Escape from the quagmire at Home Marugame

　The 8th round, which marks the halfway point of the 1st stage, will be a home game at Kagawa Marugame Stadium against Hokkaido Consadole Sapporo. Sapporo has had a strong start with 4 wins, 1 draw, and 1 loss, scoring 7 goals and only conceding 3. Despite a 2-5 loss to Shimizu in the previous round, they have been successful with efficient scoring and solid defense, reminiscent of their "whirlwind" performance in the J1 league in 2001.

　On the other hand, Tokyo, who sank to the bottom in the previous section, must win today's game no matter what. What the team needs now is a goal that will be the trigger for their comeback, and three points. In order to achieve that, in this section, Rohisu will be on the bench, Sato will be on the left midfield, Kobayashi Masamitsu, who will make his first appearance since the second section, will be on the right, and Kelly will be in the top position, with Amaral as the lone striker, in a new formation of 4-5-1.

Although showing an attacking form,

　Tokyo started the game with a free kick from Kelly, and Amaral's header just missed the bar, giving an early sense of a goal. However, they couldn't keep their composure and take control, and in the 9th minute, Sapporo's FW Will's movement drew the DF and allowed FW Hato to receive a pass and take a shot. It was a close call, but they managed to escape with a corner kick.

　In the midst of a fierce battle where both teams are solidly defending and launching counterattacks, Tokyo gradually starts to function with Sato and Kobayashi. Despite dominating possession and attacking from the sides, Sapporo quickly switches to defense and doesn't allow any clear chances. In the 27th minute, Sato breaks through the defense from Naito's pass and crosses, but the Sapporo defenders clear it. In the 28th minute, Sato once again sends a sharp cross from near the goal line, but it doesn't reach Kelly or Kobayashi in front of the goal. In the 30th minute, Fujiyama dribbles into the penalty area from the left and sends a final pass, but it doesn't reach Amaral. Then in the 32nd minute, Kobayashi receives a pass from the back and immediately shoots in front of the goal, but Amaral's left-footed shot goes over the bar, missing a crucial scoring opportunity. Tokyo continues to dominate the game, but Sapporo's two forwards are also a threat. In the 43rd minute, Will shoots from Hato's through pass, but it goes straight to GK Doi, and the first half ends with both teams scoreless.

First goal by Amaral, long-awaited!

　In the second half, coach Okuma sent out the players with the message of "not rushing". On the other hand, coach Okada of Sapporo also made adjustments, saying "we are giving away too many counters in the first half. Let's aim to run behind the defense and attack aggressively". However, both teams were cautious in their approach. In the 50th minute, Amaral took a shot from a side pass in an attempt to break the deadlock. Although it missed the goal, in the following 51st minute, Kobayashi received a technical dribble from the post pass by Amaral, who was surrounded by the opposing DF, and entered the penalty area with perfect timing to send a last pass. Amaral received the pass and turned around to take a shot while competing with the DF. Although the shot lacked power, the ball rolled into the left corner of the goal!! With this first goal of the season by Amaral, they took the lead. It may not have been a fine goal, but it was a long-awaited first goal created by the strength and persistence of Kobayashi and Amaral in the ball battle.

　Sapporo made a fresh offensive move by substituting Watanabe and Okubo for Almir and Yamase, both of whom were in the midfield. In the 61st minute, Hato took a shot from a cross by DF Omori, who had moved up the left side. In the 63rd minute, Will made a decisive final pass to Hato, who had slipped behind Kominato, but the Tokyo DF managed to block it with their bodies.

Tunnel escape, the light was visible!?

　Tokyo continued to be pushed back, but suddenly it started raining around the 70-minute mark. The rain quickly intensified and covered the field. Then, in the 71st minute, Kelly stole the ball and made a quick attack, taking advantage of a momentary lapse in the defense that had been under pressure from Sapporo. From Kelly, Amaral caught up to a pass that was sent deep behind the defense, and he charged towards the penalty area while competing with the defenders. A fast Tokyo-style attack was launched, and Sapporo's defender, Namizuka, couldn't help but commit a foul. Amaral was brought down and a penalty kick was awarded. Sato neatly kicked it into the goal, giving Tokyo a valuable second goal.

　However, Sapporo launched a counterattack from here. In the 76th and 78th minutes, they aimed for a goal from a direct free kick, and in the 79th minute, Will took a shot from inside the penalty area. In the 82nd minute, Doi escaped from a strong shot by Visu with a corner kick. In the 87th minute, Okubo stole the ball in the midfield and immediately passed it to Will. Will's mid-range shot hit the post... Tokyo tried to overcome this difficult situation by substituting Kobayashi, Amaral, and Sato with Kina, Robisu, and Kagami one after another. They tried to counterattack, but couldn't score an additional goal. And in stoppage time, Sapporo scored a goal from a free kick outside the left penalty area, which was headed in by Will on the far side, making it 2-1. However, Sapporo's counterattack was already too late, and the game ended shortly after.

　In the end, it is regrettable that we gave away dangerous free kicks in front of the penalty area due to fouls and conceded a goal from a set piece in stoppage time. However, the goal we desperately wanted and the victory at home are the biggest confidence boosters. We are now in 13th place, but the first stage is a close battle with only 3 points separating 7th to 13th place. As coach Okuma said, let's use today as a new starting point and begin our counterattack from here.

[Coach Okada's Comment]

"In the first half, I instructed the team that there was no need to push too hard and that a 0-0 score was fine, considering the heat and the possibility of the opponent playing defensively. However, it was difficult to break through their defense and create chances. In the end, we ended up conceding on a counter attack, so in the second half, I wanted to push our forwards higher up the field and try to pick up any loose balls. However, the players were more focused on playing a passing game rather than kicking it long, and unfortunately we conceded a goal due to an unlucky situation. We had to go for the win after that. After conceding two more goals, we had no choice but to play long balls and try to pick up any loose balls. But we are still halfway through the game and we are in a good position to achieve our goal. We won't lose sight of our goal just because we win or lose a few games."

[Coach Okuma's Comment]

"Kelly was late to join and there were also other players' injuries, but we have been striving for team balance and unity up to this point. It took courage to make today's decision, but I think not only the result, but also the balance of offense and defense and the team's effort came out. Regardless of the ranking, I thought today's game would be the starting point whether we win or lose, but I'm glad we got a good result and I realize that we need to create something extra from now on. I want to make today the starting point and continue to do our best in each game."