Get organized and aim for a higher position!

　Sec. 7, which will be held two days after the previous round, will be a home game against Kashima Antlers. In the previous round, we achieved a satisfying victory against the leading team, Urawa, and should have gained confidence and momentum. Coincidentally, today is "Brazil Day," which has boasted an undefeated record for the past seven years. We want to achieve consecutive victories here and aim for a rapid rise in the standings. Lucas, who scored a goal in the previous round, will start. Additionally, Ishikawa, who has recovered from injury, has been included in the lineup for the first time since the Nabisco Cup Sec. 5 on July 17th (and the first stage Sec. 11 on May 22nd) and will be on the bench.

　Kashima, who is currently in 8th place with 2 wins, 2 draws, and 2 losses, cannot be said to be in good form. However, they have shown resilience with 1 win and 2 draws since September. In the 4th round against C Osaka, they conceded 4 goals and scored 3, and in the 5th round against Iwata, they conceded 4 goals and scored 4. However, in the previous round, they were able to rebuild their defense and achieve a scoreless draw against Shimizu. In this round, they will be without defender Kaneko due to suspension, but national team midfielder Motoyama will return after 3 games. Like Tokyo, they will aim to climb up the rankings and try to take 3 points.

Fall behind and allow Kashima to take the lead

　Under the cloudy sky, in the chilly weather with intermittent drizzles, the match started with the kickoff in Tokyo. Immediately after the start, Tokyo showed a good development as Kelly passed to Toda, who then crossed to Kaji on the right. However, just one minute later, Kashima's right full-back Uchida advanced and crossed from a deep position. Suzuki, the forward, took a shot from inside the box that hit the crossbar. Although it didn't result in a goal, this play became the catalyst for Kashima to start pushing forward.

　Control the ball, with a free kick from the front of the goal at 4 and 10 minutes. At 15 minutes, Baron, the forward on the far side, directly connects with his foot from the left corner kick, but the ball bounces over the goal.

　Tokyo is slow to start and cannot press easily. In the attack, they try to pass to Lucas in the front line, and from there Baba and Toda try to develop on the left and right, but the combination does not work and they cannot finish. In the 23rd minute, Kelly received a pass near the penalty arc and crossed after reversing. Toda's header from the right side was the first shot of the day.

　In the 26th minute, Arai of Kashima left back allowed a dribble breakthrough into the area, and Jean barely escaped with a corner kick. Tokyo allowed consecutive corner kicks, but they quickly launched a counterattack by snatching the loose ball. From Kelly's keep, it went to Kanazawa on the right side. Kaji, who went up on the outside, sent a sharp cross from the right area to the goal, and Toda in the near side became a decoy, leaving the goal area empty, but it just missed Kelly in the center. Baba's shot from the far side was blocked by the quickly returning Kashima defender.

　Tokyo missed a big chance, while Kashima capitalized on their chances. In the 30th minute, a pass from Nakata, the defensive midfielder, went to Suzuki who was drifting to the left. Suzuki's cross was cleared by Jean, but the ball floated up in front of the goal. Baron went to compete for the ball with perfect timing, and midfielder Fernando, who had run into the goal area, picked up the loose ball and smashed it into the goal. Tokyo couldn't keep up with Fernando's marking and conceded the opening goal.

Regain rhythm and create opportunities, but...

　After being scored against, Tokyo finally began to show awareness towards the goal. However, in the 33rd minute, Inamoto's mid-range shot went to the left of the goal. In the 35th minute, they attacked from a right free kick and Kelly's overhead shot from inside the box was on target, but the opponent's goalkeeper made a save. In the 41st minute, Lucas dribbled past two or three opponents and entered the box, but couldn't take a shot. In the final stages, they took control and launched a counterattack, but ultimately couldn't create any decisive chances and went into the second half trailing by one goal.

　The halftime instructions from Coach Hara were to "thoroughly defend from the front line" and to try to suppress Kashima's long passes. Additionally, he said "there were too many sideways passes and we weren't able to change the side of play. Let's aim for a big development." In the 49th minute, Miura was replaced by Miyazawa. In the 51st minute, Kashima had a right free kick from MF Ogasawara, and Nakata, who had slipped behind the defense, took a shot, but Doi made a save. After surviving the crisis, Tokyo substituted Abe for Baba in the 54th minute. They made an early move and first aimed for an equalizing goal.

　Immediately after that, Kelly received a right throw-in and made a lob pass to the goal area. Toda jumped in, but narrowly missed. In the 55th minute, Miyazawa picked up a clearance ball from a right corner kick and took a shot. In the 56th minute, Tokyo took another corner kick and threatened Kashima's goal. In the 60th minute, Toda used the right side and Kagawa, who had advanced up to the goal line, made a negative cross. Lucas controlled it with one touch and shot from a close distance to the goal while turning around, hitting the post. In the 62nd minute, Miyazawa took a surprising right free kick. He perfectly connected with Kanazawa, who ran into the center of the goal with a ground pass, but the shot he took freely went to the right of the goal.

Defeated by Kashima's favorite development, a regrettable loss

　The game progressed with Tokyo attacking the enemy's territory and Kashima countering. In the 65th minute, Fernando took a middle shot from a quick attack. He picked up the clearance from Tokyo's defense and took another shot freely, but it missed above the frame and an additional point was avoided. Tokyo, who desperately wanted a goal, substituted Ishikawa for Toda in the 66th minute. The stands were filled with loud cheers for Ishikawa's first appearance since the NABISCO Cup Kobe match on July 17th. Ishikawa sprinted down the right side immediately after coming on. He was surrounded by two opposing defenders and won a free kick. However, Lucas shot the loose ball from Miyazawa's kick, but it was blocked by the opposing defender.

　On the other hand, Kashima substituted MF Aoki for Motoyama in the 68th minute and brought in Fernando to face Ishikawa, solidifying their defense. However, Ishikawa played aggressively with his emotions in the forefront. In the 77th minute, he received a pass from Kaji on the right after a quick ball circulation and cut inside to take a shot. He won a corner kick. Miyazawa connected the short corner kick to Ishikawa, but Kanazawa's mid-range shot went to the right of the goal. In the 80th minute, Kelly exchanged a one-two pass with Lucas and attempted a central breakthrough, but was stopped by Kashima's defenders and couldn't take a shot.

　From the 83rd minute onwards, they created chances with free kicks and corner kicks, but they were pressed by Kashima's clear defensive intention of "protecting the one goal" and couldn't finish. Only time passed moment by moment. In injury time, Kaji injured his right foot and was forced to leave the field. They faced the counterattack with 10 players as they had used all their substitutions, but ultimately couldn't score a goal. In the second half alone, they took 10 shots, had 4 corner kicks, and had 16 direct free kick opportunities, but the "one goal" was far away, and it was a regrettable defeat against Kashima's tenacity and cunning game management.

【Player Comments】《Kanazawa》"We were in a position of chasing, so mentally it was different from usual. We didn't have the strength to recover just one goal. We dominated in the second half, but there was no effective attack. Kashima's defense eliminated the space and their two center-backs had height, so we couldn't break through. There were no movements or position changes to pull out their defense. If we focus on the attack, we need to increase the ways to score, including our own shots, otherwise it will be difficult to win. It is necessary to show our own style."《Ishikawa》"(When playing) I was thinking of changing the rhythm by using side changes and quick passes, as the opponent's defenders were waiting. We had a few chances, but we lacked ideas and plays considering the situation. It was nice to receive warm support at my beloved Ajinomoto Stadium, but since the results didn't come out, I want to focus on the next game. I hope I can bring my fresh feelings to the team."

　【Summary of Coach Hara's Press Conference】 "The start of the first half was very poor. We had a good game against Urawa, and we talked about switching our mindset from there... Kashima played long balls from center backs Oiwa and Iwasaki to the open sides with Ogasawara and Motoyama. The checks from Lucas and Kelly on the passers, including Nakata, were weak, leading to a situation where they could kick freely and pick up loose balls. It was fortunate that we only conceded one goal based on the first half's performance. At halftime, we discussed the need to thoroughly defend from the front, and the situation changed in the second half. Perhaps because Kashima was leading, they struggled to connect passes, and we took control. However, we couldn't break down Kashima's defense, which was solid in front of the goal. The ball was moving, but for example, with Kelly, there were times when he held the ball too long, slowing down the rhythm. We need to move the ball a bit more quickly and improve the accuracy of our final finishes, such as crosses and shots. Kashima played tenaciously and resiliently, and not being able to break through that was the reason for today's defeat. Despite having such a good game against Urawa, the first half today was in stark contrast. The matches are still ongoing, so I feel we need to further enhance our team strength. Next is the away game against Nagoya, and I want to start the match like we did in the second half today."

　[Summary of Coach Cerezo's Press Conference] "I think it was a reasonable result based on the content. Both teams had the same formation, were attacking teams, and I expected an even match. The only concern I had was that some players might not be in good condition due to playing three matches a week, and whether they could maintain the same pace until the end. A key point in Kashima's style of play is the return of the midfielders, and in the first half, Ogawa and Motoyama executed it perfectly. By having the half return, we were able to suppress the opponent's side advances. In the first 10 to 15 minutes of the second half, we were on the defensive and not playing football, but I had anticipated that. I was confident that if we could get through that, we could win. Gradually, the opponent's pace dropped, and Ogawa and Motoyama started to create space, allowing the defensive midfielders to push up. At the start, we continued to kick the ball forward, but I think it was good that we gradually regained our pace. From the 25th minute of the second half, our goal was to keep a clean sheet. I had anticipated FC Tokyo's substitutions; the only new element was Ishikawa, which was the only point we needed to care about. Against Ishikawa, we focused on eliminating space by bringing in Aoki and moving FERNANDEZ to the side. Even so, we created chances from crosses and set pieces a few times, but we defended with concentration and did not lose our tenacity for the ball until the end. I believe the Kashima supporters were satisfied with the victory. As a coach, I was able to manage the match almost perfectly today, and victory came with it."