Revenge Match

The turbulent J2 League has completed one-third of the full schedule (36 matches) as of the last round, with FC Tokyo in 4th place with 20 points. Niigata is 1st with 23 points, Oita 2nd with 23 points, and Kawasaki F in 3rd with 21 points. Montedio Yamagata is 5th with the same 20 points as Tokyo in 4th, and Sapporo.D is 6th with 17 points. Six teams are tightly packed within a 6-point range, continuing a fierce battle. Including today's match, after two more games, there will be about a one-month interval, so every team wants to win cleanly here and maintain a top position. In this situation, Tokyo's opponent today is Montedio Yamagata, currently tied in points. In the 1st round, although Tokyo controlled the game, they failed a penalty kick and missed chances, gradually losing rhythm, and conceded a goal in extra time due to a momentary lapse, suffering a humiliating V-goal defeat at home. Today's match is a revenge game away, making it a perfect opportunity to settle the score.

Reliable Ace Amaral!

The match moved quickly from the start. At the beginning, Yamagata deployed a fluid attack with their two forwards and midfielders Hirama and Takahashi freely switching positions. Tokyo, confused by this, failed to mark properly and Yamagata circulated the ball smoothly. At 1 minute, against Tokyo’s weak pressing, Yamagata defender Iwamoto joined the attack and took a powerful shot from the right side corner of the penalty area. Despite Horiike’s desperate save attempt, the ball was drawn into the left corner of the goal. Afterwards, Yamagata continued to run behind Tokyo’s unstable defensive line and created decisive chances with sharp counterattacks, but goalkeeper Horiike made fine saves to prevent additional goals. The defense centered around Sandro gradually regained their usual composure as time passed, and the intense pressing in midfield by Asari and Shinjou also began to work. On the other hand, in attack, they focused the ball on Amaral, who started for the first time in a while, trying to gain rhythm from there. Although Amaral was tightly marked, the attacking runs from fullbacks Fujiyama and Umeyama and Almir’s stable play as a central breakthrough post created chances. The back-and-forth battle continued, but at 39 minutes, Tokyo equalized when Amaral headed a cross from Fujiyama, who advanced on the left side, back to the center, and Yukihiko scored with a volley shot from his right foot. This allowed Yukihiko to repay the first-round debt (missed penalty), and Amaral strongly asserted his presence by making a decisive contribution.

I have been waiting for this man's comeback!

Tokyo, having ended the first half on a positive note, launched a fierce attack in the second half. However, just after the restart at the 46th minute, Tokyo was penalized with a penalty kick after a judgment that Yamagata forward Mutail held the ball inside the penalty area. Tokyo's fans and staff were stunned by this nightmare scenario, identical to the previous Niigata match two games ago, but Yamagata's kicker's shot was brilliantly saved by the day's outstanding "guardian" goalkeeper Horiike, preventing any additional goals. This completely shifted momentum to Tokyo, while Yamagata lost their spark. Tokyo created several close chances in quick succession: Okamoto's volley at 11 minutes, Asari's powerful long-range shot at 12 minutes, and Yukihiko's ultra-long shot at 14 minutes. At the 67th minute, Tokyo made a move. Although the score was tied, Tokyo wanted an additional goal and replaced the defensive Shinjou with the offensive Kagami. This paid off. Kagami had been selected for the Best Eleven in last year's JFL but had struggled this season and was often on the bench. His play had tended to be passive, but this day was different. He controlled the ball well, had quick ball release, and displayed elegant passing combinations with Almir in midfield. Then, at the 80th minute, Amaral chest-controlled a cross from the right by Yukihiko, and Kagami unleashed a powerful right-footed long-range shot from the center. Yamagata's goalkeeper couldn't move a step, and the clean shot gave Tokyo the lead. Tokyo continued to press afterward and held on to win, decisively avenging their first-round away loss. Rising to third place, Tokyo will face top-ranked Oita at Nishigaoka on May 29. Although it is painful that Almir will miss the match due to accumulated warnings, there are many positive signs heading into the decisive match, including Amaral's recovery and Kagami's resurgence.