Get 3 points and move up the rankings!

　In the previous match, Tokyo drew with Urawa and finished Sec. 10 in 8th place. While they have had explosive attacking football, dominating strong teams like Yokohama FM and Kashima, they have also drawn with lower-ranked teams and failed to secure wins despite being close. This has revealed their lack of finishing, preventing them from breaking out of the mid-table. Out of 10 matches, 5 have ended in draws, and despite displaying good football, they continue to struggle to secure victories.

　However, fortunately, the 2nd stage of this year is still competitive. Tokyo is in 8th place, but the gap to the top is "5". There are 5 matches remaining, and it can be said that they are still in a position to aim for the title. To stay in contention for the top positions, this match against Shimizu became an absolutely crucial game that they cannot afford to lose.

　On the other hand, Shimizu, the opponent, continues to struggle in their matches. They have dropped their form with 1 win, 1 draw, and 3 losses in the last 5 matches, finishing Sec. 10 in 11th place. They suffered a significant defeat of 1-6 against Urawa in the second leg of the Nabisco Cup quarterfinals held on the 8th of this month, and also faced a 2-0 shutout loss in the previous match against Kashima, failing to demonstrate their true abilities. However, in home games, they have remained unbeaten with 2 wins and 3 draws since entering the 2nd stage. They show a strong performance at home, and considering their past match records, they have 2 wins, 1 draw, and 4 losses in league matches against Tokyo, making them not to be underestimated.

　The starting members from Tokyo will see Fujiyama replace Kaji, who is suspended due to accumulated warnings at right side back, and 18-year-old Yusuke KONDO will make his first start in place of Amaral, who caught a cold this week and couldn't practice properly. The rest will remain unchanged.

　On the other hand, Shimizu was also missing their ace MF Mito due to accumulated warnings, and the "Japan national team side showdown" with Kaji did not materialize, but there were still plenty of highlights such as the U-22 matchups between Japan national team DF Mobiwa vs South Korea national team FW An, and MF Ishikawa vs DF Ikeda. Under a cloudy sky that seemed ready to rain at any moment, the fierce battle began at 3:34 PM.

Ishikawa opens the scoring with a stunning super goal!

　The match started with a fierce development where the offense and defense changed rapidly from the beginning. In the 2nd minute, Jaan misjudged a routine bouncing ball on the left side and deflected it backward, allowing Shimizu FW Kitajima to break free and face GK Doi in a one-on-one situation. This created a critical early chance, but the first shot of the match for both teams was firmly caught by Doi. Conversely, in the 4th minute, Fujiyama delivered a cross from the right side that Yusuke KONDO headed towards the goal. In the following 5th minute, the ball was passed from Toda to Kelly in the center, and then to the left to KONDO. Yusuke KONDO made a sharp cut to evade the opposing defender and unleashed a powerful shot with his right foot. Unfortunately, it hit the Shimizu defender, but it was a bold play heading towards the goal.

　In the 8th minute, Ishikawa, who had shown sharp movements since before the match, changed his position from the right side to the left side. A floating pass from Miyazawa found space behind the left side. Receiving the ball at top speed, Ishikawa used the bounce of the ball to evade U-22 representative Ikeda, who came to mark him, and cut into the center. Just a moment before the opposing defender could block, he unleashed a powerful shot with his right foot. The world-class super shot pierced into the left corner of the Shimizu goal, taking the lead.

Kelly's additional goal pulls away from Shimizu

　Tokyo took the lead with a goal that disrupted Shimizu Eleven's momentum, and continued to apply pressure on the attack. In the 13th minute, Toda carefully dropped a cross from the right to Miyazawa, who made a powerful shot. In the following 15th minute, Miyazawa broke through on the left side and delivered a cross that was cleared by the opposing defender, but it was a weak clearance. Ishikawa, who had made a run from outside the penalty area, aimed directly but missed over the goal.

　On the other hand, Shimizu's MF Tsurumi distributed the ball from the back to the front line, while MF Ito moved widely in the position just behind the forwards, getting involved with the ball and spreading it to the sides. From there, crosses were sent in, with FW An and Kitajima diving in to aim for the goal. Occasionally, they tried to connect directly with An and Kitajima at the post to break through Tokyo's defense line from the center, but the accuracy of the final pass was poor, and they couldn't create any decisive moments. Shimizu had a chance in the 17th minute when a throw-in from the left side was sent to the front of the goal with a back header. Doih was able to punch it away, but it was a weak clearance, and from inside the penalty area, MF Takagi took a volley shot but missed to the left of the goal. In the following 18th and 19th minutes, MF Suzuki delivered a curved ball from consecutive right corner kicks that flustered the Tokyo defense, but the goal remained distant.

　Tokyo's fierce attack continued. In the 20th minute, Yusuke KONDO received a pass on the left side of the goal, aggressively dribbling into the center and unleashing a powerful shot with his right foot. In the 21st minute, he aimed for a header again from a cross by Fujiyama on the right. The 18-year-old young lion showed no signs of feeling the pressure of the big role and was eagerly targeting the goal. In the 24th minute, from KONDO's charge, Toda stole the ball on the left side and rushed towards the goal. He found himself one-on-one with the goalkeeper, but his shot with his left foot from top speed went over the goal.

　The long-awaited additional goal for Tokyo came in the 25th minute. Fujiyama threw in from the right, floated a pass to the front line, and Toda let it go on the right side of the penalty area. This drew the Shimizu defenders, and as the ball rolled in front of the goal, Kelly rushed in and shot just a moment before the Shimizu goalkeeper could react, pushing it into the unguarded net. Having scored two goals early in the first half, Tokyo gained significant momentum.

Deciding the match with a stunning goal that concludes 'Ishikawa Day!?'

　Tokyo, with Kelly's additional goal, made it 2-0 and further developed their "attacking football". In the 27th minute, Toda received a pass from Ishikawa on the right side, and in the 35th minute, Kondo dropped a pass from Ishikawa, who broke through on the right side, allowing Kelly to take a shot, but it did not result in a goal. In the 38th minute, Kanazawa delivered a cross from a throw-in on the left side, and Toda, free in the center of the goal, headed it over the bar. Defensively, Jean and Shigeno repelled Shimizu's monotonous long balls to the front, and Fujiyama, who made his first start in a while, stated before the match, "Although I'm different from Kaji in style, I want to contribute by showcasing my strengths," and he disrupted Shimizu's attacks with tenacious defense at key moments.

　At halftime, Coach Hara tightened up, saying, "A score of 2-0 is a dangerous score. Instead of defending, let's play the same football as in the first half again. The match starts from here."

　As per Coach Hara's instructions, Tokyo's "attacking soccer" did not change even after the second half began. Just after the start, in the 48th minute, Ishikawa received a pass near the center circle, skillfully evaded a charging player, and surged down the left side. He quickly delivered a cross that perfectly found Kelly, who had made a run in from the far side, but Kelly's shot went over the goal.

　When we missed a decisive chance, Shimizu created a critical situation in return. In the 51st minute, we allowed An to take a shot from directly in front of the goal, and in the following 53rd minute, a clearance mistake led to a left-side play, culminating in a powerful shot from close range by TUTO, who came on in the second half. However, Doi managed to deflect it, and Kanazawa cleared it just in time after it hit the crossbar. It was a dangerous moment, but we maintained high concentration and did not allow a goal. In the 65th minute, TUTO took a decisive shot from directly in front of the goal, but Doi made a super save to prevent the goal.

　In the 56th minute, Tokyo stole the ball from Miyazawa's charge, and a superb cross from Ishikawa crossed in front of the Shimizu goal during the counterattack, but it barely missed Todah who dove in. In the 61st minute, a well-timed pass from Kelly came from Fujiyama's attacking participation, and he took a free shot from inside the penalty area, but it went straight to the goalkeeper.

　In a back-and-forth battle, in the 74th minute, as Shimizu pushed forward to score, Kanazawa made a big switch from a deep position on the left side to the space on the right side. Receiving that pass, Ishikawa made a sharp feint, cut into the center, and unleashed a left-footed shot that pierced the left side of the goal! Ishikawa's stunning first league match with two goals secured the victory.

　Immediately after, in the 75th minute, we conceded a goal to An, but Shimizu's counterattack ended there. After that, it became a fierce battle, but Tokyo maintained control of the game without losing focus until the end. Coach Hara's tactics remained aggressive until the end, substituting FW Amaral for Yusuke Kondo in the 60th minute and FW Abe for Kelly in the 85th minute, continuously sending a message to the players to "attack" throughout the match. The game ended with Tokyo defeating Shimizu 3-1, moving up from 8th to 5th place. As mentioned at the beginning, this victory allowed us to firmly stay in the upper ranks. It was a victory of great significance and value.

[Player Comments] {Ishikawa} "The first goal was a shot based on my imagination, and I wasn't sure if it went in until I saw the reaction around me. The second goal was just like we practiced. I hadn't been scoring for a while, so I really wanted a goal. I'm happy to have scored a goal that led to our victory." {Kelly} "Winning away against a strong team like Shimizu is difficult, but I'm glad we won today. It wasn't too hot or too cold, and the condition of the pitch was good, which contributed to our performance. I'm happy to have scored a goal in a good way."

[Summary of Coach Hara's Press Conference] "Kaji was suspended and could not play, so I used Fujiyama, and instead of Amaral, I started with Yusuke KONDO, which I thought would be a key point. Amaral caught a cold this week and had not been able to train properly, so I was considering bringing him in at a crucial moment today. Yusuke played boldly, and Fujiyama showcased his strengths well. Fujiyama's defensive strength stands out, and he can play as a center-back or a side-back anytime, allowing Shigeno, Jean, and Kanazawa to play freely. Their growth is thanks to Fujiyama. Additionally, today's winning factor was Ishikawa breaking through on the side. That early goal made Shimizu uneasy. I believe the goal was a result of our daily practice, and not only was the chance creation good, but the attitude of going towards the goal was also commendable. As a team, this victory is significant as it allows us to stay competitive. We have often struggled to secure wins until now, so this victory will lead to the next one. I want to prepare well for the next match."

[Summary of Shimizu Coach Oki's Press Conference] "The reason for our defeat was that we couldn't contain the opponent's speed. In every situation where we conceded a goal, we were marking but couldn't respond to their speed. On the attacking side, players like Ishikawa and Toda pulled the defensive line back, which reduced our thickness. We made it to the goal area, but our final creativity and precision were lacking, and we couldn't finish effectively."