A match against our rival Kobe, betting on consecutive opening wins

The compatibility with Kobe is not good. Last year, we played two matches and lost both, unable to create attacking opportunities as we were overwhelmed by Kobe's hard pressing from the front line, resulting in a silence that failed to showcase Tokyo's strengths. Kobe's coach, Kawakatsu, played alongside Coach Okuma at Tokyo Gas, which is the predecessor of Tokyo, and is well-acquainted with Tokyo's (i.e., Okuma's) style of soccer. He is also the J1 coach who knows Okuma's personality and thinking the best, making it a difficult matchup for Tokyo against a team with poor compatibility.

However, this day is an important match for Tokyo, as it is a crucial battle for consecutive opening wins. To achieve the best opening dash that surpasses last year's three consecutive wins in the 1st stage and five consecutive wins in the 2nd stage, they cannot afford to worry about past matchups; it is a must-win match. In the previous match at Tokyo Stadium, they gained momentum with a dramatic V-goal victory, and the team's atmosphere was good, making it hard to imagine losing.

On the other hand, Kobe, like Tokyo, is riding high after a dramatic golden goal victory against Yokohama F.Marinos in the previous match, and since this day is also their home opener, it is a match they cannot afford to lose. A fierce battle is expected, with both teams' ambitions and pride clashing in what promises to be an exciting game.

Struggled against Kobe's counterattack without establishing a base in the front line

Before the match, Coach Okuma's instructions were to supply fast balls from the sides, either on the ground or suitable for a diving header by Robis, because the opponent's center backs and goalkeeper are tall. Additionally, the buildup of the attack should start with a solid pass to Robis' feet.

This year, Kobe has a strong center-back, Shijikurei, who is 187 cm tall, and a seasoned Santos, who, despite being 40 years old, shows no signs of decline. Their defensive strength is higher than last year. For Tokyo, the aim was to firmly pass the ball to the capable Ryo, and from there, to break through from the sides with attackers like Amaral, Seigo KOBAYASHI, and Sato, or with the attacking participation of full-backs like Fujiyama and Naito.

However, once the match started, similar to last year, the intense pressing from Kobe across the entire pitch and the unstable ball control due to the slippery ground made it difficult to deliver precise passes to Robson. Unable to create the desired attacking shape, they hurriedly supplied long balls to the front line, including Robson and Amaral, but they were all repelled by Shijikurei's powerful defense or intercepted by the sharp Santos, resulting in a challenging situation with sharp counterattacks against them.

Kobe, after winning the ball, always passes it through the two playmakers, Mochizuki and Daniel, to the top players Kazu and Nube before spreading it to the sides. There, midfielders Yoshimura and Matsuo burst forward, persistently sending in crosses. In the 9th minute, Nube aimed for the goal with a high header from a cross from the left side (Tokyo's right side), but it went just slightly to the right. Just after that, in the 13th minute, the same left side was breached, and a sharp ground cross went across the goal front, creating dangerous situations. Furthermore, in the 17th minute, Shijikurei joined the attack and spread the play to the left side, where Matsuo, who ran in, cut back and unleashed a powerful mid-range shot with his right foot that hit the crossbar. "Kobe is playing the style of soccer that Tokyo wants to play..." This kind of development continued.

Naito's side change and Miura's long-range shot

The first chance for Tokyo, who couldn't execute their desired attack, came in the 14th minute. Naito, who had the ball near the center line on the right side, sent a large cross-field pass to the opposite side of the front line, which Amaral headed towards Seigo KOBAYASHI running into the center. Seigo KOBAYASHI, gaining momentum, dribbled past one defender and took a powerful shot from directly in front of the goal, but it narrowly missed to the right. This was the first chance that directly led to a scoring opportunity, but Naito's big cross-field pass became an effective attacking option afterwards.

Another player who showed effective movement and provided stimulation in this indecisive situation was Miura. Frustrated by the inability to create a focal point in the front line, Miura gradually began to make runs forward. In the 31st minute, he reacted to a ball played to Ryohei from the defensive line. Ryohei picked up the loose ball well positioned after a challenge and immediately unleashed a powerful long-range shot, but unfortunately, it was deflected by the Kobe goalkeeper. This bold run, decisiveness, and accurate shot surprised the opponent and gave courage to his teammates. In the 36th minute, Naito took a powerful volley from a loose ball following a corner kick, but again, he could not score due to a fine save by the Kobe goalkeeper. Tokyo, gradually gaining momentum, earned a free kick in the center in the 39th minute. Sato carefully aimed and crossed the ball into the goal area, where the rushing Sandro headed it in for a goal!!! However, for some reason, it was ruled offside. The opening goal became a phantom.

Two goals conceded from regrettable set plays

Five minutes into the second half, the game changed. From a corner kick, Tsuchiya scored with a header for Kobe, allowing the opening goal. Due to Miura's movements, the marking on players like Robson and Amaral began to slip, and just as Tokyo was gradually finding a way to attack, this goal was particularly regrettable. Immediately after, taking advantage of the opponent's moment of carelessness, a through pass from Robson reached Amaral, who had broken forward, resulting in a one-on-one with the goalkeeper, but just before the shot, he was cleared by a defender. The match intensified, and both teams' transitions between offense and defense became quicker.

Tokyo moves here. In the 11th minute of the second half, Kelly was brought in to replace Sato. On his 13th day in Japan, Kelly immediately showcased the difference in level. Entering from the right side, Kelly easily broke through the opponent and delivered a precise cross. Furthermore, not only did he advance himself, but he also created chances by breaking through the sides in one-twos with Amaral and LORI. In the following 17th minute, KOBAYASHI was replaced by Kina. Tokyo, wanting to gain momentum here, aimed to pile on the pressure.

However, in the 22nd minute of the second half, they allowed an additional goal to Kobe from a set piece during a time when they had to endure again. Until then, despite being broken down on the sides, the defense, centered around Sandro and Tetsuya ITO, had been defending well with high concentration and intense play. Although they initially cleared a free kick from a deep position on the left side, it was picked up by the opponent, and a cross thrown into the goal area was headed in by "Kobe's King" Kazu, making it a two-goal difference. Tokyo was perplexed by the ironic and difficult development, conceding goals during two moments when they had almost grasped the rhythm.

Challenges and Expectations

In a difficult situation, Tokyo brought in Masuda for Asari in the 25th minute, attempting to break through with the same ultra-offensive formation as in the previous match against Verdy. However, there was no space against a completely defensive Kobe, and despite passing the ball outside the penalty area to break through the center or sending crosses from the sides, they struggled to score. Conversely, they continued to face tough situations as Kobe kept the ball in the space left by Asari's absence during counterattacks, wasting time. Nevertheless, Tokyo created chances until the end with several breakthroughs from Kelly and sharp movements from Masuda, aiming for a goal. In stoppage time, Masuda dove to meet a cross from the right by Kina, delivering a powerful header, but it was stopped by a fine save from the goalkeeper. And then the time was up. On this day, it seemed like it was a lucky day for the Kobe goalkeeper, who made a series of miraculous saves, but not scoring in the decisive moments of the first half was significant. The situational judgment of Miura and Naito when there was no focal point in the front line, as well as Kelly's potential, all evoke great expectations for the future. At the same time, the lack of runs into the spaces on both sides and the low accuracy of crosses in the first half indicate an urgent need for countermeasures. While issues were highlighted, it was also a match that felt promising and exciting for the future.

[Coach Okuma's Comments]

Not being able to capitalize on the chances in the first half affected us until the end. It was disappointing to concede a goal due to a lapse in concentration during a set piece when we needed to hold on a little longer in defense.

Today, I instructed the team to focus on attacking from the outside since the opponent's center backs are tall, but after bringing in Kelly in the second half, we were able to create good attacks. However, towards the end, due to the score difference and the time, we started to rush and put the ball in too often, which made it difficult to break through. Moving forward, I want to switch our mindset and prepare to fight in good condition for the next match.