The Big Match!

The fierce competition for the top continues in the J2 League as it reaches its 24th matchday, and the long league season is finally entering its final third. After this matchday, the remaining number of matches will be "12." It is now the time when the battle for the top position heats up. In today's match, the two teams battling for the top positions, ranked 1st and 2nd, clashed at Nishigaoka, attracting 4,844 spectators, the second highest this season (the highest was 6,148 during the Sapporo match on April 29 at Nishigaoka). Currently, Kawasaki Frontale is at the top with 47 points, while Tokyo is in second place with 45 points. If Tokyo wins within 90 minutes today, they will extend their points to 48 and take the top position with a point difference of "+1." Conversely, if they lose within 90 minutes, the point difference with the leader will widen to "-5," and they will have to be wary of the approaching footsteps of 3rd place Oita and 4th place Sapporo. As Tokyo aims to become the "first J2 champion," they could not afford to lose in this direct confrontation at this critical time, falling significantly behind the leader.

First half without creating scoring opportunities

After about three months of rehabilitation, Nishigaoka Soccer Field transformed into a vibrant "green carpet." On this day of the "big match," it welcomed us back in top condition. "Red dragonflies" fluttered around the ground and stands, making it feel completely autumnal at Nishigaoka, but the intensity of the sunlight still felt like "summer" itself. The match began in nearly 30-degree heat. Tokyo, missing their absolute ace Amaral due to accumulated warnings, deployed the speedy Kaburaki as a forward and Okamoto, who returned from injury, as an attacking midfielder on the left, launching attacks aimed at getting behind the opposing defense. Kaburaki actively moved side to side to disrupt the relatively shallow defensive line of Kawasaki Frontale, demanding balls behind the defense, but Tokyo struggled to distribute effective passes to the front line due to intense pressure in midfield, failing to create chances. Almir also tried to establish a presence up front but was marked heavily and could not make an impact. With no attacking options left, Tokyo began to rely on monotonous long balls. However, this was not enough to break down Kawasaki Frontale's stable defense. The only time there seemed to be a chance was when left-back Fujiyama joined the attack, and his sharp dribbling and precise wall passes managed to break through Kawasaki Frontale's defense several times.

On the other hand, Kawasaki F stole the ball with intense pressing in midfield and distributed it to the two top players, TUTO and Tinga, to build their attack. This duo excels in speed, technique, and work rate, evading markers with intense positional changes and creating chances with intricate passing. Tokyo faced a lot of pressure, but the defense did well to charge at the two players, preventing them from taking free shots. Additionally, in critical moments, goalkeeper Suzuki's bold interventions helped them escape danger. As indicated by the shot count of 1-7 in the first half, the game was played at Kawasaki F's pace.

Tokyo Pace in the Second Half

As the second half began, the pace shifted to Tokyo's favor. In the first half, Almir, who was fixed in the center, started to drift widely to the left and right, allowing other players to follow into the open spaces, gradually creating a rhythm. In the 53rd minute, Almir intercepted a pass in the center and sent it to Yukihiko on the right. Yukihiko unleashed a powerful shot, but unfortunately, it was caught by the goalkeeper. In the following 54th minute, Fujiyama intercepted the ball, dribbled past three defenders, and again passed to Yukihiko on the right. After taking a dribble, he shot, but it was blocked by a tackle from the opposing defender. After the match continued at Tokyo's pace, in the 68th minute, TUTO, who had been leading the attack for Kawasaki F, received a second warning and was sent off, giving Tokyo an overwhelming advantage with one extra player. However, Tokyo could not capitalize on this opportunity, and instead, Kawasaki F rallied. Kawasaki F covered for the missing player with intense movement and fighting spirit, showing no signs of being at a numerical disadvantage. They basically defended solidly with ten players and occasionally launched sharp counterattacks when opportunities arose. In the 84th minute, a free kick from the right by Kawasaki F was headed towards the goal, and for a moment, I thought, 'We've been scored on,' but the decision was offside. Despite being one player down, Kawasaki F's efforts stood out.

Once again, no conclusion reached...

As the match went into extra time, the energy of Kawasaki F, who were down to ten men, dropped significantly. The game progressed at Tokyo's pace, and Enomoto, who came on midway through the second half, took a bold long-range shot while the opposing defenders were caught off guard. 102

After GK Suzuki prevented a major crisis, Tokyo's relentless attack continued completely. Just before the end of the first half of extra time, there were 4 to 5 consecutive corner kicks for Tokyo, and they unleashed shots on the Kawasaki Frontale goal. However, due to Tokyo's lack of finishing ability and Kawasaki Frontale's efforts, nothing was scored, leading into the second half of extra time. As if to illustrate the fierce battle, Kawasaki Frontale's Tinga suffered from cramping and was unable to run properly. Tokyo's players also showed signs of fatigue, and ultimately, they could not create any decisive chances, ending the match. The match between Tokyo and Kawasaki Frontale, like the game on April 4 (Todoroki), ended without a resolution after 120 minutes of fierce combat.

Director Matsumoto's Comments

In a very difficult situation (with 10 players), the team maintained their focus and did well. The defense against Tokyo was practiced repeatedly over the course of a week. The players executed it faithfully and defended very well.

Director Okuma's Comments

(With one player sent off) we had a numerical advantage, but we couldn't break through. At times like this, we lacked a player who could be the core in midfield. We had decisive chances and it was a match we had to win. However, I believe we did well overall in defense.