In the worst conditions...

On this day, Oita experienced heavy rain. The pitch at Oita City Athletic Stadium was in poor condition due to the continuous downpour, making the ground conditions the worst. Additionally, the players had fought through two overtime matches in the past week, and with two consecutive away games, their physical and mental fatigue had reached its peak. Oita was in second place at the end of the previous match and had also secured advancement to the second round of the Nabisco Cup, making them the hottest team at the moment. Oita wanted to win this match to take the top spot. On the other hand, if Tokyo lost this match, they would fall significantly behind in the title race, so they were determined to win and gain momentum. A fierce game was expected, with both teams clashing with pride and determination. Before the match, the local Oita began their strong support. In response, familiar chants of 'Tokyo! Tokyo!' could be heard. The 'Blue and Red Brigade' from Tokyo, despite being a small group of about five people, made the journey to this venue, which takes about 1 hour and 30 minutes by plane and another hour by bus. Although five people were not enough to turn the away game into a home advantage, their unwavering support in the pouring rain, without even using umbrellas, undoubtedly gave courage to the players.

Scored the opening goal with a furious attack!

In the first half, Tokyo created rhythm with fast passing from Almir, Yukihiko, and Amaral, and gained pace with Kobayashi's flexible dribbling on the right. From the left, fullback Fujiyama initiated sharp dribbles, adding depth to Tokyo's attack. Despite poor ground conditions, Tokyo dominated possession with superior technical skills, showing no signs of fatigue. In the 27th minute, Almir delivered a sharp pass from deep to the front line to Amaral, and Yukihiko executed a direct exquisite through ball that pierced through the opponent's shallow defense line. Almir made a run and calmly got the ball. Tokyo continued to attack, completely taking control and overwhelming in shot count, but they couldn't capitalize on their chances for additional goals. On the other hand, Oita built their game with former South Korean international Choi, creating opportunities through FW Will's hold-up play, Shiokawa's dribbling, and Kamino's speed. This combination of four was destructive, especially Choi's accurate kicks and technique, which repeatedly threatened Tokyo's goal. However, at this point, Tokyo's concentration and work rate surpassed their opponents, preventing them from creating any decisive chances.

Withstanding Oita's fierce attack

In the second half, the momentum shifted to Oita. Tokyo, reaching peak fatigue, saw a sharp decline in their activity level, and their passing in midfield began to falter. Additionally, the marking on Oita's ace, Choi, became lax, allowing them to seize control of the midfield. In the 3rd minute, the opposing forward Will received the ball on the left, broke through, and delivered a cross. In front of the goal, the opposing forward tangled with Tokyo's defense, and ultimately, the ball deflected off Sandro for an own goal. Oita, having equalized early in the second half, gained momentum and relentlessly attacked Tokyo's goal, centered around Choi and Will. Nevertheless, Tokyo's Almir became a crucial player in both defense and offense with his remarkable effort, stealing the ball and distributing good passes to the front line. Moreover, judging that the overall activity level had dropped and passes were not connecting, Fujiyama surged forward with sharp dribbling, creating chances multiple times. In the end, despite being on the back foot, they did not allow any additional goals and headed into extra time. As extra time began, fatigue began to show for Oita as well, leading to a back-and-forth battle. This tense and thrilling match, where pride and determination clashed, saw both sides create decisive moments without scoring, ending in a draw. Although there is frustration over letting a winning game slip to a draw, this away draw in such a tough schedule can be seen as a commendable effort and should not be viewed solely as a negative outcome.