Nishi-Gaoka, packed to the brim

Last year, in the J1 promotion decision match, they were defeated and this season they start in J2, but the "New Okada Sapporo" aiming for their long-awaited return to J1 has finally arrived in Tokyo. The number of spectators who gathered at the venue to see the match against the team that is always a hot topic exceeded 6,000, and the stands were packed to the point of standing room only. In addition, the number of media personnel, including TV broadcasts, also reached a record high this season, and the field was overflowing with cameras, pushing Nishigaoka to its limit. Naturally, the "support battle in the goal end" also heated up more than usual. Tokyo's "goal end" has overwhelmed the away team in terms of numbers and sense in previous home games, but the "goal end" of Sapporo gathered for this match is comparable in numbers to Tokyo, and their well-organized support made us feel like "experienced J-League supporters", creating an intense and equal support battle. The venue was at its peak, and at 1:00 PM, the kickoff whistle blew.

2 minutes into the game, Kobayashi scores the first goal!

The players cannot help but be excited by this large crowd. From the start of the game, both teams attacked fiercely without trying to read each other's movements. In the 2nd minute, Tokyo was under attack when Almir cut off the ball in front of their own goal, then sprinted about 50 meters with high-speed dribbling and made a perfect through pass to Kobayashi, who was perfectly timed to score the opening goal. However, the joy was short-lived as they easily allowed a goal in the center just 5 minutes later. The game continued with an exciting back-and-forth exchange. Tokyo once again built their game around Almir, who ran tirelessly all over the field. Almir was the starting point of their attacks with his sharp dribbling, ball control in the midfield, and accurate passes. On the right side, Kobayashi had a unique rhythm, while on the left side, Fujiyama showed sharp overlaps, creating a strong attack. Up front, Okamoto showed fierce determination and played with his body on the line, while Kaburagi used his speed to make timely runs behind the opponent's shallow defensive line to create chances. On the other hand, Sapporo's new foreign player Ashis and veteran Tanada kept possession in the midfield to create a rhythm, while young ace Yoshihara and powerful Fukagawa threatened the goal up front.

Kagamaki's first official goal becomes the winning goal in the final round!

At the 25th minute, Go KABURAKI broke through the opponent's defense from a vertical pass by Robert and took a powerful shot from about 20 meters after a skillful feint with light steps. This goal put Tokyo back in the lead. Kaburaki, who has always had high abilities, has yet to fully demonstrate his skills this season. If he can return to his original play, the team's strength will greatly increase, and we hope this goal will be the catalyst for that. After that, both teams created decisive chances, but the defense worked hard to prevent any goals. Sandro's overwhelming strength and height helped Tokyo bounce back, and KOMINE also cleared a shot that almost went in with an overhead kick. Sapporo also did not allow any additional goals, with former Japan national team player Nagatsuka leading the defense. In the second half, Sapporo showed their determination and outplayed Tokyo with their energy, taking control of the game. However, Tokyo maintained their balance until the end despite being pushed back, and did not allow any goals. In the post-game press conference, coach Okuma said, "In the past few games, we have conceded goals in the second half after taking the lead, but today we maintained our balance until the end and endured well." This was their first home victory since the opening game, and their second consecutive win. We hope this will be the start of a real winning streak.