Blow away the incomplete combustion of the previous match!

In the previous match, Tokyo was on the verge of victory but was caught up to a draw, ultimately resulting in a tie. This time, they headed to Sapporo with the determination to clear their frustrations and aim for a decisive and overwhelming win. The venue for the showdown against Sapporo was the Sapporo Dome, which will host next year's World Cup and is notable for being Japan's first dome-style soccer stadium. Its beauty and grand scale, as rumored, were indeed impressive, but being indoors, some may have felt a sense of incongruity as it didn't quite feel like a soccer stadium. Additionally, a problem for the players was the 'explosive noise' generated by the intense cheering, which made it difficult to hear instructions. The intensity of the noise could be likened to that of a Giants game at Tokyo Dome, where you couldn't even hear the person next to you. This information had been obtained in advance, and Sapporo's coach Okada had stated that they would manage through 'eye contact,' while Tokyo's coach Okuma mentioned a 'relay communication method.' However, among the more than 30,000 enthusiastic Dosanko supporters gathered that day, the 'explosive noise' they produced far exceeded expectations, undoubtedly leaving both players and coaches speechless.

The pitch is hard and the voices cannot be heard, but Tokyo is determined to face Sapporo with the best environment for victory and success.

Tokyo woke up with an early goal conceded

Despite being a sunny day, the decisive battle began at 3:33 PM with a feeling similar to a night game (due to being indoors).

Overwhelmed and bewildered by the intense away atmosphere that they had never experienced before, which included a roaring sound like a storm and a sense of oppression inside the dome, Tokyo Eleven struggled against Sapporo. Sapporo, fueled by their enthusiastic support, immediately launched a powerful attack. Sapporo, which relied on counterattacks even more than Tokyo, showed their attacking prowess in the 4th minute. Responding to a vertical pass on the left side from a counterattack, Yamase shook off Asari with his speed and charged towards the goal. Sandro tried to stop him inside the penalty area, but Yamase, who was on a roll, was fouled, resulting in a penalty kick. Sapporo's ace, Will, converted the penalty kick, and Tokyo Eleven helplessly conceded the opening goal.

Sapporo Dome heated up with an early opening goal. Tokyo woke up with this goal, knowing that if they play their own soccer from the end of the 1st stage to the previous match, they will always get results. Despite the disadvantageous situation from the beginning in the away game, Tokyo Eleven calmly played their own soccer. Amaral and Kelly created a base in the front line by entering the post firmly while receiving tough marking, and gradually grasped the pace by repeatedly expanding to the sides. And on this day, Tokyo, who focused on fast attacks from the right side, seized the opportunity as expected when Yukihiko was in excellent form. In the 10th minute, Yukihiko broke through the right side with a sharp dribble and sent a perfect last pass between the opponent's goalkeeper and defender from the right side pass from Kelly, causing the Sapporo DF to clear it into their own goal. Yukihiko's speed and accurate cross exposed the mistake of the Sapporo DF.

Tokyo, who completely regained their pace, continued to attack from the side and created chances. In the 13th minute, Kelly broke through with a through pass and crossed from the right side, but Nariyoshi Kobayashi narrowly missed the goal with a header that hit the bar. Yukihiko and Miura also actively made runs into the side spaces and launched sharp attacks. On the other hand, Sapporo, with Will at the center, Hato, Yamase, and Almir also connected passes intricately from the center and looked for opportunities. Just like the excitement in the dome, there was intense back and forth on the pitch.

Escaping Tokyo, Chasing Sapporo

Tokyo's long-awaited additional goal was born in the 27th minute. Miura threw in from the left side, and Kelly sent a pass to the front of the goal with an artistic overhead kick from a chest trap. The surprised goalkeeper rushed out but couldn't touch the ball, and Yukihiko covered it, but the Sapporo DF who entered the cover accidentally hit it with his body and it went into their own goal. Tokyo successfully turned the game around with this extremely rare own goal. Tokyo, riding on the momentum, continued to attack, and in the 42nd minute, Amaral jumped into the air to meet the cross from Kobayashi on the left side. The Sapporo DF who was marking him committed a crucial handball inside the penalty area. Amaral neatly converted this penalty kick, and Tokyo ended the first half with a 3-1 lead of two goals.

In the second half, Sapporo came out to play. They cut off the left side of the midfield and made a change to a front three by bringing in Kikawada, who has speed and power. This is what they call a "power play". However, Tokyo had read this and responded by increasing the number of defenders by having Fujiyama, the left full-back, focus on defense.

The match started moving early in the second half. In the 2nd minute, Will scored directly from a free kick given slightly to the left in front of the goal, narrowing the gap to one point. Will had taken good care of his left foot, but there was no way to prevent this perfect free kick.

Amaral pushes away Sapporo's pursuit, with a fierce two-goal performance by Miura!

Sapporo regained their breath with this goal and continued to attack the Tokyo goal one after another. With just one more point to catch up, Sapporo's momentum was in top gear. Previously, Vijay, who had been focused on defense in the midfield position, also moved up to the front line, chasing and stealing the ball, and even taking shots himself. Will's dribbling, Hato and Yamase's precise central breakthroughs, and Almir's mid-range shots showed their momentum, but Tokyo's defensive line, centered around goalkeeper Doi, held firm at the last line and did not allow any additional points. Tactically, they calmly defended against the opponent's aggressive situation, waiting for the chance to come by stealing the ball and breaking through sharply from the sides.

In the 11th minute of the second half, Yukihiko Sato lifted a large cross with a side change, which was picked up by Fujiyama on the opposite side. Fujiyama attracted the Sapporo.DF and passed it to Amaral, who became free near the center of the penalty area. Amaral looked at the position of the goalkeeper and shot with a soft curve with his right foot, and the ball grazed the desperate attempt of the Sapporo.GK to save it and shook the goal net.

With this perfect shot by Amaral, Sapporo once again took a 2-point lead, but Sapporo was not yet out of focus. The passionate support from the entire Sapporo Dome was heating up even more in this situation, and the timing was also like that, but it seems that the players couldn't afford to break in front of this large number of supporters.

The match became even more intense. Sapporo showed their determination and launched attacks with intense movement. On the other hand, Tokyo also allowed the opponent to attack, and after stealing the ball, Kelly and Miura made runs into open spaces, creating opportunities with Yukihiko's sharp breakthrough on the right side.

In the 21st minute of the second half, Amaral kept the ball in the center and expanded it to the right side. Yukihiko perfectly crossed the ball with a curved trajectory, just like in practice. Miura then powerfully headed the ball into the goal net from the front, scoring a decisive fifth goal to give Sapporo a three-goal lead. At this moment, the Sapporo Dome fell silent, and only the cheers of the Tokyo supporters could be heard.

A valuable victory that leads to the next

The match continued with Sapporo showing their determination, resulting in a good game with intense back-and-forth until the end, but ultimately Tokyo won 5-2. I want to pay my respects to the Sapporo supporters and players who did not give up despite conceding five goals, but Tokyo displayed even greater focus as the "away" team. Despite conceding early in that atmosphere, they calmly executed their style of football and successfully achieved a comeback victory with a season-high five goals. In the previous match, they also held on through extra time after conceding a goal near the end, continuing to play their style of football. The victory against Sapporo is, of course, a collective win where each individual functioned well, but particularly impactful were Miura and Yukihiko. Miura defended as a defensive midfielder, bravely blocking dangerous situations, and not only delivered effective passes in attack but also quickly identified spaces and boldly made runs. He did a "great job" with accurate situational judgment based on numerous experiences in both defense and attack. Yukihiko has also maintained his good form, sharpening his breakthrough ability and the accuracy of his crosses. Additionally, the stability of the defense line, including Komine's growth as a full-back, the absolute ace Amaral, and Kelly's expected performance, have all contributed to the overall improvement, leading to these results. It is significant that they can approach the next match against S-Pulse with this momentum. I understand there are still many areas to improve. However, the next match is an important home game. To maintain the current momentum, it is crucial to fight with a strong mindset of "winning is the only option" rather than just reasoning.

[Coach Okuma's Comment]

'In that atmosphere, it seemed like it would be a difficult situation with an early goal conceded, but it was good that we were able to quickly equalize and regain balance. It was a very valuable victory, but the next game is an important home game, so I want to approach it with a renewed mindset.'