In the final match of the league, play with a calm mind and fight with determination

　Finally, as the league season comes to a close, the final match will be against JEF United Chiba. Despite struggling under the pressure from Niigata in the previous match, we were able to end our last home game with a victory, moving up to 5th place in the standings. Although it relies on external factors, there is still a possibility of rising to 3rd place depending on the result of this match. We will not give up until the very end and give our all to seize the victory. However, Ishikawa has suffered an injury to his right foot and will be forced to miss the game. Additionally, Kajiyama will be suspended following the previous match. As a result, Suzuki will make his first start as the right midfielder after transferring. In midfield, Imakawa and Asari will play as the double pivot, while Cabore and Akamine will form the attacking duo up front.

　Chiba, who is currently in 17th place, needs to secure 3 points in order to avoid automatic relegation to J2, even with a draw in this match. It is expected that they will come out with an aggressive playstyle, but for Tokyo to win, it is essential to not be on the defensive mentally. In terms of defense, one key point is to contain FW Makoto, who is Chiba's source of goals, including set plays. It is important to not only mark him tightly, but also be cautious of accurate crosses from MF Michel, Tanizawa, and Fukai coming in from the sides.

　Furthermore, Chiba's quick transition between offense and defense means that we need to compete with them in terms of energy. In terms of attack, it will depend on how well we can calmly evade Chiba's intense press and carry the ball forward to switch the play. We want to disrupt Chiba's solid defense, which is well-organized by their fullbacks, with the speedy movements of Cabore, Hanyu, Suzuki, and others. Chiba will be without their defender Bosnar due to suspension, so they have chosen to start Hayakawa in central defense. They have also made some changes to the lineup since the previous match, with Kushi as the goalkeeper making his first league start, Toda and Kudo as the central midfielders, and Fukai as the left midfielder.

　Although it was sunny, a cold strong wind blew at the Fukuda Denshi Arena. The stands were filled with tension even before the game, and Coach Shirofuku said, "It's a special game for both teams. We came to the stadium with that determination. We understand that Chiba's players have a motivation that we can't imagine, but it is only by winning 3 points in this situation that we can move forward. This game will test whether we can step up." With determination, the big match started at 14:34 in Tokyo.

Chiba dodges the press and seizes the flow, Cabore scores the opening goal!

　Intense attacks and defenses continued from the beginning. Chiba applied a powerful press from the front line, while Tokyo countered with their energy and momentum, launching speedy attacks with quick transitions between offense and defense. Shortly after the start, Suzuki received a pass from the center and carried it to the right area, taking a sharp shot. The goalkeeper made a save, resulting in a right corner kick, but Tokunaga's kick was cleared and led to a counterattack. However, Tokyo also defended with their defensive line and quickly switched back to the offensive. In the 5th minute, Hayashi received a return pass from Kabore and advanced while shooting. The timing was good, but the distance was too far and he couldn't find the target.

　19 minutes, from the midfield battle, Imano sends a lob pass to the front line. Cabore breaks free, but the ball is a little too long and caught by the opponent's goalkeeper. Chiba also shows fighting spirit, and in the 21st minute, from a right early cross, FW Maki hits a header over Saura's head, but Shioda easily catches it. After that, taking advantage of Hayashi and Suzuki's bold movements, they create chances. There were also moments where Chiba struggled with their intensity, but in the 27th minute, Chiba's FW Reynaud and Nagatomo had a 1-on-1 battle, which Nagatomo defended successfully. In the 29th minute, Cabore skillfully dealt with the ball, and Akamine tenaciously connected it to Asari, who had moved up freely in the midfield. Asari timely took a shot, but it went to the left...

　38 minutes, Nagatomo's cross flew to the far side, and Suzuki, who ran freely here, took a direct shot but was blocked by the goalkeeper's save... However, in the 39th minute, Tokunaga kicked the corner kick obtained from this, and Cabore in the center scored a header with a movement that evaded the opponent's mark, taking the lead!

　In the 40th minute, Chiba's fast cross resulted in consecutive headers by FW Makoto. In the 44th minute, Reynaldo, the right-side MF, sprinted to exploit Tokyo's defense. He sent a cross parallel to the goal from the area, and MF Fukai jumped in to meet it, but Tokunaga made a sliding tackle to cut it off. They defended without losing focus and managed to take the lead into the second half, although it was not an easy development.

Expanding the lead with Nagatomo's goal, but conceding multiple goals in the final stages and losing in a comeback

　In the second half, Chiba's intense press loosened slightly, and Tokyo took control of the ball, found their rhythm, and started attacking. In the 47th minute, Inamoto intercepted a pass in midfield and dribbled fiercely. He then passed to Akanemine on the left, who got into a shooting position but was blocked. However, Suzuki picked up the loose ball and passed it to Hayashi, who had moved up freely. It was a decisive moment, but Hayashi's powerful shot hit the post... Suzuki then picked up the rebound and took a shot from the right side, but it went far above the crossbar. In the 53rd minute, they launched a counterattack, with Inamoto passing to Nagatomo, who calmly cut inside the opponent's defense near the area and took a shot. It was sucked into the goal, giving them a two-goal lead!!

　Tokyo, who completely grasped the flow, did not give Chiba a chance, and Cabore and Suzuki attacked the Chiba goal one after another with a good tempo of passing. However, they were unable to score any decisive goals and time passed without being able to take the third goal to finish off Chiba.

　Chiba did not give up, and in the 56th minute, FW Arata replaced MF Misheu, and in the 63rd minute, MF Fukai was replaced by MF Yuzawa. Tokyo also made a substitution in the 63rd minute, replacing Hayu with Otake, and both teams showed an attacking posture. In the 74th minute, Chiba quickly passed a long ball behind the Tokyo DF after losing the ball in the midfield. FW Arata broke free to receive the pass. The shot released from the one-touch was deflected by the outstretched hand of Shibata and went into the goal. After conceding a goal due to a mistake, in the following 77th minute, Chiba FW Maki won the ball in the front line and MF Yuzawa ran freely to score a spectacular shot...

　In an instant, they were caught up to the same score, but still went for the goal in pursuit of victory. However, they became flustered in the face of Chiba's determination and lost their balance. In the 80th minute, they were unable to clear the ball that Chiba FW Maki contested, and Inomoto fouled Chiba MF Ronaldo, who had stolen the ball in the penalty area, giving away a penalty kick. Chiba MF Ronaldo himself took the penalty kick and scored it perfectly, allowing Chiba to take the lead.

　After that, in the 81st minute, Kondo was substituted for Suzuki, and in the 86th minute, Hirayama was substituted for Asari, trying to recover one point. However, in the 85th minute, MF Tanizawa, who broke through Chiba's vertical pass, dribbled and scored the fourth goal to seal the deal. Despite taking a 2-point lead, we couldn't stop Chiba's determination and momentum, and we continued to concede goals in the remaining 15 minutes, resulting in a comeback loss... As a result, we dropped one place in the rankings and finished the league in 6th place.

　[Player Comments] {Hanyu} "I feel sorry for not being able to give my all to my teammates in Tokyo, supporters, and everyone involved. I anticipated that the match would start with a lot of kicking, and within that, I tried to become a point of attack in the front line and create the game to some extent, getting involved in the offense. I could feel that the momentum was on our side, and after scoring two goals, there was a chance to deliver the final blow. It's disappointing that we couldn't do that. I regret not being on the pitch when we were equalized. Of course, I didn't think I would give my all from the start and last the full 90 minutes... If there is an aspect where that was the case, I need to focus on being on the pitch for the full 90 minutes. I want to think about that to level up as a soccer player. Once again, from Chiba's battle, I learned that we must believe in our soccer, and the opposite can also happen. I want to connect each one to the Emperor's Cup." {Suzuki} "It was an important match for both teams. Even so, I thought we should play aggressively as usual and not be passive against Chiba's intensity, trying to take the initiative. There were parts where I could do as I intended, but I felt a lack of strength in being able to secure the win. As Chiba came at us desperately, it became difficult to make decisions after conceding a goal. We aimed to score, but I wonder if we made the right decisions along the way... Various aspects need correction. I really wanted to produce results in my first starting lineup... Until a certain point, we were able to control the game with a really good flow, so now I am filled with regret."

　[Summary of Coach Jofuku's Press Conference] "In the final league match, Chiba absolutely cannot lose, and we absolutely must win, creating a different atmosphere for the game. The players stepped onto the pitch with that determination, but the fear of being in a 2-0 situation, the inability to stop the collapse once it began, and the scenes of conceding goals revealed our issues this season. Including that, I felt that the current state of the league reflects our true strength, which cannot be hidden. In the end, we were exposed to our weaknesses. Not being able to hold on after going from 2-2 is a challenge we face now. I want to take that seriously. At the same time, we must learn from Chiba's spirit today. I want to carry that into the Emperor's Cup. (What was the reason for conceding four goals after leading by two?) Each goal conceded was different, so I can't say it was just one thing. It was about not misjudging where we should be fighting, whether to hold the line or drop back, and various other factors were exposed. Also, the atmosphere that we could concede a third goal at any time was very frightening. We should have learned how scary a 2-0 scoreline can be. (What was the intention behind substituting player Hanyu?) He played at a high pace from the first half, and his work rate and quality were very good. However, just before the substitution, he cramped up, and his work rate was decreasing. I don't know if that timing was good, but I thought we could utilize the space he created with his work rate. (Reflecting on the league season) I accept our ranking firmly. There were matches where we were lucky and others where we were not, but it is a fair ranking. The result of 6th place under various circumstances is recognized as our current strength. However, this is not the end; we must learn from every match, build on it, and today was just one match in that repetition. The Emperor's Cup is still ahead, so I want to reflect and approach it with that mindset."

　[Summary of the press conference by Chiba's Alex MILLER] "From the start, we were able to fight very well with counterattacks after regaining possession. However, we were not good in the final moments. The team did not function well there. We tried to correct that at halftime. The first goal we conceded was from a corner kick where we did not mark properly, resulting in a poor goal. In the second half, we were slow to pass during our short corner, which allowed the opponent to take possession and score on the counter. Conversely, we were able to score at a very good time. When we equalized at 2-2, I thought we could definitely win. I believe our players were good in terms of fitness until the end. There was a possibility of relegation in today's match, but the players gave their all. Since I took over, the team's situation has gradually improved, and we have been able to earn about 1.65 points per match. I think we have recovered well from the bottom position. However, while we can be happy today, we cannot be tomorrow. I believe that winning in next season's league is success for both me and the players. I made many important decisions today. That's what being a coach is about. I substituted the captain, the goalkeeper, and midfielder Tanizawa. After conceding, I sent in players who could do the right job. I provided the right guidance to those players, and since they understood the breakthrough of Tokyo's number 9 and the opponent's tactics, they also understood what kind of plan we should approach with. (What are the differences between Japan and the Premier League?) There are many, but Japanese players have technique and a wonderful attitude towards practice. If they can do something on the right, they can also do it on the left when asked. Speaking about our team, we need to correct our defense a bit more. We have conceded a lot of goals in the last few matches. It is also important to find the opponent's weaknesses and exploit them, as well as to control the game properly in the final stages. We need to learn those things. (What about next season?) First, it is important to raise the team's standards. If we do not take responsibility and do the jobs assigned to us, we cannot move forward. Even with a small number of players, I want to create a team where everyone can play and fight in matches. I want the players to work with ambition."