Facing a desperate situation

　In the previous match, Tokyo suffered a narrow defeat to Kashiwa, marking their third consecutive loss. As of the end of Sec. 7 of the 2nd stage, their total annual points stand at 26, placing them in 12th position. The 15th place team, Hiroshima, which is on the relegation line, has 18 points, leaving a slight gap of only 8 points. Currently, six teams are tightly packed within this 8-point difference, engaging in a fierce battle for survival. Sharing the same 26 points as Tokyo are 10th place Tokyo V and 11th place Ichihara, while 9th place Sendai has 28 points, and winning this day's match could see them rise to 9th place. Conversely, a loss would result in their first four consecutive defeats this season, which would lower the players' motivation and make future developments extremely challenging.

　On the other hand, the opponent Sapporo is in a situation even more severe than Tokyo. Currently, their total annual points are 7, placing them at the bottom in 16th place. In the 2nd stage, they have yet to secure a victory and are on the brink of relegation to J2. However, at Atsubetsu, the venue for this day, they have not lost this season with 1 win and 1 draw, showing a good compatibility, and the support from their enthusiastic fans showed no signs of waning. With no more chances left, Sapporo is expected to come at Tokyo fearlessly, backed by the cheers of their supporters, making this match extremely difficult for Tokyo.

　Tokyo will be without DF Komine, who was sent off in the last match, and DF Ito, who will start on the bench due to health issues, raising concerns about the defense. In an emergency response, Fujiyama will partner with Jean as center-back, and Shimohira will be placed as left-back. Miyazawa, who was suspended in the last match, returns to the holding midfield position, partnering with Asari, who will make his first start in 10 matches. Both teams are approaching this crucial match with a do-or-die mentality, kicking off at 2 PM in the chilly northern land of Atsubetsu.

A Chill Wind...

Following last week's third consecutive defeat F.C.TOKYO found themselves in 12th place on the J.League seasonal ranking with 26 points. With only 9 points separating them from next to bottom Sanfrecce Hiroshima the 8th game of the second stage, away to Consadole Sapporo, suddenly assumed vital importance; to avoid being sucked into the relegation struggle and break the run of recent poor results a victory was imperative.
Consadole, on the other hand, were already peering into that dark abyss: with a total of only 7 points for the year every game had become a must win.
Consadole were unbeaten this season at the venue, Atsubetsu Park Stadium, and backed by vocal local support were expected to prove stern opposition.
With Komine suspended and Ito still not completely fit Fujiyama lined up alongside Jean in defence while Miyazawa and Asari started as defensive midfielders. A chill wind blew down from the mountains surrounding Japan's northernmost football outpost as the game kicked off.

Amaral scores a stunning goal to take the lead!

　The match progressed with Tokyo controlling the pace from the start. Before the game, Coach Hara said, "It's not about the opponent, but we told the players to move the ball quickly in our own rhythm and play meaningful football, and that's the kind of practice we've focused on this week." True to his words, each player circulated the ball with few touches and dominated possession with abundant stamina. In attack, Kelly did not fix his position, using dynamic movements to evade the opponent's marking and orchestrate the game. Appearing on the right and left, he got involved with the ball and created rhythm. The interplay with Miyazawa's switches to the opposite side, Amaral's hold-up play, and Toda's powerful runs behind the opposing defenders all clicked, making the ball circulation fascinating. Defensively, Fujiyama repeatedly intercepted with his characteristic sharp reactions, and the partnership with Jean, which had been a concern, was completely trouble-free. Also, Shimodaira, who played as left side back, showed stable performance with veteran-like savvy reading and fierce fighting spirit, becoming a starting point for attacks with accurate feeds after winning the ball.

　In the 7th minute, Asari sent a sharp vertical pass to Kelly in the central forward position. Kelly directed it to the right space, where Amaral broke free and took a careful shot. The ball was drawn into the left side of the goal, giving Tokyo an early lead.

Amaral Gives TOKYO Perfect Start

Before the match, TOKYO manager Hara had commented, "We concentrated on fast, one touch football in training this week," and his team began the game in fine style, moving the ball around at speed. Prompted by a rejuvenated Kelly, the forward movement was a joy to behold as Miyazawa launched sweeping cross field balls, Amaral held the ball up in advanced positions, and Toda made darting runs behind the Consadole back line. In defense, the untested combination of Fujiyama and Jean appeared rock solid while veteran Shimotaira used all his experience to great effect, snuffing out potential danger and feeding the forward line.
In the 7th minute, Asari found Kelly with a sharp through ball; Kelly swept the ball first time into acres of space on the right of the area for the charging Amaral to blast a low shot inside the far post. TOKYO were ahead.

Kelly adds another goal from a furious onslaught!

　As Tokyo rode the wave from the start, the home team Sapporo struggled with low passing accuracy, leading to frustration among the players as they failed to connect three passes, while the supporters mercilessly hurled insults. Nevertheless, targeting the tall FW Soda, long balls were played from the midfield by MF Ogura and DF Bijou, with speedy FW Horii and MF Hiramatsu breaking through to capitalize on the loose balls, repeatedly attempting to counterattack.

　On the other hand, Tokyo continued their aggressive play after taking the lead, with "attacking soccer" centered around Kelly gaining even more momentum. However, at the same time, there is past data that makes it difficult to celebrate Tokyo's first-half opening goal too freely, leading to growing anxiety among spectators as they failed to score additional points despite their offensive efforts. This season, when Tokyo has taken a 1-0 lead at halftime, they have suffered defeats in 6 out of 8 matches. Conversely, when they have led by 2 or more goals at halftime, they have won all 3 matches without losing. They wanted just one more goal.

　Did that wish reach them? In the 18th minute, Kelly received a pass from a right corner kick, turned around and delivered a cross. Yuki-hiko connected with a header, but the shot went wide to the left side. Amaral, who followed up, sent in another cross from the left side, and this time Yuki-hiko headed it back from the far post, allowing Kelly to score with a jumping header, adding another goal. This long-awaited first half with two goals was the first in 12 matches since the Sapporo.D game in the 1st stage. The approximately 70 supporters who traveled all the way to Sapporo must have felt relieved with this.

　Tokyo took an early lead with two goals in the first half, but perhaps they relaxed afterwards, allowing Sapporo to create counterattack opportunities. In the 21st minute, Dohi desperately punched away a well-timed cross from the left, and then in the 26th minute, Sapporo forward Soda broke through when the Tokyo defense momentarily stopped, attempting a looping shot that went over the bar. It was a very dangerous moment, and if they had conceded a goal here, the match would have become unpredictable. A two-goal lead is by no means a safe margin. Tokyo's play has not been the lively rhythm of quick ball movement seen at the start; instead, there are moments where they hold onto the ball too long and lose possession.

　Still, the initiative did not change. In the 29th minute, Kelly broke free on the right side and delivered a low cross to the center, but Amaral's direct shot with his right foot went wide of the left side of the goal. Furthermore, in the 38th minute, Yukihiko broke free from a combination play with Kelly, surged down the right side, and returned the ball to Kelly in the center, but the shot taken after a feint hit the opposing defender.

　Kelly seemed to be playing with ease. Sapporo could have applied more intense pressure from the front with a two-goal deficit, but they were defending too deep. It was clear that this would allow Tokyo to do as they pleased. In the 44th minute, Asari made a great vertical pass behind the defense, and Toda broke through with incredible speed. He took a powerful right-footed shot while the ball was bouncing, but unfortunately, it went just wide of the left goalpost. Today, Toda's running ability stood out even more, but the first half ended with Tokyo leading by two goals.

Kelly Makes It Two!

Behind after only seven minutes, Consadole were unable to string more than a couple of passes together and were roundly booed by the disappointed home fans. Their only attacking option, it seemed, was the long ball to lanky striker Masuda, whose knock downs were aimed at the other Consadole forwards.
The TOKYO defense dealt comfortably with it.
Statistics show that of the 8 games in which TOKYO have taken a 1-0 lead this year, 6 have been lost; however, the three games where they had managed to score twice had all been won. With this in mind, TOKYO set about finding a second goal and didn't have to wait long. Only until the 18th minute, in fact, when Kelly headed home from a central position after Amaral's cross to the far post was headed back in by Sato. The 70 hardy TOKYO fans who had made the trip voiced their appreciation as silence emanated from the home support.
Despite totally dominating proceedings, TOKYO were unable to add to their tally and the first half ended 2-0.

Kelly's spectacular shot, Kaji's impressive first goal in J1!

　In the second half, Kina replaced Yukihiko, with the aim of utilizing Kelly, Kaji, and others more easily on the right side to circulate the ball smoothly. At halftime, Coach Hara instructed the players, "After going 2-0, we became too relaxed and lost our balance. In the second half, please execute a simple ball movement like when we scored the first goal right from the start." The second half indeed unfolded in that manner.

　In the 6th minute, Jean overlapped from the right and passed to Kelly in the center. Kelly briefly passed the ball to Toda on the left and received it back to take a dribble shot, but it unfortunately went just left of the goal. In the following 7th minute, Kina skillfully kept the ball on the right side, drawing in two Sapporo players before passing to the free Amaral. Amaral carefully passed to Miyazawa, who was running in from the front of the goal, but his powerful low shot with his left foot was blocked by a nice save from the Sapporo goalkeeper. Later, in the 10th minute, Kelly shot from a combination with Amaral, and in the 17th minute, Toda headed a cross from Kaji but it went over the bar. In the following 19th minute, the ball was simply passed from Kelly to Kina to Miyazawa on the right, and Miyazawa took a free shot with a one fake, but it lacked power as it was a right-footed shot and missed the target.

　At 21 minutes, a large cross from the right by Kina crossed the goal and flowed to the left side, where Toda chased it down to gain possession. He passed to Miyazawa, who came to support nearby. Miyazawa played a one-two with Kelly in the center and ran vertically, but Kelly, after receiving the ball, used a sharp one-fake to get past one opposing DF. From the center outside the penalty area, he powerfully struck with his right foot, and the shot pierced the right corner of the goal. Kelly's powerful strike dealt a significant blow to Sapporo.D, who had been struggling to pull one back. Then, just 3 minutes later at 24 minutes into the second half, a ball cleared by the opposing DF with a header from a left corner kick landed about 30 meters in front of Kaji, who was waiting in front of the goal. Without hesitation, Kaji swung his right foot at the bouncing ball, and the shot, with a drive, instantly pierced the left corner of the goal! The legendary 'Drive Shot' that once took the manga "Captain Tsubasa" by storm was suddenly recreated right before their eyes, causing Atsubetsu to fall silent for a moment. Of course, the opposing goalkeeper couldn’t move a step, and enemies, teammates, spectators, and even Kaji himself froze, but with Kaji’s small guts pose, everyone understood that a "super goal" had been scored. This J1 debut goal by Kaji decided the match.

　Tokyo brought in Kina in the second half, dominated the ball even more than in the first half, and, following the coach's instructions, circulated the ball at a good tempo, preventing Sapporo from mounting a comeback. Tokyo continued their attacks without letting up, and in the 43rd minute, MF Hoshi, who came on for Toda, received a pass from Amaral and had a one-on-one chance with the goalkeeper, but his right-footed shot hit the left post and narrowly missed the goal. In defense, Jean and Fujiyama maintained their concentration until the end, showing stable defense. The match ended with a 4-0 score. Tokyo broke their three-game losing streak, achieving their first clean sheet victory since Sec. 2 of the 2nd stage, and displayed excellent gameplay. If they can continue to play the rhythmic soccer centered around Kelly, with abundant stamina and quick ball release like on this day, results should follow in the upcoming matches. Having made a fresh start in the northern country, Tokyo will now put everything into their future battles to release the stress they have experienced so far.

[Kelly's Comment] "We knew the team was in a tough situation with three consecutive losses, so we all focused more before the game, which led to a good result. The team's movement was good today, so we were able to play good soccer. I'm very happy with today's victory, but I want to work hard to win the next match as well."

[Kaji Player Comment] "I'm honestly happy about my first goal in J1, but I'm even happier that we won the match. When I scored, I was surprised myself and didn't know how to celebrate."

[Manager Hara's Press Conference Summary] "In the last three matches, we lost to Jubilo due to mistakes, and in the subsequent matches against Yokohama and Kashiwa, we had a player sent off and ended up playing with ten men, resulting in three consecutive losses. No matter what, three consecutive red cards is too much, so I told the players before the match that we absolutely must avoid any red cards today. In terms of the lineup, we were in a tough situation with Komine suspended and Ito unwell, but our midfield core, Miyazawa, returned, and Shimohira did a great job moving the ball as a playmaker. We focused on playing our own style of soccer this week, regardless of the opponent, so it was significant that we moved the ball quickly and scored the opening goal today. Moving forward, we want to win with our 'attacking soccer' by creating our rhythm while moving the ball quickly, just like we did with the first goal today."

[Hokkaido Consadole Sapporo Coach Zhang's Press Conference Summary] "In terms of score, we were completely defeated in both mental and technical aspects. FC Tokyo was superior in every way."

Kaji Grabs First League Goal!

Kina replaced Sato at half time to add some vim to the right side. TOKYO manager Hara felt his side were losing their balance at the end of the first half and that a third goal would be the end of Consadole. TOKYO went straight onto the front foot with Toda shooting wide after some neat interplay with Kelly after 51 minutes, Miyazawa drew a fine save from the Consadole keeper a minute later and Kelly shot wide in the 61st minute.
TOKYO were lining up to shoot and it was no surprise when a third goal arrived in the 66th minute. Kelly feinted inside a defender and unleashed a thunderous shot from just outside the penalty area that the keeper got his fingertips to but couldn't prevent from flying inside the left hand post.
Kelly's shot was well struck but nothing compared to the rocket that Kaji produced five minutes later to notch his first J.League goal. Loitering about 30 metres out as TOKYO took a corner on the right Kaji saw the ball cleared to him and decided to try his luck; the ball bobbled invitingly as he made contact and hurtled over the mass of players, off the cross bar and into the goal. The goalkeeper stood rooted to the spot and the crowd sat in stunned silence as Kaji and his teammates celebrated a phenomenal strike.
That was game over and TOKYO played out the remaining 25 minutes comfortably, denying Consadole even a consolation goal. An excellent win and, more importantly, a stylish one; TOKYO, inspired by man of the match Kelly, banished the blues with four goals and an inspired performance that should go a long way to reviving their season.

F.C.TOKYO Kelly:
" We all wanted to put the recent results behind us and we managed it today. It was a great team performance and we're looking forward to the next game".

F.C.TOKYO Kaji:
" It was great to score my first goal but the most important thing was that we won the game. I was so surprised by my goal that I didn't know how to celebrate! ".

F.C.TOKYO manager Hara:
" We were determined to put our recent form behind us and, in difficult circumstances, we managed it today. We imposed ourselves on the game from the start, found our rhythm and scored four excellent goals".

Consadole Sapporo Manager's comment:
" Scorewise, and both mentally and technically, it was a total defeat. F.C.TOKYO were better than us in every department".