Winning the ball and securing victory at Ajinomoto Stadium

　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 they conceded the first goal, they brilliantly turned the game around with goals from Hirayama and Ishikawa.

　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 leave a mark with the results. In the last match, I conceded a goal due to my mistake, and it was difficult to manage my feelings, but once I was on the pitch, my only thought was 'for the team to win.' Hirayama equalized for us, and I thought the next goal would determine the outcome. I considered it an important point and actively aimed for the goal. In the scoring scene, Norio Suzuki gave me a good ball. I was only thinking about getting it on target. I don't know how many wins I have contributed to the total of 100 wins in J1, but I want to keep building on it."《Hirayama》"On the bench, Yokohama FM was controlling the pace, and Tokyo was adapting to the style of football they wanted to play, so I thought it would come down to physical strength in the end. I wanted to do my job in the time given. The header shot was something I had been practicing under Coach Hara's guidance, and I think I was able to show what I have been working on. I was able to execute the form of 'moving once and then going in' that I was always told about. I could see the support coming from behind, so I boldly moved forward. There were opposing defenders, but I thought I had the point where the ball would come covered. My foot condition has also improved, so I tried to play boldly."

　[Summary of Coach Hara's Press Conference] "In the last match, we started poorly and played into Chiba's hands. We managed to regroup in the second half, but we had prepared all week to play towards the opponent's goal from the start. As expected, Yokohama FM quickly targeted FW Sakata and FW Oshima. In the first half, there were several instances where FW Oshima held the ball or competed for it, allowing MF Yamase and others to pick it up. We wanted to develop more from both sides, but Lucas and Fukunishi were going too far inside, and with the strong central MF Kawai and center-backs of Yokohama FM, we couldn't do that. If the full-backs could have pushed up, we could have exploited the space behind. Towards the end of the first half, there was a moment when we lost focus during a restart, so we paid attention to that. In the second half, Yokohama FM substituted DF Komiyama for DF Tanaka Hayato, so we changed the positions of Suzuki and Richelie to target the space behind DF Tanaka. Richelie is originally strong on the left. Suzuki can also move inside and shoot when he goes to the right. There was a bit of a sense of stagnation, so I instructed them to change. Next, Akamine is strong in heading, but it was a bit tough against DF Kurihara and Nakazawa. Therefore, I brought in the energetic Hirayama. I thought that if Hirayama could trouble the opponent and draw them in, it would open up the sides. I believe Richelie and Suzuki were able to move forward as a result. Also, Fukunishi was getting tired and unable to return to defense, so I brought in Asari to allow Konno to pick up the ball. Finally, due to Richelie's leg cramps, I brought in Ishikawa. Ishikawa was left out of the starting lineup today, but he used the energy he had saved for the end. The second goal was created because Suzuki chased it down. Goals are born from such persistence. It was definitely not an easy match, and it wasn't our usual tempo, but Inoha did well. Hirayama, Suzuki, and Richelie have all fully returned from their injuries. I want to carry this fight into the next one. Yokohama FM has the Nabisco Cup in three days, which may be a lucky aspect for us, but we lost at home in the Nabisco and couldn't advance to the semifinals. I think everyone fought well until the end, saying, 'Let's repay that.'"

　[Yokohama FM Coach Hayano's Press Conference Summary] "In the last match, we had a very disappointing performance, so we focused on hard work and pressing forward again. FC Tokyo tends to aim for counterattacks, so we prepared for that as well. In the first half, we might have been a bit too susceptible to counterattacks, but there were no major issues. In the second half, we changed the lineup, scored one goal, but we couldn't capitalize on the chances to score two or three more. I also think we have a tendency to do things we shouldn't be doing too much lately. In the scene of the first goal conceded, if FW Oshima had finished with a shot, it shouldn't have been a problem. The second one was in an unbelievable situation, but this is reality. I want to be careful not to make the same mistakes next time and continue to play without changing our style. I think the players are shocked, but the next match is the Nabisco Cup, which is a different stage. There are only three days in between, but I want to regroup once again."