Is this Brazil?

On this day, the Nishigaoka Soccer Stadium, where the match against Omiya was held, was showing an unusual excitement even before the game. Unlike the usual "goal area," the lively rhythm of samba was resonating... Yes, this day marked the third annual event of the year, "Brazil Day." The supporters, known as "Barbaros," are the most famous samba team in Japan, having achieved a historic seven consecutive victories at the "Asakusa Samba Carnival." The authentic sound they produced had a power that made listeners want to dance, providing a different kind of enjoyment compared to regular matches. Despite the strong winds caused by the typhoon, which made it difficult to hear the stadium announcements, their music was powerful and enveloped the venue with its Latin rhythm.

Worst Condition

On this morning, affected by the typhoon, there were strong winds so severe that walking was difficult, and occasional heavy rain like squalls. Fortunately, by the time the gates opened, the rain had completely stopped, and the weather turned sunny. This was a positive factor for the event, but the rapidly rising temperature turned the field into a steam bath, creating a very harsh environment for the players. Also, the persistent strong winds showed no sign of weakening and instead intensified. Under these worst conditions, the game started. In the first half, Omiya took the initiative first. They narrowed the space between the forwards and defenders, applied strong pressure in that tight area to regain the ball, and quickly spread play to the sides. There, the extremely offensive fullbacks on the right, Ujiie, and on the left, Okamoto, aggressively joined the attack, attempting to break down the defense from the flanks through combination plays with the midfielders. Alternatively, they easily passed the ball forward from midfield, with the 185cm tall forward Isoyama and midfielder Mark acting like a two-forward setup, holding up the ball centrally and connecting short passes to finish—creating chances with this simple attack. Especially Isoyama’s play was stable, using his height for headers and chest control, and his deep ball retention troubled the Tokyo defenders.

On the other hand, Tokyo struggled against Omiya's compact and strong pressing defense, failing to create a base in the midfield and forward. Additionally, standing downwind, the monotonous long passes from the defense lacked momentum and were mostly cleared away. With many Brazilians (Brazilians enter for free!) watching, Amaral and Almir, desperate for a goal, tried to break through the narrow spaces with intricate wall passes, backed by enthusiastic samba cheers. Occasionally, the ball connected beautifully, but it did not lead to any decisive chances. In the end, both teams had almost no clear opportunities, and the first half, which turned out to be rather bland, ended with both teams scoreless.

Tokyo is pushing forward to the rhythm of samba...

In the second half, Tokyo, standing upwind, revived. The instruction from Coach Okuma at halftime, "Exploit the space on the right side!", hit the mark perfectly. Omiya's left side back (Tokyo's right side), Okamoto, actively joined the attack, leaving a big gap on the right side, but in the first half, it was not effectively exploited. So in the second half, Yukihiko, Amaral, and Almir consciously moved into that space, causing Omiya's defense to start collapsing. At the 54th minute, Yukihiko, holding the ball on the right side, dribbled inside and passed to Amaral in the center. Amaral took one touch, turned, and shot! Unfortunately, it went just wide to the right. As Omiya began to lose balance, Tokyo relentlessly pressed forward. When Amaral, who was loosely marked up front, started to control the ball freely, the exquisite passing play with Almir began to shine. From then on, Tokyo was in full pressing mode! Yukihiko created chances continuously from the right side, and Kaburagi from the left side. At the 61st minute, Amaral headed a corner kick from the left side! It seemed to have gone in, but the opposing goalkeeper deflected it. Then at the 63rd minute, Almir was fouled and fell on the right side, but with a quick restart, the ball went to Yukihiko in the center. Yukihiko, who was free at the perfect timing, scored a valuable opening goal with a shot while falling after one touch. Tokyo continued to dominate and overwhelmed Omiya. At the 70th minute, Almir impressed again on the right side. Riding the speed, Almir dribbled and gave a perfect heel pass to defender Umeyama, who joined the attack. Umeyama then crossed to the center, where Amaral awaited and executed a powerful diving header that made you think, "This is the KING OF TOKYO!" However, the ball hit the left goalpost and did not add to the score. Omiya brought in a large forward in the last 10 minutes to challenge with height, but Komine and Sandro kept a clean sheet. Near the end, Omiya's coach Pim was sent off in a dramatic incident, but the match ended with Yukihiko's goal as the final goal, securing a 1-0 shutout victory and earning valuable 3 points.

On this day, due to Kawasaki F losing to Tosu, Tokyo reclaimed the top position with a one-point lead.

<Pim Coach Comments>

Today's game had worse conditions for Omiya compared to Tokyo (Tokyo played five days ago, while Omiya played two days ago, resulting in a shorter interval), but there were no issues until we conceded a goal. After taking the lead in that manner, it is difficult to score against a strong defensive team like Tokyo.

Director Okuma's Comments

I want to reflect on the fact that we couldn't create a focal point in the front line against a solid and stable defensive line like Omiya's. In that situation, there were no players who could actively pass the ball or receive it. I think the remaining ten matches will continue to be tough, so moving forward, I want to utilize players who can demonstrate a desire to win both offensively and defensively, meaning not just skill but also mental strength, and I want to strengthen that aspect.