Overcoming the fear of playing away and challenging the winning streak

　The postponed Sec. 6 will be held, facing Yokohama FC away. In the previous match, we won 3-0, achieving a tie record of six consecutive league victories. However, the next two matches will be away games. All of our losses this season have been away. It is expected that this match will also be tough amidst a hard schedule, but it will be a test of our growth. We want to maintain our concentration throughout the 90 minutes, completely eliminate our negative perception of away games, and aim for further consecutive victories. Yokohama FC, on the other hand, is currently in 15th place with 31 points. They have not won in their last seven league matches and lost to Matsumoto Yamaga from JFL in the Emperor's Cup, seemingly losing confidence. However, in the previous match, they returned to their roots and engaged in a battle with Gifu. As a result, they were turned around, but they have regained their physicality and fighting spirit. Above all, with FW Kaio at the center, the attacking lineup including FW Miura and Nanba is diverse. In this match, they approached with a different formation, placing FW Kaio at the forefront, FW Miura as an attacking midfielder, and MF Nanba and Aburihori on the sides. Coach Okuma stated, "Yokohama FC will come at us fearlessly at home. Still, we aim to win by surpassing the strategies of our opponents and expressing what we have cleared through our experiences away." Tokyo will approach with the same members, including the bench, as in the previous match. The temperature has dropped significantly, and the match started at 19:33 with Yokohama FC's kickoff at Nippatsu Mitsuzawa Stadium, which is getting colder.

Tokyo Aim To Dispel Away Day Blues

In a fixture postponed from gameweek six, FC Tokyo took on Yokohama FC. Following a comfortable 3-0 win over Okayama on Sunday that earned a record-tying sixth consecutive win, Tokyo faced two away trips in succession, aware that all the defeats suffered this season had come on the road. Although the match was expected to be a challenging encounter, it would serve to show how far the team had developed. Maintaining full concentration over the 90 minutes to banish the away day blues and earning a win to extend the winning streak was the order for the evening.
Opponents Yokohama lay in 15th place with 31 points at kick-off. The side was mired in a seven-game winless streak and had crashed out of the Emperor's Cup to Matsumoto Yamaga of the JFL. The team had tried to regain confidence by going back to basics with a hard-running performance in the previous outing against Gifu; although that game had also ended in defeat, the dynamism and fighting spirit showed signs of returning. Forward Kaio was the focus of a diverse attack, supported by Miura and Namba.
The hosts lined up in a slightly different formation than usual: Kaio led the line with Miura playing a more withdrawn role, while Arabori and Namba played on the flanks. Tokyo manager Kiyoshi Okuma commented, "Yokohama fear no one at home. Even so, the game will be a matter of whether we can reproduce what we've learned up to now in an away setting." Tokyo were unchanged from the previous game.
The temperature had fallen sharply after dusk and there was a chill in the air at Mitsuzawa Stadium as Yokohama FC kicked off shortly after 7:30 pm.

With fighting spirit, both teams engage in an intense game.

　The match became intense from the start. Against Yokohama FC's strict pressing, Tokyo also competed fiercely for the ball, leading to quick transitions in both offense and defense. In the early stages, they couldn't convert their chances, but they fought calmly and gradually increased the number of opportunities to finish. In the 18th minute, Tanizawa evaded an opponent near the right sideline and cut inside, delivering a last pass in front of the goal. Kajiyama at the near post let it go, and Tanabe in front had a perfect shooting chance, but was contested by the opposing defender just before he could hit it. In the 23rd minute, Tanabe's breakthrough was stopped by a foul, earning a free kick just outside the area, slightly to the right. Morishige aimed directly with a curve, but it was saved by the goalkeeper. In the 25th minute, Kajiyama quickly switched to attack after an interception, passing to Lucas who had broken forward. Lucas controlled the ball while holding off the opposing defender and aimed with his right foot at an early timing, but the shot went high. In the following 26th minute, they launched a powerful counterattack, with Tanabe dribbling up the center and spreading it to the right. After receiving a right cross from Tanizawa, Tanabe again rushed to the front of the goal and attempted a diving header, but it went to the right... In the 31st minute, Tanizawa executed a tricky free kick, sending a ground pass from the right side to Tokunaga, who was free in the center. Tokunaga aimed for a direct shot, but it was weak and hit the wall in front of the goal, leading to a scramble. Konno reacted to the loose ball in the area and shot, but couldn't hit the target. The first half ended scoreless.

Grit To The Fore In Fierce Encounter

The game began at a furious intensity with Yokohama FC pressing Tokyo hard. The visitors responded by aggressively attacking the ball as the game rapidly shifted from end to end. There were few chances created in the first quarter but Tokyo slowly began to move the ball into threatening positions. In the 18th minute, Yazawa evaded a defender down the right, took the ball to the byline, then cut inside and stroked a pass across the face of the goal. Kajiyama stepped over the ball at the near post, leaving Tanabe with what seemed like a golden opportunity to give Tokyo the lead until a defender stepped in to clear the danger at the last moment. Tanabe was clattered to the ground as he broke through the home defense in the 23rd minute, earning Tokyo a free kick just outside the penalty area to the right. Morishige curled his effort on goal but Seki, the Yokohama keeper, was able to make the save.
In the 25th minute, Kajiyama intercepted the ball in midfield and quickly played it forward to Lucas. Lucas controlled the ball neatly and held off a defender before taking an early shot that flew well wide of the target. Tokyo launched a stirring counter attack in the 26th minute, Tanabe racing forward before finding Yazawa out on the right. Yazawa crossed and Tanabe, having continued his run into the box, flung himself at the ball, making contact but steering it wide of the post.
Tokyo won a free kick in a central position in the 31st minute. Yazawa attempted to catch the Yokohama defense off-guard by laying the ball off to Tokunaga on the right instead of shooting himself; Tokunaga shot but the effort lacked pace and hit the defensive wall, provoking a scramble for possession. Konno reacted fastest and pounced on the ball first but was unable to direct his shot on target.
The first period ended 0-0.

In the atmosphere of a draw, Nao scores a valuable volley!! Dramatic victory for 7 consecutive wins!

　In the second half, Yokohama managed to connect chances by overcoming their tough press. In the 56th minute, they launched a strong attack from the left side, starting from quick passing, and Takahashi from the left area took a decisive shot from Tanabe's pass. However, it was blocked by the concentrated defense of Yokohama. In the 59th minute, Ishikawa was substituted for Tanabe. Immediately after that, they took advantage of a chance from a left throw-in, and Takahashi from near the goal slightly touched the ball backwards from Mokuhara's cross, and Hayashi in front of the goal volleyed the ball but it was blocked by the crossbar...

　Yokohama FC keeps pushing forward without giving up, and as the exchange between offense and defense intensifies, in the 62nd minute, Yokohama FC's MF Takachi is cut into the left front line, creating a one-on-one scene with Konda. However, MoriShige and Makoto IMANO quickly cover and Konda blocks the shot with his body to protect the goal.

　In the 69th minute, Roberto CESAR was substituted for Hayu, but in the 73rd minute, Ishikawa broke through the opponent's defense and sent a cross to the left front line. CESAR in front of the goal connected with a standing header, but... it went wide. In the 78th minute, from Inomoto's attacking run, Ishikawa on the left side passed to CESAR in the center. The shot was contested by the opponent's defense and couldn't be completed, but it reached Kajiyama who moved inside. Kajiyama took a shot from just outside the box, but it went wide... The time of not being able to score continued against Yokohama's concentrated defense.

　In the 88th minute, Cesar was fouled near the right area and won a free kick. In this play, Yokohama DF Nakano received his second warning and was sent off. However, it was now entering injury time. As if it were the last chance, Ishikawa snatched the loose ball from the left corner kick and crossed it. Inomata's header grazed, but Kajiyama slid inside and crossed the ball again. Inomata took another shot! However, it went wide... It seemed like the game would end scoreless.

　But immediately after that, from the flow of the free kick, Tokunaga goes up the right side and sends a cross. The clear by the Yokohama DF falls to Ishikawa in front of the area, and Ishikawa volleys it without hesitation! The ball goes over the stretched hand of the goalkeeper and into the bottom right! In the final moments, Ishikawa saves his team with a truly invaluable goal, securing a dramatic victory and achieving their first seven consecutive wins.

　【Player Comment】《Ishikawa》"While the ball was in the air, I had the image of the goal from last season's Emperor's Cup (Fukuoka match) in mind. I tried to wait until the last moment to kick it, so it wouldn't float. I think staying calm in any situation led to the goal. (About the cradle performance) I had forgotten about it myself. Then everyone gathered around me... Not only that, but the supporters in the stands celebrated together with me, and I'm really happy about that. I want to become stronger and get promoted to J1. It's still a process, but I feel like I'm making progress even in difficult times. The schedule is tough, but I want to fight together as a team."

　"Konno: "It wasn't a satisfying game in terms of content, but the substitute players, including Ishikawa, scored for us, and I myself got excited. It was amazing to have a sense of unity. Yokohama FC changed their system a little differently from what we analyzed in advance and prevented us from playing passing football with a compact formation. They came out with great momentum once they took the ball, and they really came to win. However, we were able to respond calmly. I don't think our defense was bad either. I think the team's momentum will increase by bringing the win in a draw-like atmosphere."

　[Summary of Manager Okuma's Press Conference] "The 90 minutes today became a game that symbolizes the struggles we have faced so far. We have also studied the opponent and approached the match, but Yokohama FC has made different arrangements with a 4-1-4-1 formation. Their defensive awareness is very high, and their intentions for counterattacks are clear. I felt that it would be difficult to break through that. However, Ishikawa, who came on as a substitute, delivered results for us. In this schedule and in the persistent J2 league, we cannot fight with just the starting members. I think this is a victory that we won with not just 11 players, but 18 players, and now with 32 players. The matches will continue, and even if we scout the opponent, they will definitely come up with different countermeasures. We have become more adaptable and have more options, but we want to achieve our goals by increasing our options even further, fighting with the same persistence as today's match, one game at a time."

　[Yokohama FC Manager Kishino's Press Conference Summary] "I think it's a game that we have to win. However, the players gave their all to aim for victory and showed a fighting spirit through their play. The support from the fans was also a great source of strength, and I think the players fought until the end. However, conceding a goal at the end... even if we have players sent off, we want to be able to defend as a team. We want to continue playing games like this at the very least and think about attacking more, connecting more, and pushing forward more."

　(What were the modifications from the previous match?) There were several, but we focused on Lucas as the starting point and capturing Hayu. In the first half today, there were several scenes where Tanizawa entered the inside and became free, so we corrected that at halftime. I think we were able to control the line better than usual, and the level of tight marking and not allowing the starting point was high today. We were very focused. (Was changing the formation to 4-1-4-1 a factor in today's game?) FC Tokyo has high individual skills, so if we increase ambiguity, they will exploit it. Therefore, we first made it clear who our marking opponent was. From there, how can we widen our defensive range. That was the modification point from the previous battle."

Dramatic Last-gasp Winner Earns Tokyo 7th.Straight Victory

Tokyo continued to create sporadic chances in the second half. In the 56th minute, some neat pass-work allowed Tokyo to attack in force down the left, with Tanabe eventually setting up a shooting opportunity for Takahashi on the left of the Yokohama area. Takahashi let fly, but a defender blocked his effort away. Ishikawa replaced Tanabe in the 59th minute. Moments later, Mukuhara crossed following a throw-in on the left, and Takahashi made the faintest of connections at the near post to flick the ball on into the middle where Hanyu crashed a volley against the bar.
The hosts began to push forward themselves as the end-to-end nature of the game intensified. In the 62nd minute, midfielder Takachi broke through on the left with only Gonda to beat. Morishige and Konno raced back to cover, while Gonda blocked the shot away with his body.
Roberto Cesar replaced Hanyu in the 69th minute and was presented with a chance to break the deadlock shortly after but headed Ishikawa's whipped cross over the bar from a good position. Konno pushed forward in the 78th minute and found Ishikawa on the left. Ishikawa moved the ball inside to Cesar, who was prevented from getting a shot away by the close attentions of a defender. Cesar laid the ball off to Kajiyama, whose shot from the edge of the area sailed narrowly wide of the post. Yokohama’s solid defense continued to frustrate Tokyo.

In the 88th minute, Yokohama defender Nakano fouled Cesar outside the area on the right, drawing his second yellow card of the game and departing for an early bath. The game moved into extra time still deadlocked when Tokyo won a corner on the left for what seemed to be the final chance of the game. Ishikawa stroked the ball into the danger area where it flashed off Konno's head and went beyond the far post; Kajiyama slid in and redirected it back towards Konno once again. The Tokyo defender shot but agonizingly wide of the post.
That appeared to be the end of the game but moments later Tokunaga collected a free kick and set off down the right wing before launching a cross into the penalty area. The home defense cleared the ball but only as far as Ishikawa, on the edge of the penalty area. Ishikawa took aim and lashed a ferocious first-time volley that beat Seki's despairing dive and bulged the net. With virtually the last kick of the game, Ishikawa had earned Tokyo a vital win that stretched the winning streak to seven games, a new club record.


Players' comments
Ishikawa
"As the ball was in the air the image of the goal I scored against Fukuoka in the Emperor's Cup last year burst into my mind. I just tried to keep my shot down and waited until the last moment before I hit it. No matter what the situation keeping your composure will bring goals.
What about the cradle-rocking celebration? I'd forgotten about it myself. Then everyone got together and we celebrated with the fans in the stands. It was a very happy moment. I'm getting stronger and I want promotion back to J1. We're in the thick of the fight right now but it feels like we're getting somewhere. The schedule is relentless and we have to fight on with our full power".

Konno
"It wasn't a satisfactory performance but Ishikawa scoring the winner was incredibly exciting. The feeling of team unity was unbelievable. We analysed Yokohama in advance but they changed their system slightly, keeping a more compact formation to prevent us playing our passing game. As soon as they won the ball they pushed forward powerfully and were really up for the match. Nevertheless, we kept our composure and dealt with it. Our defence wasn't bad at all today, I felt. Snatching victory from a game that seemed to be heading for a draw like that will give us a great boost in the future".


FC Tokyo manager Kiyoshi Okuma
"The 90 minutes tonight was like a condensed version of all the hardships we've suffered over the course of the year. We researched Yokohama thoroughly but then they changed to 4-1-4-1 formation. Their defensive concentration was extremely high, they counter attacked crisply and I felt it was going to be very difficult to prise them open. And then substitute Ishikawa got the result for us. You can't play against this schedule and the persistence of J2 teams with only your starting eleven. It's not 11 but 18, and today's win was earned by the whole of the 32-man squad. The games keep coming and even though we scout them teams will change their tactics, that's for sure. We have to play it by ear and adapt ourselves to the circumstances to win hard-fought games like today's and to achieve our overall objectives".


Yokohama FC manager Kishino
"It's a contest so you have to win, I believe. However, our players gave their utmost today. The fans gave the team incredible support and it was amazing the way the team fought to the bitter end. That said, we want everyone to defend, even if someone is sent off. This kind of performance has to be the standard, with more in attack, more possession football and more forward movement.
What did we change from the last game? There were a few things but mainly we focused on stopping Lucas, their prime mover, and Hanyu. Several times during the game Yazawa came inside and escaped his marker and we put that right at half time. Our line control was much better than usual, I felt, our marking was tight and the way we prevented them from putting moves together was top quality. We concentrated very well.
What was the main reason for shifting to a 4-1-4-1 formation? Tokyo have technically gifted players and we felt that if there was any ambiguity about marking responsibilities then they could make us pay. The formation was used to clearly assign marking duties. That's what we modified from the last game".