It's time for revenge!

　Still fresh in memory, the devastating loss in the 1st stage... The first match of the season against JEF on April 29th ended in a humiliating 0-3 defeat at home. JEF completely dominated the game and went on to have a successful run, finishing the 1st stage in 2nd place, the highest rank in club history. On the other hand, Tokyo lost all confidence in this match and suffered another crushing defeat against Hiroshima with the same score, resulting in the club's first ever relegation to last place. (In the end, these two consecutive losses became the turning point and Tokyo was able to recover...)

　Certainly, this season's JEF is strong, and they have shown a completely different fighting style from their previous reputation as a "regular member of the J2 relegation battle". The reason for this is that the tactics of second-year mastermind Verdenik have permeated the team, and they have gathered players who can achieve it without being flashy. In particular, the addition of South Korean striker Ryuji Choi has been a big success, giving them a strong front line and scoring power. In the second stage, they have maintained their good form as if to prove that their impressive performance in the first stage was not a fluke, and they are currently in 5th place.

　Tokyo has also been on a roll in the 2nd stage, winning against their previous weak opponents G Osaka and Hiroshima. This is a great opportunity to take revenge for the 1st stage, and Fukuda, who transferred from Nagoya, has already scored a goal and is fitting in well with the team. Yukihiro, who was also selected as a candidate for the Japan national team along with Fukuda, is also in great form. This match between two strong teams will take place in a brand new stadium with the beautiful scenery of the Alps in the background. The harsh cold wind of Matsumoto's signature "Norikura descent" will blow as the kickoff whistle sounds.

Jeff Pace's difficult development

　In the early stages, it was Jeff who took the lead. Jeff's midfielder Abe distributed passes from a low position in the middle, dropping the ball to top player Choi, who then worked with playmaker MF Muichin and hard-working FW Oshiba to stir up the midfield and hold their ground, before the wingbacks joined in the attack on the open spaces on both sides. As it was in the first stage, the 3-5-2 system proved to be a highly effective tactic, allowing Jeff to take control of the game. While they had prepared for Choi's post play in the pre-game meeting, they were unable to shut down the passes leading up to it (from Abe, Muichin, etc.), causing Tokyo to constantly be on the back foot in various situations.

　On the other hand, Tokyo's attack was unable to steal the ball on the front line and was often countered by the opponent. In contrast to Jeff, top player Amaral was often isolated and struggled to create opportunities due to his poor performance and frequent loss of possession, resulting in a difficult time for the team.

　22 minutes, Jeff Abe's FK just missed the goal and escaped danger, and in the immediate 24 minutes, Cui broke through on Abe's long pass and was shot from close range, but this was barely caught by GK Doi. Jeff's young hope, Abe, who is only twenty years old and is currently a candidate for the Japan national team, lived up to his reputation as "better than Inamoto" and overwhelmed Tokyo with his precise passes and technique. In the 27th minute, Jeff Abe sent a precise and unparalleled ball like an arrow from near the center circle to the front line, and Daishi, who reacted sharply to it, touched it a moment faster than GK Doi who had jumped out of the goal and shot. The ball mercilessly went into the unmanned goal. As in the first stage, Jeff once again conceded the first goal.

　Tokyo, who wants to turn the tide, has Kelly with wonderful technique to break the situation, but due to being pushed down the line overall due to being attacked for a long time, even if they try to counter, there are not enough attacking options and it lacks another impact. Also, occasionally, Fukuda cuts in from the left side and tries to shoot, but Jeff's large defender Milinovic stands in front of the goal like a Nio statue and stops everything. Still, at the end of the first half, in stoppage time, Amaral tries to score a goal with a header from the FK raised by Yukihiko from the right, but it goes just to the left of the goal. The only chance was this one shot by Amaral, and it was a very sad content to end the first half with Jeff leading by one point.

Kina's entry changed the flow..Amaral's equalizer goal leads to a counterattack!

　After the start of the second half, when Kina took the pitch, the flow changed completely. In the first half, Tokyo's support to Amaral and Kelly was slow, and the two were isolated, which prevented the attack from gaining depth. In response, Kina, who has a high ability to keep the ball, was substituted for Asari in the defensive midfield. Kina used his strong ball control skills to become the focal point in the midfield, and from there, the team was able to settle the ball and launch a more cohesive attack, rather than relying on counterattacks.

　After 3 minutes into the second half, Kina, who was keeping the ball in the midfield, made a big side change to Fujiyama, who had gone up from the left side. Fujiyama dribbled into the center and crossed the ball, which Fukuda then volleyed with a jumping shot. The Jeff GK barely deflected it, but Amaral was there to neatly kick it in for the equalizer! With Kina's addition, Tokyo gained momentum and 10 minutes later, Fukuda took a forceful shot from the center, which deflected off the opponent's DF and rolled behind. Kelly broke free and faced the GK one-on-one, but his shot went over the bar. Not being able to convert this decisive chance would have a big impact later on.

Retake it if it's taken! Tokyo, a determined comeback!

　Tokyo, who caught up with the tie, gained even more momentum and overwhelmed Jeff. In the 11th minute, Yukihiro crossed the ball from the right side to the back from Kelly, but unfortunately it was caught by the opponent's goalkeeper. In the following 15 minutes, Fujiyama intercepted in his own territory and dribbled up to the front line, passing a through ball to the space on the right side, and Yukihiro flew out free and crossed, but it hit the opponent's defender and resulted in a corner kick. Tokyo, who wanted to capitalize on their momentum, but Jeff, who maintained their good form, did not allow it so easily.

　At 18 minutes, Choi received a single pass from the left and took a free shot, but Tsuchi prevented it with a fine save. Despite being under pressure, JEF showed their ability to turn the tide with Abe's accurate long passes and Choi's finishing skills, leading to a back-and-forth battle afterwards.

　Tokyo, who wanted an additional point, substituted Katsuragi, who showed signs of fatigue, with Kaga, who has scored consecutive game-winning goals in the last two games. In the 31st minute, Kelly broke through the left side with his superb technique and passed it to the center. Amaral let it go and Kaga, who had run in from behind, took a shot from the center, but unfortunately it went to the left of the goal. On the other hand, in the 33rd minute, Jeff Muitin took a powerful shot from a central free kick, but goalkeeper Doi made a fine save to prevent it. Tokyo's Yukihiro tried to break through from the right and create a chance, and Jeff's Oshiba and substitute Hayashi showed sharp movements in the front line to create chances. With the game going back and forth, it seemed like it would go into extra time, but in the 40th minute of the second half, Jeff's Abe scored a header from a corner kick, putting Tokyo behind by one point once again. Tokyo Eleven, who had momentarily dropped their shoulders at the most difficult time, quickly switched their mindset, as they had shown in the last two games that they never give up until the end. Tokyo made a full-scale attack, but Jeff's defense held strong. As time passed, Tokyo earned a corner kick and the Tokyo supporters in the stands moved to the front, cheering loudly as if it was their last chance. With less than a minute left, Yukihiro's ball was easily blocked by Jeff's defense and the ball was returned to the back by Komine. Just when everyone thought it was all over, Komine's direct shot fell behind the Jeff defense, who had raised their line, and Tetsuya Ito, who had gone up for the corner kick, pushed it in with a jumping volley to tie the game! Tokyo, who showed their determination at the last minute, brought the game back to square one.

Valuable draw in a tough match

　Tokyo, who caught up at the last minute and was full of energy, wanted to settle the game quickly, but as the game went into extra time, it was Jeff who took the lead. Even in extra time, Jeff's front line, made up of Oshiba and Lins with their abundant energy, was the key point. They were particularly good at invading the penalty area, and with accurate through passes from Abe, there were several dangerous situations that could have led to a goal. On the other hand, Tokyo's overall attacking mentality was strong, perhaps driven by their "determination to win", and they often left their defense unbalanced, leading to counterattacks. For a moment, it reminded me of the Shimizu game in the 2nd stage (lost in extra time), but on this day, Tokyo's final line, led by Doi, and with Komiya, Sandro, and Ito Tetsuya, remained focused until the end, and the game ended in a draw. Both teams fought fiercely, with their determination and willpower clashing, and although Tokyo couldn't get revenge, it was a big achievement to get 1 point in a situation where things could have been worse, especially with Amaral's poor performance. It is commendable that they were able to hold on and secure a draw with their "never give up until the end" attitude, even in tough times. Tokyo, who can now produce results even in bad times, will face their archrival Urawa at home in the next match at Tokyo Stadium.

[Coach Okuma's Comment]

"It was unfortunate that today's conceded goal was due to a lack of coordination and set plays. However, it is commendable that we were able to draw with our characteristic "never give up until the end" soccer. It is a problem that we were unable to make adjustments when we couldn't establish a base in the front line or when we couldn't pass the ball in the midfield, but it is also commendable that we maintained balance and minimized the number of conceded goals. Therefore, we would like to re-evaluate the balance between offense and defense and approach the next game with a renewed mindset."