The Crucial Match!? Face the Champion

　In Sec. 9, we will face Júbilo Iwata, the champions of the 1st stage and currently at the top of the 2nd stage, at home. Tokyo has achieved 4 wins, 3 draws, and 1 loss so far. In the last 5 matches since September, although we drew against Ichihara and Nagoya in the previous match, we managed to win all 3 other matches by a single goal, demonstrating our competitive strength. For Tokyo, currently in 3rd place with a 4-point gap, this match against the top-ranked Iwata holds significant meaning. It can truly be called a crucial battle in the title race. While a tough fight against the champions is anticipated, we want to face them with the kind of soccer that embodies Tokyo's spirit, working together with sweat and wisdom. In the rain, gathering the expectations of over 22,000 fans in the stands, we kicked off the heated battle at the Japan National Stadium, the only venue for this season.

Even while being dominated, the chances are more than equal

　It was not easy to break through the strong midfield of Iwata and their solid defense, which had only conceded 4 goals in the last 8 matches of this stage. Right after the start, Tetsuya ITO aggressively surged up the right side and delivered a sharp cross, but the defense cleared it. Iwata, while taking care of the attacks from Tokyo's right side, gradually built their rhythm by calmly circulating the ball. They then played vertical balls to forwards Nakayama and Maeda, closing in on the goal. Iwata aimed to take advantage of set plays against Tokyo, who stopped them with fouls. In the 7th minute, MF Hattori aimed for the goal from a direct free kick, but this was caught by GK Doi.

　Yokohama's quick response to loose balls dominates the midfield. In the 9th minute, MF Nishi, followed by MF Kanazawa and Fukunishi in the 10th minute, take consecutive long-range shots, but thanks to Doih's saves, they do not easily allow a goal. In the 12th minute, MF Fujita's corner kick is blocked by the post, avoiding danger. In the following 14th minute, Hattori snatches the ball in midfield and quickly transitions to attack, but without forcing it, they connect slowly, and in the end, Hattori takes a mid-range shot. The match progresses within Tokyo's territory. However, with frequent back passes and a cautious approach, Yokohama does not force plays and seems to be wary of Tokyo's side attacks, focusing on playing through the middle with penetrating balls. In response, Tokyo's back line defends with concentration, showing strong awareness of covering, and does not allow any decisive scenes to develop.

　Meanwhile, although Tokyo struggled to advance even after winning the ball in deep positions, at the 20th minute, Amaral connected the ball from a slightly withdrawn position to the right side. Sato attempted a breakthrough and delivered a sharp cross, but it was blocked by a defender who collided with Fukuda in front of the goal. At the 23rd minute, Amaral picked up a cleared ball from the opposing defender and connected again, wisely passing into the open space on the right side. Sato carried the ball forward with a dribble and took a bold shot. Although it was saved by goalkeeper Vanswam, Tokyo tried to regain rhythm by finding a way through counterattacks. Then at the 32nd minute, Sato persisted on the right side and sent a vertical pass behind the defender. Kelly appeared smoothly and sent a grounded ball to the center. Amaral dived in while colliding with the goalkeeper, and the ball went into the goal! However, in the next moment, unbelievably, the referee judged it as a foul against the goalkeeper. The stadium was temporarily in an uproar, but the decision was not overturned, and unfortunately, it became a "phantom opening goal."

　However, this play gave the Tokyo Eleven a sense of being able to capitalize on a "one chance." With the momentum rising for Tokyo, Iwata's press became ineffective, and in the 42nd minute, Kelly maintained possession in midfield → Sato delivered a sharp cross, and Fukuda headed the ball in the center of the goal. However, it was blocked by a fine play from Iwata GK Oogami, who came in for the injured Vanzwam. From the corner kick gained here, Amaral attempted a header, but once again the GK made a fine save. In the following 44th minute, Kelly picked up a weak clearance from the opposing DF and unleashed a powerful shot, but the ball grazed the DF and went just left of the goal. Ultimately, the score remained 0-0 at halftime. Despite being dominated, the team showed an equal or better number of decisive chances, raising expectations for the second half.

Miura scores the opening goal! Intense battle with a revived Iwata

　In the second half, wanting to attack from both sides, Yamata brought in forward Shimizu to replace Maeda. In the 48th minute, they quickly transitioned from defense to attack, showcasing a flowing passing sequence from Nakayama to Shimizu to Nishi to Fujita, but Shimizu's finish went over the goal. On the other hand, Tokyo, without being pushed back excessively like in the first half, managed to stop a chance in the 49th minute with a through pass to Nakayama, who had broken behind the defense, falling into an offside trap. They aimed to play at their own rhythm. Then in the 54th minute, Miura, holding the ball in midfield, passed it to Tetsuya ITO on the right side, who floated a ball into the goal area. Amaral headed it to Kelly, who acted as a post, and Miura, charging in fiercely, took a shot! With the reliable post play from Amaral to Kelly and Miura's good judgment in timing his run, they broke through the solid DF line of Yamata and snatched a valuable opening goal!

　From this point, the pace of the match suddenly quickened, and the game became intense. In the 56th and 57th minutes, Iwata showed a fast attack by having FW Nakayama run vertically on the side while Shimizu received the ball in the center. However, Tokyo closely marked them and did not allow any shots. In the 60th minute, Fujita took a free kick slightly to the left of the penalty arc, aiming for the lower left corner of the goal, but Doi made a superb save. He also defended against consecutive corner kicks afterward. However, in the 64th minute, Nishi, who was free in midfield, passed to Nakayama on the left side of the penalty area. Nakayama shielded the ball and dropped it with his chest, where Kanazawa broke through Tokyo's defense and shot with speed. The shot scored, leveling the match. Under pressure, Iwata's MF Fukunishi took a powerful long-range shot in the 65th minute. Tokyo tried to counterattack but struggled as their passes did not connect. Then, in the 72nd minute, Iwata's MF Fujita received a throw-in ball behind the goal, and despite losing his balance, he floated a pass in front of the goal. Shimizu's header scored, and with Fujita's clever play, Iwata took the second goal.

　However, immediately after in the 73rd minute, Kaga was substituted for Fukuda, in the 74th minute, Kina was substituted for Asari, and in the 76th minute, Yamao was brought in for Komine by Tokyo. Yamao, praised for his 'offensive play', moved into the midfield, and the three-back defense line was supported by Miura as they shifted to counterattack. The effect was immediate; in the 79th minute, Kina connected with Sato on the right side, made a run past Sato to break behind the opposing defense, received a well-timed return pass from Sato, and then dribbled into the penalty area to send in a cross. Kaga, who was waiting directly in front of the goal, connected with the ball on the first touch and scored!! With this wonderful combination play, they equalized, and the excitement in the stadium reached its peak.

Acknowledging the difference in strength, but proudly moving on to the next

　The stadium was filled with a push-forward mood of "One more goal!" ... However, it was not that simple. The eyes of the Iwata players who had been caught up changed color. Two minutes after the equalizer, in the 81st minute, exploiting Tokyo's vulnerability as they pushed forward, Nishi dribbled along the right sideline and sent a strong ground pass to the center. Sandro stretched out his foot, but the cut was weak, and unfortunately, the ball spilled in front of Shimizu, who was right in front of the goal. Shimizu firmly pushed the ball into the net to take the lead. Tokyo once again found themselves one goal behind. Still, Yamao repeatedly moved from midfield to the front line, and Sandro also advanced as the whole team counterattacked, but their forward focus backfired. In the 85th minute, Iwata DF Kawamura, who came in for Nishi, was left free in midfield and took a bold shot. Although Doi initially saved it, Tokyo's DF could not react to the rebound. Shimizu quickly headed for the goal and scored the fourth goal. In the 86th minute, Sandro cleared Kawamura's dribble on a counterattack, but collided with Doi, leaving the goal wide open. Kawamura picked up the ball again, and finally, ace Nakayama scored the finishing goal. After conceding the fifth goal, the match ended.

　In the end, we conceded 3 goals in the last 10 minutes. It was a bitter defeat that made us painfully aware of the difference in game management. With this, Tokyo has fallen back to 5th place. However, we cannot afford to give up. The "challenge" of facing the champions head-on was certainly not in vain. We must not break here. While acknowledging the difference in strength, we want to take this defeat as a lesson and head into tomorrow with our heads held high.

[Coach Suzuki's Comment] "In the first half, the back line pushed up, and we ended up in a line at the defensive midfield, which disrupted our balance. There were moments where we were saved by the goalkeeper's performance. In the second half, the center-backs pushed the defensive midfielders forward to regain balance and tried to apply pressure in the midfield. In attack, we aimed to control the midfield and break through both flanks with good rhythm, either directly or by changing the pace. Even with this kind of performance, we have to win as Jubilo, and after conceding the equalizer, I think the players expressed on the field the feeling that 'to win the championship, we obviously have to win.'"

[Coach Okuma's Comment] "(What I regret is) the difference in team balance and experience when we conceded the third goal. While there were good aspects from Iwata, looking back, I think we needed stable positioning and a calm mindset when it was 2-2. However, soccer is a difficult game, and conversely, it can be easy to relax in that situation... In any case, I believe there were areas where both individually and as a team, we lacked situational judgment. The players were in a situation where they had no choice but to challenge, and I think they did well to take on that challenge. The most important thing is to not dwell on this and to switch our focus to the next match."