."《Hirayama》"On the bench, Yokohama FM had control of the pace and we were playing the type of football they wanted, so I thought it would come down to a battle of stamina in the end. I wanted to do my job in the time I was given. I've been practicing heading shots with Coach Hara for a long time and I think I was able to execute what I've been doing. I was able to do what he always told me, which was to make a second move and go in. I saw support from behind, so I went forward with determination. There was also an opposing DF, but I think I was able to hit the point where the ball would come. My condition was also good, so I wanted to make bold plays."

　[Summary of Manager Hara's Press Conference] "In the previous match, we had a bad start and were played by Chiba as they intended. We managed to recover in the second half, but we have been preparing for this week to play towards the opponent's goal from the beginning. As expected, Yokohama FM kicked early to FW Sakata and FW Oshima. In the first half, FW Oshima was kept and competed with MF Yamase and picked up a few times. We wanted to develop more from both sides, but Lucas and Fukunishi went too far inside, and Yokohama FM's central MF Kawai and center back were strong, so we couldn't do it. If the fullbacks could go up, we could have taken the back. Towards the end of the first half, there was a scene where we lacked concentration during the restart, so we paid attention to that. In the second half, Yokohama FM changed from DF Komiyama to DF Tanaka Hayato, so Suzuki Nori and Rychely changed positions on the left and right, and Rychely aimed for the back where DF Tanaka Hayato came out. Rychely is originally good on the left. Nori Suzuki can also shoot if he goes to the right and goes inside. There was a bit of a sense of stagnation, so I instructed them to change. Next, Akamine is also strong in heading, but it was a bit difficult against DF Kurihara and Nakazawa. Therefore, we put in Taira who is energetic here. If Taira struggles with the opponent and squeezes in, the sides will open up. I think Rychely and Nori Suzuki were able to go forward. Also, Fukunishi was unable to return to defense due to fatigue, so we put in Asari and let Imakawa pick up the ball. In the end, Rychely had cramps in his legs, so we put in Ishikawa. Ishikawa was not in the starting lineup today, but he used the energy he had saved until the end. The second goal was also born because Nori Suzuki chased after it. Goals are always born from that kind of perseverance. It was not an easy game, and it was not our usual tempo, but Inaba also did well. Taira, Nori Suzuki, and Rychely have all fully recovered from their injuries. We want to continue this fight to the next one. Yokohama FM has the Nabisco Cup in 3 days, so it may be lucky for us, but we lost at home in the Nabisco Cup and couldn't advance to the semifinals. We want to "return the favor" and I think everyone fought well until the end."

　【Summary of Yokohama FM Coach Hayano's Press Conference】"Since we had a very disappointing performance in the previous match, we need to work hard again and focus on pressing and moving forward. We also prepared for FC Tokyo's counterattacks. In the first half, we may have received too many counterattacks, but there were no major issues. In the second half, we made substitutions and scored one goal, but we couldn't capitalize on the chances to score two or three more goals. Also, recently, there has been a tendency to do things we shouldn't do too much. If FW Oshima had finished the scene of the first goal with a shot, there wouldn't have been a problem. The second goal was an unbelievable situation, but this is reality. We need to be aware of not repeating this mistake in the future and continue playing without changing our style. I think the players are also shocked, but the next stage is the Nabisco Cup, a different stage. Although there is only a three-day break, we want to regroup and move forward once again."