Reset your feelings and start again

　In the previous match, Tokyo faced Júbilo Iwata, the 1st champion, in a "big match to survive in the championship race". Despite putting up a close fight until the last 10 minutes, they were ultimately overwhelmed and suffered a massive 5-point defeat. For Tokyo, the match against Fukuoka on this day is an important battle that will determine their future. While winning the championship may now seem difficult, the possibility is not zero. It is also important for the team to continue to "fight" and not give up, in order to grow. Only three days have passed since the fierce battle against Iwata, and the players' physical and mental fatigue is immeasurable. However, it is necessary to switch their mindset and fight, in order to not crumble here. In order to secure a higher rank than last year, and for the future of Tokyo, I wanted them to somehow overcome this tough situation.

　On the other hand, for Fukuoka, this match was a very important one. In the previous round, Fukuoka drew with Urawa, who are also in danger of relegation, and dropped to 14th place in the annual ranking, in a critical situation close to the relegation line. The point difference with Verdy in 15th place is 7, and if they win this match, they will make a big step towards "remaining" in the league, but if they lose, the sound of "relegation" will come closer. It is known that Fukuoka will come with all their might. Furthermore, the venue for this match is their home, Hakata. As a team known for their intense play, it was easy to imagine that they would come out with a "do whatever it takes" attitude and fight to the death.

　The important match that will greatly affect both sides in the future kicked off at 3pm in the refreshing autumn weather at the Hakata no Mori Stadium, with intense competition.

Overwhelmed by Fukuoka's momentum, they are scored on in the first 2 minutes.

　Fukuoka's fierce start was impressive. Amidst the unique rhythm of Hakata no Mori, Fukuoka Eleven aggressively invaded Tokyo's territory, fueled by the passionate support of their fans. As pointed out by coach Okuma in the pre-match meeting, Fukuoka completely took the initiative from the start and constantly pressured Tokyo's defense, quickly sending vertical passes to the front line and not giving them any room to breathe.

　As soon as Fukuoka starts attacking, the unique rhythm that surrounds the stadium with "Yoisho! Tottto, Yoisho! Tottto.." begins and within 2 minutes, a shot is taken from a right corner kick and the ball bounces back to MF Hirajima who kicks it powerfully from an angleless position, giving up the first goal. It can be said that they were swallowed up by the away atmosphere, but the fact that they did not take measures such as "kicking big to stop the opponent's momentum" at the start led to the goal. It is true that Fukuoka's start was sharp, but it is also true that Tokyo's start was slow.

Kelly injured and Tokyo loses momentum

　It was a momentary nightmare, but Tokyo woke up and immediately turned to counterattack. Now, as a side attacker, Yukihiro boasts one of the best breakthrough abilities in the J League, showing off his speed from dribbling on the right side. Fukuoka's aggressive momentum is stopped, and Tokyo, on the other hand, starts to launch a patient attack with Miura's calm ball handling and distribution in the deep midfield. With Kelly and Amaral providing a stable base in the front line, the flow of the game quickly shifts towards Tokyo.

　At 9 minutes, Kelly, who participated in the attack, crossed from the left side, and Amaral, who competed in front of the penalty area, headed the ball forward. Kelly, who reacted sharply to this, broke through and shot with his left foot, but unfortunately it went to the right of the goal. In the 2nd stage, Tokyo, who is gaining confidence in always regaining the lead even if they are scored on, gradually dominated the midfield and threatened the Fukuoka goal. However, in the 14th minute, Kelly tried to break through in the midfield, but Fukuoka MF Nakabara, who was competing with him, grabbed Kelly's right arm like a forbidden technique in judo and both fell down. The next moment, Kelly screamed and struggled while holding his right arm. The play was interrupted, and Kelly received treatment outside the pitch, but the Tokyo players showed their anger at the extremely dangerous play that could take away a player's career and protested fiercely. In the end, this series of events became the trigger for the game to become chaotic, and the game ended up with a lack of excitement and a bad aftertaste.

　Tokyo lost their core player Kelly at a crucial time and Amaral fought alone on the front line, but without any side plays, the team's momentum was completely toned down. A few minutes later, Kelly returned to the pitch with his right arm taped and the team regained some rhythm, but his play lacked speed due to his injured arm and they were unable to completely break down Fukuoka. However, in the 23rd minute, a beautiful wall pass between Kelly, Amaral, and Kelly from the center broke through Fukuoka's defense, and in the end, Kelly made a perfect pass to Fukuda in the center, who took a powerful volley shot with his left foot, but it was saved by the goalkeeper. In the end, Kelly had to give up playing and was substituted by Kaga in the 31st minute.

Game break due to rough play...

　Tokyo, who lost Kelly, implemented a two-top system with Fukuda and Amaral for the first time here. Kaga on the left and Yukihiko on the right aimed for the Fukuoka goal with a fresh feeling. However, what awaited them was once again a "dirty foul". In the 32nd minute, the ball kicked by the opponent's GK flowed to the left side of Tokyo, and Komine kept it in with his body, but Fukuoka FW Yamashita kicked his leg from behind and knocked him down, then crossed the ball and waited in the center for Nakabara's volley shot. The ball bounced high and went over Doi's head, but hit the bar and did not go in. Immediately after that, the ball was sent behind Tokyo's DF line, and Sandro tried to clear it with his left foot, but Yamashita kicked Sandro's right foot again, and Sandro's clearance became smaller, and then a shot was taken. Although it did not result in a goal, the Tokyo players completely lost their composure due to this continuous foul-like play. In the 34th minute, Tetsuya Ito, who is known for his few fouls, received a yellow card for knocking down Fukuoka FW Yamashita after intense chasing. In the following 36th minute, Sandro was hit in the face with an elbow during an aerial battle with Fukuoka FW Hattori, causing him to bleed. Sandro protested fiercely. Sandro had never shown such a furious appearance in the past, but in the end, he had to pay the price of getting 5 stitches above his lip. Immediately after that, in the 37th minute, Amaral and Fukuoka MF Lu got into an argument and both received yellow cards for fighting.

　The game has been in a state of chaos, but both teams still have the goal of winning the game and continue to focus on playing. In the midst of intense battles for the ball in the midfield, Tokyo concentrated on attacking from the left side with Kaga receiving the ball and passing it through to Fukuda who made a sliding shot into the shallow line of the Fukuoka DF. The shot was unexpected and well-placed, but unfortunately it was blocked by the goalkeeper and resulted in a corner kick. Both teams began to create chances with quick transitions between offense and defense, but the game was once again interrupted by unnecessary rough play. In stoppage time, Fukuoka MF Nakahara and Ito Tetsuya fought for the ball and once again Kelly used the same move (wrapping his arm around) to take them both down. Ito Tetsuya, like Kelly, writhed in pain on the pitch and suffered a minor sprain in his left elbow, but Kelly's dangerous move worsened his right shoulder contusion and further aggravated his broken left hand. It was clear that this was an extremely dangerous act, and the game continued to escalate in chaos.

The consequences are greater than the defeat...

At halftime, Coach Okuma instructed the players to "focus on the game" and they took to the pitch, vowing to play with all their might to secure victory with the current team strength.

　Early in the game, Kaga crosses from the left side and Fukuda jumps in the center but falls short. Shortly after, Miura breaks through deeply on the right side and passes to Grander in the center, but Amaral's marker clears it. As Tokyo's Kaga, who is in good form, gradually creates rhythm with big movements from the front line from left to right, Miura heads from Yukihiro on the right in the 4th minute but it goes over the bar. In the 8th minute, Kaga takes a powerful volley from Ito's cross, but it also goes over the bar. In the 16th minute, Kina is brought in to make a move, and the ball possession in the midfield increases significantly, creating more chances.

　On the other hand, Fukuoka is generally on the defensive due to their one-point lead, relying on counterattacks to steal the ball and pass it to Badea, who then distributes it to Yamashita and Nakabara on the front line. They also break through the sides and send crosses into the box, where the strong header of Hattori awaits. The tension is high. Tokyo, in order to equalize, is taking some risks and playing aggressively, resulting in fewer defenders during counterattacks and many dangerous situations. In the 21st and 24th minutes, Yamashita took shots from the box, but both narrowly missed the goal. The intricate passing and breakthroughs from Yamashita and Nakabara in the box are impressive, and the Tokyo DF, led by Komine, defended with great concentration.

　29 minutes, substitute FW Toda for injured Tetsuya ITO. The three top players approached the goal with an ultra-attacking formation. In the 31st minute, Fukuda headed Kina's cross, but unfortunately it was right in front of the GK. On the contrary, in the 32nd minute, the left side was broken through from a counter attack, and when the cross was raised, the ball crossed in front of the goal and was shot by Hattori from a close distance on the opposite side, but it went over the bar. Furthermore, in the 34th minute, when the right side was broken through from a counter attack and the cross was raised, Hattori was headed by Donpisha in front of the goal, but Doi made a fine save and the ball was further pushed by Yamashita, but Doi caught it. Tokyo has reduced the number of DFs and increased the number of attacks, but apart from Amaral, they were unable to create a base in the front line against Fukuoka, who were firmly defending, and there was no breakthrough from the side to get behind the opponent, so they were unable to create any decisive chances. Occasionally, Kina and Miura send looping passes to Fukuda's runs in front of the goal, but they are either caught by the GK or cleared by the DF. In the last minutes of stoppage time, Yuki made a spectacular volley from the left cross by Kaga, but it was pushed out by the GK and all hope was lost. In the end, the game ended 0-1. It is true that Kelly's departure had a big impact, but it is also a fact that they were not playing soccer that could break down the opponent. Tokyo was completely losing their composure on this day. In the end, they were rushing to attack and were strangling themselves with unnecessary fouls against Fukuoka's time-wasting tactics from the early stages. In the end, they fell into Fukuoka's "trap" from the beginning. However, it cannot be simply dismissed as "lack of experience". The malicious rough play against Kelly, Tetsuya ITO, and Sandro is by no means acceptable, and it is impossible to ask for composure in response to such actions. Normally, at the end of a game, a beautiful scene awaits where players from both teams congratulate each other on their efforts, but on this day, it was a completely different scene. Both teams were involved in a brawl and the staff had to intervene... Is this what we call sports? The J-League was founded on a wonderful philosophy, but we must not forget that it is a healthy sport before it is soccer.

　Tokyo suffered a bigger loss than just a defeat on this day. It was not mentioned in the article, but in addition to the players mentioned earlier, Miura also fell victim to a malicious tackle during the game and sprained his right knee. The players are precious treasures to the team and the fans. In that sense, it was a disappointing game. In the next match against Marinos, we want to have a great good game.

[Manager Okuma's Comment] Football is a sport, and it is essential to make it work as a sport. In that sense, it was disappointing to see that we couldn't understand each other as "teammates" today. Before winning or losing, it is necessary to understand that. Everyone should recognize that players are treasures. As for the content of the match, one thing to reflect on is that we couldn't establish a base in the front line after Kelly left. When the opponent pulled back, there was no run behind. In the future, I want to think about creating a base when Kelly is not here. I want to switch my feelings and fight again. *As an official website, there were some parts that were written too emotionally, so we have corrected them today. (2001.10.22)