Nishi-Gaoka, which is packed to capacity

Last year, Sapporo.D lost in the J1 promotion playoffs and started this season in J2. The "New Okada Sapporo" team, aiming for a long-awaited return to J1, has finally arrived in Tokyo. The number of spectators who flocked to the venue to see the highly talked about team exceeded 6,000, and the stands were packed to the point of standing room only. The number of media personnel, including TV broadcasts, also reached a record high this season, and the field was overflowing with cameras, pushing Nishigaoka to its limit. Naturally, the "support battle in the goal end" also heated up more than usual. In previous home games, Tokyo's "goal end" has overwhelmed the away team in terms of numbers and sense, but the Sapporo "goal end" gathered for this match was comparable in numbers to Tokyo, and their well-organized support made it feel like "experienced J-League supporters", creating an intense and equal support battle. The venue was at its peak, and at 1pm, the kickoff whistle blew.

2 minutes into the game, Kobayashi scores the first goal!

The players cannot help but be excited by this large crowd. From the start of the game, both teams attacked fiercely without trying to read each other's movements. In the 2nd minute, Tokyo was under attack but Almir cut off the ball in front of their own goal, then ran at high speed for about 50 meters and made a perfect through pass to Kobayashi who had timed his run perfectly. Kobayashi then scored the opening goal with a direct shot. However, the joy was short-lived as they easily conceded an equalizer in the 5th minute. The game continued with an exciting back-and-forth exchange. Tokyo once again built their game around Almir, who ran tirelessly all over the field. Almir was the starting point of their attacks with his sharp dribbling, ball retention in the midfield, and accurate passing. On the right side, Kobayashi had a unique rhythm, while on the left side, Fujiyama showed sharp overlaps, creating a strong attacking presence. Up front, Okamoto showed fierce determination and put his body on the line, while Kaburagi used his speed to make well-timed runs behind the opponent's shallow defensive line to create chances. On the other hand, Sapporo's new foreign player Ashis and veteran Tanada kept possession in the midfield to create a rhythm, while young ace Yoshihara and powerful Fukagawa threatened the goal up front.

Go Kaburaki's first official goal becomes the winning point in the final round!

At the 25th minute, Go KABURAKI broke through the opponent's defense from a vertical pass by Robert and took a powerful shot from about 20 meters after a skillful feint with light steps. This goal gave Tokyo a 1-0 lead again. Kaburaki, who has always had high abilities, has not yet shown his full potential this season, and if he returns to his original play, the team's strength will greatly improve. We hope that this goal will be the turning point. After that, both teams created decisive chances, but the defenders threw themselves in and prevented any goals. Sandro's overwhelming strength and height repelled Sapporo's attacks, and KOMINE also cleared a shot that was almost a goal with an overhead kick. Sapporo also did not allow any additional goals, with former Japan national team player Nagatsuka leading the defense. In the second half, Sapporo showed their determination and surpassed Tokyo in terms of physicality, taking control of the game. However, Tokyo maintained their balance until the end despite being pushed back and did not concede any goals. In the post-match press conference, coach Ohkuma said, "In the past few games, we have conceded goals in the second half after taking the lead, but today we maintained our balance until the end and endured well." This was the first home victory since the opening game and the first consecutive win in a while. We hope to ride this momentum and become a true force.