Will this be a match that keeps the hopes for the championship alive? A clash against the strong Kobe team

Tokyo stands in 3rd place after Sec. 13, still with hopes for the championship. This match will see them face Vissel Kobe at the rain-soaked Japan National Stadium. Kobe, coming off a victory against Shimizu, is in good form. However, for Tokyo to remain a dark horse until the end, this is a match they must win.

The starting members are the same as the last match, with TUTO and Kagawa in the forward positions. In the right side back position, Umebayashi makes his first appearance of the season, replacing Naito, who is suspended due to accumulated warnings. On the bench, Amaral, who has recovered from injury after a month, is included, raising expectations for what kind of battle he will show in the last home game of the first stage.

In the rain at National, facing the fast and tough defense of Kobe...

However, the slippery field due to the continuous rain before the match, and above all, Kobe's solid DF stands in the way, forcing Tokyo to struggle. Although they are on the defensive, the quick-starting midfielder Sugawara, along with the two center-backs Tsuchiya and Umimoto, who boast height and strength, snuff out every attacking opportunity.

TUTO, Kagawa is being held back and Tokyo cannot create a starting point. In the midfield, both sides are applying strict checks to eliminate space, and the ball is unsettled.

Kobe had been trying to break the deadlock with two middle-range shots until then, but in the 18th minute, a pass reached forward Nube, who was waiting on the left side. He evaded Komine, who came to mark him, and passed to the advancing fullback Yoshida. Yoshida sent in a cross, which was deftly redirected by central midfielder Yabuta, and from outside the penalty area, midfielder Yoshimura took a well-aimed middle-range shot. It became a goal that exploited a momentary lapse in the Tokyo defense.

Tokyo's first shot of the day came in the 25th minute with a long-range effort from TUTO. In the 31st minute, TUTO connected directly with Kagami, and it seemed that Yukihiko broke through behind the DF, but unfortunately, it was offside. Tokyo, wanting to change the flow of the game, brought in Amaral for Kagami in the 36th minute, but the two forwards often found themselves isolated, and attacks from the sides were surrounded by the Kobe DF, making it difficult to create effective plays. In the first half, both teams had three shots. However, Kobe capitalized on their chances and led 1-0 as they headed into the second half.

Kina functions, Amaral and TUTO launch a fierce counterattack, but...

In the second half, as the rain intensified, Tokyo brought in Kinama right from the start. In the first minute, from a free kick, TUTO took a direct shot after receiving the ball from Sandro, who had moved up in front of the goal! Unfortunately, it was blocked by the goalkeeper, but Tokyo began to find their rhythm. Kinama functioned as a support for the two strikers, launching an aggressive attack. In the second minute, Amaral headed the ball from a corner kick. In the fourth minute, after a steal by Fujiyama, Amaral again had a free shot. In the ninth minute, Kobayashi dropped a pass from Kinama with his heel in front of the goal, but Amaral was just slightly offside. However, with the flow changing dramatically from the first half, it seemed like a goal was just a matter of time.

However, it was Kobe who capitalized on the next opportunity. In the 56th minute, after connecting a cleared ball from Tokyo, Yoshimura delivered a cross, and forward Watada, who was waiting on the right in front of the goal, took a shot. At the moment when Tokyo's defense momentarily lost focus, Watada scored his fourth consecutive goal. Given that they had been continuously attacking, this goal weighed heavily on them.

In the 68th minute, Tokyo substituted Todai for Kobayashi. In the 77th minute, Todai boldly aimed for a mid-range shot, but it was passed to a teammate in front of the goal and ruled offside. Immediately after, Kobe's Yabuta broke through behind Tokyo's advancing defense and took a shot. They were narrowly saved by the post, but the battle continued with chances and dangers side by side. With less than 10 minutes remaining, Fujiyama and then Sandro were brought on as Tokyo launched a fierce attack. Kina's mid-range shot and TUTO's shot showed that each player was determined to aim for victory until the end. In stoppage time, Sandro headed down a cross from Amaral, and TUTO ran in to score with his left foot. They finally showed their determination. However, it was already too late. They could only pull one goal back, suffering their sixth defeat of the season.

Learning from Defeat

In the end, there were 8 offsides called. The number of fouls committed against us was 34, double that of Kobe. Tokyo was unable to convert any of the 8 corner kicks. This defeat made it clear that there was a greater difference in strength than the score suggested, as Kobe thoroughly analyzed Tokyo's style of play. Up until now, Tokyo has fought well by neutralizing the opponent's strengths, but today, it can be said that Kobe matched or exceeded that.

With this, the hope of winning has disappeared, but we will never give up on the "battle." "Ignite the Tokyo whirlwind" -- let's return to our roots once more and make sure to turn this defeat into a strength for the final round and the 2nd stage.

This day's match against Kobe was 'TEDDY BEAR DAY'. This event, which has always received great acclaim from many customers, has reached its 3rd year this year. Unfortunately, since we lost the match, the original teddy bear presentation ceremony for the hero could not take place, but we believe that the attendees were satisfied with the cute teddy bear goods that were given away. We hope to hold it again next year, so please look forward to it.