"Win all remaining 4 matches!"

After a “relentless 4-game winning streak” from Sec. 25 (9/10, vs Kofu) to Sec. 28 (9/25, vs Oita), Tokyo suffered a “muddy 4-game losing streak” following the Nabisco Cup (9/29, 10/6). In the Nabisco Cup, they fought valiantly against J1 powerhouse Kashima, gaining confidence, but the ultra-hard schedule of “5 matches in 2 weeks” caused both physical and mental fatigue to accumulate. Furthermore, their main scorer Amaral was forced to leave the lineup due to a left ankle sprain (10/6, vs Kashima). “At the peak of fatigue, the absence of the absolute ace…” Whether this was the cause, or the “pressure of aiming for J1 promotion(?)”, Tokyo suddenly hit the brakes at this point. However, the quality of play was not bad. In the Tosu match (Sec. 30, 10/11) and the Sapporo match (Sec. 31, 10/17), they dominated in play but lost by a single moment, and even in the crucial previous match against top-ranked Kawasaki F (Sec. 32, 10/24), they delivered their best game. There was no need to be pessimistic. Certainly, the goal of being the “first J2 champion (= winner)” has become somewhat difficult, but “J1 promotion (= top 2 finish)” is still achievable on their own. Although they are closely pursued by 3rd place Oita by just 1 point, the key is to win all the remaining 4 matches including this one. It doesn’t matter if Oita wins 4 straight after this; if we win 4 straight, it’s decided. No looking back now, only 4 straight wins!!

Team is active with Amaral's return!

On this day, ace Amaral returned to the field. He had just started running cautiously from the 22nd, but showed an astonishing recovery by participating in the red and white match this week and made it in time for the game on this day. Although he was not a starter, the reliable ace's comeback is definitely a bright topic. In the locker room, he livened up with his natural brightness and samba rhythm, and when it was time to go into battle, he tightened the team with an intimidating spirit. Just having a "fighting pro" gives confidence to the team and puts pressure on the opposing team. The preparations are complete for the 4th consecutive victory.

On this day, the home opponent at Komazawa Athletics Stadium was the bottom-ranked Kofu. In the match before last, they played a close game against Oita that went into extra time, and in the previous match, they secured a 3-0 shutout victory over Yamagata, so they were on a roll and could not be underestimated. Once the match started, Tokyo fiercely attacked Kofu. Early on, Yukihiko on the right side made a sharp breakthrough and delivered a cross. In the 2nd minute, a brilliant series of one-touch passes from Umeyama → Yukihiko → Kagami → Umeyama broke down the right side, and when Umeyama made a breakthrough and sent a perfect cross, Okuhara jumped to head it but narrowly missed over the bar. Tokyo's relentless attacks continued consecutively, and in the 9th minute, Okuhara forcefully shot from the right side with Almir following up, but it just missed. Continuing from the previous match, Kagami acted as a target forward up front, and with Okuhara and Kaburagi moving widely, passing lanes increased, making Yukihiko's long and short passes from the right side effective. On the left side, Fujiyama advanced with his specialty dribbling and took a powerful shot after a wall pass with Almir. The opening goal seemed only a matter of time.

On the other hand, Kofu has been deploying a compact style of soccer, keeping the defensive line shallow and pressing aggressively in the midfield. Knowing that Tokyo is eager to win and will come forward, they have actively set up offside traps and aimed to steal the ball and launch sharp counter-attacks. The ball is gathered in the midfield by Dobashi, who distributes passes to forwards Yoshida and Hori. Yoshida enters into post-play, while Hori aims to exploit the space behind with his speed. On this day, Sandro also occasionally joined the attack, but there were dangerous moments where Hori broke through from a vertical pass and competed one-on-one with Komine. Komine cannot be said to be stable, and it momentarily made us hold our breath.

Papa Sandro takes the lead with one shot!

At the 23rd minute, Tokyo scored the long-awaited opening goal. The scorer was Sandro, who just became a father to a happy first daughter the day before yesterday (10/28). Sandro, who had moved up for a corner kick, leapt at a cross from Fujiyama on the left side into the goal area and headed the ball just in front of the advancing Kofu goalkeeper’s nose! The ball was sucked into the goal. This goal intensified the battle between the two teams. Kofu, having conceded the first goal, started to regain possession, with their defensive midfielders becoming the starting point of attacks and pushing forward. They launched not only direct vertical attacks but also thick attacks using the sides. At the 37th minute, there was a dangerous moment when a free kick from the left was headed freely, bringing back unpleasant memories of the previous 3rd round when they had taken the lead but were instantly overturned. Tokyo also created good attacking chances near the end of the first half, such as Kagami hitting the bar with a left-footed long shot from about 30 meters in a scramble, but their defense from the front line was weak, and Kofu attacked several times, making the situation far from secure.

Pushing away the tenacious Kofu with Yukihiko's spectacular goal!

At halftime, Tokyo was instructed to reaffirm their defense from the front line and to repeatedly attack from the sides, regaining momentum in the second half. With intense chasing from the front line making it easier to narrow passing lanes, Tokyo increased their opportunities to steal the ball through interceptions, and the attacking participation of both fullbacks became more noticeable. Go KABURAKI, Kagami, Okuhara, and Yukihiko freely changed positions, with Yukihiko unusually playing on the left side, making runs from passes by Fujiyama and delivering crosses. At the 17th minute of the second half, KABURAKI received the ball deep on the right side, challenged the opponent with a sharp cutback feint to break through vertically, and delivered a perfect final pass to Yukihiko, who was sprinting fiercely in front of the goal. Yukihiko, who had been actively shooting from distance that day, powerfully kicked the ball into the goal, stopping Kofu’s stubborn resistance. Tokyo continued to attack, creating chances mainly from the sides with KABURAKI and Yukihiko. However, perhaps feeling secure after scoring two goals, even when breaking through the sides with momentum, they hesitated to shoot themselves and instead thought about passing first, which reduced their impact. Despite creating good opportunities, a lack of further aggressiveness prevented additional goals. In the end, Tokyo dominated the match but could not add to their lead, finishing 2-0. Considering the opponent was the bottom-ranked team, more goals were hoped for, but above all, stopping the “four consecutive losses in the mud” was significant. Since this is a period where results are demanded more than content, securing the full 3 points finally allowed them to emerge from a long tunnel. In the next match (11/8, vs Omiya), Amaral’s condition is also expected to improve significantly. Awakened from slumber, Tokyo will sprint down the path of winning all remaining three matches!!

[Coach's Comment]

<Katsumata, Kofu Manager>

We have been improving in the past two matches and were able to do what we intended to do today as well. However, Tokyo was desperate to stop their losing streak and came together as one to face us. Their enthusiasm was incredible and surpassed our fighting spirit.

Kiyoshi Tokyo Coach

The midfield's organization and ability to create opportunities is still insufficient. (Because Amaral is not playing), we were unable to establish another focal point in the front line. However, the quality and quantity of the attacking participation from both fullbacks, as well as their covering in defense, have improved compared to before. Also, winning decisively at this stage where results are more important than performance is significant. We will continue to strive to achieve three more victories and maintain a perfect record.