Temperature 34.5℃!

The match against Kofu, which was the third encounter of the season, took place in the sweltering heat of 34.5°C at the away venue, Nirasaki Central Park Athletic Stadium. According to Kofu officials, it was said to be "cooler than usual!?" but the heat, which is not something experienced in Tokyo at this time of year, raised concerns about its impact on the Tokyo Eleven (i.e., physical exhaustion). Furthermore, the location of the match, described as a stadium surrounded by mountains with a capacity of about 2,000 people (with all seats behind the goal and in the back stand being grass!), made it feel like a true "away" game. Despite the harsh conditions of a weekday afternoon kickoff at 2 PM in this away venue, about 100 fans made the long journey from Tokyo to support the team. With no shade from the strong sunlight, and in an environment as tough as the players faced, we could not afford to lose in front of the fans who supported us with strong and energetic cheers.

Only scored one point (?) in the first half

As the match began, Tokyo immediately launched an intense attack. Tokyo's ace Amaral, who missed the previous match due to accumulated warnings, showed energetic movements as if to vent his frustration, demonstrating stable hold-up play as a key forward. Alongside Amaral, Almir also displayed aggressive hold-up play up front, while Okamoto persistently targeted the space behind the opposing defenders with forceful charges, and Yukihiko, on the right side, delivered crosses after sharp dribbling breakthroughs. These "attacking midfielders" combined to overwhelm Kofu. Especially Okamoto, who started for the second consecutive match since the last game, showcased his strength by relentlessly chasing long passes from the back with abundant stamina, applying pressure on the opposing defenders. At the 20th minute, he broke free from a vertical pass from a teammate defender and created a scoring opportunity. On the other hand, Kofu occasionally seized the ball from Tokyo's mistakes and aimed for simple "one-shot" attacks with speedy players Horii, Yoshida, and Oshiba running behind Tokyo's defense. However, despite getting into good positions, they failed to create clear chances due to inaccurate passes at crucial moments. A few times they almost got behind Tokyo's defense, but they could not surpass the "last wall" formed by Komine and Sandro.

The first goal was scored by Tokyo. In the 27th minute, Almir broke through on the right side and made a cross. Amaral took a shot, but it hit the opposing defender, and the loose ball was met with a direct shot by Yukihiko in the center. Although the shot did not connect perfectly and lacked power, it had a good trajectory and was drawn into the left corner of the goal. Tokyo maintained possession of the ball at a rate of 70-80%, but against a defensive Kofu, their ball movement was slow, and their attacks lacked intensity, seemingly comfortable with a one-goal lead, ending the first half without scoring an additional goal.

Turned around in an instant, leading to a difficult situation.

In the first half, Tokyo maintained their energy without any power drop due to the feared heat and dominated the game with their stamina throughout. Even after entering the second half, they continued to control the match. At the 48th minute, Amaral's volley, at the 49th minute Okamoto, and at the 52nd minute Almir's diving header created consecutive scoring chances, but Tokyo could not add any more goals. At the 59th minute, when a slight impatience began to show in Tokyo, who had shifted their focus to attack with a corner kick, Kofu launched a quick counterattack, putting Tokyo in danger. Kofu took advantage of a brief lapse caused by a foul that stopped Tokyo's movement; the left side defender quickly restarted, advanced up to near the halfway line, and delivered a perfect through pass to the center. Kofu's speedy forward Horii sharply reacted to this. Breaking free from the tight marking of Tokyo defender Komine, who had been holding him back until then, Horii outran Komine's desperate chase and calmly scored the equalizer. Riding this momentum, Kofu intercepted a nervous Tokyo pass in midfield at the 60th minute, switched play to the right, and when a simple cross was delivered, forward Yoshida dived in and powerfully headed in the go-ahead goal.

Four goals in a furious last 15 minutes!

Tokyo, who was overturned in an instant, took action here. Replacing Okamoto, whose stamina had dropped due to fatigue, with the speedy forward Go KABURAKI. Kaburaki showed fierce chasing from the front line and brought energy back to Tokyo. The match became a seesaw battle, with Tokyo approaching the goal through Amaral's forceful rush, and Kofu pressing with Horii's sharp movements and ball retention. The game shifted at the 75th minute when Fujiyama broke through the left side with persistent dribbling and passed from a deep position to Amaral in the center. Before the Kofu defender could tackle, Amaral took one trap and (without stepping) powerfully scored an equalizer with his left foot. Regaining momentum, Tokyo launched a fierce attack. At the 78th minute, Kaburaki, who received a pass from substitute Koike at the right 45-degree position in front of Kofu's goal, quickly turned and shot while turning around. Although the angle was tight, the ball passed the goalkeeper's left and shook the net, finally achieving the comeback (3-2). Two minutes later, at the 80th minute, Fujiyama sent a long pass to the front, and Almir dashed fiercely. Panicked, the Kofu defender headed a back pass from close range to the advancing goalkeeper, but the goalkeeper fumbled. Almir seized the ball and kicked it into the empty goal, scoring the fourth point. Tokyo, pressing hard, at the 86th minute, Kaburaki stole the ball in his own half, sprinted about 60 meters down the right side, and passed to Amaral in the center. The Kofu defenders tried desperately to defend, but Amaral passed to the following Almir. Almir calmly shot, and the ball deflected off the goalkeeper and went into the goal. Fully confident of victory, Tokyo conceded an unnecessary goal in stoppage time near the end, and the match ended 5-3. Although there was a moment of anxiety about what would happen, Tokyo earned a valuable 3 points away under tough conditions.

Director Okuma's Comments

(Like the match against Sapporo on August 29), it is not good that we are unable to switch our mindset after conceding goals and are conceding goals in quick succession. This is a challenge for the future, and I want the players to show mental strength. Overall, I am satisfied that we were able to outpace Kofu in terms of movement in this heat and control the game at our own pace. Regarding our attack (with 5 goals), we need to be able to make aggressive movements from the first half, rather than only when we are pushed into a desperate situation. I see this as another challenge for the future.