Away game against Kawasaki Frontale at the sunny Japan National Stadium

After the typhoon, the game will be held at the Japan National Stadium, and this round will be an away game against Kawasaki Frontale. Frontale has been struggling with two consecutive losses in the 2nd stage, but they were able to win against Kashiwa in the Nabisco Cup on the 5th. They will surely want to win here and make a comeback in the J-League. They also have a strong desire to not lose to Tokyo, who was also promoted to J1. Their strength and determination cannot be underestimated. In addition, for the past month, they have been facing not only their opponents, but also the heat and continuous travel. They will need to maintain their focus and secure a victory.

The starting members include MF Sakai, who came on as a substitute for Asari (right foot injury) in the Nabisco Cup Kyoto match. On the other hand, Frontale had a completely different lineup from the previous match, including Brazilian FW Edilson, MF Harada, FW Ganaha, MF Oishi, and SB Nakatani, who joined in the 2nd stage.

Amaral's first goal is born with an excellent combination!　

Kickoff on a pitch where the temperature rises to 30 degrees. Both teams are playing without putting too much pressure on each other, trying to read each other's moves. In the 11th minute, Frontale MF Oniki shoots after a one-two with Izidoro. On the other hand, in the 13th minute, Tokyo passes to Kobayashi who has broken through the left side space from Fujiyama. Kobayashi crosses it perfectly, but Fujiyama, who overlapped, just misses it. In the 14th minute, Kobayashi runs into the goal area after receiving a pass from TUTO and takes a shot. The ball bounces off the DF and TUTO picks it up again, holding onto it until the goal line and passing it to Amaral who was waiting in front of the goal. However, the shot misses the target. In the 16th minute, Frontale shows a quick attack. Tokyo DF clears the ball and Frontale MF Otsuka takes a middle shot. In the 20th minute, this time Amaral, Masuda, and Sakai take a middle shot. However, neither team is able to score. Both teams are solidly defending, resulting in a stalemate.

　At the 25th minute, Fujiyama, who ran up the left side, passed the ball to Kobayashi in the center, who dodged the opposing DF and made a pass. TUTO, who received the pass, sprinted towards the goal with speed, attracting the opposing DF and making a last pass to Amaral. Amaral, who was left free, took a powerful shot and scored! The combination play from Fujiyama to Amaral was excellent, leading to the first goal.

　Frontale then actively attacks with Ijido as the center, but Tokyo concentrates on defense and does not allow any decisive chances near the goal. In response, Frontale attempts a long-range shot with Harada at the 36th minute, but it is saved by Doi. Tokyo also responds with a precise mid-range shot from Seki at the 38th minute. Even when Frontale takes control, Tokyo remains calm and ends the first half by responding without losing balance, as instructed by coach Okuma.

Amaral's hat-trick leads to 3 consecutive wins! It's truly a home game!!

The field gradually became covered in shadows and the game became intense. Frontale, in the 47th minute of the second half, had Izidoro dribble from the right side and take a shot from the penalty area. In the 49th minute, Nakatani, who had gotten behind the Tokyo defense, aimed for the goal. On the other hand, Tokyo also had a chance in the 50th minute when Sakai made a run through the center and received a through pass just before the penalty area, but was fouled. TUTO's free kick missed the goal, but the power of Amaral's breakthrough and Sakai's attacking mindset were highlighted in this series of plays. In the 54th minute, Tokyo quickly connected a clearance from Frontale and TUTO took a shot. Frontale then picked up the loose ball and launched a counterattack. However, the Tokyo defense stopped MF Oishi's attack and pushed forward. Kobayashi chased after it and passed it to Amaral, who ran into the center despite being marked. Amaral received the ball, turned his body, and with one touch, passed CB Okuno and went one-on-one with the GK to take a shot! The ball grazed the hand of GK Uragami and went into the goal!! In the 55th minute, Tokyo quickly scored their second goal in a counterattack.

"The player we should take" scores a goal, there's no way it won't get exciting. It became a dangerous score, meaning that if one point was returned, the flow would change dramatically, but there is no fear of playing away. As the Tokyo supporters sang "Our National Stadium", it was truly a home game from here on.

Frontale's lack of sharpness in attack also helped Tokyo not to create chances. If there is space behind Frontale's line when they try to attack, it will be exactly what Tokyo wants. In the 64th minute, the goal kick went to TUTO on the right side. TUTO dribbled up and saw the Frontale's defensive line trying to get back, so he sent an early cross aiming for the space between the GK and the defenders. The ball slightly deflected off a defender, but Amaral, who had positioned himself well, easily finished it off for a goal! With the ace's hat-trick, Frontale was crushed.

The hero is Amaral. However, there are also signs of a strong team supporting him.

In the 71st minute, Yukihiko was substituted for Masuda, who showed signs of fatigue, and in the 77th minute, Kina was substituted for Kobayashi. Koike approached the game with a formation that had him playing as a right midfielder. And with only 5 minutes left, Horiike finally made his appearance, replacing GK Doi! No one could be happier than to see this player, who has been supporting the team since their JFL days, make a comeback. Horiike stepped onto the pitch, surrounded by the cheers of Tokyo supporters. The stands echoed with alternating "Doi" and "Horiike" chants. It truly created a home game atmosphere. With such a confident decision, the game ended 3-0. A great victory for Frontale.

In today's match, the 3 points earned were a big achievement, but there were also many highlights such as the emergence of new talent, Sakai, and the comeback of Horiike. Tokyo also showed a new challenge with the competition for positions between Kobayashi, Masuda, and Yukihiko, each with their own strengths in the midfield, and the corresponding style of play. It can be said that this match was a great success, even more so than the victory.

[Coach Okuma's Comment]

Today, everyone did a great job of maintaining their concentration and balance until the end in this heat. It was a tough schedule, but our physical performance did not decline. This was also an important game for Sakai, who was playing in his second match, and he did well.

(In response to the question, "Why has Seigo Kobayashi been playing so well lately?")

Seigo Kobayashi has become more consistent this season and I think that has given him confidence.

(In response to the question, "How did you use Horiike?")

Goalkeepers rarely get a chance (to play as a sub) unless they suffer a major injury. I wanted to give Horiike the experience of playing in the J1 stage so that he could be ready to play when needed, such as if Doi gets injured. Today, we happened to have a three-point lead, so I let him play.

("When asked about using Sako as a midfielder despite being a defender during his student days")

Sakai has been able to play as a defensive midfielder since he joined. He is a very exciting player and I have high expectations for him.