Win and even the win-loss record

The opponent on this day is Cerezo Osaka. Last year, they were a team that competed for the championship until the final match of the 1st stage, but this season, after finishing Sec. 11, they are struggling in 15th place. They are in a serious situation where they have yet to fill the gap left by Japan national team FW Nishizawa (who is currently playing in Spain's top division). It's not that the members are lacking. In FW, there is the ace Morishima, who has now grown into an indispensable presence for the Japan national team, and the striker Oshima, who transferred from Urawa to fill the gap left by Nishizawa. Additionally, the midfield is composed of a trio of Koreans led by the game maker Yoon, so they are not short on talent. If we were to point out a weakness, it would be the lack of stability in defense. They have conceded 20 goals, which is the second most after the bottom-ranked Verdy (21 goals), and in the previous match, despite taking the lead against Verdy, they could not hold on for the last 15 minutes of the second half and suffered a comeback loss. For Tokyo, they are certainly not an easy opponent, but there must be a chance to win. If they win this match, Tokyo will finally be able to return to an even record (currently 5 wins and 6 losses, and if they win, it will be 6 wins and 6 losses) for the first time since Sec. 2 of this season, after always trailing in losses. They want to win and achieve consecutive victories in league matches, aiming for their first three consecutive wins of the season in the big match against Kashima on 'Tanabata Night.'

The impact of fatigue!? Cerezo relentlessly attacks the heavy Tokyo...

Under the unstable weather with light rain remaining, the match started at 7:04 PM. The first to launch an attack was Cerezo. The Korean duo of No and Yun on the right side became the focal point, with Morishima joining in with his abundant movement to create chances, while on the left side, former Korean national team player Kim and the promising young talent Nishitani launched a speedy attack. In the 15th minute, after Dohi punched away a corner kick from the left, a powerful volley shot was taken from outside the penalty area, which seemed to go over GK Dohi's head and into the goal, but Yukiho, who was covering, managed to clear it with a header just in time. Immediately after, just when it seemed that a corner kick from the right would be headed in powerfully, Asari threw himself in to clear the shot. They somehow escaped from consecutive crises.

On the other hand, Tokyo seemed to be affected by the 110-minute battle in the Nabisco Cup match against Hiroshima three days ago, as they appeared heavy overall and were slower to react compared to Cerezo. As a result, their passes to the front line were mostly intercepted. Amaral, who should have been the focal point at the front, lacked his usual sharpness and strength, and his trademark hold-up play was ineffective against the opponent's defenders who were marking him closely, almost committing fouls.

Signs of growth in how to fight during tough times... A back-and-forth development continues

Tokyo did not have completely no chances. In the 18th minute, they broke through the center with a wall pass from a counter, and Kelly received a pass just outside the penalty area, delivering a brilliant heel pass to Amaral. Amaral took a shot after evading the DF with a one-touch, but the goalkeeper deflected it, and Kelly shot the rebound. However, this also hit the DF, and when it bounced back, Seigo KOBAYASHI shot from the left, but unfortunately missed to the right of the goal. During tough times, the team patiently defended and created chances with quick counterattacks, which is a sign of the team's growth. The "solid defense and quick counterattack" has been Tokyo's trademark for a long time, but they have refined its precision through the challenges of the high level of J1.

Cerezo's dominant pace continued after this. In the 20th minute, In cut in from the right and unleashed a powerful shot with his left foot, and in the 22nd minute, Nishitani cut in from the left and took a shot. The ball soared well over the goal, but Cerezo's aggressive attitude of shooting from outside the penalty area was impressive.

The back-and-forth battle continued, but towards the end of the first half, Tokyo created consecutive big chances. In the 35th minute, Amaral jumped for a free kick from the right and aimed with a header, but unfortunately missed to the right of the goal. In the following 39th minute, Amaral dribbled from the left of the penalty area to the right side to Yukiho. Yukiho delivered an accurate cross that went directly between the opposing GK and DF, but Kelly slid in and just missed it by a step. Furthermore, in the 42nd minute, Kelly headed a cross from Komine on the right at the center of the goal, but unfortunately missed to the left of the goal. In stoppage time, Komine unleashed a powerful shot with his right foot from an overlap, but it was firmly caught by the opposing GK, ending the first half.

Key player of this match, Kagami, makes a big play at the last moment!

The situation continued to be back and forth even after entering the second half. Cerezo's Manaka, who came on for Yun in the second half, showed sharp movements in front of the goal and actively aimed for the goal with a combination play with Morishima. On the other hand, Tokyo's captain, Shimohira, demonstrated dedicated movements in both defense and attack, intelligently cutting off the opponent's attacking opportunities in front of the defensive line, and reliably connecting passes from the defenders forward (or to the side).

Tokyo was the first to act in an attempt to break this back-and-forth situation. First, they brought in Kagami. In the last few matches since returning from injury, Kagami showcased his impressive play in the attacking midfield position, utilizing his long reach. He became an important option in the attack. On this day as well, the rhythm undoubtedly improved since Kagami joined. He actively made runs into space on both sides, eagerly touched the ball, and even took a bold mid-range shot.

On the other hand, Cerezo brought in the tall forward Okayama immediately after Kagawa's substitution. In response to Tokyo's increased midfield creativity, they countered with a power play utilizing height as their weapon. Okayama is very strong in the air, and even Sandro couldn't easily win against him.

In the 37th minute, Tokyo faced a harsh reality. After Kagawa was substituted, Kinama was also brought in to intensify the attack, but in a moment of vulnerability, a gap opened in the defense line that had shown perfect concentration until then. The central area was easily breached with a wall pass, and Nishitani's shot with his left foot from just outside the penalty area, despite Doih's desperate save, was sucked into the bottom left corner of the goal.

There was no way left for Tokyo. Immediately after conceding a goal, they brought in Miura, who had just recovered from an injury. With 7 minutes remaining, Tokyo adopted an ultra-offensive formation, pushing Sandro forward, and fought until the end without giving up. However, only difficult moments passed. Cerezo also faced the possibility of dropping to the bottom if they lost, and they could not afford to lose at home in this situation. They did not push themselves too hard; when it became tough, they sent long balls to target man Okayama to buy time. Finally, the time disappeared from the electronic scoreboard, and it went into stoppage time. Just when it seemed hopeless, drama unfolded. Kagami, who had been desperately chasing the ball until the end, kept the ball in the penalty area, and the opposing defender, in a rush, made contact with Kagami. Kagami fell, and the referee's decision was a penalty kick! At the last moment, Kagami's efforts led to a miraculous big chance.

As expected of the King! A miraculous equalizer, and towards a dramatic finale!

In this situation, without changing his expression, Amaral calmly set the ball at the penalty mark. On this day, despite the accumulated fatigue and the opponent's relentless charges preventing him from making a decisive play, it was clear that he was the only one who could take this shot. The atmosphere in the venue reached its peak. The heartbeat of the stadium and the breaths of the spectators could be heard. If he scored, the possibility of victory would greatly open up, but if he missed, it would be the end of the game. In this extreme tension, the ball kicked by Amaral shook the Cerezo goal net. Amaral's triumphant pose after scoring reflected the significance of the moment. With a last-minute equalizer, Tokyo came back to life.

As the match went into extra time, it was completely Tokyo's game. In the 4th minute, Yukihiko's free kick, and in the 7th, 10th, and 11th minutes, Amaral won headers from crosses from the side and took shots. On the other hand, Cerezo brought in another FW, Sugimoto, who had speed and height, in addition to Okayama's header. Tokyo's defense, centered around Sandro and Tetsuya ITO, fought back with determination. The stadium was filled with a mix of screams and cheers.

Then, in the 2nd minute of extra time, Kelly connected the ball in midfield to Amaral at the front line. Amaral received the ball inside the penalty area, sharply turned forward, and as he made a forceful dribble breakthrough, the opposing defender tried to stop him and brought Amaral down. The decision was once again a penalty kick! The kicker, of course, was Amaral. Unlike the first goal, Amaral seemed to have a sense of composure this time. It could be said that he had the aura of a king, perhaps due to the experience of having gone through numerous tough situations... at that moment, he even exuded an aura.

In the next moment, the ball kicked by Amaral shook the goal net once again. As expected of the King! He scored the equalizing penalty in stoppage time and the penalty that became the winning goal in extra time, both achieved under the highest tension.

With this, Tokyo has brought their win-loss record back to 6 wins and 6 losses, and they are now poised to make a comeback as they approach the final stages of the 1st stage. The incredibly dramatic finale held immense significance.

[Coach Okuma's Comment] The defense was able to achieve its objectives, but the attack could not decisively break through the opponent's four defenders. We managed to break through directly a few times, but it was disappointing that we couldn't finish. However, I think we did well to catch up today. I relied on Amaral again, but moving forward, other players besides Amaral need to step up and become a source of fear for the opponents. I want to do my best for the upcoming Antlers match.