The most difficult match of all!? vs Kashima Antlers

After a dramatic comeback victory against Jubilo Iwata in the previous match, Tokyo returned to the top of the standings and faced the strong Kashima Antlers away in Toyama on this day. Although Kashima is currently in 7th place and not yet in top form, they boast a strong lineup including Olympic Japan national team players Hirase, Yanagisawa, Nakata, Ogasawara, Motoyama, as well as former Japan national team members Narahashi, Akita, Soma, and Honda. Adding to this, the ace of Kashima, Bismarck, and the Brazilian star player Bebeto, who has participated in the World Cup three times and joined just before the season opener, contribute to a depth of talent that is among the best in J1. However, a factor that has been a miscalculation and has affected their performance since the start of the season is Bebeto's delayed adjustment. Given that Tokyo is currently in great form and riding high, they should have a good chance of winning. However, one must not jump to conclusions. In their last five encounters (three in the Emperor's Cup and two in the Nabisco Cup), Tokyo has only won once against Kashima, which was six years ago during their first match in the Emperor's Cup when they were still Tokyo Gas. Since then, they have faced each other in the Emperor's Cup semifinals and Nabisco Cup semifinals, where Tokyo's dreams of advancing to the finals have been repeatedly dashed. For Tokyo, Kashima is a formidable opponent. This will be their first encounter in the league, but to repay their past debts, they must achieve revenge on enemy territory!

Leading with TUTO's consecutive goals in two matches!

On this day, a match was held in Toyama, the hometown of Kashima's striker Yanagisawa, and naturally, many local fans came out to support, providing a level of cheering that rivaled that of their true home, Kashima Stadium. In contrast, the Tokyo supporters behind the goal, though only a fraction of Kashima's numbers, continued to support the Tokyo Eleven with their uniquely witty cheers. Despite being overwhelmingly outnumbered, their strong and loud voices resonated throughout the venue, making one wonder, "How can they be so loud?" Whether this reached the players or not, Tokyo's Naito, who transferred from Kashima this season, made a fierce sliding cut on an opponent's careless pass just five minutes into the match, sending the ball to TUTO, who was waiting up front. TUTO dashed forward, colliding with the advancing Kashima goalkeeper, but managed to keep possession, evading the defender and calmly scoring the opening goal. At that moment, the stadium fell silent with over 10,000 spectators, while TUTO raised both hands in joy, exploding with happiness on the pitch. Taking the lead against the strong Kashima on their home ground... At that moment, I thought, "This is possible!" but reflexively, the thought crossed my mind, "It can't be this easy."

Kashima shows its fangs!

Until Tokyo's opening goal, neither team was able to settle the ball, but intense attacking and defending began after this goal. Tokyo used their abundant physicality as their selling point to aggressively press from the front line and adopted a strategy of supplying the ball to the two top players, Amaral and TUTO, quickly after winning possession. However, due to the high individual skill level and fast passing of Kashima's players, it was difficult to win the ball in a high position, resulting in winning the ball in a deeper position. In the end, even when they managed to win the ball in this deeper position and deliver it to Amaral and TUTO in the front line, the two players were isolated and unable to create a strong attacking presence.

On the other hand, Kashima struggled against Tokyo's intense play, but with Bismarck and Ogasawara at the center, they supplied sharp vertical passes to the top players Yanagisawa and BETO from their quick passing game with few touches, looking for chances. In response, Tokyo's Sandro and Komine, judging that they wouldn't easily allow a breakthrough through the center with their tight marking, had the two forwards drift to the sides up front, creating points by allowing the ball to be played there, and involving the attacking participation of the full-backs, they threw the ball in from the outside. In the 23rd minute, Yanagisawa, who had drifted to the right side, unleashed a powerful volley shot from a tight angle, but it was denied by a great save from goalkeeper Doih. In the following 30th minute, Sandro was awarded a penalty kick, facing a critical situation, but Doih made another fine save, preventing a goal. Tokyo also created chances occasionally from counterattacks, and it seemed they would end the first half with a one-goal lead, but just before the end of the first half, a free kick was headed in by Kashima defender Fabiano, leveling the score.

The toughness of J1

Entering the second half, Tokyo brought in Amaral. Due to the frequent isolation of the two forwards, Amaral was brought in as a supporting role. However, Kashima's defensive midfielder and stopper were strong, and Amaral's characteristic dribbling was shut down. In addition, in Tokyo's characteristic attack from the side, Yukihiro, Naito, and Amaral on the right side tried to break through with fast one-twos, but the marking on Amaral was strict and the timing was slightly off, resulting in a loss of the ball. On this day, Amaral, who played through the pain with painkillers, was too tough for Akita and Fabiano, the two stoppers. Also, Fujiyama, who actively participated in the attack from the left side through interceptions, created some good opportunities by dribbling several times, but the goal was far away.

On the other hand, Kashima, who came into the second half with a determination, made a move three minutes into the half. Narahashi rushed from the right side, broke through two Tokyo defenders, and delivered a perfect cross to the center. Bebet shot the ball, hitting the crossbar, and Ogasawara followed up on the rebound to score a comeback goal. With this, Kashima gained momentum and launched a diverse attack from the center and both sides, while Tokyo was on the defensive. Despite attempting to change the flow by bringing in Asano and Toda, the situation did not change much. In the end, Tokyo, who couldn't fully utilize Amaral's post-play and TUTO's speed, once again lost to the skilled team "Kashima".

Coach's Comment

Coach Kiyoshi OKUMA's comment

"In the first half, despite playing poorly, we were able to create chances and score a goal from a quick attack. It was painful to concede a goal right before the end of the first half, at a time when we shouldn't have conceded. Kashima didn't give us any space throughout the game, and our two forwards and central midfielders couldn't dribble, so we couldn't play in our usual style. The only one who was able to break through on the wings was Fujiyama with his individual skills. Following the game against Iwata, our forwards and midfielders supporting them are often far apart, leaving the forwards isolated, so we want to make adjustments in the future."