Breaking out of the close competition!?

The J2 top battle, where the ranking changes fiercely, has been in a "dumpling state" where no team has been able to pull ahead, but Niigata and Oita, who have greatly livened up the first half (always joining the top group), have slowed down here. As a result, Tokyo and Kawasaki F, who have always been in the top, have started to pull away a little. Niigata was hoping to ride the wave by winning two out of three direct confrontations with Tokyo, Sapporo, and Kawasaki F, which are the first major challenges of the second half, but they were unable to extend their points with a painful draw against the lower-ranked Kofu, and are now in third place (37 points). Oita also couldn't get out of their five-game losing streak and slipped down to fourth place (35 points), so Tokyo (42 points) and Kawasaki F (44 points) have emerged from the close battle. If Tokyo wins this game in 90 minutes, they will extend their points to 45 and keep their top spot, but if it goes into extra time and they win, they will have 44 points and fall to second place behind Kawasaki F in goal difference. This is a game they must win in order to widen the gap with third place and below.

Unable to find a way to attack...

The match was a slow one as both teams were trying to figure out their opponent's strategy. Tokyo wanted to attack from both wings (i.e. fullbacks), but due to a warning, their right fullback Umayama was absent and they lacked depth in their attacks from the right side. Almir, who was expected to be a key player alongside FW Amaral, was unable to perform well against Tosu's hard marking and lost the ball frequently, disrupting the team's rhythm. As Almir, who was supposed to work in the front line, gradually dropped back (to the position of a defensive midfielder) and started touching the ball, the burden on Amaral in the front line increased and he was effectively marked, limiting their attacking options even more. Fortunately, left fullback Fujiyama's active participation in the attack created a few chances and even set up some decisive moments, but the team still struggled as they had to build their attacks from the right side.

Tokyo, on the other hand, showed a simple style of soccer by aggressively pressing and taking the ball, then passing it to their top scorer, Lins (J2 top scorer), on the side to create opportunities with early crosses. However, their attacks were hindered by frequent passing mistakes and Sandro, who was tightly marked by Furube, consistently blocked their crosses with his superior height. Tokyo's defense was also stable, as their right back did not join the attack often, maintaining a numerical advantage. However, they were vulnerable in the midfield and defense due to easy passing mistakes, which led to counterattacks from Tosu.

Leading by two points, they hold off a fierce comeback from Tosu!

In the second half, Tosu tried to break through Tokyo's ironclad defense by actively shooting from the center and far away. In the 50th minute, a powerful shot was taken from the center, but GK Suzuki made a fine save. On the other hand, Tokyo also confirmed the instructions from the coach during halftime to actively target the opponent's defense from behind. As a result, substitute Kaburaki started to make dynamic movements with speed, causing the opponent's marking to shift and allowing Amaral, who had not been able to fulfill his role as a post in the first half, to function. Finally, both teams were able to play the game as they intended. In the 59th minute, Tokyo's Yuki Hoshi, who had not been able to make effective crosses in the first half, persisted on the right side and sent a perfect pinpoint cross to the center. Almir, who was waiting for it, dived powerfully and scored the first goal to break the tie. Riding this momentum, Tokyo scored a second goal in the 67th minute, this time from a scramble in front of the opponent's goal, with Amaral skillfully evading the defense and kicking it in with his left foot. However, just as they were trying to score a third goal in their push, Kaburaki received a second yellow card and was sent off in the 70th minute. The situation changed drastically. Tokyo, who now had to defend their two-goal lead, naturally became more defensive, while Tosu pushed forward with all their players. Amaral, who had been active in defending the front line, became tired and his movement decreased, and Tokyo, who were already outnumbered, were dominated in the midfield by Tosu's strong attacks. Although they were not completely broken, they were bombarded with powerful shots from the center, but GK Suzuki's reactions were perfect, making fine plays to prevent Tosu from scoring even though they could have easily conceded two goals. In the 80th minute, Tokyo took advantage of Tosu's mistake and had a decisive chance on the counter, but failed to score. The remaining time was spent defending. In the 85th minute, they finally conceded a goal due to a careless pass from Asari, which had been a sign since the first half. There were nine minutes left (including four minutes of stoppage time), but they were unable to hold onto the ball and were under attack. However, thanks to GK Suzuki's concentration until the end, they were able to hold on and escape from Tosu's fierce pursuit, despite the difficult situation of 9 shots against 14.

<Coach Okuma's Comment>

While we were in a situation where we could aim for a third goal, we put ourselves in a difficult position due to our own mistakes (red card), which we will reflect on and correct in the future. In our attack, Almir dropped too deep and we were unable to take the initiative and exploit the opponent's weaknesses, which led to a difficult situation where we couldn't establish a rhythm. However, our defense, led by Suzuki, held up well and that was crucial. At this point, being in first place, there is still a long way to go and I don't think we should be too happy about it. Right now, we just need to refocus and prepare for our next matches against Sapporo and Kawasaki Frontale.