A decisive victory in the final home game, aiming to rise up

　On 11/27 (Saturday), the league Sec. 33 will be held. Tokyo will face Montedio Yamagata in the final home match at Ajinomoto. In the previous match against Nagoya, they secured a valuable victory. This time, since Kobe, currently in 16th place, has already won before Tokyo's match, the current points total stands at 35, equal to Kobe. Even if Tokyo loses this match, their ranking will not change due to goal difference, but they have not won at Ajinomoto since the opening match of the season. To meet the expectations of the fans and supporters who have cheered throughout the season for their survival, this match is crucial for them to secure a victory. On the other hand, Yamagata is currently in 12th place, but with their victory in the previous match, they have accumulated 40 points, ensuring their J1 survival. They have also succeeded in surpassing last season's final points total of 39, and the team's atmosphere seems positive. This match will see some changes in the lineup, with DF Miyamoto at right back and DF Kobayashi on the left. The attacking line will feature FW Hasegawa at the forefront and FW Ito on the left, but they must not be outpaced in terms of movement and speed against Yamagata, who work hard as a team, and aim to launch a speedy and diverse attack to score goals. Tokyo will see the return of Hirayama to the starting lineup after serving a suspension. However, this will be their fifth match in two weeks, and they are facing a tough schedule with only three days since the last match. Considering the condition and balance, Coach Okuma will use Tokunaga as a center back. They will adopt a 4-4-2 formation with Daigoku and Hirayama as the two forwards. They aim to maintain their speed, take control on the sides, and utilize Kajiwara's advances and Hirayama's height to launch a speedy and diverse attack to score first. Coach Okuma strongly declared, "We have experienced harsh situations where one match or one goal can change everything, but there is no 'luck' in victory. We have fought with passion up to this point, but it is important to clearly recognize our position and fight unwaveringly towards our goals. The same goes for the final home match; we want to engage in a fierce battle and draw in a win." It was a clear Saturday, but as the sun set, it became chilly at Ajinomoto. The match started at 15:32 with Tokyo's kickoff.

Unable to break through Yamagata's solid defense, the first half ends scoreless

　From the beginning, they showed intense play. They developed quick attacks from tight defense. They controlled the ball and initiated plays from the right side. In the 7th minute, a cross from Miku Hara to Ishikawa found Ohkuro at the far post for a header. In the 9th minute, Kajiyama brought the ball in from the left corner of the area and took a shot, but both went wide. In the 16th minute, Ishikawa intercepted an opponent's pass and moved up the right flank to cross. This reached Hirayama, who was free at the far post, but he couldn't shoot directly. As he gauged the distance with the opposing DF, he was closed down, and his shot was cut off. In the 18th minute, Hirayama advanced into the right area from a pass by Kajiyama. He evaded the opposing DF and found himself one-on-one with the GK, but his position was compromised, and his close-range shot was saved. After that, Hirayama became the focal point in the front line, carrying the ball into dangerous areas, but struggled against Yamagata's compact defense and could not create decisive chances. On the other hand, Yamagata launched sharp counters from their solid defense, leading to a tense situation. In the 35th minute, Ishikawa injured his right foot and was forced to substitute. Therefore, Ricardinho was brought in as a left MF, with Hanyu moving to the right, trying to regain the flow. In the 41st minute, Tokunaga advanced, and Ohkuro spread the play to the right. Miku Hara, who overlapped in coordination, sent a right cross, but it was cleared by Yamagata. In the 42nd minute, Ricardinho utilized his speed to attack the left area, but his cutback to the center was intercepted and resulted in a corner kick. In the 44th minute, Hirayama broke through the left side with a dribble and passed to Hanyu in the area. Hanyu passed to Ohkuro, who had moved up the center, but just before it reached him, he was held back by Yamagata's DF... In the end, there were only 4 shots in the first half. They maintained concentration in defense, limiting Yamagata to just 2 shots, and went into halftime scoreless.

First goal by Hirayama! However, caught up in the end and regrettable draw

　It was a second half where we wanted to break through Yamagata's goal, but the early stages saw a back-and-forth development. In an attempt to break this deadlock, Maeda came on for Oguro in the 53rd minute. In the 60th minute, a floating pass from Yonemoto was dropped by Hirayama in the left area, and Hanyu entered a shooting position from a chest trap, but he couldn't shoot before the goalkeeper's quick advance. Yamagata also brought in forward Tashiro in the 59th minute, gathering the ball in the front line. Still, time passed without either side finding a decisive blow. In the 64th minute, Morishige was brought on for Hanyu, with Tokunaga moving to the defensive midfield and Kajiwara pushed up to the attacking midfield position as they aimed for the goal. In the 68th minute, a pass from Morishige into the area was contested by Kajiwara with a header, and Ricardinho seized the ball that spilled to the far side. His shot was blocked by the DF, but in the 74th minute, another vertical pass was sent from Morishige to Kajiwara, who was trying to advance into the right area. Kajiwara skillfully evaded the opposing DF just before the area and passed to Hirayama in the center. Hirayama, receiving the ball, slid sideways to evade the pressure from Yamagata's DF, turned around, and his shot grazed the opposing DF and found the top right corner of the goal, scoring!! They finally took the long-awaited lead. However, Yamagata did not give up and increased their momentum from here. The latter stages turned into a counterattack exchange, but in the 86th minute, Yamagata circulated the ball in midfield, and although they pressed, they couldn't take it away. Yamagata's MF Miyazawa created a starting point at the left corner of the area, and Kobayashi on the left side overlapped. They were allowed to enter the area and deliver a cross. From there, forward Tashiro scored with a high header... After being equalized, Morishige and Konno also moved up front and launched a fierce attack, but in the 89th minute, Konno shot after exchanging passes with Kajiwara in the area, but it just went slightly to the right... In the 4 minutes of stoppage time, Morishige connected Konno's throw-in to the area, and although Maeda dived in, they were held off by Yamagata, and they couldn't take the lead. This match symbolized the tough battles of the season, ending in a regrettable draw at home... 【Player Comments】《Hirayama》 "This year has been tough, and the result reflected that. It was a difficult match as Yamagata defended tightly from the first half, and I wanted to score in the first half if possible. However, if we could easily score there, the team wouldn't be struggling this much. In the second half, we managed to score first, which gave me a bit of relief... But everyone is not looking down. I want to prepare properly to contribute to the team's victory in any way and fight for just 3 points." 《Konno》 "We are continuing to fight in a tough situation at the very edge. But we have to overcome this pressure ourselves. Even though we haven't really won at home until now, the supporters have continued to cheer for us without abandoning us. That feeling is incredibly appreciated, and I want to repay it by securing our place in the league next. The final match is unrelated to what has happened so far; we will focus solely on winning for our survival. I want to show our true strength." 【Coach Okuma's Press Conference Summary】 "In the last 7-8 minutes, we didn't give Yamagata many chances, and we had enough players in front of the goal during the conceding situation. I have always said to stick to the man in front of the goal, so it's very disappointing. However, this is not a situation where we can just regret the draw. Kobe is also doing very well, but we still have an advantage. I want to clear various aspects once again and fight as a united team in the final match without regrets. (Kobe won before the match) I haven't deliberately conveyed anything. We just focused on winning, and prepared regardless of the opponent's situation, and that was our mentality. However, I felt there was some inconsistency in our condition. That was unexpected, but I think it's inevitable to have such a series of matches. In the first half, there was a sense of rigidity that we had to win, but I think the difference in condition, including Ishikawa's injury, had more impact. (Regarding Hanyu's positioning?) Yamagata plays with one top and three players in the second line. Behind them, there are two players lined up, leaving both sides open. To exploit that, I pushed Kajiwara forward and instructed Hanyu to maintain balance. At halftime, I told him that when we moved to attack, I wanted him to receive the ball not in a safe area but in a higher position that the opponent would dislike. Regarding substitutions, I thought it would be better to bring in someone with more attacking momentum due to concerns about injuries. (We are facing Kyoto, who has already been relegated, with just one point difference from 16th place?) Neither the players nor I have considered the opponent's situation, and I have continued to say that we should give our 100 percent against any opponent. In that sense, there is no slack against Kyoto. However, I am unsure how the tension of the final match will manifest in the game. Since there will be a gap in days, I want to carefully examine and assess our condition and fight in the last match." 【Yamagata Coach Kobayashi's Press Conference Summary】 "In the first half, we couldn't shoot, but the balance wasn't bad. However, Tokyo was attacking from the right with Ishikawa, but after a while, Ricardinho came in, and we couldn't suppress the attacks from the left. Still, I thought they would come to score in the second half, and as expected, we were able to use that space. The way we conceded was unfortunate, but it was good that we managed to score in the last 15 minutes, and gaining even one point will lead to the final match. It was a tough game, but they played a match that connects to the future. To maintain this position firmly, I want to ensure we can play well in the next match as well."