Returned "Number 10"

Everyone has been waiting. Fans who have supported the team since the Tokyo Gas FC days should vividly recall the brave figure of the team's "number 10" and know just how amazing he is. The man who returned to the official match pitch for the first time in about 10 months since playing in last year's Emperor's Cup match against Shonan Bellmare is... yes, Takashi OKUHARA, "FC Tokyo's number 10." Speaking of Okuhara, since joining Tokyo Gas FC in 1995, he has always been the central player in the team's attack, leading the team to victory. He was also a key player when the team reached the best four in the Emperor's Cup two years ago. His playing style features frequent use of direct passes, then sprinting at top speed behind the opposing defenders after passing, making decisive plays. At times, he uses flexible technique to dribble on his own, charging toward the opponent's goal and aiming to score. His return is undoubtedly an immeasurably bright topic for the team, which is about to face its toughest period yet. This season, Okuhara struggled with back pain from before the opening and missed more than half of the league matches, but on this day, replacing Yukihiko who was absent due to accumulated warnings, he made his official match debut and proudly marked his "J2 debut."

The crucial first match of the final round

The temperature at kickoff was 35.6°C. I never thought we would be playing a match at the highest temperature of the season at this time, with October just around the corner. Considering the players' exhaustion, especially with the grueling period of '5 matches in 16 days' ahead, including cup matches, it was essential to settle this match within 90 minutes. The opponent in the first match of the Final Round was Oita, ranked 3rd. This was a direct confrontation between the top (Tokyo = 55 points) and 3rd place (Oita = 46 points). If Tokyo wins (adding 3 points), the point difference with 3rd place would widen to '12', allowing them to pull ahead of the upper group along with 2nd place Kawasaki Frontale. Conversely, if they lose, they would plunge back into a tight race, so it was crucial to secure a victory in this match. This significant match, which would greatly influence the future, kicked off under the strong sunlight reminiscent of midsummer.

Almir scores first with an artistic free kick!

When the match started, Okuhara, who stood on the official match pitch for the first time in about 10 months, showcased a lively performance that showed no signs of the long break. Given an attacking position on the right side, Okuhara, along with Okamoto who moved to the left side, actively made runs into the space behind the opposing defenders, creating chaos in the front line. In the space created by Okuhara and Okamoto, Amaral and Almir jumped in, bewildering the Oita defenders with precise passes and dribbling breakthroughs.

Oita boasts a powerful attacking duo with Jinno, currently ranked second in the league for goals, and Will, who not only excels in game-making but also possesses a fierce shot from aggressive dribbling. They are joined by technician Edwin, who previously thrived in the midfield for Tokyo Gas, creating a destructive offensive threat. In particular, Edwin, who moves vigorously in the midfield, often gets involved with the ball, either spreading the play to the sides or supplying sharp passes to Jinno and Will in the center to build the attack.

Tokyo scored first. In the 18th minute, Tokyo launched a counterattack with right side back Umeyama dribbling about 60 meters forward. Just before the penalty area, an Oita defender committed a foul. Taking advantage of this free kick opportunity, Almir scored directly with a low, curved, sharp shot to get the opening goal. Riding the momentum, Tokyo continued pressing. In the 23rd minute, Amaral received the ball in front of the goal, evaded his marker with a sharp cut and feint, and struck the net with his left foot, but the goal was disallowed due to offside. The artistic goal became a phantom. Both teams then engaged in fierce back-and-forth battles. After the 30th minute, when Oita gained the upper hand, Will fired several powerful shots in succession, but goalkeeper Suzuki made fine saves to deny them. Edwin also broke through the right side several times, but Tokyo showed stable defense centered on Sandro and Komine, preventing any decisive plays. On the contrary, in the 39th minute, Tokyo finally scored a much-awaited second goal. From a counterattack, Okuhara delivered a perfect ball to Okamoto in front of the goal. When Okamoto and an Oita defender contested and the ball spilled loose, Amaral seized it, skillfully feinted off his marker, and powerfully scored the second goal with his left foot.

Okahara & Okamoto to Kaburaki & Enomoto

Tokyo ended the first half with a 2-goal lead, but in the second half, due to the heat and a lapse in concentration from the 2-goal advantage, their movement worsened. Especially when Amaral in the front line became fatigued and could no longer devote energy to defense, they were unable to maintain aggressive defense from the front, and Tokyo generally played more defensively. Oita, able to circulate the ball comfortably in midfield, created multiple goal chances centered around Will. Tokyo, mostly on the defensive, replaced Okuhara and Okamoto, who could no longer threaten the opponent, with the "fresh combo" Kaburaki and Enomoto. This changed the momentum. Oita, chasing a 2-goal deficit, had no choice but to push forward (attack), creating space behind their defense. The addition of these two fresh players who could burst into this space enabled effective counterattacks. At the 40th minute of the second half, Kaburaki passed to Almir, who broke free and took a powerful shot that Oita’s goalkeeper deflected forward. Fujiyama, the left side back joining the counterattack, followed up and powerfully scored the third goal. Riding this momentum, Tokyo scored again one minute later when Almir sent a pass behind the defense on a counterattack, Enomoto broke through down the left side, and passed to Kaburaki who had moved up centrally. Kaburaki evaded the marking defender with a sharp turn and shot with his left foot, scoring the fourth goal. In the first half, Okuhara & Okamoto, and in the second half, Kaburaki & Enomoto, both the starters and substitutes fully demonstrated their strengths and posed a threat to the opponent. With a tough schedule ahead including cup and league matches, this day’s attackers’ performance gave the team confidence. Although the match left some points to reflect on, such as conceding two goals after losing concentration when victory was assured, the most important thing at this time is the result, and securing a definite win in the first big match of the final round was significant.＜Coach Okuma’s Comment＞There are unsatisfactory aspects such as the lack of concentration near the end, but at this time, results are the most important thing. In that sense, it was good to definitely earn 3 points. I am often asked about "promotion to J1," but I am not thinking about that yet. For now, I will focus all my effort on getting results in the matches in front of us. From here, we will refocus for the Kashima match and plan strategies to achieve the best results.