Aim for 3 points!

　Sec. 14 of the J1 League was an away match against Kawasaki Frontale. In the previous match after the league break against C Osaka, we attacked rhythmically from the first half, took control of the game, and scored goals successively with Toda and Lucas in the second half. However, we were caught up in injury time and could only extend our points by one. The key point of this match is how we use the time after leading by two goals, or more specifically, how we keep the ball and use the time in the remaining five minutes. As a team, we need to reflect on this and make sure we don't make the same mistake in the future. The important thing in this short-term six-match series in July is to not let the bad things drag us down. It seems that it will be crucial whether we can switch our mindset and continue to fight.

　Kawasaki has been promoted to J1 this season. They are currently in 10th place with 5 wins, 3 draws, and 5 losses. As can be seen from their victory over Iwata in the previous match, they have been accumulating points with a tenacious press and sharp counterattacks, led by forward JUNINHO, who poses a threatening finishing ability at the top. Unlike their battles in J1 in 2000, they can be said to be fully demonstrating their potential. In this match, JUNINHO (currently with 6 goals) will be suspended due to accumulated yellow cards, but forward Kurotsu, who has scored 3 goals, and substitute forward Hukki, who scored a goal in the previous match, will also be part of the attacking force. It can be said that sufficient caution is necessary, including midfielder Imano, against their attacking power.

　Tokyo is in good form offensively. In particular, Toda has scored in three consecutive matches since the Juventus game, including the Nabisco Chiba match and the last match. Additionally, Kaji on the right side has maintained his good form from the Japan national team, contributing to two goals in the last match. His combination with Ishikawa poses a significant threat to the opponent's left side. Kurizawa showed some fatigue towards the end of the first half, but he has refreshed during the break and returned with sharp movements, providing a good accent to the attack. This match will see Kajiyama starting in place of Miura. It will be his first start since the 14th match of the 2nd stage last year (against Ichihara), and I hope he can demonstrate the aggressiveness he showed in the World Youth and lead the midfield with his strengths. Also, on the bench, Suzuki, who has returned from injury in May, will be included. He is expected to create chances on the left side and serve as a kicker for set pieces, bringing 'momentum' to the team.

　In the pre-season match before the opening, we lost 0-1, but if we firmly suppress Kawasaki's counterattack and attack without panic, we can see a chance of winning. This is the first official match against Kawasaki since July 8, 2000 (National). It started at 7:05 pm with Kawasaki's kickoff in the muggy weather after the rain.

Going For The Points! 

In the previous game TOKYO had attacked in style and taken a two-goal lead before being held to a draw by a last-minute free kick. The team had addressed the failure to protect the lead by maintaining possession and were determined to allow no repeats. With a rash of games in July the side couldn't afford to dwell on past mistakes and eagerly looked forward to the short trip to Kawasaki.
Newly promoted Frontale lay in 10th place at kick off with a W5 D3 L5 record. A tenacious, counter-attacking team with a potent attack led by Brazilian Juninho, they had posted a fine away win at Jubilo in their previous game. In contrast to their last appearance in J1 in 2000 the side had managed to translate their ability into results. Juninho missed the game through suspension with three-goal Kurotsu taking his place in attack while the other forward Hulk had scored against Jubilo. With midfielder Konno also a threat the TOKYO defence would need to be at their best.
The TOKYO attack was in fine form. Toda, in particular, was enjoying a productive spell with goals in his previous three matches. Kaji returned from his National Team exertions displaying the same form he had shown on tour and had contributed to both goals in the Cerezo match. His combination with Ishikawa on the right posed a serious threat to any defence. Kurisawa had benefited from the break and appeared refreshed and back to top form. Kajiyama replaced Miura and assumed responsibility for directing the midfield, a just reward for his excellent performances in the recent World Youth Championships. Norio Suzuki returned to the bench after 5 months out injured and his dynamic presence, aggressive running and thunderous free kicks were a welcome addition to manager Hara's tactical options.
TOKYO were aiming to revenge a 0-1 loss to Frontale in a pre-season game as the first competitive encounter between the teams for 5 years kicked off on a humid evening in Kawasaki.

Despite attacking aggressively from the start of the first half, they were unable to score a decisive goal.

　Receiving loud cheers from the supporters behind the goal, the team started the first half with momentum, launching an attack with quick passing. In the 4th minute, Kaji passed to Ishikawa on the right side, who dribbled into the center, sending a through pass to Toda flowing into the right area. Yusuke KONDO jumped in for a cross from the end line but missed. In the 5th minute, from a throw-in by Kanazawa, Kajiyama dribbled through the center and took a shot, but it went straight to the GK. In the 8th minute, Yusuke KONDO earned a free kick from a foul. Ishikawa's kick from a distance of 22-23m in front of the goal was blocked by the wall, but Kurizawa followed up with a mid-range shot. The ball hit a DF and was picked up by Konno in the left area, who shot freely, but the wave of attacks did not result in a goal. In the 13th minute, a ball kicked by Doi was contested by Yusuke KONDO against the opposing DF, who lost it to Toda, who broke through and shot from outside the area, but it went straight to the GK.

　Kawasaki has been on the defensive against Tokyo's fast attacks. Even when they switch to the offensive, their attacks are monotonous and the only chances they create are from set plays. In the 21st and 23rd minutes, they earn free kicks consecutively, but they don't result in decisive opportunities. In the 29th minute, Tokyo connects with Inomata, who advances from Kurisawa, and Toda receives a short pass and takes a powerful shot, but the goalkeeper saves it on a narrow angle. This time, Kawasaki seizes another chance from a free kick. Although it is initially cleared by a Tokyo defender, Terada, who had moved up to the front of the goal, shoots but hits the crossbar. Including this shot, Kawasaki only had two shots in the first half.

　32 minutes, Arie SCHANS passed the ball from Kajiyama to Ishikawa on the right side, and he made an early cross. Toda jumped into the near post, but the defender closed him down and it resulted in a corner kick. In the 34th minute, Ishikawa made a cross after dribbling past the defender, but the goalkeeper caught it directly. Tokyo created several chances using the wings, but the accuracy of the crosses and the timing of the forwards' runs into the box were slightly off, preventing them from taking shots. On the other hand, after the 40th minute, Kawasaki started to calm down and respond effectively to Tokyo's fast attacks. They began to circulate the ball in midfield and started to penetrate into Tokyo's half more frequently. However, Tokyo's defense also responded well and prevented any dangerous situations. In the end, neither team could find a decisive goal, and the first half ended 0-0.

TOKYO Make Positive Start 

Buoyed by a vocal away support F.C.TOKYO started the match on the front foot, dominating possession and playing the ball around in confident style. In the 4th minute Ishikawa received the ball from Kaji and dribbled forward before picking out Toda on the left. Toda took the ball to the byline and crossed but Kondo failed to make contact. Kajiyama then picked up the ball in midfield, raced forward and shot but hit his effort straight at the keeper. In the 8th minute Kondo drew a foul some 22 yards from goal; Ishikawa blasted the ball against the wall, Kurisawa hammered the rebound goalwards only to see the ball deflected again and Konno fired the loose ball wide. In the 13th minute Kondo battled hard to win the ball following a long punt upfield from Doi. The ball ran loose to Toda who fired first time from outside the area but again the Frontale keeper held the shot comfortably.
Kawasaki struggled to stem the tide and threatened only from set plays. A pair of free kicks in the 21st and 23rd minutes came to naught. In the 29th minute Aizawa, in the Kawasaki goal, rescued his team with a fine save from Kondo following some neat short passing between Konno and Kurisawa that opened up the home defence. Kawasaki created a better opportunity after a partially cleared free kick was floated back into the danger area but defender Terada fired over the bar. The home side managed only two shots in the first half.
In the 32nd minute Ishikawa played an early cross in to Toda at the near post but the Kawasaki defence scrambled the ball away for a corner. TOKYO made headway along the flanks but the accuracy of the crosses and the timing of the strikers' runs were somewhat lacking. As half time approached Kawasaki began to gain a foothold in midfield and enjoy increased possession but the TOKYO defence remained impregnable and the first period ended scoreless.

In the end, unable to break through Kawasaki's solid defense! Ends in a scoreless draw

　Tokyo took control of the attack in the second half. Kajiyama, who closed in on the opponent's DF clearance early in the game, was fouled, giving Tokyo a free kick opportunity. Ishikawa aimed directly but missed the goal. In the 54th minute, Kaji and Ishikawa broke through the right side, and Yuto Kondo jumped in for an early cross, but it was offside. In the 56th minute, Ishikawa dribbled through the right side with a side change from Kanazawa, and although it was cleared by the DF, Kaji picked up the loose ball and took a shot, which hit the DF and then fell in front of Ishikawa. Kurihara sent a cross to the center and headed for a shot, but it didn't hit properly.

　In the 57th minute, Lucas, who had been scoring in the last 3 league matches, was substituted for the visibly tired Yusuke KONDO. In the immediate 58th minute, Kaji ran up the right side from a counterattack and took a shot, but it went over the bar. In the 60th minute, Kawasaki's defender Terada couldn't stop Ishikawa's dribble and committed a foul, receiving his second yellow card of the day and being sent off. Immediately, Sato was substituted for Inoue in the midfield and the defensive line was adjusted, but Kawasaki completely sealed off their goal and focused on counterattacks. However, Tokyo also struggled to create effective attacks against their opponents who were sealing off their goal, resulting in a stalemate.

　In the 67th minute, Suzuki Nori was substituted for Kurisawa, and gradually began to regain momentum. In the 69th minute, Suzuki Nori dropped a left cross from Kanazawa to Lucas, but did not reach the shot. In the 70th minute, Suzuki Nori ran up the left side and earned a corner kick. In the 72nd minute, Imano, who had stolen the opponent's ball, made a through pass to Toda, who ran into the back of the defense. It was a close offside decision. The game was unfolding exactly as planned, but Kawasaki also showed great energy despite being one player down and did not allow any decisive opportunities.

　Substitute Miura for Kajiyama in the 81st minute and move Konno forward. In the 82nd minute, Suzuki Nori's pass from the left area goes to Konno and he takes a long shot towards the upper left corner of the goal, it seemed like it went in but it was saved by the goalkeeper with a super save, no goal. In the 85th minute, Toda sprints down the left side from a counterattack, Ishikawa runs into the right space for a pass but makes a trapping mistake in haste. It was a scene that makes you want to hold your head. In the 86th minute, Suzuki Nori on the left side evades the defender and sends a ground cross, becoming a decisive chance in front of the goal, but Toda's sliding dive cannot connect. After that, they spread the ball left and right, send crosses, and keep the Kawasaki defenders pinned in front of the goal, attacking until the end to score, but they couldn't break through Kawasaki's solid defense, and the game ended as a scoreless draw.

　【Player Comments】《Toda》"This is a typical match where if you can't score, it ends up like this. It was a game we could have won if we had scored just one goal. Right now, I'm working hard with Yusuke in the two-top formation, saying 'We must definitely deliver results,' so I feel disappointed and frustrated myself. I missed the timing by just a fraction of a second when diving for the cross. If I had been more aware that the ball would come faster, I might have scored... I want to reflect on this and connect it to the next match. (Did we rush the attack when the opponent had 10 players?) There was no sense of urgency. However, while we had chances and couldn't score, there was an awareness to move the ball quickly in front of the goal. If that was seen as rushing the attack, then maybe that's true..." 《Norio SUZUKI》"I came in at a moment where it was 0-0, and if we scored one goal, we would win. I was told to keep challenging and shoot from the front line, but I couldn't really play my game. I couldn't shoot, and I wish I could have been more aggressive... (There was a chance from a cross near the end of the match?) If that doesn't lead to a goal, it's the same as not doing any work. However, I think it's good to increase those kinds of plays and keep challenging multiple times. Personally, I had a tough time with injuries, so I'm happy to have made a comeback like this. I haven't fully adapted to the atmosphere of the match yet, and my game sense hasn't returned, but since I'm on the field, I can't make excuses. I want to do my best to give it my all." 《Kajiama》"I was conscious of hitting it forward once and then spreading it to the side. On top of that, I was thinking of getting into the goal area myself, but... I'm disappointed that we ended without scoring. I want to make use of this in the next match."

　[Summary of Coach Hara's Press Conference] "After watching the previous match between Kawasaki and Jubilo, I felt that Kawasaki defended well as a team. Today, JUNINHO was suspended, but their counterattacks were very fast, and their motivation was high. I expected today’s match to be quite difficult. With JUNINHO absent, I thought we would see a two-top formation with Hulk and Kurotsu, or perhaps Ganaha, who has been participating in recent practice matches. Kawasaki's three center-backs are tall, and both sides and the two defensive midfielders have a strong defensive awareness. Therefore, we tried to use the space behind their defense as quickly as possible without taking too much time on our attacks. In the early stages of the first half, we were able to create good shapes, but as the match progressed, our attacks slowed down, and we struggled to break through Kawasaki's defense. Even when we delivered crosses, we couldn't get many shots off, which was the case in today's match. When the opponent was reduced to ten men, they became even more defensive, but I believe we need to break through that. The opponent had solidified their defense in front of the goal, so I brought in Lucas midway through. I had asked him to receive the ball further up the pitch, but he was dropping back too much. I also brought in Noriyuki SUZUKI to create opportunities not just from the right but also from the left. It had been a while since he dislocated his shoulder, and initially, he struggled to get into the match, but I was hoping he could deliver crosses from the left side or create free kicks or shots, although he just missed the mark. We wanted three points, but we couldn't break through their solid defense. Since last year, we have struggled against teams that go down to ten men, and it would actually be better for us to be the ones with ten men (laughs). When the opponent was sent off, there were moments when we were a step slower, so I had a bit of a bad feeling about that. We need to take risks to score goals. However, the momentum of the entire team is returning. I am not satisfied, but while accumulating points, we have another match coming up soon, and I want to focus on that. I hope to regain momentum by winning against Verdy in the Tokyo showdown. I want to prepare well. I think Kawasaki is a wonderful team that can work that hard even without JUNINHO."

　[Summary of Kawasaki-Kanzuka Coach's Press Conference] "Following the previous match against Iwata, the players played with great concentration for the full 90 minutes. I believe this is thanks to the many supporters who gathered at home and supported us, believing in our victory. Tokyo is a team with momentum. How to stop them was the key point of today's match. And the theme was whether we could pick up the second ball and attack in our rhythm after taking the ball. In the first half, we were able to settle down as time passed and form a combination with Fukki, Kurotsu, and Imakuno, using the sides. However, in the second half, we had to make a player leave and had to aim for a goal from a counterattack or a restart. Even with one player less, the players tried to score from a solid defense. Playing for about 35 minutes in the second half with 10 players is a tough situation, but I think it was a gain that we not only defended but also tried to score until the end."

Game Ends Scoreless 

TOKYO began the second half as they finished the first, on the attack. Ishikawa whipped a free kick fractionally wide and Kondo was given offside in a marginal decision in the 54th minute. In the 56th minute Ishikawa again raced down the right before a Kawasaki defender ended his run. The loose ball fell to Kaji who drilled a shot against a defender; Ishikawa crossed but Kurisawa failed to make appreciable contact.
In the 57th minute Lucas replaced the visibly tiring Kondo. Kaji fired over the bar in the 58th minute before Terada took an early bath after collecting his second yellow card for a foul on Ishikawa in the 60th minute. Frontale replaced Konno with defender Sahara and attempted to frustrate TOKYO with blanket defence. The visitors found it difficult to penetrate the 9 man defence and the game developed into a stalemate.
In the 67th minute Suzuki replaced Kurisawa in an attempt to enliven the attack and while several half chances were created a goal seemed a distant prospect. The Frontale players increased their workrate to compensate for the loss of Terada but failed to produce a meaningful threat to the TOKYO goal.
In the 81st minute Miura replaced Kajiyama and Konno moved forward to support the attack. A minute later Konno nearly made the vital breakthrough with a blistering long range strike that seemed destined for the top corner until Aizawa pulled off a stunning save. In the 85th minute Ishikawa failed to control a through ball from Toda in a good position and was left holding his head in frustration. Toda then failed to connect with a low cross from Suzuki when only a touch would have sent the ball over the line. As full time approached Frontale packed their penalty area and the sheer number of bodies denied TOKYO until the final whistle. The game finished scoreless.


Players' comments
Toda:
"If we had scored today we would have won. Kondo and I are giving it our all in attack so it's very disappointing. The timing is not quite right and it's only a matter of a split second. We didn't really become impatient after they had a man sent off although we did try to get the ball forward faster. Maybe that seemed like being impatient".

Suzuki:
"When I came on it was 0-0 and one goal would have won the game. I was asked to get forward and shoot but I couldn't really play to my best today. Since we didn't score from that move at the end of the game it's like I didn't contribute to the game today. Personally, I'm very pleased to be back as the time out injured was difficult. I'm haven't become reaccustomed to the match atmosphere yet and that showed in some of my play but I'm determined to do my best for the team".

Kajiyama:
"I concentrated on taking the ball forward and spreading it out to the wings. I'd have liked to have been involved in scoring but it wasn't to be today. It's very disappointing that the game finished 0-0. We'll do our best in the next match".


TOKYO manager Hara:
"I saw the Frontale-Jubilo game and they defended well and countered very quickly. We were expecting a very tough game today. With Juninho suspended we thought Ganaha would have played today. Frontale fielded three stoppers and two defensive midfielders, all very tall and strong players so we planned to waste no time in building attacks and get the ball into space behind the defence as quickly as possible. We started well but tailed off during the match and that allowed them to come back into the game. We put in many crosses but couldn't get shots on target and that was the story of tonight's game. After they had a man sent off they pulled back and we should have taken advantage of the situation. We were outnumbered in attack so I sent on Lucas but he played a little too deeply. Suzuki hadn't played for a long time and is still getting over his dislocated shoulder but I had wanted to play him from the start. He put a good cross in at the death but otherwise looked a little rusty, as you would expect after such a long layoff. We really wanted the three points but Frontale defended in depth and we couldn't break them down. There's another game coming up so we're focusing on that now. We've definitely got our spirit back. Frontale played very well with only 10 men, though".

Frontale manager:
"As in the Jubilo game the players concentrated completely for the 90 minutes. A lot of fans turned out for the match and we believed their support would help us to win tonight. TOKYO are a dynamic team. The point for this game was how to stop them. Winning the loose balls and imposing our rhythm on the game was the way, we felt. We became more composed as the first half progressed and worked the ball out to the wings. But then we lost a player and had to rely on counter attacks and quick restarts to have any chance of scoring. Even with only 10 men the team defended superbly and looked for a goal. The last 10 minutes were especially difficult but the players were still trying to get forward with the ball and that's a positive thing to take from the match".