Final home game that I want to conclude with a victory

　Only two matches remain in the 2001 J1 League season. The home game today marks the final match at home. In the previous round, Tokyo succumbed to the determination of league leaders Kashima to win, but there were many bright signs for the team, such as the lightning-fast opening goal and the return from injury of players like Kelly and Tetsuya ITO. Meanwhile, Kobe had not yet escaped the threat of relegation to J2 at the end of the previous round, but due to the results of other day games on this day, they had secured their place in J1 before this match started. Neither side would be complacent, but Tokyo would never treat this game as a mere formality in the J.League; they aimed to avoid a losing streak and fight with a never-give-up attitude to climb higher in the standings. Above all, it was a home game. After a year of strong support at Tokyo Stadium, the team could only respond with a victory. As night fully fell and the cold became more intense at 19:04, the kickoff was met with louder-than-usual cheers from the stands.

Unable to create decisive scenes, a lackluster first half...

　Kobe lined up in a 3-5-2 formation, compact from forwards to defenders, stretching wide on both sides. Tokyo tried to connect attacks by aggressively pressing in midfield, with Fujiyama and Shimodaira aiming for interceptions. Tokyo's right side was lively again today; at 8 minutes, Sato ran up the line and attempted a cross but was blocked by a defender. At 9 minutes, after an interception by Fujiyama, the ball reached Fukuda on the left side, who cut into the penalty area and took a shot, but it was caught by the opposing goalkeeper. Afterwards, Tokyo gradually gained control by winning the ball in midfield. At 14 minutes, Fukuda and the advancing Fujiyama combined to try to break down the back line. At 16 minutes, Sato received a sharp cross from a pass by Ito. At 17 minutes, Kelly, coming from behind, returned the ball to Miura, who had advanced to the front line and went into a shooting motion, but Kobe's defenders cut off all attempts. Kobe also connected a vertical pass from the defensive line to forward Miura Kazu at 19 minutes, who passed to Okano and crossed inside from the side, but was met by defenders.

Miura was unable to connect. Both sides continued to struggle to create finishing opportunities. However, in the 22nd minute, Amaral headed a cross from Miura, who had surged up the left side. It seemed like a decisive moment, but unfortunately, it went just over the goal. In the 25th minute, Miura broke free to receive a ball aimed behind the defensive line and made a last pass, but Sato's shot after picking up the cleared ball was caught up in a scramble in front of the goal, and once again, the Kobe defense managed to block it with their bodies.

　From this point, the Kobe DF completely pulled back. They did not chase the ball from the front line, and at times the wing-backs and the defensive midfielders returned to the final line, forming a six-man defense in front of the goal. Tokyo, with Kelly and Sato, tried to find a breakthrough, and in the 34th minute, Sato, who got behind the DF line, delivered a fast cross, but it was cut off by the DF. In the 41st minute, Kelly's cross did not connect with Fukuda or Amaral in front of the goal. In the 43rd minute, Fujiyama made a powerful overlap in the midfield space, exchanged passes with Fukuda, and sent a last pass, but this was also cleared by the DF. Tokyo could not finish while being defended against, and Kobe, on the other hand, only had a single header shot from DF Shijikurei, leaving an overall impression of being subdued as the first half ended.

Despite being caught in Kobe's trap, Amaral scores the equalizer

　Coach Okuma's halftime instructions were, "One of the full-backs should actively participate in the attack. Miura is making good runs at the right time, so let's improve the accuracy of the final pass." Renewed in spirit for the second half, in the 48th minute, Shimohira took an aggressive mid-range shot to draw out the defenders. Kobe's coach Kawakatsu said, "The first half went as planned without losing balance. In the second half, the wind will change, so it's okay to use long balls," and in the 49th minute, he substituted midfielder Sugawara for defensive midfielder Santos, but the defensive posture remained unchanged.

　However, in the 53rd minute, a momentary lapse occurred in the focused Tokyo DF. A cross from the left side of Tokyo was initially cleared, but a clearance ball picked up again in front of the goal by Komine ended up with the opposing MF Daniel. Daniel drew in the DF and passed to Miura Kaz on the right. Sandro was facing Kaz, but the precise right-footed shot shook the goal net, resulting in Kobe taking the lead with their second shot of the day.

　At 57 minutes, Tokyo substituted Masamitsu KOBAYASHI in for Fukuda. Immediately after, Miura took a header shot from Sato's cross, but the goalkeeper caught it. At 59 minutes, Kina was brought in for Shimodaira. At 60 minutes, Sandro connected with a header from a right corner kick, but it went to the left of the goal. Although Tokyo controlled the ball, their passing and shooting accuracy were lacking, and they couldn't break through the defense. Kobe's attack was not particularly intimidating, and Tokyo shifted to a three-back defense with Fujiyama and Sandro pushing forward. At 64 minutes, Kelly tried to trap Kina's cross, but Kobe's defenders intercepted. At 65 minutes, from a quick transition, Sato passed to Kina advancing on the right side. Miura made a free run to meet Kina's deep cross, but his volley shot went over the bar. Miura and Kina actively pushed forward creating decisive chances but failed to score, gradually struggling to break down Kobe's solid backline centered around Shijikurei...

　In the 73rd minute, Minoru KOBAYASHI was brought on to replace Komine. With Miura taking care of the final line, Sandro moved forward, aiming for a chance for Tokyo. On the other hand, Kobe increasingly resorted to fouls, even if it meant receiving yellow cards. Then, in the 83rd minute, Miura persisted on the right side, and while trying to break through with a dribble, he was fouled and earned a free kick. From this free kick just outside the right side of the penalty area, Kelly delivered a precise ball in front of the goal, and Amaral headed it in for a goal! Amaral scored his 17th goal of the season, leveling the match!!

　Tokyo, wanting to capitalize on this momentum, aimed to pull away quickly. In the 88th minute, from a combination play between Kelly and Sato, Miura, who came up from the back, took a shot but it went left of the goal. In stoppage time, this time from the left, Fujiyama tried to break through with Amaral to Kelly, but they couldn't take a shot. Miura also aimed for a long-range shot from the increasingly open midfield, but ultimately they couldn't score, leading to extra time.

This season's sixth overtime match also lacked a decisive factor...

　The momentum was supposed to be with Tokyo. However, it was Kobe that connected the passes and found their rhythm. At the start, Seigo KOBAYASHI persisted on the left side and delivered consecutive crosses, but the Kobe defense remained focused and responded well. In the 93rd minute, midfielder Daniel sprinted through the Tokyo midfield, which was pushing forward, and took a long-range shot. Immediately after, Tokyo received a last pass from Kina to Fujiyama inside the penalty area, but it was cut off before reaching Kelly. In extra time, Kobe's defensive pressure intensified, ultimately dampening Tokyo's momentum.

　Kobe made a substitution in the 96th minute, bringing on forward Watada for Okano. In the 97th minute, Watada broke through the center of the DF line on his own. Sandro stopped him with a foul from behind, resulting in a yellow card for this play. Daniel's free kick in front of Kobe's goal was neatly saved by Doi, but with Watada's introduction, Tokyo had to pay even more attention to defense than before. In the 101st minute, the Kobe attack was pressing in front of the goal, and Fujiyama's clearance was weak, landing right in front of the advancing DF Matsuo. The shot missed the goal, avoiding a crisis, but it was a tense moment. In the stoppage time of the first half of extra time, a cross from Kobe's left side led to a powerful shot from Watada following Kaz's post play. This also narrowly missed the goal, creating a dangerous situation.

　As the second half of extra time began, the excitement in the stadium reached its peak, and the game on the pitch intensified. In the 107th minute,

The ball was passed from Fujiyama to Kina, who got behind the DF line, and Kina flowed to the side to cross in front of the goal. Kobayashi Seigo shot the cleared ball from the DF, but it did not hit the goal. It was a good attacking shape, but this ultimately became Tokyo's only shot in the extra time.

　Conversely, in the 111th and 113th minutes, consecutive corner kicks were given, and Shijikurei had a header shot, but it went straight to Doi. Tokyo was unable to pick up the loose ball and found themselves in a difficult situation. In the 118th minute, forward Toru KABURAGI was brought on to replace Sato, but both teams lacked the finishing touch, and the match ended in a draw. Despite dominating throughout, Tokyo fell into Kobe's trap and ended up with a bitter draw. In the last home game of the season, they were unable to respond to the fans who provided unwavering support, resulting in a regrettable draw. There is only one league match left. Although it is technically an away game, on Saturday, November 24th, they will face Verdy here at home, Tokyo Stadium. Given that their opponent is in danger of relegation to J2, a fierce match is inevitable, but Tokyo will conclude the league's final match with a resounding victory!

Director Okuma's Comments

"Today was a match that symbolized Tokyo's performance throughout the season = there has been progress, but we haven't been able to secure victories. We showed resilience by equalizing during that time, but since entering the second stage, there have been many extensions, and we still lack the ability to win in those situations. I felt that in order to consistently compete for the championship in J1 or to win, we need to overcome the barriers represented by today's match. However, the team is making progress, so we must maintain this balance while adding more variety and strength to our attack. There is one more match left, and I want to play a game that can be said to have overcome those challenges and lead us to the Emperor's Cup."