Covering for Mobata and Konno's absence, victory in the final home game!

　Sec. 33 will be a match against Omiya Ardija. It's hard to believe that we are already approaching the final home game, and today will be the last game of the season at Ajinomoto Stadium. In the previous match against G Osaka, we finally showed our momentum and tenacity, playing the kind of soccer that Tokyo is known for. This match can be considered the culmination of the season. We will give our all to win and meet the expectations of all the fans who have continued to support us.

　However, Shigeki and Konno are suspended. In addition, Hirayama and Inoha joined the team for the Olympic qualifiers, so they only had two days to integrate and started on the bench. On the other hand, Ishikawa has returned energetically and Baba and Kajiyama, who just returned to the starting lineup in the previous match, have improved their condition and started. Lucas is up front, Baba is in the attacking midfield, and Ikegami and Kajiyama form the defensive midfield. Hatta, who is making his first start as a center back, covers and supports the team as a whole, and they face the upcoming match together.

　Omiya, who is currently in 15th place with 31 points, will come at us with all their might in order to secure their spot in J1. It is crucial that we match their determination. The key will be how we can break down Omiya's solid defense, which concedes few goals. If Baba and Kajiyama can set the rhythm and take control, we should be able to create chances. To overcome Omiya's tough press, we also want to launch speedy attacks. In defense, we need to be cautious of their accurate counters. If we lose the ball while attacking and they swiftly bring it to our goal, Omiya will gain momentum. We want to quickly transition between offense and defense and prevent any dangerous situations.

　Ajinomoto Stadium, where the gentle sun shines, the match started exactly at 2:00 PM with Tokyo's kickoff.

Although they dominated the ball and advanced advantageously...

　Both teams cautiously started the game, with the ball moving back and forth between the two sides. In the 5th minute, a pass from Omiya reached Fujiyama inside the Tokyo team's territory, and Fujiyama quickly fed the ball to the right forward. Ishikawa caught up with it and tried to connect with Lucas for a cross, but it was cleared by the Omiya defense. In the 9th minute, Omiya's forward, Yoshihara, broke through the left side, but Fujiyama intercepted the cross and initiated a counterattack. Baba -> Ikegami -> Ishikawa quickly linked up to win a corner kick, but Omiya cut off Baba's right corner kick. In the 11th minute, Omiya won a free kick on the left side of Tokyo's territory, and Baba sent the ball to the center, which Kajiyama took a shot at. However, it was blocked by the Omiya wall.

　Omiya also threatened the Tokyo goal mainly through set plays, but they defended safely and gradually controlled the midfield with Baba, Kajiyama, and Kurisawa connecting passes intricately. In the 17th minute, Ishikawa dropped a header from Kanazawa's early cross into the right area, Lucas passed it to the center, and Tokunaga, who had moved up, connected the pass persistently with Kajiyama, but in the end, they were surrounded and lost the ball. In the 18th minute, from Ishikawa's dribble shot, Kajiyama and Ikegami connected the loose ball, and Tokunaga earned a corner kick from his cross. However, Hata's header from Baba's right corner kick did not hit the target.

　After that, we continued to dominate the ball and attacked into the enemy's territory, but Omiya DF quickly returned and even when we sent crosses, they were repelled and we couldn't create any decisive chances. In the 25th minute, we were robbed in the opponent's territory and Omiya MF Kobayashi's pass was met by FW Yoshihara who broke through the front line at close range to shoot. Although we allowed a chance to be created with a vertical pass, Shioda made a bold move to escape with a CK and when we defended it, Tokyo regained its rhythm. In the 29th minute, Baba flew out to Kanazawa's through pass. In the 32nd minute, Kajiyama cleared the opponent's pass in our own territory and passed it to Kuriyama on the far side from Ikegami -> left Kajiyama. Kuriyama dropped a header to Baba in the area and received a return pass to send a cross. We launched a good attack from a direct pass and a big development, but they were all defended.

　Omiya sent a long ball to the goal area in the 42nd minute, with DF Murayama dropping the ball for FW Morita to receive. MF Kataoka then took a shot from outside the left area. Hata blocked it. Omiya tried to counterattack, but couldn't finish before the quick return of the Omiya DF. In the end, Omiya had 4 shots in the first half compared to Tokyo's 2 shots. Despite having the advantage in the midfield, they couldn't break through the solid Omiya DF and the match ended with no goals.

石川が先制するも、大宮の同点弾にリズムを失い、痛い逆転負け

　In the second half, which was expected to bring goals, the opening goal was created from the desired development right from the start. In the 46th minute, Omiya FW Yoshihara aimed for the back of Tokyo DF, but Hatta firmly closed in and escaped to a corner kick. From this corner kick, Tokyo gained possession of the ball and launched a quick counterattack, evading Omiya's press. In the 47th minute, Baba attacked through the center, and Kajiyama on the right cut back the Omiya DF and passed to Tokunaga who moved up the side. Kajiyama continued to run towards the edge of the penalty area and received a return pass from Tokunaga, then swung his right foot with a heel flick into the penalty area. In response to this pass, Ishikawa fell down but swung his right foot powerfully and scored a goal! The quick passing play, Kajiyama's unexpected play, and Ishikawa's movement that closed in on the goal without any gaps resulted in the opening goal.

　However, the joy of the goal did not last long. Two minutes after taking the lead, the opposing defender sent a feed into the Tokyo territory. It was just an ordinary ball, but Hatta, who went to get it, lost control as he was tripped up by the turf and was taken away by Omiya forward Yoshihara, who quickly ran to the front line. Even the sliding tackle from Ikegami, who had returned, was not in time, and Omiya midfielder Fujimoto easily connected with the minus pass sent from the goal line and scored... In an instant, the game was tied.

　There was still time. In the 55th minute, Kurisawa picked up the clearance from Omiya DF from Baba's left CK and took a middle shot, but it was right in front of Omiya GK. In the 56th minute, Lucas in front of the area stuck to Kurisawa's long cross and dropped it, and Ishikawa aimed but missed the target. In the 57th minute, Tokyo DF couldn't clear the long ball sent by Omiya DF Leandro to the front line, and MF Fujimoto headed it into the area after bouncing in front of the area. FW Yoshihara slid in here, and the looping shot just went over the bar. There were also moments that made us nervous. In order to break the flow of Omiya trying to gain momentum, Tokyo substituted Hirayama for Baba in the 58th minute and put him in the front line. They aimed for an additional goal with an attack starting from Hirayama.

　62 minutes, Kurizawa, who received a side change, dribbled past the opponent on the left side and cut into the area, sending a pass to the front of the goal. However, Kajiyama and Lucas closed in, but couldn't take a shot. In the 64th minute, Inaba was substituted for Yata, who had cramps. However, Omiya also substituted MF Saito for FW Yoshihara. Both teams quickly sent the ball to the front line with one top each, competing for second balls. In the 76th minute, Suzuki Nori was substituted for Ikegami on the left side, and Kurizawa moved to the defensive midfield position in an attempt to score a second goal. As the battle for the ball continued, in the 84th minute, Suzuki Nori crossed from the left side after Hirayama hit the post. Hirayama followed with a header, but it went over the bar...

　It was in the 89th minute, when it seemed like the game would end as a draw. After intercepting the opponent's ball, Lucas, Ishikawa, and Hirayama tried to launch an attack but lost the ball. Omiya DF Leandro dribbled fiercely from their own territory into Tokyo's half. None of Tokyo's players were able to stop him. DF Leandro received a return pass after a collision between Fujiyama and Omiya MF Kobayashi on the front line, and quickly entered the penalty area. Inoha tried to catch up but was left behind, and the shot pierced the net...

　Never give up until the end, and go on a power play targeting Hirayama. In the corner kick of the injury time, Shioda also went up and aimed for a goal, but it did not bear fruit. It was a painful comeback loss in a game where mistakes that have been repeated this season seemed to have occurred again. We couldn't decorate the final home game with a victory.

　[Player Comments]《Ishikawa》"The goal was set up well by Kajiyama. I was sure the pass would come. I understood that the DF was closing in, but I was able to kick while facing forward. Today, with Baba and Kajiyama as the starting point of the attack, I wanted to receive the ball and create gaps between the opponent's midfield and DF line. I scored early in the second half, but things went bad after that. Even though the opponent's pace had dropped, that goal gave them momentum. I wanted to show our determination for everyone who continued to come to Ajinomoto for the final home game. I regret that I couldn't do that."《Hatta》"Considering the balance, we played a good game, especially in the first half, but fatigue showed at the end. I am very frustrated to have conceded a goal from my mistake, but I want to develop the strength to bounce back from this. This year I had injuries, but I approached this match wanting everyone to see how hard I have worked throughout the year. We tried to fight as one team by raising our voices. I think we were able to do that. The support was very encouraging. Next, I want us to fight as one team towards the Emperor's Cup."

　[Summary of Coach Hara's Press Conference] "Omiya was focused on the match, perhaps due to the tension of the relegation battle. I don't think we played poorly, but we were turned around right before stoppage time in a way that symbolizes our season, losing our chance. There have been various reports about my resignation and the players, and each player had a strong desire to win in the last match at Ajinomoto this season. That may have caused us to put in a bit too much effort. With Minobe and Konno suspended, I used Hatta and Ikegami in their places. Both did well, and especially Hatta was nearly perfect except for the scene where he made a mistake. However, he was cramping a bit, so I substituted him for Inoha. I think Ikegami also performed well. Baba had just returned from surgery, so I substituted him to avoid any backlash. There were many situations where only Lucas was inside for crosses, so I brought Hirayama in to attack in a different way than Baba. To consider various options for the upcoming Emperor's Cup and to ensure Baba's injury doesn't recur, I substituted him early. I wanted to present a victory to everyone in the last home game, but... I have no regrets about the challenges I've faced this year with FC Tokyo, and many players like Hatta, Ikegami, and Kajiyama have personally developed. The fact that it didn't lead to results is my responsibility. There are players who are starting to bloom, and what we need to do now is to prepare well for the Emperor's Cup with Baba, Kajiyama, Minobe, Konno, and others. We must ensure that this past year is not wasted for both the team and myself."

　[Summary of the press conference by Omiya's coach Sakuma] "After drawing with Kofu in the last match, we have only the matches against Tokyo and Kawasaki left. I told the players that today's match against FC Tokyo might be our last chance to secure our survival on our own and avoid the relegation playoff. Ajinomoto Stadium has a somewhat unique pitch, and FC Tokyo has strong individual players, so I thought they would be stronger in battles. Therefore, we prepared to ensure we wouldn't lose in man-to-man situations and in picking up second balls. I started FW Yoshihara with the intention of exploiting the space behind Tokyo's defensive line. I thought it would be okay to go into halftime at 0-0 away, but from midway through the first half, there were moments when Tokyo's pressure weakened. The combination of Lucas and Baba was a threat, but I believed that once Hirayama came on, we wouldn't be broken down in the vital area. However, since Tokyo was likely to win second balls, I brought in Saito and shifted to a 4-1-4-1 formation to pick them up. Unfortunately, we conceded too early in the second half, and while I was thinking about how to switch to attack, MF Fujimoto scored the equalizer. It was a goal that followed the plan of FW Yoshihara using the space created by Kanazawa. It was a very tough match, and FW Morita, MF Fujimoto, and MF Kobayashi were struggling condition-wise, but in the end, DF Leandro scored, and substitutes FW Sakurai, MF Hashimoto, and MF Saito understood their roles well and fought hard. Saito and the two center-backs focused on creating a triangle to increase ball possession. I think we were able to control the game as we intended. This three points is significant for the club's history. Also, while I am neither a philosopher nor a religious person, I do believe that there is a god of soccer, and if we work hard every day and keep looking forward, there might be some kind of blessing like we had today."