Win to the top of the league

　If they win, they will rise to 2nd place in Sec. 4 of the 2nd stage, facing Oita away. In the previous match, despite missing their ace, Amaral, Tokyo showed improvement by decisively defeating the 1st champions, Yokohama FM, 4-1. They will start this match with the same starting lineup. To make their presence felt in the title race, it is essential to win and secure the "3 points".

　On the other hand, Oita has yet to win a match since entering the 2nd stage, sitting at 15th place at the end of the previous round and 14th in the annual ranking, struggling in the lower ranks. In an effort to escape the relegation zone, it was expected that they would fiercely confront this match at home with a large number of supporters gathered.

　In the past, Tokyo has often lost in crucial matches where "winning would allow them to enter the title race or even take the lead" without putting up a fight, thus forfeiting their rights. However, this season, based on a resilient defense, they have shown definite progress by ranking 4th as the "team with the fewest goals conceded" in the 1st stage, and they are positioned well to compete in the upper ranks in the 2nd stage as well. It is important to accumulate points here to establish their true strength and be part of the title race.

　The match was anticipated to be a tough one. The lingering heat in Oita was far more severe than that of Tokyo. Although the temperature was below 30°C, the humidity was close to 80%, and especially on the pitch at Big Eye, where the unique wind does not flow, the perceived temperature was unexpectedly high, creating a harsh environment. I recalled the words of the Oita staff who had laughed before the match, saying, "Today is relatively easy." A slight sense of unease crossed my mind, but conversely, the significance of accumulating points in this situation away from home is extremely high. This important match, which would determine the future for both teams, kicked off at 7:03 PM.

In the early stages, Tokyo showed momentum, but...

　In the early stages, it was Tokyo that showed momentum first. Against Oita, who started defensively by increasing their defensive numbers, Tokyo quickly moved the ball left and right around Kelly to launch fast attacks. In the 3rd minute, a cross from Kanazawa on the left flowed to the right, from where Ishikawa broke through vertically and delivered a sharp cross to the near side, where forward Abe dove in for a sliding shot! The ball just missed the target and hit the side netting, but it was a wonderful play showcasing the characteristics of Ishikawa and Abe, as Tokyo created the first chance. After that, Tokyo aggressively moved the ball in the opponent's half, but they struggled to break through Oita's solid defense, centered around Sandro, which had previously played for Tokyo, and they couldn't get many shots off.

　On the other hand, Oita, after winning the ball, launched a long ball from the side back aimed at Robson's head, but Jean cleared it with a determined header every time. Tokyo maintained a well-balanced defense without breaking their back line and took control of the match.

　However, in the 11th minute, after an easy mistake on the right side led to a corner kick, the ball was headed in front of the goal by Oita's new foreign forward Robson. The ball bounced high, and Dohi barely managed to punch it away, creating a dangerous situation. Tokyo was not broken down during the flow of play, but it revealed difficulties in dealing with Oita's set pieces, which featured height with Robson and Sandro.

　In the 16th minute, Tokyo broke through the left side with a beautiful passing sequence from Kanazawa to Kelly to Toda and delivered a cross, but no one was able to capitalize on it, missing the chance. Furthermore, in the 22nd minute, Abe broke through the right side with a vertical pass from a counterattack and, upon entering the penalty area, evaded the Oita defender and took a shot, but it went straight to the goalkeeper. Although chances were created, they were unable to completely break through Oita's solid defensive line.

The ball was cleared but gradually pushed back.

　As the match progressed, Oita's physicality began to stand out. Tokyo was able to clear the high crosses with great concentration, but they started to lose the cleared balls in midfield to Oita, leading to a difficult situation where Oita would spread the play back out wide and deliver crosses again. In particular, Oita's Yutaka YOSHIDA showed tenacious chasing, and after winning the ball, he actively ran into the front-side space with abundant energy, becoming a key player. In the 34th minute, YOSHIDA, who competed with Kanazawa on the right side, forcefully won the ball and immediately delivered a low cross, but this was caught by Doi with a sharp reaction.

　On the other hand, Tokyo was circulating the ball around Kelly, but they were unable to penetrate the deep defense line of Oita, which had a large number of players. Even when they spread the ball to the sides and monotonously delivered crosses, they were deflected by Sandro, often ending with half-hearted long shots. Conversely, just before the end of the first half, a counter-attack led to Terakawa on the left side receiving the ball. Terakawa cut into the center and unleashed a powerful long shot, but Dohi barely managed to punch it away, ending the first half at 0-0.

　Even in the second half, Oita's energy did not decrease, and backed by the loud cheers from the home crowd, they gained even more momentum. In the 50th minute, Terakawa received the ball on the right side from a corner kick, broke through vertically, and took a powerful shot that hit the crossbar and bounced back. Robson then took a shot at the rebound, but it went well wide of the goal. In the following 54th minute, a through pass was made from the center, and Robson took a shot from the left of the goal, but Jean firmly blocked it and deflected it away. However, the loose ball was shot again, sharply crossing in front of the goal and reaching a player waiting on the far side, but it was not properly connected, allowing them to escape the danger.

　Tokyo continued to defend, but in the 61st minute, Kelly made a perfect pass to the free Toda on the left side during a counterattack, and Toda surged forward with speed. However, due to the poor ground conditions, he lost momentum while trying to control the ball in front of the goal, and his hurried shot went wide to the left of the goal.

Substitutions found a breakthrough, but... missed a decisive chance and ended in a draw.

　Tokyo moves here. In the 63rd minute, Asari was brought in to replace Miura. Furthermore, in the 67th minute, Wu was brought in to replace Ishikawa, who was lacking in form. The introduction of these two changed the flow of the game. Their work rate in midfield and tenacity for loose balls surpassed the opponents and gave the team courage.

　In the 71st minute, Toda sent a cross from the right side, and Wu attempted an overhead shot at the far side. In the following 74th minute, Kaji joined the attack and passed to Abe on the left side. Abe challenged vertically, broke through, and sent a ground cross in front of the goal, where Kelly jumped in but just missed it. It was a decisive moment. Furthermore, in the 77th minute, Miyazawa dribbled from the right to the center and unleashed a powerful left-footed shot, but it hit the opposing defender's wall.

　At the 82nd minute, both teams made decisive moves. Tokyo substituted Suzuki for Abe, while Oita brought in their trump card, Will. It was interesting to see how these changes would affect the outcome, but Tokyo's momentum remained unchanged. At the 84th minute, Kelly connected with a right corner kick from Miyazawa in front of the goal, but the ball bounced high and went over the bar. Then, at the 88th minute, Kelly, holding the ball on the left side, sent a perfect through pass to Miyazawa running vertically, who delivered a softly floated cross from the goal line, but Toda's dive just missed it. In stoppage time, Kelly struck a left-footed shot following Suzuki's hold-up play, but the ball went well over the bar. Ultimately, the match ended with no goals from either side. Considering the opponent's ranking, Tokyo desperately wanted all three points, but under the tough away conditions, maintaining focus until the end and securing "1 point" was significant. Although not the best result, earning "1 point" lifted Tokyo to 3rd place in the standings.

　However, it was a match that highlighted many issues. The inability to control the ball in the front line diminished the attacking power on both sides, and the increased burden on the midfield led to unnecessary exertion. There is nothing more difficult than repeating shuttle runs in that steamy heat. In the next match, we will face the second-place Ichihara at home in a crucial game. We want to switch our mindset and prepare for a must-win situation.

【Player Comments】《Kaji》"It was a tough match as we were pushed back in the middle of the game. Jean did well to clear the opponent's long balls, but we struggled to pick up the cleared balls. Still, I think we held on well until the end. I also reflect on my many mistakes and how I couldn't make the most of Nao. I want to improve our coordination before the next match against Ichihara." 《Jean》"We had chances and fought well as a team. I wanted to take all three points, but since it was an away game, one point is significant. I wanted to win the match and move into second place, but the opponent had the same goal. It was a difficult match, but I think we held on well."

[Summary of Manager Hara's Press Conference] "Oita has conceded only one goal in each of their last three matches and is playing with a thoroughly disciplined approach as a team. They are positioned low in the league standings and will come at us with everything they've got. Since they are a team that fights hard together, I told the players before the match, 'It won't be easy.' Moreover, they are accustomed to this field and climate, so it became clear right after the match started that it wouldn't be easy. Today's game was tough because they kept picking up loose balls. Due to the humid heat, we were one or two steps slower than the opponent, but after bringing in Asari and Wu, we were able to regain control of the midfield. There were several dangerous moments, and as a team, we didn't perform well, but I think we held on well until the end. Especially since we had lost many away games before, they endured well and earned one point. The next match against Ichihara is certainly strong, but since it's at home, we want to secure three points there and position ourselves to compete for the title."

[Summary of Oita Coach Kobayashi's Press Conference] "Today, I focused on managing the speed of Toda, Abe, and Ishikawa when the ball was with Kelly. In the first half, we were able to contain Kelly, and in the second half, when Kelly dropped back to receive the ball, we marked Seto closely, and I am satisfied that we did not concede a goal as a result. On the other hand, it is disappointing that we did not score. Our accuracy was poor, and we couldn't finish, but I think we were able to do some of the things we wanted, such as creating chances from corner kicks. We have only scored one goal in the second half, but I want to commend the fact that we have become the team with the fewest goals conceded."