The ultimate showdown!? Face off against the champion

　In the 9th match, FC Tokyo will face Júbilo Iwata, who are the champions of the 1st stage and currently leading the 2nd stage, at home. Tokyo has had 4 wins, 3 draws, and 1 loss so far. In the 5 matches since September, they drew against Ichihara and Nagoya in the previous match, but won all 3 matches by a one-point difference, showing their strength in close games. This match against the top-ranked Iwata is of great significance for Tokyo, who are currently in 3rd place with a 4-point difference. It can be said to be a crucial battle that will determine the leader. It was expected to be a tough fight against the champions, but Tokyo wants to confront them with their characteristic soccer, sweating and using their wisdom as a united team. In the rain, they gathered the expectations of over 22,000 spectators and kicked off the intense battle at the Japan National Stadium, which is the only venue for this season.

Despite being dominated, the chances are equal or better

　It was not easy to break down the solid defense that has only conceded 4 goals in 8 matches on the current stage, against Iwata's midfield with strong ball retention. Right after the start, Tetsuya ITO aggressively ran up the right side and delivered a sharp cross, but the defense cleared it. While Iwata took care of Tokyo's attacks from the right side, they calmly circulated the ball to gradually establish their own rhythm. They then played vertical balls to the forward line, targeting Nakayama and Maeda, and threatened the goal. Iwata tried to take advantage of set plays against Tokyo, who stopped them with fouls. In the 7th minute, midfielder Hattori aimed for the goal from a direct free kick, but GK Doi caught it.

　Iwata, who quickly approached the loose ball, dominated the midfield. In the 9th minute, MF Nishi, in the 10th minute, MF Kanazawa, Fukunishi, successively shot from the middle range, but Doi's save also prevented an easy goal. In the 12th minute, MF Fujita's CK was blocked by the post and nothing happened. In the following 14 minutes, Hattori snatched the ball in the midfield and quickly switched to attack, but without forcing it, slowly connected and finally Hattori took a middle shot. The game continues in the Tokyo field. However, Iwata, who does not use back passes frequently and does not force anything, does not try to attack Tokyo's side and instead puts the ball in the middle with a wedge. In response, Tokyo's final line concentrates on defense, with a strong sense of covering, and does not allow decisive scenes to be created.

　On the other hand, Tokyo struggled to advance even after winning the ball in a low position, but in the 20th minute, Amaral connected the ball from a deeper position to the right side. Sato attempted to break through and delivered a sharp cross, but it was blocked by a defender who collided with Fukuda in front of the goal. In the 23rd minute, Amaral picked up a cleared ball from the opposing defender and, with good judgment, directed it to the open space on the right side, leading to Sato making a decisive shot after dribbling in. It was saved by goalkeeper Vanzwam, but they sought to regain rhythm by finding opportunities in counterattacks. Then, in the 32nd minute, Sato on the right side persisted and passed vertically behind the defender, and Kelly, who appeared smoothly, sent a grounded ball to the center. Amaral dove in while colliding with the goalkeeper, and the ball went into the goal! However, in the next moment, unbelievably, the referee ruled a foul against the goalkeeper. The stadium was momentarily in an uproar, but a decision once made could not be overturned, and it regrettably became a 'phantom opening goal.'

　However, this play gave Tokyo Eleven a sense of "making the most of one chance". The press from Iwata against the spirited Tokyo weakened, and in the 42nd minute, Kelly kept the ball in the midfield and Sato delivered a sharp cross, with Fukuda heading towards the center of the goal. However, the fine play by Iwata's substitute goalkeeper Okami, who replaced the injured Van Zwam, stopped the shot. From the resulting corner kick, Amaral also attempted a header, but once again the goalkeeper made a fine save. In the following 44th minute, Kelly picked up a poor clearance by the opponent's defender and took a powerful shot, but the ball narrowly missed the goal to the left. In the end, there were no goals and the first half ended 0-0. However, despite being dominated, there were more than equal chances, showing a promising performance for the second half.

First goal by Miura! Intense battle between awakened Iwata and fierce attack and defense

　In the second half, Iwata, wanting to attack from both sides, brought in forward Shimizu in place of Maeda. In the 48th minute, they quickly transitioned from defense to attack, showcasing a flowing passing sequence from Nakayama to Shimizu to Nishi to Fujita, but Shimizu's finish went over the goal. On the other hand, Tokyo, without being pushed back excessively like in the first half, managed to stop a chance in the 49th minute with a through pass from Nishi to Nakayama, who had broken through the defense, falling into an offside trap. They aimed to play at their own rhythm. Then in the 54th minute, Miura, holding the ball in midfield, passed it to Tetsuya ITO on the right side, who floated a ball into the goal area. Amaral headed it to the positioned Kelly, who acted as a post, and Miura, charging in fiercely, took a shot! With the reliable post play from Amaral to Kelly and Miura's well-timed run, they broke through Iwata's solid defense and snatched a valuable opening goal!

　From this point, the pace of the match quickens significantly, and the game becomes intense. In the 56th and 57th minutes, Iwata shows a fast attack with FW Nakayama running down the side and Shimizu receiving the ball in the center. However, Tokyo tightly marks them and does not allow any shots. In the 60th minute, Fujita takes a free kick from the left side of the penalty arc, striking the lower left corner of the goal, but Dohi makes a superb save. He also managed to fend off a series of subsequent corner kicks. However, in the 64th minute, Nishi, who was free in the midfield, passes to Nakayama, who was on the left side of the penalty area. Nakayama, using his body to control the ball, allows Kanazawa, who broke through the Tokyo defense, to run in and shoot with speed. This shot finds the back of the net, leveling the score. Iwata, gaining momentum, sees MF Fukunishi take a powerful long-range shot in the 65th minute. Tokyo tries to counterattack, but struggles to connect passes, leading to a difficult period. Then, in the 72nd minute, MF Fujita receives a throw-in ball and breaks behind the goal, delivering a floating pass in front of the goal despite losing his balance. Shimizu's header finds the net, resulting in a second goal due to Fujita's alert play.

　However, in the 73rd minute immediately after, Tokyo substituted Kaga for Fukuda, and in the 74th minute, Kina for Asari, and in the 76th minute, Yamao for Komine. Yamao, who was praised for his attacking abilities, entered the midfield, and the three-back defensive line turned to a formation where Miura provided support. The effect was immediately apparent, and in the 79th minute, Kina connected with Sato on the right side, made a move to surpass the opposing defender, received a well-timed return pass from Sato, and dribbled into the penalty area to send a cross. Kaga, who was waiting in front of the goal, directly scored with a fantastic combination play, equalizing the score and reaching the peak of excitement in the stadium.

While acknowledging the difference in strength, proudly move on to the "next" with your chest held high.

　The stadium was filled with a mood of encouragement, shouting, "One more goal!"... However, it was not that easy. The eyes of the players from Iwata changed after they equalized. In the 81st minute, just two minutes after the equalizer, taking advantage of Tokyo's defensive gaps, Nishi dribbled down the right sideline and delivered a strong ground pass to the center. Sandro stretched out to reach it, but his cut was weak, and unfortunately, the ball spilled right in front of Shimizu at the goal. Shimizu neatly pushed the ball into the net to take the lead. Once again, Tokyo found themselves one goal behind. Nevertheless, Yamauchi repeatedly made movements from the midfield to the front line, and Sandro joined in for a counterattack, but their forward focus backfired. In the 85th minute, they allowed Iwata DF Kawamura, who came on for Nishi, to be free in the midfield, and he took a powerful shot. Although Dohi made a save, the Tokyo DF could not react to the rebound. Shimizu, who quickly moved towards the goal, scored the fourth goal. In the 86th minute, Sandro cleared Kawamura's dribble after he broke free on a counterattack. However, he collided with Dohi, leaving the goal wide open. Kawamura picked it up again, and finally, ace Nakayama delivered the finishing goal. They conceded the fifth goal, and the match ended.

　In the end, we conceded 3 goals in the last 10 minutes. It was a bitter defeat that made us realize the difference in game control. Tokyo, who has now dropped to 5th place in the rankings. However, we cannot give up. The "challenge" that we faced head-on against the champions should not have been in vain. We must not break here. While acknowledging the difference in strength, we want to face tomorrow with pride, using this defeat as a stepping stone.

[Manager Suzuki's Comment] "In the first half, the backline pushed up and the midfielders lined up in a row, which disrupted the balance. There were parts where we were saved by the goalkeeper's performance. In the second half, the center-backs pushed the midfielders forward to restore the balance and tried to press in the midfield. In the attack, we aimed to dominate the midfield and break through the sides rhythmically and directly, or with changes in speed. Jubilo must win even with this kind of performance, and after being equalized, the players showed on the field the determination to win for the championship. I think it was a game like that."

[Manager Okuma's Comment] "(What I regret is) the difference in team balance and experience when we conceded the third goal. Iwata had their strengths, but looking back now, we needed a stable position and a stable mindset when it became 2-2. However, football is a difficult thing, and resting in that situation could also be... In any case, both individually and as a team, there may have been parts where our situational judgment was lacking. The players were in a situation where they had no choice but to challenge, and I think they challenged well. The most important thing now is not to break here, but to switch to the next game."