No shortage for the opponent! The 'Samba Night' showdown is against the top-ranked Kashima!!

　After five consecutive wins, Tokyo is now struggling with four consecutive losses. In Sec. 10, they will face the current league leaders, Kashima Antlers. Although Kashima has not been in top form with two draws and one loss in their last three matches, they have Olympic team candidates such as Yanagisawa, Hirase, Motoyama, Nakata, and Sogahata, and their fighting style, well-coordinated with veteran players, has put them in the spotlight of the second stage.

　With the Olympics approaching, the J1 League is entering a break period of about two months as of today, but there is an undeniable expectation for the performance of these Olympic candidates. Moreover, against this strong team, they have faced each other six times in the past, with one win, one draw, and four losses. Since the Emperor's Cup in 1994, they have not secured a victory, and in their first matchup in the 1st stage, despite taking the lead, they lost 1-2 and tasted bitter defeat. ---- They are not an easy opponent to beat. However, today is Samba Night. ZICO, of course, along with coach Toninho CEREZO, the strong Brazilian-colored Kashima is “not lacking for an opponent.” They want to showcase the tenacious soccer typical of Tokyo and strike back.

　Yamao makes his first start as a center-back. Coach Okuma said, "In the last few matches, the awareness to attack with balance while defending has been lost. Of course, in terms of defense, but I thought it was time to use him now, expecting accuracy in passing and reading the situation of the match." And Amaral, returning from injury, showed a lively appearance as the kickoff began amidst the hot Brazilian rhythms played by the top samba team in Japan (Asakusa Escola de Samba Association).

Kashima took the lead. However, with Naito's passionate goal, it is now tied!

　Kashima dominated the game. Connecting passes mainly through Bismarck and Ogasawara in the midfield, Hirase and Yanagisawa advanced with abundant movement to threaten the Tokyo goal. Additionally, both sides, Soma and Narahashi, aggressively pushed forward, leading to three consecutive corner kicks early in the match. Tokyo wanted to pick up the loose balls and launch quick counterattacks, but their passing accuracy was poor, preventing them from advancing to the Kashima goal. In the 6th minute, from a throw-in, Amaral became the starting point with an exquisite hold, passing to Yukihiko on the right side. Yukihiko broke through vertically, and after a cross that was cleared by the Kashima defense, Koike showed a quick attack with a shot, but this was saved by goalkeeper Takakuwa. Conversely, in the 10th minute, Soma, who advanced into the penalty area with a one-two with Yanagisawa, took a powerful shot. This was also brilliantly saved by Doi. However, just after that, in the 12th minute, Kashima connected the ball from a corner kick and seized on Tokyo's weak clearance, with Soma shooting from a distance of 23-24 meters. The precise clean shot found the upper right corner of the goal, allowing the first goal to be conceded.

　However, Tokyo gradually seemed to adapt to Kashima's pace and showed composure, shifting to attack. In the 21st minute, Fujiyama, TUTO, Amaral, and Masamitsu KOBAYASHI connected quickly, leading to a finish by Yukihiko. In the 24th minute, after a corner kick earned by Naito and Yamao's advance, Sandro made a header shot. In the 26th minute, Yukihiko took a shot following a strong central breakthrough by Amaral. This hit the Kashima defense and resulted in a corner kick. In the 27th minute, Sandro competed for the header from this corner kick, and as the ball spilled out, Naito threw himself in a sliding manner to take a shot! With a goal that burst forth with Naito's determination, Tokyo equalized.

　Until then, Kashima had shown some composure in managing the game, but from here the intensity of the match increases. At times, they build attacks from the defensive line, control the midfield, and display a thick attacking formation centered around Yanagisawa and Hiraise. However, Tokyo also puts up a strong defense, preventing any shots. In the 43rd minute, Amaral was fouled, earning a free kick, which TUTO took as a ground shot. The momentum was strong and it deflected off goalkeeper Takakuwa's hands, but it did not result in a goal. The first half concluded.

Neither side gives in, heading to extra time

　In the second half, Kashima showed aggressive attacks right from the start. In the 49th minute, a pass from midfielder Nakata to the front line was cleared by Tokyo's defense. Hirase ran in freely to shoot, and it was a close call, but the ball went wide of the goal. On the right side, Narahashi boldly overlapped and delivered a fast cross, attacking from the outside. However, the last pass could not get through against Tokyo's concentrated defense, and in the 59th minute, dribbler Motoyama was brought in to replace Ogasawara.

　As time passed in Tokyo, Amaral demonstrated his ball retention skills. In the 60th minute, Amaral persisted, and from the ball that Kashima had to reluctantly concede for a throw-in, TUTO shot while dragging three defenders. Unfortunately, it went just wide of the goal.

　However, Kashima's Motoyama showcased his versatile dribbling using space, pushing Tokyo back. In the 70th minute, Yanagisawa connected with Motoyama's final pass to earn a corner kick. Nakata's header narrowly missed the target. Tokyo is forced to build up play from a low position, needing to cover long distances. The period of pressure continues. Therefore, in the 73rd minute, Kamino was brought on to replace Kobayashi in an attempt to break through this situation.

　In the 78th minute, the combination of Kamino, Yukihiko, and TUTO broke through the defense, and finally, TUTO shot freely. In the 85th minute, Motoyama sent a decisive pass to Yanagisawa again, but Doi reacted well and came out to catch it. In the 86th minute, TUTO from Tokyo and Motoyama from Kashima in the 88th minute both charged into the opponent's penalty area at full speed, and both were brought down by the defending player, almost resulting in a penalty kick, but they were both penalized for diving and missed their chances. In the 89th minute, a pinpoint cross from a set piece was sent to the goal area, and Kamino headed the shot. In stoppage time, this time Kashima's Kumagai shot freely from a free kick, but neither team was able to score a goal. The match went into extra time.

Valuable draw against champions Kashima

　The extra time saw a fierce exchange of offense and defense. Tokyo, being freely disrupted in the midfield by Motoyama, substituted Koike with Komine in the 99th minute. The aim was to properly take care of Motoyama in the space on the right side of their own territory.

　In the next 100 minutes, TUTO's free kick from the left of the goal hit the corner of the post, and Yukihiko shot the rebound. However, it was blocked by the Kashima defense, and they could not break through the goal. Naito moved up to the midfield, and Tokyo attacked with Fujiyama, Sandro, and Yamao in a three-back formation. In the 108th minute, Asari advanced on the left side of the penalty area and sent a superb cross, but Kamino's shot went straight to the goalkeeper.

　In the 111th minute, Kashima's Hirase made a pinpoint header from a cross on the right in front of the goal, but Dohi caught it. Immediately after that, Toda, who replaced the injured TUTO, broke through behind the defensive line, creating a big chance, but he couldn't shoot in front of the advancing GK Takakuwa. The loose ball was connected by Amaral, and in the end, Yukihiko swung his foot, but cruelly, the ball went outside the goal...

　In the end, neither side could find the decisive factor, and the battle lasted 120 minutes before finally reaching the time limit.

　After the 1-on-1, neither team was able to create a goal-scoring opportunity, but it was a game filled with a tense atmosphere driven by the desire to win.

　Tokyo had its first draw in J1, breaking the losing streak. In front of a large crowd of 33,892 people (the highest this stage) who visited the stadium that day, it can be said that they snatched a valuable point from the strong team Kashima.

Director Toninho CEREZO's Comments

"Despite thinking it was a match we could win, there were basic mistakes. The goals conceded from set pieces are unacceptable. We are trying to correct such mistakes as much as possible during our week of practice, but they still happen during the actual matches. In terms of content, I believe we had a higher possession rate, we were able to keep the ball, and we created chances. However, that did not translate into goals. We lacked the strength when getting 5 to 10 meters close to the opponent's goal. It would have been good to have the determination to really score, to throw the ball into the goal along with the opponent's defense. I think that was the reason we did not achieve victory."

Director Okuma's Comments

"It was tough both physically and mentally, and we couldn't achieve results in the midst of a demanding schedule. However, before the break, even though it didn't lead to victory, I think we gave our all and performed very well. The matches continue, but compared to the first stage where we lost momentum, I believe that being able to bounce back here is significant for the team both in terms of morale and performance. We stopped the losing streak, but in soccer, both the content and the results are often questioned. I want to adjust with the mindset for the next match against Jubilo and work hard to have a good game after the break."