The big match against the top-ranked Kashima Antlers!

　Currently, Kashima Antlers are leading the 2nd stage alone. In the starting lineup, there are FW YANAGISAWA, who scored a historic goal in the recent (11/7) match against Italy and has now grown into Japan's ace, GK SOGAGATA, who made his national team debut in the Italy match, as well as MF NAKATA and FW SUZUKI, who have firmly established themselves in the national team. The player depth of Antlers is solid enough to have MF MOTOMURA and FW HIRASE as substitutes, but today they are facing the match with a perfect best lineup.

　FC Tokyo, on the other hand, has been steadily improving their team strength with the return of injured MF Kelly and Kina, as well as DF Tetsuya Ito, who have all been on the bench for the past three games. They are also riding the momentum of their big win against C Osaka in the previous match. In their previous match against Antlers (7/7), they sealed a victory with Kelly's two goals in front of a full house at their home stadium, Tokyo Stadium. They do not have any fear or sense of inferiority towards Antlers. With the possibility of moving up to 3rd place if they win this match, their motivation is extremely high. On the other hand, Antlers also have a high motivation to win this match as it would be a big step towards their championship goal. The match is expected to be a heated and exciting game. Tokyo will be sending their largest ever support group of 6 buses and 270 people to Kashima Soccer Stadium, and their passionate support will surely match that of the local Antlers supporters, heating up the atmosphere in the stands. The "big match" for both teams kicked off at 2:03 PM in the cold rain at Kashima Soccer Stadium.

1 minute into the game, Kobayashi scores the opening goal!

　The match started with an exciting atmosphere in the stadium. In the first minute, FW Amaral kept the ball on the left side and passed a looping pass to DF Fujiyama who had moved up in the center. Fujiyama controlled the ball and then passed it through the Antlers' defense to MF Miura who had reacted to the play. Miura crossed the ball from the goal line and MF Kobayashi, who had been positioned near the near post, kicked it in with his left foot to score the first goal. Tokyo, who had been playing with a lot of pressure due to high expectations, showed a more aggressive play compared to the Antlers who seemed to be struggling. They scored the earliest goal of the season in just one minute, causing a chaotic atmosphere in the stadium with sighs from Antlers supporters and cheers from Tokyo supporters.

Antlers' thick attack and Tokyo's sharp counter

　After waking up with a strong opening punch, Antlers quickly turn to counterattack. In the midfield, MF Nakata, Ogasawara, and Bismarck rotate the ball with excellent ball control and passing skills, trying to find a rhythm by hitting the ball to the Japan national team's top two forwards, Yanagisawa and Suzuki. However, in the early stages, the combination between the two was not working well, and even when they tried to simply pass the ball vertically, DF Yamao and Sandro were able to clear it with tough charges. However, as the two gradually took turns playing the role of a post player and running into space, the marking started to shift slightly, and there were more scenes where they were late to respond and had to stop with fouls, resulting in more free kicks near Tokyo's goal. Additionally, DF Augusto's aggressive attacking participation, which is also a symbol of Antlers' success in the second stage, was astonishing. Not only did he run up the left side to compete, but he also cut inside to create space on the left side, where Ogasawara would position himself as a base, causing confusion for Tokyo's defense. In the 13th minute, Yamao was caught off guard by Augusto and ended up fouling him near the penalty area, receiving a yellow card. While Tokyo's defense showed high concentration and made physical plays to prevent any decisive moments, they were forced to endure Antlers' thick and diverse attacks for a long time.

　On the other hand, Tokyo, which had many opportunities to defend, created chances with sharp counters. Tokyo's "solid defense and quick attack" was still strong on this day, with Amaral chasing fiercely from the front line, and Renato AUGUSTO leading a tough press in the midfield to steal the ball. Yuki and Toda alternately flew out to the right side where space was created, with AUGUSTO moving up as the base and supplying accurate crosses from there to the center. Many final passes were sent to the goal, but Amaral was tightly marked and had few opportunities to enter the goal, so he could not make a shot.

Ace Yanagisawa's "skillful goal" ties the game

　It was understood that they were not an opponent that could be defeated with just one point, but they were easily caught up to the same score with the ace's one shot. For Tokyo, it was a good flow as "planned", but in the 29th minute of the first half, Antlers kept the ball in the midfield with Bismarck and hit Suzuki at the top. Suzuki dropped the ball and Nakata advanced with a speedy dribble, and passed it to Yanagisawa in the front line. Yanagisawa passed through the gap between Tokyo's DF Yamao and Sandro at top speed with an exquisite course, and shot the ball into Tokyo's goal net just a moment before GK Doi jumped out. Nakata's pass was also wonderful, but there was no choice but to take off one's hat to Yanagisawa's "international level" play that brought it to a perfect finish.

　Tokyo, who was caught up in a tie, did not hesitate and continued to attack and defend aggressively, making it difficult for Antlers. In the 33rd minute, Amaral chased the ball and caused the opponent to make a back pass mistake. Amaral then rushed towards the Antlers' goal, but goalkeeper Sogahata came out of the penalty area to clear the ball. However, the clearance was small and it flew towards Miura, who followed Amaral from behind. Miura then took a direct shot towards the unguarded goal, but unfortunately, the ball missed to the left of the goal. In the 36th minute, Shimodaira intercepted the ball on the right side and passed it to Amaral, Shimodaira, and Yukihiko, who then made a precise pass to Miura who had run towards the goal. Miura tried to break through in the penalty area but was fouled, but no foul was given. Antlers also had Suzuki as their key player in the front line, and in the 38th and 44th minutes, he took powerful shots with his left foot, but they did not result in a goal. In the end, both teams were unable to score any additional points and the game was carried over to the second half with a 1-1 tie.

Kelly, despite bringing in Kina, gave up two goals in the last 8 minutes and lost the game.

　In the second half, Tokyo was the first to attack. In the 2nd minute, Yukihiro rushed down the right side and sent a sharp ground cross between the GK and DF, causing the GK, Sogahata, to fumble. However, they were unable to follow up and score. In the 9th minute, Kelly, who returned to the pitch after being injured for 3 games, was substituted in. Despite playing with a sore right elbow, Kelly immediately made his presence known on the pitch. In the 11th minute, he received the ball outside the penalty area and broke through a tight space with a quick one-two with Miura, taking a left-footed shot. Although the shot did not result in a goal, in the 13th minute, he broke through on the right side from a pass by Toda and sent a shot from a difficult angle, but it was caught by the GK. With Kelly's presence, the front line, which had been focused on Amaral, now had another focal point, and the team's attacking rhythm improved significantly as they were able to pass with confidence. Kelly quickly moved the ball forward and spread it to the left and right sides, making runs into the goal area. In the 22nd minute, he made a diving header from Yukihiro's cross, but it narrowly missed. On the other hand, Antlers also showed an attacking play from Augusto, who seemed more like a midfielder or forward than a defender, and they continued to attack Tokyo's goal. In the 23rd minute, he took a free kick in front of the goal with his favored left foot, but it narrowly missed.

　In the midst of a fierce battle where the offense and defense constantly exchanged, it was Tokyo who made the first move. Coach Okuma had said before the game, "The key moment will be when the opponent brings in substitute Motomura," but it was the substitution of Kina that marked Tokyo's move, beating Antlers to the punch. And just two minutes after Kina's substitution, Antlers sent Motomura onto the pitch.

　With this addition of Motoyama, Antlers' attack has become even stronger, as Motoyama has become the focal point in front of Tokyo's goal with his sharp and powerful dribbling. Antlers, who are determined to win in 90 minutes, have shown a fierce all-out attack, not only from the left side with Augusto, but also with the active participation of Narahashi on the right side. However, Tokyo also responded with a solid defense. In the 31st minute, the ball came out in a scramble in front of Tokyo's goal and Yanagisawa took a decisive shot in a one-on-one situation, but GK Doi made a super save to catch it. However, in the 37th minute of the second half, Narahashi took a powerful shot from the right side, which GK Doi barely punched away, but Motoyama was waiting in front of the goal and volleyed it with his right foot, causing the ball to bounce and be sucked into the right side of Tokyo's goal. Despite being pushed back, Tokyo maintained a high level of concentration and continued to look for opportunities to score an additional goal in their typical style of soccer, making the goal they conceded at this time even more painful. Even after being overtaken, Tokyo continued to aim for a goal with their "never give up" attitude, but in the 44th minute, they were beaten by a one-two between Augusto and Motoyama on the left side, and Motoyama made a final pass to Yanagisawa, who was free in front of the goal, to seal the deal. It was a heartbreaking defeat to concede two goals in the final minutes after taking the lead against the top-ranked Antlers and playing with a high level of concentration for the last 8 minutes, but it was a challenge that will surely lead to something positive. This type of goal conceded has also been seen in the Jubilo game, but it was a positive goal conceded while trying to win, and we should look at it in a positive light. At this point, both teams are considered to be the top two in Japan, and creating a situation where we can go for a win and actually going for it will surely lead to the next challenge. It must have been a valuable experience for the players. In this game, Kelly, Kina, and Tetsuya Ito all made a faster return than expected, and there were many bright spots, so we want to change our mindset for the remaining two games.

[Manager Okuma's Comment] Today, we took the gamble from our side but unfortunately, we didn't get the result we wanted. We had prepared our players by informing them about the key player, Motomura, who would be brought in by the opponent. However, in the end, we were unable to contain him on the front line. We need to switch our mindset and aim to win the remaining two matches.