Home game for the 27th Tama River Clasico

Sec. 7 is held. As the 27th Tama River Clasico, Kawasaki Frontale will face off at home.
In the previous match against Kashiwa, we suffered a defeat due to a goal conceded by a penalty kick. In this match, we will face Kawasaki, who is currently undefeated and leading the league. Even if it becomes a difficult situation against an opponent with overwhelming attacking power, it is a crucial match that we want to avoid consecutive defeats. We want to grasp the rhythm from a good defense, always aim for the opponent's weaknesses, and find opportunities to win without losing our aggressiveness.

Tokyo, Nathan BURNS, who has not started since the Kashima game on March 19, and Anton BURNS, who has not started since the ACL away Jiangsu game, will start. Yonezawa and Ha DAESUNG in the double pivot, with Tanabe and Abe on both sides. Maeda and BURNS form the front two in a 4-4-2 formation. Komano also made his first appearance in the league and was on the bench.

Kawasaki started with MF Harakawa in the midfield along with MF Nakamura. Up front, FW Okubo and FW Kobayashi are joined by MF Moriya and MF Tasaka, who take fluid positions.

Ajinomoto Stadium with a calm and spring-like weather, the match started with Kawasaki's kickoff at 15:03.

The press functioned and switched quickly, and Burns took the lead.

4 minutes: Kawasaki's right cross is cut by their own player, Yonemoto. Maeda clears the ball wide and sends it to the center with a header. Kawasaki's defender tries to control the ball, but Tanabe closes in on the chest trap and passes it to Nathan Burns in front. Burns dribbles with the ball and runs alone. He shoots after entering the penalty area and neatly sinks it into the bottom left corner of the goal. Surpassing Kawasaki with quick transition, Burns scores the first goal of the season and takes the lead!

11 minutes: The score is already tied. Kawasaki connected passes in the midfield, and midfielder Nakamura played a long pass behind Tokyo's defense. Forward Okubo made a run to meet the pass. Ogawa chased after him, but couldn't stop his powerful charge. He scored a goal with a shot.

After that, Tokyo pressed from the front line, compacted the formation, and pushed the whole team up, sealing Kawasaki's passing game. From there, Burns and Abe grabbed the rhythm from their dribbles, and Maeda and Tanabe also got involved in the front line, creating chances.

23 minutes: Yonemoto applies pressure, and once again Maeda -> Burns jumps forward to the front line. He dribbles up to the right area and brings it to a finish from in front of the facing defender, but slightly to the left.

29 minutes: Abe runs up the left side and crosses. Maeda in the area receives it carefully. Tanabe, who was crowded in front of the goal, couldn't finish it, but Maeda connects again and Barnes in front of the area scores.

33 minutes: Barnes dribbles past the opponent on the right side, and Ha Daesung follows up with a direct lofted pass to the center of the area. Abe heads the ball.

Kawasaki's passing and fluid attacking force were concentrated and suppressed, but they were able to surpass with quick transitions and grasp the rhythm. However, they were unable to score additional points and ended the first half with a 1-1 draw.

They successfully took the lead with Maeda's goal, but lost momentum...

Tokyo took the initiative even at the start of the second half.
49 minutes: Tokunaga's cross is cleared and falls at Abe's feet in front. It seemed like a great chance, but the ball entered too close to his feet and couldn't be controlled. Barnes in the area also couldn't react to the loose ball.

50 minutes: A mistake occurred while trying to connect from our own territory, and it was cut off by Kawasaki. MF Nakamura expands to the right. Shaken wide, FW Okubo, who went up in the center, shoots freely. The ball hits the bar directly.
54 minutes: Kawasaki FW Minoru KOBAYASHI was sent forward and took advantage of the gap between Maruyama and Akimoto. FW Minoru KOBAYASHI headed towards the open goal, but the ball slipped away when he chased after it, crossing the line, narrowly avoiding a goal.

56 minutes: In the midst of continued pressure, a free kick is awarded on the left side. Maeda jumps out near the ball after Ogawa's kick, gets ahead of the opposing defender, and drives it home with his left foot, successfully taking the lead! The score is now 2-1.

59 minutes: Regaining the flow once again, Maeda took a direct shot after receiving Barnes' cross from the left area... but it went over the bar.

64 minutes: Yonemoto goes to the right side. The cross from here flows into the central space, but Burns in front of the goal reacts. He turns back and shoots, but... slightly to the left.

Kawasaki also launched a counterattack using player substitutions, and the exchange between offense and defense became intense. Both teams attacked each other, creating opportunities for both sides.
68 minutes: Hayate Hashimoto replaced Tanabe, and in the 74th minute, Shun Hirayama was brought in, aiming for an additional goal.

76 minutes: From the flow of Kawasaki's free kick, FW Okubo entered the area and was chased from behind by Yonemoto, resulting in a foul. A penalty kick was given. FW Okubo himself scored it, equalizing the score once again.
78 minutes: Muriqui was brought on to the side. They tried to aim for further lead with a 4-3-3 formation.
81 minutes: Kawasaki MF Nakamura changed the side to DF Elsinho, and FW Kobayashi on the left area took advantage of his speed, allowing a comeback.

Additional time: It was the end of the game where we tried to counterattack aggressively, but we lost the ball carelessly in front of Kawasaki's goal and quickly conceded a counterattack goal. DF Elsinho scored with a header from MF Nakamura's right cross... the 4th goal conceded.

In the second half, we lost our composure and were unable to stop Kawasaki's momentum. On the other hand, Kawasaki scored 3 goals with 4 shots in the second half. They also demonstrated high accuracy, resulting in a disappointing comeback loss. We suffered our second consecutive defeat in the league.

[Player Comments]
"Nathan Burns"
"I think we had a chance to win and the performance was good. That's why it's very disappointing that we couldn't secure the victory."
It was my first goal in the league this season, but I have always been waiting for opportunities and preparing for games like today. When I get a chance to play, I believe it is my job to perform well. However, the most important thing is the team's victory. If we can't achieve that, the feeling of frustration is still greater."

《Tanabe》
"We pressed from the front and first tried to take care of Kawasaki's ball outlet. There were many scenes where we were chased by the defense, but it worked well. We were able to steal the ball from the opponent who was passing the ball without dragging it back. It was a good rhythm, so it would have been great if we could score the third goal... but we couldn't make it happen and the flow changed. We were brought to a reversal and it's really frustrating."

[Summary of Coach Hiroshi JOFUKU's Press Conference]
"The players' morale for the Tama River Clasico was high, and the game unfolded according to our game plan. However, we ended up scoring 2 goals but conceding 4 goals, highlighting the difference in finishing ability. There were several scenes where we should have scored the third goal, but we couldn't break through. If we don't score when we should, we can't win the game. The fans and supporters cheered us on until the end, but we ended up disappointing them. I didn't want to see the players who worked hard being booed, but that was something we brought upon ourselves. Together with them, we want to change this situation."

[Kawasaki - Coach Yahiro Kazama's Press Conference Summary]
"There were scenes where the game stopped in the first half, and there were many positioning mistakes, which were exploited. There was nothing good except for the fact that we were able to recover the points. However, today's pitch had long grass, and we expected such a situation. I think it was tough for the players, but they gradually got used to it and responded. Even if we concede a goal now, the players, including the substitutes, are showing more and more motivation and aiming for the goal. It was a magnificent support from the fans and supporters who came in such large numbers, even more impressive than our play. I think their presence was one of the factors for today's victory."