11,000 people vs 30 people

"How to break through the thick defense..." This was a highlight about the match that appeared in the local newspaper's morning edition. Up until the previous match, Tokyo had conceded 11 goals, averaging just 0.7 goals per match, the lowest in the league. Naturally, the image that each opposing team has of Tokyo is "thick defense" or "solid defense." On the other hand, Sapporo, led by Coach Okada, is a well-balanced team that excels in quick counterattacks after fierce defense. Although they are missing their ace Yoshihara, who is participating in the South American Championship as part of the Japan national team, their attacking power, bolstered by two new foreign players, is formidable. Thus, the pre-match prediction highlighted how Sapporo would break through Tokyo's "thick defense..." Sapporo, with 22 points, was in 5th place before the previous match. As Sapporo aims for promotion to J1, they are in a precarious situation where they cannot afford to lose, especially in a direct confrontation with Tokyo, who is in 2nd place. Having already lost to Tokyo in their first-round matchup, they were expected to come back fiercely at home in Atsubetsu. The number of spectators who rushed to see this crucial match was an impressive 11,783. Among them, about 30 fans came from Tokyo, including those on night trains, while over 11,000 were local Sapporo fans. More than 90% of the audience was filled with Sapporo's color, "red," continuously cheering without rest. Atsubetsu Stadium shook in response to the cheers from behind the Sapporo goal, making the unique atmosphere of an "away" game painfully palpable.

Withstand the relentless attack...

Supported by a strong local fanbase, Sapporo launched a fierce attack right from the start. Sapporo cut off Tokyo's passes with intense pressing from the front line and broke through the left side with quick ball movement centered around midfielder Tanada and assist. On Tokyo's right side (which is Sapporo's left side) for this match, Komine replaced the injured Umeyama, but in the first half, the combination with Sandro in the center was poor, leaving space for the opponent. This led to a difficult situation where numerous crosses were sent in, exploiting that weakness. Tokyo also tried to build up play with forward Amaral as a target, but the midfield struggled to deliver precise passes under Sapporo's intense pressing, which was close to fouls, resulting in ineffective plays. The attacking participation of their skilled full-backs was also lacking; although left-back Fujiyama occasionally showed sharp dribbling, there was no support, and they could not break through Sapporo's fierce fighting spirit. In the 25th minute, goalkeeper Horiike was injured and had to leave the field, which lowered the team's morale, and Sapporo's relentless attacks gained momentum.

One-hit kill! Asari sinks the rival with a left shot!!

Sapporo's fierce attack continued, but goalkeeper Suzuki, who came on for Horiike, showcased stable play despite making his J2 debut. He managed to keep a clean sheet in the first half. In the second half, Tokyo changed midfielder Yukihiko's position from the right to the center, attempting to break through in combination with Amaral. Sapporo's pressing dropped compared to the first half, and gradually good passes started to flow from Yukihiko to the front line, allowing Amaral opportunities to dribble forward. Defensively, Sandro and Kobayashi cleared Sapporo's relentless attacks from the sides. Sandro dealt with headers, while Kobayashi thoroughly handled covering. Thanks to goalkeeper Suzuki's efforts, no goals were conceded. After enduring until the 69th minute, Asari shot without hesitation from a loose ball that came from Amaral's dribble. The powerful shot, launched from over 30 meters, was sucked into the left corner of the goal with a low trajectory.

After this, Sapporo showed their determination until the end, and during a corner kick, even the goalkeeper joined the attack to aim for a goal, but Tokyo's "solid defense" held strong until the end. In this away atmosphere, despite the incident with Horiike and the fierce onslaught, Tokyo, while not entirely satisfied with the performance, secured a very valuable victory.

<Coach Okuma's Comment> Perhaps due to the opponent's pressure, the buildup in the midfield was poor. The absence of Osamu UMEYAMA also disrupted the balance between offense and defense, so I want to make corrections moving forward. While I am not satisfied with the content, it is significant that we were able to win even in this difficult situation.

Director Okada's Comment: The players showed their best performance of the season and proved that what they are doing is not wrong. It's unfortunate that we lost, but I believe there is still plenty of opportunity (for J1), and I have told the players not to look down.