Finish the camp with a victory over Shimizu

　Two weeks remain until the Nabisco Cup qualifying league Sec. 1 (3/8, vs Yokohama FM @ Yokohama International). Although there is a practice match against Yamagata from J2 next week on 3/2 (Sunday), this will be the last match against a J1 team before the season opener. Today marks the final day of the camp that started in Ishigaki Island and continued in Gotemba, and Shimizu is the perfect opponent to assess the results of the camp. As a barometer to gauge the current state of the team, including individual conditioning, tactical understanding, and team balance, this match, even as a preseason match, will require results.

　In Tokyo's starting lineup, Ozawa replaced the injured Doi as goalkeeper, with Kanazawa as the new addition on the left in defense, Jean and Shigeno in the center, and Fujiyama on the right. In midfield, Miyazawa and Asari played as holding midfielders, with Ishikawa on the right and Kelly on the left. The forward line featured a two-top formation with Toda and Abe. Among the substitutes, 17-year-old Kajiyama, who is part of the U-18 team but has joined the first team this season, was included alongside Amaral and Kaji.

　On the other hand, Shimizu is solidified in defensive positions by Japan national team class players like Morioka and Ito, while the attacking lineup features the skilled Hirama in midfield, Japan national team player Mitsunobu, and a powerful two-top formation with South Korean national team player An and TUTO, who transferred from Urawa. At 1 PM, the kickoff whistle echoed in the chilly mountain stadium with a temperature of 10°C.

Jean's powerful header opens the scoring

　It was Tokyo that launched a fierce press forward at the same time as the kickoff. With the speedy duo of Toda and Abe up front, Ishikawa and Kelly in the second line also pressed intensely. However, in the 2nd minute, a free kick was awarded to Shimizu, and the ball kicked by Mito drew a sharp arc and entered the goal area, but this ball was bravely dealt with by goalkeeper Ozawa, who rushed out and punched it away to avert the crisis. Ozawa, who started for the first time in a while, showed signs of tension in the locker room before the match, but after this play, he quickly gained confidence and showcased stable performances throughout. His good play dispelled the worries about Doi's absence, leading to a 'Ozawa call' from the stands.

　Shimizu's attack has utilized An and TUTO's excellent ball retention to act as a pivot up front, with Mito and Hiramatsu joining from behind to create rhythm by spreading the play to the opposite side. Particularly, when An drifted to the side and retained the ball, Tokyo's players were drawn out, often creating dangerous situations by passing to free players in the center.

　On the other hand, Tokyo spread the ball starting from Kelly and Miyazawa, with Ishikawa attempting a dribble from the right, while Toda and Abe exploited space on the left, or Kanazawa joined the attack and tried to break through with a wall pass from Kelly. However, the defense line of Shimizu, centered around the new foreign defender Emerson and Morioka, was solid, and there was a prolonged period where they couldn't create shooting opportunities.

　At the 14th minute, after winning a free kick on the right side, Miyazawa took a powerful left-footed shot, which deflected off the opposing defender and resulted in a corner kick. At the 15th minute, Miyazawa took the right corner kick again, and Jean, who jumped ahead in the center, powerfully headed the ball into the net to score the opening goal. With momentum on their side, Tokyo continued their attack at the 27th minute with a series of direct passes from the left side: Kanazawa → Kelly → Kanazawa → Abe → Toda, finally reaching Ishikawa on the right. Ishikawa dribbled once before unleashing a powerful shot, but it unfortunately hit the right post and did not result in a goal. At the 30th minute, Abe broke through the left side and attempted a curved lob shot with his right foot, but it just went over the bar. Then at the 36th minute, Fujiyama joined the attack on the right side and delivered a cross, which Toda neatly headed near the goal, but the ball went wide to the left. Although the number of chances was almost even, Tokyo went into halftime leading by one goal.

Miyazawa shone at the last moment! A super goal for a determined draw

　As expected, Shimizu, trailing by one goal, began to attack in the second half. In the 47th minute, An broke through on the left side and delivered a pinpoint cross in front of the goal. Hirama, who dove in, took a shot with a diving header but missed to the right of the goal. They survived a critical pinch, but Shimizu's intense attacks continued afterwards.

　On the other hand, Tokyo was unable to create decisive scenes, but Todah and Abe repeatedly tried to break forward, putting silent pressure on the Shimizu defense. In the 53rd minute, on a counterattack, Ishikawa sent a long pass forward to Abe, who charged ahead. Todah broke free to chase the loose ball after a challenge with the Shimizu defense, but was caught by the goalkeeper just a moment too soon, missing the chance to score. In the 9th minute, Amaral came on for Todah, and in the 56th minute, Amaral broke through on the right side and sent a cross to a free Abe in the center. Abe calmly took a touch and shot with his left foot, but unfortunately, it was blocked by the left goalpost, preventing an additional goal.

　By missing this decisive chance, the tide turns in favor of Shimizu. In the 57th minute, they easily allow An to score a goal, equalizing the match, and in the 75th minute, they concede another goal to Kitajima, ultimately being turned around.

　On the other hand, Tokyo also took action. In the 82nd minute, 17-year-old Kajiyama was brought in to replace Asari. Kajiyama is currently a second-year high school student belonging to FC Tokyo U-18, but he joined the top team this season. Although he is a U-17 Japan national team player, his abilities were shrouded in mystery, but he showcased his strengths in the defensive midfield position. Without being fazed by Shimizu's press, he held the ball and distributed passes calmly. Kajiyama's characteristic is that he 'does not lose the ball,' and even at this level, it was not a problem for him. Although he played for only 8 minutes, he had 'zero' passing errors. With Kajiyama's addition, the opponent was drawn to him, creating opportunities for his partner Miyazawa to be free.

　The match progressed with Tokyo trailing by one goal at 1-2, and in the 87th minute, Kanazawa, who bravely stopped Mito's advance, was sent off with a second yellow card. However, this foul by Kanazawa, which he committed knowing he might be sent off, led to a dramatic turn of events. As the game entered stoppage time, Tokyo found themselves in a desperate situation, down by one goal with only ten players. At this moment, they earned a free kick about 25 meters in front of the goal from a play by Kajiyama. Miyazawa aimed directly at the goal, and the ball sharply curved over Shimizu's wall, hitting the right post and going in! A dramatic equalizer was scored at the last moment. Ultimately, the match ended in a draw, but it was a game rich in takeaways, confirming the team's and individuals' readiness and showcasing their resilience at the very end.

【Player Comments】《Miyazawa》"(The rocking cradle performance after the goal) was done because a child was born to the staff in the development department. I had promised to do it before the match, so I was glad I could. I was confident about the free kick in that situation, and it was the trajectory I imagined. I want to study more in the future and aim to score more than last year." 《Ishikawa》:"(Playing on the same side for the first time) I had no discomfort working with Fujiyama, but personally, I needed to be a bit more creative in receiving the ball today. There were moments when the timing didn't match for the whole team, but since everyone has the same image, I think it will improve in future practices." 《Kajiyama》"I was a bit nervous before entering the match, but once I was in, I was fine. I was happy with the support from the fans and was able to play enjoyably."

[Coach Hara's Comment] "As a team, we aimed to assess how well the newly joined Abe and Kanazawa would function, and while neither is at 100%, they are adapting to the team, and I am once again convinced they are valuable assets. Considering just today's match, it might have been better to keep Toda on the field as he was, but I substituted him to improve Amaral's condition. Ultimately, I think we did well to secure a draw from that situation, and it was a positive outcome that 17-year-old Kajiyama came in and helped us earn a free kick that led to the equalizing goal. Additionally, it was good to test Ozawa due to Dohi's injury. I believe completing 90 minutes has boosted his confidence, and finishing without a loss and securing a draw is significant."