League match resumes! A match that tests overall strength

　J.League resumes after a two-week interval. Sec. 21 welcomes Yokohama F.Marinos at home. During the break, "players have been using their time effectively to relax both mentally and physically, while pushing themselves and engraving it in their minds (Coach Jofuku)," and have been diligently preparing. However, Nagatomo, who underwent appendicitis surgery during this period, and Ishikawa, who is experiencing pain in his left foot, are adjusting with a separate menu. Additionally, Bruno QUADROS temporarily left the team and has just returned to Japan. And in this match, Kajiyama is suspended, leaving the team with four players missing.

　However, Coach Jofuku emphasized the importance of the team fighting together, not just replacing someone with someone else, but utilizing each individual's strong points and covering for each other. Shigeki Motonaga started as a center-back for the first time since April 29th. Ryota Mukuhara played as a right-back, and Tokunaga on the left. Kanazawa started as a defensive midfielder for the first time since the Nabisco Chiba match on May 20th. Hayashi and Tanabe played on the wings. The team lined up with Cabore and Hirayama as the two forwards. Nakamura also returned from injury and made the bench for the first time since the Nabisco Yamagata match on June 3rd.

　Yokohama FM is currently in 11th place with 25 points. They have not lost in the last three matches before the break, and particularly in the last match, they scored three goals to win against Kyoto, indicating an upward trend in their performance. They have many players with high individual abilities, with forward Watanabe holding the ball at the front line, and their side attacks and counters are powerful. Additionally, there are many players like midfielder Hyodo who can come off the bench and 'switch on' the game, and if they are allowed to play easily, it can become difficult for the opponents. On the other hand, during this break, defender Nakazawa has returned from injury, and the defense boasts one of the most stable performances in the J-League. Tokyo did not score in the match against Hiroshima, and in the previous match against Kawasaki, they only managed one goal from Ishikawa, failing to secure additional points. Therefore, the biggest point in this match will be how to break down Yokohama M's strong and tall defense.

　Manager Hiroshi JOFUKU said, "Especially in the previous match against Yokohama FM, we showed instability towards the end when they kept throwing the ball in. In that sense, how we close the game is also one of the challenges. Even if we throw away the phrase 'Moving football,' we want to show the attitude of winning 3 points." This is the first match after the restart and an important game that will test the overall team strength. Although the heat remains, Ajinomoto Stadium, with low humidity and a pleasant breeze, the match started at 18:33 with Yokohama FM's kickoff.

Yokohama FM is able to control the pace, but we must concentrate and hold them back.

　In the early stages, both teams moved the ball and attacked each other. Tokyo tried to make use of Yonemoto's interception and Kanazawa's attacking power to initiate their own style of play. However, in the 1st minute, Yonemoto dropped the ball after advancing on the right side, and Cabore followed up in the center with a direct shot, but it lacked power. In the 12th minute, Yonemoto aggressively pressed near the center line and connected with Cabore in the front line, earning a corner kick. Hayu took the corner kick, and Kanazawa on the right area's corner crossed the ball just near the far post with his right foot, but there was no player to finish it, and it went out of bounds.

　20 minutes, Hanyu is fouled just outside the area on the left side, earning a free kick. Tokunaga takes a direct shot from a position of about 19-20 meters. However, this misses and gradually activates the attack of Yokohama FM from the situation of back and forth. The front line FW Watanabe, the attacking midfielder FW Hasegawa, the left FW Karino, and the right FW Yamase move fluidly and take control of the pace with a powerful breakthrough. In the 22nd minute, from a pass by FW Watanabe, the central midfielder Ogura enters the left area. In the 28th minute, a lofted pass is sent into the area from FW Karino just outside the left area, but Mokuhara and Tanabe sandwich it and escape to a corner kick.

　In the 29th minute, FW Yamase initiated the play, and FW Kano skillfully sent the ball to the left area, where FW Takumi HASEGAWA ran freely. A decisive chance was created, but Mokuhara quickly slid in and blocked it. In the 37th minute, after conceding a counterattack, FW Takumi HASEGAWA → Yamase in the front line shifted to the right area, and unleashed a powerful shot but missed the target. Tokyo was pushed back and became defensive, but the backline held their concentration and kept the score at 0-0 as they entered the second half.

Unable to create chances and unable to score, resulting in a goalless draw.

　In the opening of the second half, Yokohama FM's midfielder Ogura built up the play, and forward Yamase faced off against Tokyo's defender in a 1-on-1 situation on the left side. They created a shooting opportunity, but Tokyo cleared the ball by connecting passes from there. Tokyo defended tenaciously to avoid conceding a goal, regrouped, and started to generate rhythm in their attacks. In the 51st minute, Kabore dropped a cross from Tokunaga in the penalty area, and Hirayama behind him created a decisive shooting opportunity, but it was blocked by the opponent's defender. Immediately after, Tokunaga dribbled the ball into the left area and took a shot, threading it through the opponent's defenders, but the goalkeeper made a save.

　In the 53rd minute, Hirayama in the front line skillfully blocked the opponent's DF from Gonda's goal kick and connected it to Cabore in the right area. Cabore shot the ball with speed, but there was no angle and it hit the side net. In the 59th minute, Yonemoto → Kanazawa expanded to the left. Hayashi caught up and sent a cross from the sideline. Hirayama closed in on the far side. Tokunaga, Hayashi, and Cabore were involved in the attack and created chances, but they couldn't break through the tough defense of the Yokohama DF and score a goal.

　Tokyo tried to overwhelm Yokohama FM, whose physicality had started to decline, by making player substitutions. In the 59th minute, Suzuki was brought on to replace Tanabe. In the 64th minute, Suzuki quickly advanced and won consecutive corner kicks from crosses. In the end, Kanazawa picked up the clearance from the left corner kick and Suzuki delivered a cross just inches away from the far post, but no one was able to connect. Yokohama FM also made substitutions in the 65th minute, bringing on midfielder Hyodo and forward Sakata. Their movement started to improve, and in the 71st minute, Yokohama forward Watanabe received a through pass and sent a last pass to the left area. Right fullback Tanaka made a free run into the area and created a decisive chance. However, Tanaka's shot missed above the bar, completely avoiding conceding a goal thanks to the mistake...

　In the 72nd minute, Otake was replaced by Hanyu, and in the 80th minute, Kanazawa was replaced by Nakamura in the defensive midfield. However, towards the end, it became a back-and-forth counterattack, with a hectic development. In the 84th minute, Otake sent a pass to the right area, and Cabore made a run, but it was offside. In the 88th minute, a powerful quick attack was launched from Yonemoto's interception, and even in injury time, Suzuki -> Cabore broke through the side and created a chance for Hirayama to finish with a cross into the middle, but this was also offside. They showed an attacking attitude until the end, but couldn't shake the goal net. The first match after the league resumed ended in a scoreless draw.

　【Player Comments】《Taira SHIGE》"I tried to concentrate more than usual and fight. I valued the distance with those around me and constantly communicated with each other. I think I did well in terms of spacing and contact play with the opponent, as well as in challenge and cover. Not only the center-backs but everyone around me supported and helped well. I felt that what I am doing in Kodaira is not wrong. I want to use that as further motivation." 《Kanazawa》"It was good to keep a clean sheet, but I was very eager to win, so I am disappointed with the draw. I cannot be satisfied. I also feel that I could have contributed more to the team... In the first half, Yokohama FM took control of the pace. We were pushed back, and the sides were absorbed into the defensive line. I wanted to regain the flow, but I thought it would be tough if we conceded a goal first, so I considered it a point to endure. In that sense, I think we were able to fight with concentration. In attack, we tried to connect passes and move the ball to extend our possession time, but the opponent's defense was solid, making it a difficult match in both halves."

　[Summary of Coach Jofuku's Press Conference] "We hadn't won two matches before the break, so it was crucial for us to win today to stay competitive in the upper ranks. The players stepped onto the pitch with that mindset. We had been sticking with the same starting lineup for a while, but this week we were forced to make changes. I believe the players who came in did their best. As a team, we tried to bring out their strengths. Even with changes in the lineup, our approach of creating our own time from the defensive line, observing the opponent's pressure, supplying the ball to the front line, and then switching play remains unchanged. However, I didn't expect things to go the same way with four new players. It's not just about those four; the most important thing is to showcase each player's characteristics on the pitch. It's also important to cover for each other, including in defense, but the fact is we couldn't finish in the first half. We had too little time on the ball, chased the opponent's ball too much, and became a bit fatigued, which affected our finishing ability. The lack of clarity in ideas comes from the total connection, including from the defensive line. We need to raise our level, including backup. While it's disappointing to end up with just one point, we managed to keep a clean sheet. In that sense, I want to commend the players for their desire for points. However, this point means nothing unless we win next time. We want to gather all our strength to achieve victory. I'm sorry we couldn't present you with three points, but I hope you will watch us next time. We have no intention of ending our summer comeback. I would like to ask for your passionate support again."

　[Yokohama FM Coach Kimura's Press Conference Summary] "There was a two-week break in the league, and I gave the players four days off. They returned refreshed for this summer's three consecutive matches. In the last match, we won 3-0 against Kyoto, and we approached this game with that image in mind. At the start of the first half, our defense from the front line was good, and the transition between offense and defense was quick. However, we overcomplicated our attacks and missed opportunities to shoot, so we made adjustments at halftime. I also told them to take long-range shots at the start of the second half. However, even in the second half, we lacked aggression and imagination once we entered the attacking zone. While we were focused defensively, what concerned me most was that while attacking, it’s inevitable to lose the ball at times, but there were moments when we left players like Hirayama and Suzuki, who came on as substitutes, free and conceded counterattacks. That needs to be corrected. In terms of offense, finishing with a shot or earning a corner kick is good, and of course scoring a goal is the best, but if we can execute our plays, we can start from the initial position again, so I emphasize the importance of executing our plays thoroughly. Still, due to Tokyo's strong defense, there were parts we couldn't execute. Improving those aspects in the two-day training session will be challenging, but I want to raise their awareness."