A crucial match that will determine the future

If Sapporo, who is currently in second place (Tokyo), loses to the first place team Tokyo at home, the point difference will be 11 points and it will be a very difficult situation for them in the league. This day is truly the "biggest hurdle" for Sapporo. They have already lost twice in the first half of the season against Tokyo, so they couldn't afford to lose this game in order to avoid a losing record against Tokyo this season. Sapporo fans were well aware of this situation and gathered to witness this "biggest hurdle", with a whopping 17,000 people in attendance! They supported the team with their unique and loud cheering, hitting their megaphones even before the game started.

On the other hand, while Tokyo is currently leading the league, the point difference with 2nd place Kawasaki Frontale is only "1". The direct match against Kawasaki Frontale is coming up next week, and including today's match against Sapporo, these two games are extremely important in determining the future. First of all, we want to win against Sapporo on this day and then face Kawasaki Frontale with confidence. Not only is there a possibility of falling to 2nd place if we lose, but it could also give Sapporo the chance to make a comeback. Therefore, it was necessary to secure a win here. Although they may not have as many fans as Sapporo, around 70 Tokyo fans came all the way to support and warmly and passionately support from the "goal end", and the fierce battle began.

Ouch! Late first half goal conceded

The match began and, as expected, a fierce and speedy battle unfolded. In the early stages, Tokyo struggled to create a midfield against Sapporo's persistent and intense press, with occasional breakthroughs on the right side by MF Almir and Yukihiko, and DF Uemura using individual skills in tight situations. FW Amaral also struggled against strong man-marking, and although vertical passes from the defense were made, they were easily cut off due to monotonous attacks.

On the other hand, Sapporo, who desperately wanted to win on this day, approached the game with an ultra-attacking formation of three forwards, as if they were setting up a "last stand". The center of this formation was none other than FW Yoshihara. Recognized for his performance in the Olympic preliminary round, he was suddenly selected for the Japan national team and participated in the South American Championship, becoming Japan's Cinderella boy. His outstanding speed and technique, which stand out even in J2, are the real deal, and with the support of midfielders Ashis and powerful FW Fukagawa, their attacks were destructive and repeatedly threatened Tokyo's goal. Although Tokyo was somewhat pushed back, their solid defense line, led by Sandro and two defensive midfielders, remained unbreakable and calmly dealt with the situation, preventing any decisive chances. DF Komine competed evenly with Yoshihara's speed and did a perfect job. As time passed, Tokyo gradually got used to Sapporo's speed and started passing the ball around in tight spaces, with Almir at the center, and MF Wada making runs from the second line to create chances behind the flat and shallow opponent defense. In the 36th minute, Almir received the ball in the center and made a perfect through pass to Wada, who broke through the opponent's defense. Wada had a great chance to score one-on-one with the goalkeeper, but unfortunately, he was stopped by the goalkeeper. In the 40th minute, Almir chased after the opponent's careless dribble in the midfield and cut off the ball. Quickly reacting to this, Amaral took the ball and went one-on-one against the opponent's defender, skillfully dribbling past him and shooting a powerful shot with his right foot into the left corner of the goal. With the lead, Tokyo gained momentum and continued to attack, but they were unable to score another goal. Instead, in the first half stoppage time, Sapporo's tall defender, Natsuka, scored a spectacular header from a right corner kick.

4 goals conceded this season, complete defeat...

Tokyo, who conceded at the most crucial time, managed to find a good rhythm in the first half and continued to attack aggressively in the second half. Almir's aggressive runs behind the opponent's defense, Fujiyama's dribbling from the left back, and combination play with Amaral broke through the defense line, creating several decisive chances from the right with the combination of Yukihiko and Umeyama. On the other hand, Sapporo's strategy was to send Yoshihara and Seki on long balls from counterattacks, but they were unable to create any clear chances. After this, the game continued at Tokyo's pace and an additional goal was expected, but in the 65th minute, Ashis, who won the battle with Almir in the midfield, surprised everyone with a powerful bullet shot from around 30 meters in front of the central goal. The ball narrowly missed the desperate save of GK Suzuki and pierced the goal net. Sapporo, now full of momentum, launched a fierce attack. In an attempt to equalize, Tokyo substituted FW Enomoto for midfielder Shinjo. However, in the 80th minute, while Tokyo was attacking, their defense became weak and Sapporo's Kawamura cut in from the right and scored a powerful goal, hitting the bar and then the back of GK Suzuki, unfortunately rolling into the goal. And to add insult to injury, in stoppage time, Sapporo earned a free kick near the right side of the goal from around 35 meters and Ashis surprised everyone again with a direct shot with his left foot! The ball flew over Suzuki's head and suddenly dropped into the goal. Although it was too late, the goal conceded in first half stoppage time (equalizer) was the turning point of the game. Tokyo must forget about the thought of what could have been if they had ended the first half as it was, and quickly switch their mindset to face Kawasaki Frontale (9/5) in the next match in their best condition.

"Coach's Comment"

<Coach Okuma>

(Sapporo) came to win, and it was expected that they would have more opportunities in the first half, so they were able to create chances by targeting the back of the opponent's defense as planned. However, not being able to score more than one goal in some of the chances in the first half was a factor. And the goal conceded at a crucial time was painful. That allowed Sapporo to recover. In the second half, when they changed to a two-top formation, not being able to catch their movements to the left and right was the reason for the defeat. I want to quickly switch my mindset and prepare for the next game.

<Coach Okada>

In the first half, we were able to withstand the pressure well. I want to praise the efforts of the defenders. In the second half, when it became 2-1, I could finally feel the strong desire to win from the players. The players really did well. In the previous two matches against Tokyo, Sapporo lost while pushing forward, but today they won while being pushed back. Soccer is a mysterious thing. Also, today's victory is thanks to the supporters. The Atsubetsu supporters are truly warm and I think they give the players incredible strength.