Did Edogawa shake!?

Many were surprised by the unexpected 3-0 shutout victory in the first quarterfinal match against Marinos (Yokohama International). Although there was a difference in circumstances—Tokyo was in the middle of the league season while Marinos were in a league break and had not regained their "game sense"—the news of a J2 team achieving a big win against a J1 team packed with star players like shooting stars was certainly "shocking." As a result, for Tokyo to advance to the Semifinal Round, they only need to keep Marinos within a 2-goal difference in the second quarterfinal match held at Edogawa (Ward Athletic Stadium) (if the difference is 3 goals: extra time will be played with a golden goal deciding the winner; if 4 goals or more: Marinos advance to the Semifinal Round). The crowd gathered to watch this crucial match reached an impressive 5,208 people, and before the game, the back stands saw fierce cheering battles between the "goal end" supporters of both teams. There has never been a match at Edogawa with such a large audience before, and the tension before the game combined with the passionate cheering created an atmosphere so intense it felt as if the venue was shaking.

Desperate Marinos!

Fueled by revenge, Marinos held an unusual 90-minute emergency meeting the day after their heavy defeat in the first match (20th), boldly declaring their adoption of an ultra-offensive "unconventional four forwards" formation. While they seem to have lost their composure, the determination of Coach DE LA CRUZ to "make up the three-goal deficit no matter what" is palpable. Although a three-goal advantage is significant, when weighing the defensive capabilities of Tokyo without Sandro against the attacking power of Marinos, it cannot be considered a safe lead, and upon reflection, it even raises some concerns.

As expected, the match started with Marinos launching a desperate attack right from the beginning. Marinos placed the "young ace striker of the Japan national team" Jo at the top, with Baubel on the right, "the playmaker of the Olympic team" Jun Nakamura in the center, and the South Korean representative Yang Sang-te in the left position, focusing on offense. The "super offensive formation" actively involved both full-backs, Nagayama on the right and Hato on the left, in the attack as a desperate tactic to recover the three-goal deficit within 90 minutes. However, learning from the first match, they addressed the counterattacks from Tokyo by dropping Atsuhiro MIURA, a member of the Japan national team, back to a defensive midfield role. Atsuhiro MIURA not only became the starting point for the attack but also effectively fulfilled his role with intense pressing, preventing Wada and Kaburaki, who had troubled them in the first match, from making any impact.

Withstanding the fierce pursuit of Marinos!

Marinos aggressively pressed in midfield, repeatedly committing fouls to win the ball, then created chances with Baubel driving forward from the right and Yanagi making aggressive dribbling breakthroughs from the left. Nakamura added accents of tempo changes, building side attacks that made the top striker Shiro run as a post and execute one-twos from the center, involving both fullbacks. On the other hand, Tokyo responded by pairing Furube, who returned from injury, and Yamao, who performed well in the first match, in the center back positions instead of Sandro, who was suspended due to accumulated warnings. Their combination with teammates was not bad, and they calmly dealt with Marinos' fierce attacks. However, at the 21st minute, Shiro, who had been perfectly contained until then, scored a skillful goal, finally breaking the deadlock. Now, only two goals away from a tie, Marinos ramped up their gear even more. Tokyo occasionally disrupted the center with Almir and Amaral in good rhythm, but Marinos' intense play cut them off. Intimidated by Marinos' fighting spirit, Tokyo's overall line dropped, putting them completely on the defensive. Still, Amaral even cut off the opponent's attacks at the defensive line, and with everyone's high defensive awareness and concentration, they managed to limit the first half to just one goal conceded.

Race Against Time

With 45 minutes remaining in the second half, if they don't concede 2 goals here, Tokyo will secure their place in the Semifinal Round. However, the fighting spirit of Marinos rose even higher. Marinos no longer cared about pride. They repeatedly committed fierce fouls without hesitation, aiming solely to score 2 more goals. The fact that Tokyo was awarded 33 direct free kicks tells the story. At 8 minutes into the second half, Tokyo was broken through on the left side and again conceded a goal from the center by Shiro, narrowing the gap to just one goal. With 37 minutes remaining, although Tokyo had conceded, Koike stabilized the midfield balance after the break, improving the defense and the form of attacks after regaining possession, prompting a tactical change. At 14 minutes into the second half, Yukihiko, returning from injury, was brought on. This move was made anticipating Marinos would press harder in the remaining time, aiming to exploit counterattacks. This strategy paid off brilliantly. At 21 minutes into the second half, during a counterattack, Yukihiko tried to break free but was body-checked head-on by Marinos defender Ihara. This resulted in a straight red card, reducing Marinos to 10 men and causing their momentum to drop. Conversely, Tokyo gained a numerical and psychological advantage, increasing their attacking opportunities.

After this, Marinos showed their powerful offensive until the end, but with goalkeeper Suzuki at the center, they endured without losing focus, finishing the match with only 2 goals conceded. As a result, they narrowly defeated Marinos with a total score of 3-2 over the first and second matches, advancing to the Semifinal Round as the only J2 team to defeat J1 three times in a row. Next, they will face Kashima Antlers on 9/29 (away) and 10/6 (home).

<Coach Okuma's Comment> Regardless of the content, the team fought well without Sandro. The introduction of Koike improved the balance significantly. Being able to compete seriously against a J1 team is very beneficial for the players, but today's game also revealed some issues. I want to do my best next time.