A rematch with Kobe, seeking a comeback

　Tokyo, who won a big victory of 4-0 against Hokkaido Consadole Sapporo in the previous match and wants to turn the tide in the 2nd stage, but they cannot afford to be complacent. This match they will face a tough opponent, Vissel Kobe. In the past J1 League matches against Kobe, they have 1 draw and 4 losses. Although they were able to get a win and a draw in the Nabisco Cup qualifying league this spring, Kobe is still a difficult opponent that they haven't been able to defeat in the league matches. In the 2nd stage, both teams have a similar record of 4 wins and 4 losses. However, Kobe has resolved their lack of scoring ability with the addition of FW Ozeas and MF Allison, and the team's morale is also improving. Despite avoiding relegation, they are still in danger of being ranked 14th for the year due to their defeat in the 1st stage, but they will come to compete with determination and spirit in order to take points.

　In past matches, both teams have struggled to break through Kobe's powerful defense and have often been defeated by a narrow margin due to counterattacks. Therefore, it is expected to be a tough battle. However, we want to erase the bad data and aim for a consecutive victory.

　After returning from the Asian Games, Shigeki and Ishikawa showed their energetic figures and both were named in the starting lineup as center-back and right midfielder, respectively. Although the lineup shows three defenders in the team sheet, they adopted a 4-5-1 formation with Fujiyama as the left full-back and started the match at the rainy Japan National Stadium in Kobe.

A Beef With Kobe 

Following the 4-0 thrashing of Consadole in the previous game TOKYO looked to have revitalised their season. Unfortunately the opponents for the 9th. game of the second stage were perennial bogeymen Vissel Kobe; in their five previous encounters TOKYO had recorded one draw and four losses for one point from a possible 15. TOKYO managed a win and a draw in the group stage of this year's Nabisco Cup but were still searching for a first League win over the men in black and white. Both sides had identical W4 L4 records going into the match but Vissel, boosted by the goals of Oseas and Harison, were definitely in better form.
TOKYO welcomed Moniwa and Ishikawa back from the Asian Games and both made the starting eleven; only three defenders were named but Fujiyama slotted in on the left in a 4-5-1 formation. Vissel started the ball rolling at a rain lashed National Stadium.

Despite conceding the first goal, FC Tokyo quickly equalizes with Amaral's penalty kick!

　From the start, there was a back and forth battle. In the 1st minute, Tokyo's Toda caught up with a long pass from Miyazawa on the left side, and Ishikawa, who had moved up to support, took a shot. In the 3rd minute, Kobe's right back Sugawara attacked and took a shot. In the 5th minute, it was Tokyo's turn again. Akachi dropped the ball from Asari with a header into the space on the right side, and Amalao crossed it for Ishikawa to take a shot. In the 9th minute, Kobe's FW Hato took advantage of MF Mochizuki's pass and broke through to the goal with speed, but Doi made a save. Both teams defended well and created chances by quickly transitioning to fast attacks.

　At 16 minutes, Kobe expanded to the side from midfielder Saeki, and MF Allison headed the cross from the right by Mochizuki. Immediately after, Tokyo Ishikawa cut in from the right side and took a shot. At 19 minutes, FW Ozeas dropped the pass from Kobe's midfielder Shijikurei in the penalty area, and Hashido entered a decisive shooting motion, but Jean and Motonii quickly closed in and the pinch was avoided.

　Tokyo had been responding calmly to Kobe's attacks so far. However, in the 25th minute, Kobe's Ozeas initiated the play in the midfield and passed to Saeki, who had advanced from the right side after receiving a pass from Allison. Saeki, who had entered the penalty area on the right side, sent a low cross in front of the goal, threading the needle between Tokyo's center-backs who were marking Kobe's two forwards. Mochizuki took the shot and scored, giving Tokyo the first goal.

　Tokyo, who was struggling to dominate the ball against Kobe's solid defense with a back four and two defensive midfielders, regained control in the 29th minute. It was a moment when Kelly received a pass from Akashi on the right side and tried to move forward. The Kobe defender committed a foul against Kelly, resulting in a penalty kick. Amaral confidently placed the ball in the bottom left corner, equalizing the score.

　Tokyo regained momentum with this goal. In the 31st minute, Ishikawa dribbled up quickly from a counterattack and made a sharp through pass into the space in front of the goal. Toda took advantage of the perfect timing and broke free to take a shot, but the opponent's goalkeeper made a brave dive and saved it. However, in today's Tokyo, Toda's intention to run between the opponent's goalkeeper and defenders was thoroughly executed. In the 34th minute, Toda broke free from a long pass from Kaji from deep in their own territory and took a shot while being unmarked. It was a decisive moment, but the ball hit the crossbar and the chance for an additional goal was unfortunately missed, leading to the second half.

Vissel Lead But Amaral Ties It 

Both teams began in a positive mood with TOKYO registering the first shot on goal in the very first minute through Ishikawa, Vissel responding through Sugawara soon after. In the 5th minute, Kaji nodded Asari's high ball into the path of Ishikawa who crossed for Amaral to shoot; Mochizuki released Bando with a smart through ball but TOKYO keeper Doi saved sharply. The passing was crisp, the tackles firm and the movement fluid. Chances came thick and fast: Mochizuki crossed for Harison to head wide, Ishikawa bore down the wing then cut inside and fired over and in the 19th minute Bando seemed certain to score from Oseas's knock down but a double block by Moniwa and Jean averted the danger.
TOKYO's approach play was the more incisive but it was Vissel who took the lead in the 25th minute. Oseas held the ball up in midfield and found Harison who fed the overlapping Saeki; Saeki rolled a low cross into the area for the surging Mochizuki to clip a right footed shot past Doi.
Parity was quickly restored, though, as Kelly had his heels clipped attempting to turn just inside the area following a sharp exchange of passes with Kaji and the referee unhesitatingly pointed to the spot. Amaral converted in his customary fashion.
Gaining the equaliser so quickly lifted TOKYO and a lightning fast counter attack in the 31st minute should have seen them take the lead but the Vissel keeper produced a superb save to deny Toda after a sublime through ball from Ishikawa had split the defence. The keeper was helpless in the 34th minute as Toda again streaked onto a long ball over the visitors' defence but saw his firmly struck effort rebound off the cross bar and away. The highly entertaining first half ended 1-1.

Take the lead with Jean's first goal, but...

　In the second half of the match, which was tied 1-1, Tokyo had the first big chance. In the 49th minute, Ishikawa, who made a skillful trap on a floating ball from behind, cut inside and passed to the left side. Toda took a shot, but it was saved by the opponent's goalkeeper. However, Jean, who had jumped in almost at the same time, pushed the ball into the goal with a header from the right corner kick that they won. It was Jean's first goal in the J-League and it gave them the lead.

　However, it was two minutes later. A pass from Sugawara on the right side of Kobe to the center. Allison sends the ball to the goal, Hado connects while losing balance, Ozias cleverly picks up the loose ball and shoots. As Coach Hara later regretted, Kaji failed to clear the loose ball in his own territory, and it was taken back when he tried to connect forward, allowing the development in the midfield, and in the end, Ozias with decisive power scored the equalizing goal.

　In a completely opposite development from the first half, Tokyo is being pushed back. In the 58th minute, Hodo broke free from Shijikurei's pass and took a shot. In the 60th minute, Allison picked up a clearance ball from Tokyo's defense and connected with a header shot. Tokyo is consistently having their clearance balls picked up.

　However, in the 62nd minute, Tokyo cleverly jumped out with Ishikawa's long pass and earned a corner kick. In the 63rd minute, again, Kaji advanced to the front line with a dribble as soon as he saw that there was no press in the midfield, and made a last pass to Kelly in the left penalty area. However, the ball was cut by the defender during the trap, and he couldn't take a shot. In the 64th minute, Toda jumped into the cross from Ishikawa on the left side, but narrowly missed. Although they created a chance by exploiting Kobe's vulnerability, they couldn't score, and in the 68th minute, Fukuda was substituted for Toda.

　Amalao, Fukuda as the top two, Miyazawa as the front, Tokyo trying to score additional points. In the 77th minute, Kelly picked up Fujiyama's cleared ball from the cross and Ishikawa sent a ground cross between the goalkeeper and the defender from inside the right penalty area. Fukuda followed up in front of the goal, but was blocked by the defender and unfortunately did not score. In the 79th minute, Kobe had a big chance again. Saeiki ran in at the right timing to shoot from the cross on the right side, but it went off target. In the 81st minute, Tokyo had another chance as they counterattacked and looked for an opportunity by passing the ball around. In the end, Kelly jumped in front of the goal to shoot directly from Kaji's cross. However, the ball unfortunately hit the crossbar. In the 84th minute, Kobe's Shijikurei hit a free header from the right side FK, but it narrowly missed the target.

　Both teams created chances but were unable to score, leading to extra time.

Jean Strikes But..... 

The first good chance of the second half fell to TOKYO in the 49th minute.
Out on the right, Ishikawa immaculately controlled a floated ball and crossed for Toda to strike first time; the Kobe keeper dived full length to tip the ball around the post. From the corner, Jean rose imperiously to power a header down and over the line for his first goal for the club. TOKYO were ahead, but it didn't last long. Just two minutes, to be precise, as Oseas reacted fastest to a deflected loose ball to fire home from ten meters.
TOKYO suddenly found themselves on the defensive as the pendulum swung back to Vissel Kobe. Bando latched on to Sidiclei's long ball in the 58th minute and crashed in a shot while a poor clearance presented Harison with a free header soon after, but he was unable to take advantage of some defensive generosity.
TOKYO fought back and fashioned a few half chances that came to naught; Toda made way for Fukuda in the 68th minute as TOKYO switched to a twin striker formation with Miyazawa tucked in behind. Fukuda almost had the ball in the net in the 77th minute from Ishikawa's low cross to the near post, but a desperate lunge from a defender deflected the ball around the post. Saeki fired wide following a neat Kobe counterattack shortly after, and Kelly struck the crossbar with a first-time effort from Kaji's cross in the 81st minute. Neither side proved capable of seizing any of the large number of chances created, and the match moved into extra time.

First overtime victory of the season, sinking Kobe with Miyazawa's V goal

　Extension game after 6 games from the 3rd section against Hiroshima. However, this season, Tokyo has not had a victory in extension games so far, with 2 draws and 3 losses. It was thought that whether they could defend would be the key. However, the game ended unexpectedly.

　Tokyo, who connected the ball from the kickoff of the extra time. They also picked up the opponent's clear ball well and passed it around, approaching the goal. And 40 seconds into the extra time, the opponent's DF cleared Fujiyama's cross. However, this ball hit Kobe player and went to Amaral's feet in front of the goal. Before Amaral entered the shooting motion, Kobe DF Tsuchiya rushed in and cleared it again, but this was weak and spilled near the penalty arc. Miyazawa, who ran in there, swung his left foot and scored in the lower right corner! It was decided a V-goal victory unexpectedly, as if the suffering so far was a lie.

　Although it was only 2 points, it can be said that achieving a consecutive victory with an extension win for the first time this season against the tough opponent Kobe is a significant accomplishment.

[Summary of the press conference by the former coach] "This season, we couldn't win in extra time and had the impression of losing with a V-goal. The flow throughout the stage was improving but not quite there yet, but I think we can aim higher with today's victory. I started Ishikawa and Mobata because they have had various experiences in the Asia Challenge. They seemed to have personal regrets and conveyed their desire to play in this match. I bet on their high motivation. They had been away from the team for a while, so there were aspects where they couldn't get into the rhythm of Tokyo, but I think they did a good job at crucial moments. We really wanted to earn 3 points, but we were intercepted while trying to connect and conceded a goal from a mistake, so we need to tighten up in those areas. However, even if we fell behind, we managed to catch up and hold our ground, and winning with a V-goal gives us confidence."

[Kobe Manager Matsuda's Press Conference Summary] "I don't think the performance was bad, so it's disappointing that we didn't get the results. I appreciate that we were able to score two goals, and we didn't concede in a way that our defense was broken. However, in this world, we have to win, but the content was not unsatisfactory as we continue to the next game."

Miyazawa Bags First " V Goal " Win 

TOKYO's record in matches requiring extra time this season wasn't good: drawn two, lost three. The key seemed to lie in maintaining concentration in defence. However they began the first period going forward and moved the ball around with Fujiyama then launching a cross into the area. A Vissel defender attempted a volleyed clearance but the ball struck a teammate and landed at Amaral's feet. As Amaral lined up his shot Kobe defender Tsuchiya stretched to poke the ball away; the clearance was underhit and Miyazawa, from just outside the area, struck left footed, low and hard, just inside the right post. TOKYO had snatched a dramatic and well earned victory just 40 seconds into extra time. The triumph brought only two points but it marked the first League victory over bogey team Kobe, the first " V Goal " win this year and the second consecutive win.

TOKYO manager Hara:
" Given our record in extra time games this year I just have an impression of losing them. Today's win won't go a long way to alter the course of the season but should raise our sights a little. Ishikawa and Moniwa came back with some useful experience from playing in the Asian Games but, of course, they couldn't fit back in straight away after missing a few matches. We struggled to find our rhythm in places and made mistakes that led to goals but, after being behind and then being pegged back when we were ahead, the team fought well to earn a victory and that should be a confidence booster ".

Kobe manager Matsuda:
"I don't think we played badly at all, we just didn't get the result today. We scored twice and lost but that's football."