The big match!

The intense battle for the top spot continues in the J2 League as we enter the 24th round, finally reaching the two-thirds mark of the long-awaited league season. After this round, there will be only 12 games left to play. It is now the time for the top two teams to heat up their battle for the top spot. Today's match between the first and second place teams, who are currently in a fierce battle for the top spot, was held at Nishigaoka with a crowd of 4,844 people, the second highest attendance of the season after the Sapporo match on April 29th at Nishigaoka with 6,148 people. Currently, Kawasaki Frontale is in first place with 47 points, while FC Tokyo is in second place with 45 points. If Tokyo wins within 90 minutes, they will extend their points to 48 and take the top spot with a lead of "+1", but if they lose within 90 minutes, the gap between them and the top spot will widen to "-5", and they will have to keep an eye on the "footsteps" of third place Oita and fourth place Sapporo, who are quickly closing in. As Tokyo aims to become the first J2 champion, they cannot afford to lose directly to their opponents at this crucial stage and fall far behind in the top spot.

Could not create a decisive opportunity in the first half

After a recovery period of about three months, Nishi-Gaoka Soccer Field has transformed into a vibrant "green carpet." On this day, we returned to the "big game" and were warmly welcomed in the best condition. "Red dragonflies" fluttered around the field and stands, and Nishi-Gaoka had completely embraced the autumn atmosphere. However, the intensity of the sun was still reminiscent of "summer." In the scorching heat of nearly 30 degrees, the match began. Tokyo, missing their absolute ace Amaral due to accumulated warnings, deployed Kaburagi with speed as the forward and Okamoto, who had returned from injury, as the attacking left midfielder, aiming to exploit the opponent's defense. Kaburagi actively moved left and right to disrupt Kawasaki Frontale's relatively shallow defensive line and demanded balls behind the defense, but Tokyo struggled against the intense midfield press and couldn't distribute effective passes to the front line, failing to create chances. Almir also tried to establish a base in the front line but faced intense marking and couldn't make an impact. With no attacking options left, Tokyo began to rely on monotonous long balls. However, this was unlikely to break down Kawasaki Frontale's stable defense. The only real chance came when left full-back Fujiyama joined the attack, and his sharp dribbling and intricate wall passes broke through Kawasaki Frontale's defense several times.

On the other hand, Kawasaki F has been stealing the ball with intense pressing in the midfield, distributing the ball to TUTO and TINGA as the two top players, and building up their attacks. These two players excel in speed, technique, and stamina, and they create chances by constantly changing positions and executing precise passing plays. Tokyo has been pushed back quite a bit, but their defense has been charging at the two players effectively, not allowing them to take free shots. In addition, even in decisive moments, GK Suzuki escaped danger with his decisive and bold dives. As the shot count of 1-7 in the first half indicates, the game has been unfolding at Kawasaki F's pace.

Second half with Tokyo's pace

In the second half, the pace shifted to Tokyo's favor. In the first half, Almir, who had been fixed in the center, started to move more freely to the left and right, with other players filling in the gaps and gradually finding their rhythm. In the 53rd minute, Almir intercepted a pass in the center and passed it to Yukihiko on the right. Yukihiko took a powerful shot, but it was unfortunately caught by the goalkeeper. In the following 54th minute, Fujiyama intercepted the ball and dribbled past three players before passing it to Yukihiko on the right again. He took a dribble and then took a shot, but it was blocked by the opposing defender's tackle. After the game continued at Tokyo's pace, TUTO, who had been leading Kawasaki F's attack, was sent off with a second yellow card in the 68th minute, giving Tokyo a one-man advantage. However, Tokyo was unable to capitalize on this opportunity and instead Kawasaki F stepped up their game. Despite being outnumbered, Kawasaki F covered the missing player with their intense physicality and fighting spirit. They mainly defended with 10 players and occasionally launched sharp counterattacks. In the 84th minute, a free kick from the right by Kawasaki F was headed in, and for a moment it seemed like they had been scored on, but the decision was offside. Despite being one man down, Kawasaki F's efforts were noticeable.

Still no resolution...

When the game went into extra time, the energy level of Kawasaki F, who had one less player, dropped significantly. The game continued at Tokyo's pace, and Enomoto, who came on in the middle of the second half, took a bold and powerful long-range shot while the opposing defenders were sluggish. 102

After goalkeeper Suzuki prevented a big pinch, Tokyo's fierce attack continued completely. Just before the end of the first half of extra time, Tokyo had 4-5 consecutive corner kicks and showered shots on Kawasaki F's goal. However, due to Tokyo's lack of decisiveness and Kawasaki F's efforts, they couldn't score and went into the second half of extra time. As if telling a fierce battle, Kawasaki F's Tinger's leg cramped and he couldn't run properly. Tokyo's players also showed signs of fatigue and ultimately couldn't create scoring opportunities. The Tokyo vs Kawasaki F match, just like the April 4th match (Todoroki), ended without a resolution after 120 minutes of fierce battle.

Coach Matsumoto's Comment

In a very difficult situation (with 10 players), the players did their best without losing focus. The defense against Tokyo was practiced repeatedly over the course of a week. The players executed faithfully and defended well overall.

<Coach Okuma's Comment>

(With one player sent off), we had a numerical advantage but couldn't break through. We didn't have a player who could be the core in the midfield at times like this. There were also decisive chances, and it was a game we had to win. However, I think the defense did well overall.