Very important match

The 15th round of the J2 League, which resumed for the first time in about a month at the end of May, was a match against Ventforet Kofu at the Edogawa Athletics Stadium. During this month, each J2 team spent time conditioning and reconfirming team tactics, focusing on refreshment. On this day of the resumption match, they aimed and prepared their condition. On the other hand, Tokyo (and Oita), who advanced to the 2nd round of the Nabisco Cup, immediately entered into a combat system for the Nabisco Cup after the end of the league match, and played two intense battles. They have a strong momentum after winning a serious match against a J1 team, but they have also accumulated considerable physical and mental fatigue. It is noteworthy how this plus and minus will affect them. In the 1st round against Kofu in April, they won with 3 goals from Sandro, Almir, and Naruse. With this victory, Tokyo gained momentum and continued to win without any danger, recording their first 4 consecutive wins of the season. It was the trigger for the team to ride the upward trend. On the other hand, when the league match resumed at this time, the "nightmare" of last summer is recalled. At that time, the predecessor of FC Tokyo, "Tokyo Gas FC," which belonged to the JFL, had an unstoppable momentum with 10 consecutive wins until mid-May, and two months later, when the league match resumed, everyone believed in Tokyo Gas FC's victory and visited Yumenoshima (home). However, the result was a loss in extra time, which became the trigger for the subsequent 4 consecutive losses... In any case, the first match after the resumption of the league match is an important match that must be won. There is no doubt that there is a handicap of fatigue, and the worst ground conditions due to heavy rain on this day mercilessly took away the players' physical strength. It was necessary to win, not necessarily by a big margin.

Worst condition

The rain that had been falling since the morning showed no signs of stopping even as kick-off time approached. To make matters worse, the wind grew stronger as kick-off approached, and there was only a limited space in the stands where spectators could take shelter from the wind and rain. However, there was a group that continued to support Tokyo with all their might, without being intimidated by such a storm. Yes, it was the "Blue and Red Army" in the goal end. No matter how bad the conditions were, whether it was a home or away game, they always sent out strong support to lift the players' spirits. On this day, the "Blue and Red Army" got soaked along with the players and backed them up even more fiercely than usual. In the first half, Tokyo connected well in the midfield and tried to build their attacks around top player Amaral. Despite the bad conditions, Amaral showed stable ball control and even managed to get past opponents with his fancy footwork. However, the other players lacked precision in their ball control and were also under pressure from Kofu, making it difficult for them to execute their usual "breakdown" plays. They spread the ball from central midfielder Koike to the left and right, and also launched attacks from the full-backs, but they lost the ball in the midfield frequently, and forwards Fujiyama and Umeyama were unable to join in the attack. On the other hand, Kofu played defensively but also managed to connect well in their attacks, launching speedy attacks from both sides. However, they also struggled with ball control and were unable to create any clear chances. As the rain grew more intense with each passing minute, both teams seemed to be struggling with whether to continue connecting passes or switch to a simpler, more direct style of play.

Finally, it's "KING OF TOKYO" after all.

As soon as the second half began, it was like a storm had hit the ground, with puddles forming everywhere and making it impossible to dribble or pass properly. Team flags were falling off and player name signs were toppling over, making for a chaotic scene. However, in contrast, the "Blue and Red Army" in the stands were at their highest energy level, determined not to let their team lose. In the second half, Tokyo brought on speedy forward Wada to run behind the opposing defense and create chances. Then in the 67th minute, they also brought on the quick forward Kaburagi. With this simple tactic of targeting the space behind the defense, Tokyo caused the Kofu defense to drop back and open up space in the midfield. In the 74th minute, Koike took a powerful shot from the center. Then in the 75th minute, Yukihiro headed a cross from the right by Koike, but it narrowly missed the post. After that, Umayama and Yukihiro continued to create chances with accurate crosses from the right side. And in the 77th minute, Koike sent a long pass from deep on the left side, which the opposing defense failed to cut off. Wada then dribbled deep on the left side and crossed to Amaral, who scored a spectacular goal with his left foot. This was a crucial goal that secured the win for Tokyo! At halftime, coach Okuma had instructed, "Bring on Wada and let him run," and it proved to be a successful decision. The game ended with Tokyo holding on to their lead and winning the intense battle in the rain. Next up is a showdown with their "rivals" Sapporo on July 4th, away from home.