A very important match

The J2 League 15th round, resumed for the first time in about a month since the end of May, featured a match at Edogawa Ward Athletic Stadium against Ventforet Kofu. During this one-month break, all J2 teams devoted time to conditioning and rechecking team tactics, focusing on refreshment. They aimed to peak their condition for this reopening match. Meanwhile, Tokyo (and Oita), who advanced to the 2nd Round of the Nabisco Cup, immediately shifted into battle mode for the Nabisco Cup after the league matches ended, playing two intense matches. Although they gained momentum with a convincing win in a serious contest against J1 teams, considerable physical and mental fatigue also accumulated. How this plus-minus balance will affect the team is a point of interest.In the 1st Round against Kofu held in April, Tokyo won comfortably with three goals from Sandro, Almir, and Sei Kobayashi. This victory gave Tokyo momentum, and they continued to win steadily afterward, recording their first four consecutive wins of the season. It became the trigger for the team to ride an upward trend.On the other hand, the league restart at this time recalls last summer’s “nightmare.” Back then, Tokyo Gas FC, the predecessor of FC Tokyo, which belonged to the JFL, had an unstoppable momentum with 10 consecutive wins until mid-May. When the league resumed two months later, everyone believed in Tokyo Gas FC’s victory and came to Yumenoshima (home). However, the result was a loss by sudden death goal in extra time, which triggered four consecutive defeats afterward...In any case, the first match after the league restart is an important game that must be won. There is no doubt about the handicap of fatigue, and the worst ground conditions caused by heavy rain on this day mercilessly drained the players’ stamina. It was not necessary to win by a large margin; above all, it was essential to “win.”

Worst Condition

The rain that had been falling since the morning showed no sign of stopping even as kickoff time arrived. To make matters worse, the wind grew stronger as kickoff approached, and the spaces in the stands where spectators could shelter from the wind and rain were very limited. However, there was a group that supported Tokyo with all their might, undeterred by such a storm. Yes, it was the "Blue-Red Army behind the goal." No matter how bad the conditions, whether home or away, they always sent strong, encouraging support to motivate the players. On this day, the "Blue-Red Army" got soaked along with the players and backed them up more fiercely than usual.In the first half, Tokyo tried to build attacks by connecting well in midfield and using Amaral as a target man. Amaral showed stable ball control even in these poor conditions, sometimes outplaying opponents with juggling skills, demonstrating a different level. However, other players generally lacked precision in ball control, and with Kofu’s strong pressure, Tokyo couldn’t execute their usual elegant passing combinations to break down the defense. Using defensive midfielder Koike as a pivot, they spread the ball left and right and launched attacks from the fullbacks, but there were many turnovers in midfield, and the attacking contributions from Fujiyama and Umeyama were subdued. On the other hand, Kofu, while defensive, connected well during attacks and launched speedy attacks from both flanks. Still, they struggled with ball control and couldn’t create decisive chances. The rain intensified as time passed, but both teams seemed unsure whether to keep playing possession football or switch to a simpler style of kicking and running.

In the end, it's still the "KING OF TOKYO"

In the second half, it turned into a stormy downpour, with puddles forming all over the field, making dribbling and passing nearly impossible. The team flag came loose and fell onto the field, and the player name boards toppled—truly the worst conditions. However, in contrast, the energy of the "Blue-Red Army behind the goal" reached its peak. Losing was not an option.Tokyo brought in the speedy forward Wada from the second half, who ran behind the opposing defenders to create chances. Then, in the 67th minute, the fast forward Kaburagi was also introduced. With Tokyo now simply targeting behind the defenders, Kofu's defense dropped back, creating space in midfield. In the 74th minute, Koike unleashed a powerful long-range shot from the center. Then, in the 75th minute, Yukiho headed a cross from Koike on the right side, but it narrowly missed the post. Afterwards, Umeyama and Yukiho continued to deliver precise crosses from the right side, creating more chances. Then, in the 77th minute, Koike sent a long vertical pass from deep on the left side that the opposing defender failed to intercept. Wada cut deep on the left side and centered the ball. Amaral, waiting for it, powerfully finished with his left foot, scoring a valuable goal! At halftime, Coach Okuma had instructed, "Bring in Wada. Let him run," and this strategy paid off brilliantly.The match ended with Tokyo holding on to win the fierce battle in the rain. Next up is the decisive match against their "rival" Sapporo away on July 4th.