Escape from the quagmire at Home Marugame

　The 8th match, which is the first stage turning point, will be a home game at Kagawa Marugame Stadium, facing Hokkaido Consadole Sapporo. Sapporo, although they suffered a heavy defeat of 2-5 against Shimizu in the previous match, had 4 wins, 1 draw, and 1 loss before that. They have scored 7 goals in 6 matches, with only 3 goals conceded, showing efficient scoring and solid defense, and have successfully made a strong start. They caused a "whirlwind" in the J1 league in 2001.

　On the other hand, Tokyo, who sank to the bottom in the previous round, cannot afford to lose today's match. What the team needs now is a goal that will serve as a catalyst for a comeback and three points. To achieve that, in this round, Rohisu was placed on the bench, Sato on the left midfield, Masamitsu KOBAYASHI on the right midfield, and Kelly as the attacking midfielder, with Amaral as the lone striker in a 4-5-1 formation.

Showing an attacking formation

　Tokyo started 2 minutes into the game, Amaral's header shot from Kelly's free kick grazed the bar, giving an early sense of a goal. However, without being able to calm down and take control, in the 9th minute, the defenders were drawn to the movement of Sapporo FW Will in front of the goal, and FW Hato, who received a pass freely, took a shot. It narrowly escaped with a corner kick.

　In the midst of a defensive battle where both teams are solidly defending and launching counterattacks, Tokyo gradually starts to function with Sato and Kobayashi. They dominate the ball and attack from the sides, but Sapporo quickly transitions to defense and doesn't allow easy scoring opportunities. In the 27th minute, Sato breaks through the defense from Naito's pass and crosses the ball, but the Sapporo defenders clear it. In the 28th minute, Sato again delivers a sharp cross from near the goal line, but it doesn't reach Kelly or Kobayashi in front of the goal. In the 30th minute, Fujiyama dribbles into the penalty area from the left and sends a final pass, but it doesn't reach Amaral. Then, in the 32nd minute, Kobayashi receives a pass from the backline and immediately shoots in front of the goal, and Amaral jumps in and shoots with his left foot. However, the ball goes over the crossbar, missing a decisive scoring opportunity. Tokyo is leading the game, but Sapporo's front two are also a threat, and in the 43rd minute, Will shoots after receiving a through pass from Hashimoto. However, it goes straight to goalkeeper Doi, and both teams end the first half with no goals.

With Amaral's goal, the long-awaited opening goal!

　In the second half, Coach Okuma sent the players out with the instruction "Don't rush." On the other hand, Coach Okada of Sapporo also made adjustments, saying "We've been countered too much in the first half. Let's aim to run behind the defense. Let's attack aggressively." However, both teams cautiously faced each other. In the 50th minute, Amaral took a shot from a side change pass in an attempt to break the deadlock. Although it missed the goal, in the following 51st minute, Kobayashi received a ball from Amaral off the post, dribbled technically into the penalty area while being surrounded by the opponent's defenders, and sent a perfect last pass. Amaral, who received the pass, turned around and took a shot! Although the shot lacked power due to the competition with the defenders, the ball rolled into the left corner of the goal!! With this goal, Amaral scored the opening goal of the season. It may not be a fine goal, but it was a long-awaited opening goal created by the strength and persistence of Kobayashi and Amaral in the battle for the ball.

　Sapporo, here, substitutes Wahab and Daikoku for Almir and Yamase on both sides of the midfield, injecting fresh attacking power and grasping the rhythm. In the 61st minute, Hato shoots from a cross by DF Omori, who moved up the left side. In the 63rd minute, Will, who broke through behind Komine, sends a decisive final pass to Hato, but Tokyo DF defends it with their bodies.

Tunnel Escape, Light is Visible!?

　Tokyo continued to be pushed back, but around the 70th minute, it suddenly started raining. The rain quickly intensified and covered the field. Then, in the 71st minute, Kelly stole the ball after a momentary defensive lapse in the midfield, which had been under pressure from Sapporo. Amaral caught up to a pass played behind the defense by Kelly and charged towards the penalty area while competing with the defenders! A fast Tokyo-style attack unfolded, causing Sapporo's defender, Namizuka, to commit a foul. Amaral was brought down, earning a penalty kick. Sato neatly kicked it into the goal, and Tokyo secured a valuable second goal.

　However, Sapporo fought back from here. In the 76th and 78th minutes, they aimed for a goal from a direct free kick, and in the 79th minute, Will took a shot from inside the penalty area. In the 82nd minute, Doi escaped Bijou's powerful shot with a corner kick. In the 87th minute, Okubo stole the ball in the midfield and immediately passed it to Will. At this point, Will's mid-range shot hit the post... Tokyo tried to overcome this difficult situation by substituting Kobayashi, Amaral, and Sato with Kina, Robisu, and Kagamiki one after another. They tried to launch a counterattack but couldn't score an additional goal. And in injury time, Sapporo equalized with a header from a free kick outside the left penalty area, dropping the ball and allowing Will to score, making it 2-1. However, Sapporo's comeback was already too late, and soon after, the game ended.

　Towards the end, it is regrettable that we gave away dangerous free kicks in a dangerous position due to fouls near the penalty area, and conceded a goal from a set piece in injury time. However, the desired goal that we wanted so badly and the fact that we were able to decorate the home game with a victory are the greatest confidence boost. Although we are now in 13th place, the 1st stage is a fierce battle where teams from 7th to 13th place are tied with a 3-point difference. As Coach Okuma said, today is a new starting point and we will begin our counterattack from here.

[Coach Okada's Comment]

"There is a possibility that the opponent will retreat due to the heat, so there is no need to push too hard in the first half, and I instructed to keep it 0-0. However, it is difficult to cleanly break through when the opponent is defending by retreating. As a result, it turned into a situation where we were countered, so in the second half, I wanted to put more pressure on the top and pick up loose balls. However, the players have a desire to connect rather than kick roughly, and within that, we unfortunately conceded a goal and had to go out to score. After being scored two goals in the end, it became inevitable that picking up loose balls from crosses became our chance. However, we are still halfway through the game and we are in a position where we can reach our target numerically. Winning or losing a little does not mean losing sight of our goal."

[Coach Okuma's Comment]

"Kelly joined late and there were also other player injuries, but we have been striving for team balance and unity up to this point. The decision today required courage, but I think not only the result, but also the balance of offense and defense and the team's effort have come out. Regardless of the ranking, I thought that today's game would be the starting point whether we win or lose, but it was good to see good results there, and I keenly feel that we need to create something extra. Taking today as a starting point, I want to do my best in each and every game."