Is this Brazil?

On this day, the Nishigaoka Soccer Field, where the Omiya game was held, was showing an unusual excitement before the game. It was not the usual "goal end", but a fiercely cheerful samba rhythm was ringing... Yes, this day was the annual event "Brazil Day", which was held for the third time this year. The "Barbaros" who came to support achieved the first ever seven consecutive victories at the "Asakusa Samba Carnival", the most famous samba team in Japan. The "real sound" was definitely different, and it had the power to make the listener dance involuntarily, providing a different way of enjoying the game. Despite the strong winds that made it difficult to hear the announcements, their music was powerful and enveloped the stadium with its Latin rhythm.

Worst condition

On this day, which was affected by a typhoon, we were hit by strong winds that made walking difficult and occasional heavy rain like squalls in the morning. Fortunately, the rain had completely stopped by the time the gates opened and the weather had turned sunny. While this was a positive development for the event, the rising temperature created a steamy environment on the field, making it a very challenging environment for the players. Additionally, the strong winds showed no signs of weakening and only seemed to be getting stronger. In these worst conditions, the game began. In the first half, Omiya took the lead. They closed the gap between their forwards and defenders, applied strong pressure in that small area, and quickly moved the ball to the sides. There, the ultra-attacking right back, Ujiie, and the left back, Okamoto, aggressively joined the attack, and with combination plays with the midfield, they tried to break through from the sides. Alternatively, they easily passed the ball from the midfield to the front line, where the tall 185cm forward, Isoyama, and the midfielder, Mark, played as a two-top and connected with short passes to create chances for a simple attack and finish! Isoyama's play, in particular, was stable and he caused trouble for the Tokyo defense with his heading and chest control, as well as his deep ball retention.

On the other hand, Tokyo struggled against Omiya's compact and strong pressing defense, and could not create a base in the midfield. They also had the disadvantage of playing against the wind, causing their long passes from the defense to lack power and be easily intercepted. With many Brazilians (free admission for Brazilians!) watching, Amaral and Almir, who were desperate for a goal, tried to break through the tight spaces with quick wall passes, backed by the enthusiastic samba support. Although there were moments when the ball connected beautifully, they were unable to create any clear chances. As a result, the first half ended with both teams unable to score in a dull match with few opportunities.

Push, push Tokyo to the rhythm of samba!

In the second half, Tokyo, who had the wind at their backs, regained their breath. At halftime, coach Okuma instructed them to "attack the space on the right side!" and it was a perfect hit. Omiya's left back (Tokyo's right side) Okamoto actively participated in the attack, creating a gap on the right side, but they were not able to effectively attack in the first half. In the second half, Yukihiro, Amaral, and Almir consciously entered that space, and from there, the Omiya defenders began to crumble. In the 54th minute, Yukihiro, who had the ball on the right side, dribbled into the center and passed it to Amaral in the middle. Amaral turned and shot with one touch, but unfortunately it went wide to the right. Tokyo mercilessly attacked against Omiya, who had started to lose their balance. When Amaral, who was marked loosely on the front line, was able to keep the ball freely, his exquisite passing with Almir began to shine. At this point, Tokyo was in full attack mode! Yukihiro from the right side and Kagami from the left side created chances one after another, and in the 61st minute, Amaral headed in a corner kick from the left! Did it go in? It seemed like it, but it was deflected by the opponent's goalkeeper. Then in the 63rd minute, Almir was fouled on the right side, and a quick restart led to Yukihiro in the center. Yukihiro, who had become free at the right time, got a valuable opening goal with a shot while falling down from a one-touch. After that, Tokyo continued to dominate and overwhelm Omiya. In the 70th minute, Almir showed off again from the right side. Almir, who was dribbling with speed, made an exquisite heel pass in response to defender Uemura's attack. Uemura then centered it to the center, where Amaral was waiting and scored a spectacular diving header that made you think "This is the KING OF TOKYO!" However, the ball hit the left goal post and did not result in an additional point. In the remaining 10 minutes, Omiya brought in a large forward and tried to win with height, but Kominato and Sandro kept them shut out. In the end, there was a mishap where Omiya's coach Pim was sent off, but in the end, Yukihiro's goal became the winning goal, and they won 1-0, getting a valuable 3 points.

In addition, on this day, Kawasaki F lost to Tosu, so Tokyo returned to the top spot with a one-point lead.

<Pim Manager's Comment>

Today's game was tough for Tokyo in terms of conditions (= Tokyo had a game 5 days ago, while Omiya had one only 2 days ago), but there were no issues until they conceded a goal. It is difficult to score against a strong defense like Tokyo's after being scored on in that way.

<Coach Okuma's Comment>

We need to reflect on not being able to create a solid and stable defensive line against opponents like Omiya. In that situation, we didn't have players who could actively pass the ball or receive it. With only 10 games left, I think the remaining matches will be tough, so I want to use players who have the desire to win and can demonstrate it both in attack and defense. I want to strengthen that aspect.