Matchday 3, aiming to gain momentum, facing the strong Shimizu S-Pulse

　In this match, which is the third game of the 2nd stage, we will face Shimizu S-Pulse at home. After a complete victory in the away game against Sapporo in the previous round, Tokyo is riding high, while S-Pulse is entering the 2nd stage a round late and lost narrowly to Kashima in the last match. They seem to still be finding their form, so it is important to strike decisively here and maintain momentum. Both teams are strong defensively and excel at developing plays from the sides. The first priority is not to lose in the battles on the flanks. As Coach Kiyoshi OKUMA says, it is crucial to "defend solidly and win decisively in a way that reflects Tokyo's style" in this important game.

　Shimizu S-Pulse, missing Sawatari due to suspension, has started MF Hiramatsu. On the surface, it appears to be the usual 3-5-2 formation, but in reality, Ichikawa is placed as a defender, making the final line four players. The midfield consists of a double pivot with Ito and Toda, while attacking MF Hiramatsu and Alex are positioned on both sides. They have developed this formation after thoroughly studying Tokyo's style of play.

Yukihiko is struggling. He frequently creates chances in a style typical of Tokyo...

　Tokyo pattern.

Yukihiko → Amaral → Kelly combined to take the lead, but……

　In the first half, Shimizu S-Pulse's attack was not particularly threatening, but the first chance in the second half came from a post play between Alex and Baron. Just after the start, in the 46th minute, Baron was fouled just outside the penalty arc in front of the goal, earning a free kick, which Alex aimed for the goal. However, the ball hit the crossbar, resulting in a fortunate save for the goal. In the 47th minute, Tokyo had a chance when Kelly's cross from the left was headed by Seigo Kobayashi. In the 51st minute, Tetsuya Ito advanced with an interception and took a shot. In the 53rd minute, Miura persisted and connected with a loose ball, sending it to Sato, whose cross was met by Amaral's header, but he could not score. Shimizu S-Pulse also created chances as Alex frequently attempted breakthroughs from the side, but Tokyo's defense held strong and did not allow a goal.

　With both teams losing their press, the match became a back-and-forth speedy development, yet still rough and lacking decisive moments. In the 64th minute, Tokyo substituted Kinya for Asari to regain the rhythm of their attack using his ball retention skills. Then, in the 70th minute, Miura once again stole a loose ball in midfield and passed it to Kelly in front of the goal. Surrounded by defenders, Kelly played it to the right side. Sato, who was waiting, sent a long ball to the far side where Amaral headed it, and Kelly connected with a header on the rebound! Tokyo scored the opening goal with a combination play characteristic of their style.

　Tokyo, now invigorated, launches a counterattack starting from Kima, but the Shimizu S-Pulse defense shows resilience. Then, consecutively replacing forwards Kubo and Baron, forwards Yamazaki and Yokoyama are brought in. This substitution will remarkably pay off later... In the 76th minute, Alex, who was free in the penalty area, shoots after a lob from the back, initially blocked by the post, but Alex connects again, and defender Saito, who had moved up for the set piece, heads the ball. This is also initially cleared by Sandro, but Yokoyama, who was following up, volleys the shot. The ball powerfully pierces the net, and Tokyo is quickly equalized.

　In the 82nd minute, Alex's free kick hit the crossbar again. In the 83rd minute, Tokyo substituted KOBAYASHI Seigo for KAGAMI, but then both teams exchanged counterattacks and set pieces. However, despite the tense developments, neither side could find the finishing touch, leading to extra time.

Entering extra time for the second time in this stage, during a home game...

　S-Pulse, like in the latter part of the second half, saw forward Yokoyama moving wide, while Yamazaki made quick vertical movements to break through Tokyo's defense. Tokyo changed Fujiyama to the right side, Ito to the left side, and Komine to the center, setting up a formation to respond to S-Pulse's attacking lineup, including Alex MILLER.

Right after the start of extra time, DF Ichikawa aimed for the goal with a long shot. In the 92nd minute, it was Tokyo's Kina with a mid-range shot. Both teams were rapidly exchanging offense and defense, pushing themselves to attack. In the 98th minute, a corner kick from Tokyo was picked up by S-Pulse. At that moment, when all Tokyo players were pushing forward and momentarily stopped, Alex dribbled up the center to Yamazaki on the right side. Yamazaki floated a cross, and there was Ichikawa, who had smoothly advanced up the left side... Ichikawa threw himself to shoot the ball in the penalty area. They were unexpectedly scored on and suffered a V-goal defeat...

Coach Okuma stated, "The issue was the switch from offense to defense. Even though we were read on the short corner, we couldn't switch to defense." This indicates that an overly aggressive mindset can lead to a momentary lapse in concentration. It's disappointing to have such a result after putting in a good effort up to this point, and once again, it was a frustrating match at home. We must not forget the harshness of J1 and this frustration, and we need to use it for our next match.

Director Zemnovich's Comments

"Today we played with a back four, and although there were times we were pushed back on the sides, I think it worked well. First and foremost, it's important to play Shimizu S-Pulse's style of football; we don't just adapt to the opponent, but it's also important to respond flexibly. The players showed what they could do in the second half for 90 minutes, and they continued to perform without losing physicality even in extra time."

Director Okuma's Comments

"In the end, we should have converted one of the chances in the first half. Our goal in extra time was to not rush and for everyone to contribute both offensively and defensively, but perhaps individuals became too focused on attacking. I believe that not maintaining the balance between offense and defense led to the conceding of a goal."