The most difficult match of all!? vs Kashima Antlers

Tokyo, who returned to the top spot with a dramatic come-from-behind victory in the previous match against Iwata, clashed with the strong Kashima Antlers away in Toyama on this day. Kashima is currently in 7th place and is not yet in top form, but they have players like Hirase, Yanagisawa, Nakata, Ogasawara, Motoyama, and former Japan national team players Narahashi, Akita, Soma, and Honda, making them one of the strongest teams in J1 with a strong lineup. In addition, Kashima's ace Bismarck reigns supreme, and just before the start of the season, they added the Brazilian star player Bebeto, who has participated in the World Cup three times as a super high-profile foreign player. The depth of their squad is one of the best in J1. However, the factor that has not been going well and has become a miscalculation is "Bebeto's delayed adjustment", and if Tokyo, who is currently in excellent form and riding high, can win, there should be a good chance. However, we must not jump to conclusions here. Tokyo and Kashima have faced each other five times in the past (three Emperor's Cups and two Nabisco Cups), and Tokyo's only victory was six years ago when they first met in the Emperor's Cup during the Tokyo Gas era. Since then, they have faced each other in the Emperor's Cup semifinals and the Nabisco Cup semifinals, and have had a dark past of having their dreams of reaching the finals shattered. For Tokyo, Kashima is like a formidable enemy within a formidable enemy. This will be their first time facing each other in the league, but in order to repay their past debts, they have no choice but to take revenge on enemy territory!

Leading with TUTO's consecutive goals in two matches!

On this day, in the match held in the hometown (Toyama) of Kashima's striker Yanagisawa, local fans naturally flocked in large numbers to support the Kashima Eleven with a tremendous amount of support that was comparable to their original home stadium, Kashima Stadium. On the other hand, Tokyo's goal end, although in numbers it was only a fraction of Kashima's, supported the Tokyo Eleven with their usual unique and witty cheers. Despite being clearly outnumbered, their powerful and loud voices resonated throughout the venue, making one wonder, "How is their voice carrying so far?" Whether this voice reached the players or not, in the 5th minute of the match, Naito, who had transferred from Kashima this season, fiercely intercepted an opponent's careless pass with a sliding tackle. The ball remained in the front line and reached Tsuttsu, who dashed forward. Tsuttsu collided with the oncoming Kashima goalkeeper, but he persevered and regained possession of the ball, skillfully evading the defenders and calmly scoring the opening goal. At that moment, the stadium of over 10,000 people fell silent, and on the pitch, Tsuttsu raised both hands in triumph and exploded with joy. Taking the lead against the strong Kashima on enemy territory... This is it! But in that instant, 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, while struggling with Tokyo's intense play, looked for opportunities by supplying sharp vertical passes to top players Yanagisawa and Bebeto from a fast-paced passing game centered around Bismarck and Ogasawara with few touches. On the other hand, when Sandro and Komine of Tokyo judged that they would not easily allow central breakthroughs with tough marking, the two top players moved to the sides on the front line, creating points by putting the ball there and involving the attacking participation of the fullbacks, and throwing the ball in from the outside. In the 23rd minute, Yanagisawa, who had moved to the right side, took a powerful volley shot from an angleless position, but GK Doi made a great save and did not allow a goal. In the following 30 minutes, Sandro was taken a penalty kick, and Tokyo faced a desperate crisis, but Doi also made a fine save and did not allow a goal. Tokyo also occasionally created chances from counters, and it seemed that they would end the first half with a one-goal lead, but just before the end of the first half, they were equalized by a header from Kashima DF Fabiano from a free kick.

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."