Aiming for three consecutive wins, a home match against Fukuoka

　After two consecutive wins, Avispa Fukuoka will be welcomed at home at Tokyo Stadium. Currently, both teams have 4 wins and 5 losses, with the losses leading. In order to raise their rankings even by one position, they want to win today and bring their record to a balanced state before the approximately one-month break. Tokyo aims to "break through the sides individually with a formation close to three forwards" and "overcome Kelly," with Toda starting as right midfielder. As the evening rain intensifies, the kickoff has arrived.

The aim is spot on! First goal by Toda

　Coach Okuma's aim, and the use of Toda, hit the mark perfectly. In the 2nd minute, Masamitsu KOBAYASHI made a quick decision to pass the ball to Kelly on the left side, and Kelly's cross found Toda, who ran in from the right side right in front of the goal. The direct shot taken with his left foot went straight into the back of the net! With a flowing attack and Toda's finishing ability, they took the lead early on.

Tokyo's spirits are high. In the 11th minute, Kobayashi broke free on the left side from Fujiyama, crossing the ball, but it just missed Tod's position in front of the goal. Today's Tokyo saw left-back Fujiyama boldly attacking inside, drawing the opponent's mark, while Kelly moved around to shake off his marker, frequently creating chances by swapping positions with Amaral and Tod. In the 14th minute, Tod, who advanced vertically with a dribble, passed the ball back to Kelly. Although the shot hit the side netting, it showcased a fast and beautiful attack. In the 18th minute, Fukuoka's left corner kick came right in front of the unmarked FW Yamashita, creating a dangerous moment, but they were saved by a mistake and avoided a crisis.

Against Tokyo, who defend firmly in their own territory, Fukuoka struggles to find passing options even when maintaining possession at the backline, and there are no movements to disrupt the opponent with their characteristic abundant stamina. Their counters lack sharpness, which in turn allows Tokyo to launch another counterattack.

Tokyo continued to dominate the game, and in the 25th minute, Kelly's free kick was met by Toda but just missed. In the 26th minute, Kelly picked up a loose ball and persistently brought it into the penalty area, where Amaral received it, turned, and shot. In the 39th minute, Kobayashi challenged the defender with a cross from the left penalty area, where Kelly and Toda were waiting in the center, but both were blocked by the goalkeeper. In the 44th minute, once again from a pass by Kobayashi on the left side, Kelly managed to connect with a heel flick while being marked by a defender, but it went over the goal. Ultimately, despite taking eight shots, they could not secure an additional goal. In the end, not being able to score an extra goal here would have repercussions later on...

Dominated by a feeling of easy victory...?

　In the first half, it seemed like an additional goal was just a matter of time. While the players were likely not complacent, it cannot be denied that there was a certain 'easy win mood' lingering in the stadium.

　However, in the second half, Fukuoka made precise adjustments and aggressively aimed for goals from the start. Tokyo, whose energy levels had dropped, fell behind in defense and frequently conceded free kicks. In the 51st minute, Fukuoka showcased a tricky free kick that disrupted Tokyo's concentration, and in the 52nd minute, MF Nakabarai advanced freely from the left into the center, where FW Matsubara connected with a pass that was shot-like. Then, in the 53rd minute, Tokyo's DF could not help but foul as MF Kyuunaga broke through. From a free kick taken by Bader in front of the right side of the penalty area, MF Kyuunaga headed the ball into the goal. This scored the equalizer from the set piece that Coach Okuma had instructed to be cautious about.

Regrettable comeback loss……

　Fukuoka, with their fighting spirit on full display, heads towards the Tokyo goal. Tokyo's energy levels have dropped significantly, causing their lines to stretch. In this contrasting situation, Tokyo tries to cope with substitutions. In the 60th minute, they bring in Shimohira to replace Toda, who has fought with all his might until now. Miura, who wanted to keep him high up the pitch for the potential to create decisive moments, is brought in on the right side, but unlike the first half, they struggle to build attacks against a much more pressing Fukuoka.

　Still not giving up, in the 67th minute, Amaral pressured the opposing goalkeeper, stole the loose ball, and although Kelly and Kobayashi followed up, they were slow to react and could not take a shot. They tried to break through the defensive line, but Fukuoka's line was pushed up quickly, resulting in being caught offside three or four times, creating a tense atmosphere. In the 72nd minute, they launched a counterattack from an opponent's shot, with Kelly → Amaral → Miura showing a quick attack, but the defense cut it off. In the 76th minute, Shimohira advanced alone and took a mid-range shot, which was the first shot of the second half. In the 78th minute, Masuda came on for Miura. However, just when they were about to regroup in the 80th minute, Sandro's back pass led to Doih's careless clearance ball reaching Fukuoka's Bader. Forward Yamashita did not miss this chance, reacted quickly, and the shot went into the goal. They were suddenly down by two goals.

　Still holding on, Tokyo in the 82nd minute, Masuda's sharp and fast free kick resulted in a loose ball, which Fujiyama shot with perfect timing from mid-range. In the 83rd minute, Kaburaki was brought in to replace Asari. By switching to one defensive midfielder, they increased the number of players up front, and in the 83rd minute, Kobayashi shot the ball that Kaburaki had dropped. In quick succession, Fukuoka used their substitution slots to strengthen their defense, and in the 88th minute, Kaburaki again headed down a ball from the back, and Amaral shot. However, none of the attempts found the net, and the counterattack ended in vain as time expired. Despite taking the lead, they ended up allowing a comeback loss.

Move Forward with Your Feelings!

　Not just Doi, but the connection with Sandro who caused it... The defensive weakness that led to the first goal. The attack that couldn't secure an additional goal... If the victory against Kashiwa in the previous match was earned by everyone, today we can say that everyone's 'softness' was the reason for the defeat. It is a frustrating loss, but rather than being overly affected by the result, we must acknowledge what is lacking and start over. We will lift our heads and switch our mindset 'forward' as we prepare for the Nabisco Cup and the resumption of the league in a month.

[PICCOLI's Comment] "Before the match, I instructed not to give a large space behind the final line, but in the first half, the meaning was misunderstood and the entire midfield dropped back. Also, there was almost no movement from the two forwards and both full-backs. I judged that we couldn't break through like this, so I asked for more movement at halftime to improve that. Specifically, we weren't able to create various patterns of movement, such as coming into the center from the midfield sides. In the second half, we were able to do that, and taking advantage of it, the forwards were able to run diagonally into the defensive line, heading towards the opponent's goal. In the first half, we could only receive the ball with our backs turned."

I think this difference is the biggest.

[Coach Okuma's Comment] "In the first half, we were able to do what we wanted as a team. It wasn't that we didn't have chances, so I think it was most necessary to score one more goal in the first half if possible. However, the movement and probability of keeping the ball in the front line dropped significantly, which reduced our attacking options from the sides. In conditions where high humidity exhausts our stamina, making self-destructive mistakes at a time when we are saying 'from now on' can be fatal in J1. I want to use the break to reset and prepare for the next match."