Risking survival, we enter the away game!

　Sec. 29 of the league, Oita Trinita will play away. The league matches resume after a two-week interval. Although they lost in the previous match against Shimizu on 10/4, they currently have a 5-point difference with the top team Kashima, and it is a very important match to keep up with the top group in the fierce battle. It is an away game, but they want to secure points and continue to compete for the top positions.

　Sec. 27 Oita, who currently has 48 points in 4th place. In the 27th section, they lost both the Yokohama FM and the Kawasaki game away, suffering consecutive losses, but their strength at home is still strong. This season, they have only lost one game at the Kyushu Dome, which was in the 4th section against Gamba Osaka, showing overwhelming strength. In this section, DF Uemoto and Fujita will be suspended, but the defensive line centered around DF Fukaya and Morishige is unlikely to be easily broken. Coach Jofuku tightens his focus, saying, "Oita has become a new team with the addition of FW Morishima and others, but they function as a team and have a thorough way of playing." The biggest point is how aggressively they can attack the goal. They want to launch quick attacks and exploit the spaces on the sides.

　Tokyo, Fujiyama starts on the right side for the first time since the 23rd round against Kashiwa. Bruno QUADROS, Otake, and others have been plagued by injuries, and it is a difficult situation, but Coach Shirofuku says, "Injuries can happen to any team, in any situation. Despite being in a critical condition, the players have prepared themselves individually." Nagatomo and Hanyu are also preparing their condition and will be on the bench. They will approach the game with all their strength. In defense, it is crucial to suppress Oita's side attacks and seal off the height of FW Morishima. It is necessary to respond tenaciously to the flying out and crosses of the MF Takahashi and Suzuki on both sides and gain an advantage on the side.

　This season, the match against Oita will be the fourth time, including the Nabisco Cup, and the results so far are 1 win, 1 draw, and 1 loss. However, Coach Jofuku declared, "If we lose this match, we will fall behind Oita in the head-to-head record, Nabisco Cup, and league standings. We absolutely want to avoid being in a disadvantaged situation in every aspect. First, we want to equalize in terms of points." The match started at 14:05 with a kickoff in Tokyo at the Kyushu Oil Dome, where a refreshing autumn sky spreads.

Conceding the first goal from a set piece, trailing by one point at halftime

　In the early stages, Oita, who launched a powerful attack at home, was pushed back. However, they defended with concentration and gradually set the pace of the game. In the 4th minute, Imakano, who stole the ball in the midfield, passed it to Cabore in the front line. The ball was passed to Emerson near the goal line, who then passed it to Cabore, who was waiting in the center of the area, but it was offside. In the 11th minute, there was a scramble in front of the goal from Kajiyama's right corner kick. Imakano took a left-footed volley shot, but it was saved by the opponent's goalkeeper. In the 17th minute, Kajiyama passed to Imakano, who had escaped behind the defense after exchanging passes with Cabore on the left side. The cross hit the defender, and Kajiyama picked up the loose ball in the center. He took a direct shot from the middle, but it went slightly to the left of the goal.

　After that, they continued to attack widely and grasp the rhythm. However, in the 24th minute, Oita FW Weslley broke through on a counterattack and was fouled, resulting in a free kick. MF Suzuki scored directly from this FK from outside the right area, allowing the opponent to take the lead from a set piece. Nevertheless, Tokyo displayed an aggressive attitude and turned the tide to launch a counterattack. In the 31st minute, Inomata received a pass from Fujiyama, who had dribbled up, and crossed from the left. Unfortunately, it did not reach Akamine, who was waiting in front of the goal. In the 36th minute, Kajiyama passed to Emerson from a central free kick, but his shot was blocked by the Oita DF.

　Oita took the lead and solidified the center, especially with DF Fukaya man-marking Cabore. They were unable to fully utilize Cabore's speed. Attacks from Emerson and Konno from the sides, as well as attacks initiated by Tokunaga's crosses, created opportunities, but they were unable to break through Oita's defense. In the final stages, they created chances from set plays, but failed to convert them into goals. They went into the second half trailing by one point.

Unable to break down Oita's solid defense until the end, resulting in a goalless defeat

　In the second half, Hanyu was substituted for Asari and Hayabusa was brought in. Also, the positions of Fujiyama and Tokunaga were changed to start the counterattack. In the 48th minute, Cabore volleyed a floating cross from Emerson, but Oita GK Shimokawa caught it. In the 54th minute, Hayabusa stole the ball and ran up the left side, passing to Akamine on the left side of the area. He aimed for Cabore in front of the goal, but was blocked by the Oita DF. In the 56th minute, from Kajiyama's quick restart, Imano aimed for a powerful shot but missed above the frame. In the 57th minute, Cabore, who received a feed from Fujiyama in the center of the area, aimed for the goal but the opponent GK caught it.

　In the 68th minute, Iwakawa was substituted for Emerson. In the 69th minute, Kabore on the left side took advantage of his speed to make a vertical breakthrough, leaving the opponent's defender behind and making a negative cross. However, the opponent's defender cleared it. Despite dominating ball possession and showing an aggressive attacking attitude, they couldn't take a shot. In the 74th minute, they launched a counterattack from the opponent's free kick clearance, and Sekine passed to Iwakawa on the right side, who sent a cross with a shooting opportunity, but it was blocked by the Oita defender right in front of the goal. In the 80th minute, Kabore headed the ball from a loose ball after a throw-in, but it lacked power and was caught by the Oita goalkeeper.

　In the 84th minute, Akamine, who broke through in the area, was fouled but no foul was given. In the 85th minute, Nagatomo was substituted for Fujiyama. Cabore and Akamine in the front line tried to collect the ball and aim for an equalizer. In injury time, a cross from Nagatomo on the left side to Cabore. It was cleared by the Oita DF but resulted in a corner kick. From this right corner kick, Tokunaga picked up the loose ball and took a daring shot from outside the box, but it went over the goal. They desperately chased after a goal to catch up by one point, but as time passed, their impatience became apparent and they were unable to shake the net until the end. Oita successfully defended their one-point lead and the game ended as it was. They suffered a disappointing defeat.

　[Player Comments] {Shiota} "The condition of the pitch was poor, and I had no choice but to change direction to adapt. I think Oita was able to respond to that better. (Regarding the goal conceded) the opponent's free kick was well taken. I was thinking they might kick it towards the wall, but I also had in mind that they could put it to the far side... It was more of a straight shot rather than curling with the left foot, and I couldn't react. We need to switch gears after this defeat. Honestly, winning the championship has become difficult, but depending on our ranking, there is still a chance to qualify for the ACL. I want to prepare for the next match against Kashima with that as our goal." {Moniwa} "Today's result is really disappointing. (What about the scene that led to the free kick that resulted in the goal?) That was a dangerous situation on the counter. I was thinking that it would be okay to commit a foul if necessary, but then a foul was called before that. However, that's the referee's decision, so I can't make excuses. Regarding that free kick, I can only praise the kicker. The lack of scoring has been a challenge for the team, and I want to reassess and resolve it. We can't win if we don't score. (It seems that Morishima was getting heated?) I think that's his playing style. But since we weren't being shot at that much, I tried not to worry too much about it. It would be a waste of time to get provoked and react. The next match against Kashima is at home, and I want to show our pride. We can't end it like this. If we can move up even one place, I believe the situation in Tokyo will change next year. I want to switch gears and do my best."

　[Summary of Coach Jofuku's Press Conference] "First of all, I am very disappointed that we could not meet the expectations of everyone who came from Tokyo to Oita and the fans who supported us in Tokyo. We were taking care of counterattacks and set plays, but we gave away a free kick in a place where we shouldn't have, leading to a goal against us, even though we were not being broken down. We approached the game aggressively because we couldn't afford to draw, but it was unfortunate that we conceded a goal in a situation where we started well, and while we tried to attack without conceding another goal, we couldn't score even when the opponent had to defend. (In the second half, how did you add an accent with Hanyu?) From the middle of the game, Kajiyama dropped back to receive the ball in the defensive midfield position to fill the space in the second line. We intended to spread the opponent while connecting, so we structured the midfield to connect even more. (Next, you face the top team, Kashima?) I think the key will be how well we can connect while entering the opponent's penalty area and how many variations we can have, such as dribbling and making runs behind. We created many chances in today's match, but we need to analyze the fact that we did not score."

　[Oita - Summary of Coach CHAMUSCA's Press Conference] "As we entered the final stages, it was a direct confrontation between the top teams, and I believe winning here is very significant. As expected before the match, it was a tough game. I think we returned to the state where we had a record of 17 matches without a loss, with speed, strength in duels, and intense marking. The two-week break was very valuable in getting back to this state. Tactically, the opponent came at us with a three-top formation at first, and we adopted a method where Takahashi and Suzuki, in some cases, would drop back to the final line to create a 4 against 3 situation. For that, it was important to communicate well and ensure we didn't end up in a 3 against 3 situation. This was the result of effective communication, with someone always covering. After we scored the first goal, Tokunaga started pushing forward, and Emerson came inside, allowing Tokunaga to enter the space that opened up. Furthermore, towards the end of the first half, both full-backs joined the attack, which required even more communication, but I think the team functioned smoothly in that regard. Regarding MF Kanazaki's position, I asked him to drop back to the holding midfield line for defense and to move into the top line as part of the three-top for attack. I think it was a very tough match for him today, so I substituted him at the end. We were unable to hold the ball up front and were under continuous attack from the opponent, so I brought in FW Takamatsu to help keep possession. In the last five minutes, Nagatomo came in, so I brought in Nishiyama to form a three-holding midfield shape, and we managed the system in a 3-6-1 formation."