The Big Match!

The fiercely contested top-tier battle in the J2 League has reached the 24th round, and the long, long league season has finally passed two-thirds of its course. After this round, the remaining number of matches will be "12." It is now the time when the battle for the top spot heats up. Today's match, where the top two teams battling for first place face off, was held at Nishigaoka, drawing the second-highest attendance of the season with 4,844 spectators (the highest was 6,148 for the Sapporo match on 4/29 at Nishigaoka). Currently, Kawasaki Frontale leads with 47 points, and 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 lead by a margin of +1 point. Conversely, if they lose within 90 minutes, the gap with the leader will widen to -5 points, and they will have to worry about the approaching footsteps of third-place Oita and fourth-place Sapporo. As Tokyo aims to become the "first J2 Champion," they could not afford to lose this direct confrontation at this stage and fall far behind the leader.

First half without creating scoring opportunities

After about three months of recovery, Nishigaoka Soccer Stadium transformed into a vivid "green carpet." On this important day, it welcomed us back in the best condition after a long time. "Red dragonflies" flew around the field and stands, making Nishigaoka feel completely autumnal, but the strong sunlight was still very much "summer." The match started in nearly 30-degree heat. Tokyo, missing their absolute ace Amaral due to accumulated warnings, deployed the speedy forward Kaburagi and the left attacking midfielder Okamoto, who returned from injury, launching attacks aimed behind the opponent's defense. Kaburagi actively moved left and right to disrupt Kawasaki Frontale's relatively high defensive line and demanded balls behind, but Tokyo struggled under intense midfield pressure and could not deliver effective passes to the front line, failing to create chances. Almir also tried to establish a foothold up front but was tightly marked and ineffective. With no attacking options left, Tokyo resorted to monotonous long balls. However, this could not break down Kawasaki Frontale's stable defense. The only real chance came when left side back Fujiyama joined the attack; his sharp dribbling and quick wall passes broke 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

In the second half, the pace shifted decisively in Tokyo's favor. Almir, who had been fixed in the center during the first half, began to move widely to the left and right, allowing other players to follow into the open spaces, gradually establishing a rhythm. At the 53rd minute, Almir intercepted a pass in the center and passed to Yukihiko on the right. Yukihiko unleashed a powerful shot, but it was narrowly caught by the goalkeeper. Then, at the 54th minute, Fujiyama intercepted the ball and dribbled past three opponents before passing again to Yukihiko on the right. After a dribble move, he took a shot, but it was blocked by a tackle from the opposing defender. The match continued with Tokyo controlling the pace, but at the 68th minute, TUTO, who had been leading Kawasaki F's attacks, was sent off after receiving a second yellow card, leaving Tokyo with a significant numerical advantage. However, Tokyo failed to capitalize on this opportunity, and instead Kawasaki F rallied. Kawasaki F covered for the missing player with intense stamina and fighting spirit, showing no sign of being outnumbered. They primarily defended solidly with 10 men and occasionally launched sharp counterattacks when chances arose. At the 84th minute, a free kick from Kawasaki F on the right was headed on, and for a moment it seemed like a goal, but the decision was offside. Despite being one player down, Kawasaki F's determined effort 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.