AFC Champions League Qualifying Round 2, Take Revenge on Kashima

　After about two weeks from Sec. 6 of the 1st Stage on April 17, today we face Kashima Antlers in Sec. 2 of the Nabisco Cup qualifying league. Four teams (Group D) from Tokyo, Kashima, Kashiwa, and Kobe will compete in a home-and-away format in the qualifying league. Naturally, we aim for a position in the top two to advance to the knockout stage, and since we lost 1-2 at home to Kashima in Sec. 1, we definitely want to achieve revenge.

　During the interval, the Japan national team's overseas expedition took place, so Japan national team players Dohi and Kaji were absent. U-23 national team players Mobina, Konno, and Ishikawa, who returned just after their trip, were also absent due to considerations of their condition. Additionally, Kelly, who was injured in the previous day's practice, was missing, leading to Masushima and Kurizawa making their first starts. Coach Hara expressed his enthusiasm before the match, saying, "Given the current condition, this lineup is the best. (With national team players absent) it doesn't mean we can afford to lose. We want to win with this lineup."

　Kashima, on the other hand, is not in perfect condition, with the absence of Japan national team player Motoyama and injuries to Aoki and Narahashi. However, with midfielder Araiba positioned as a defensive midfielder, the average age of the starting members is 24.36 years, which is lower than Tokyo's 24.82 years, bringing a fresh lineup. The match started at Kashima Stadium, feeling a slight chill, with Kashima's kickoff.

Once again, we conceded the opening goal early on...

　In the qualifying league Sec. 1, we allowed an opening goal just one minute into the match, and this setback weighed heavily on us. In the previous league match against Iwata, we also conceded a goal in the 5th minute, so we should have been fully attentive during the early stages. However, in the 1st minute, we gave away a free kick in our midfield, and Lucas cleared the ball kicked by Kashima MF Ogasawara. Kashima picked up the loose ball and connected, with MF Fernando free at the right corner of the area for a cross. DF Oiwa, who ran in from the far side to the near post, delivered a powerful header. This first shot, which exploited a gap in our marking, found the back of the net, and Tokyo found themselves trailing once again in just 2 minutes.

　Although they were caught off guard at the start, there was still plenty of time left. Calmly counterattacking, Tokyo had corner kicks in the 6th and 8th minutes. In the 12th minute, a shot from Kajiyama, after receiving a through pass from Kurizawa, hit the opposing defender, and Lucas picked up the rebound and shot, winning another corner kick. Meanwhile, Kashima, who took the lead, launched long balls targeting their speedy two forwards on the counter. In the 14th minute, forward Fukai made a sharp cut into the area from a quick attack, but Masushima stretched out to cut it off. In the 17th minute, Ogawa, who maintained possession in midfield, passed to Oiwa, who advanced. Oiwa rushed towards the goal and passed to Fukai on the left side of the area. The shot hit the crossbar, causing a scare, but this was ruled a foul before the shot, resulting in a Tokyo ball.

　Kajiyama and Miyazawa repeatedly launched wide attacks but failed to finish, resulting in a back-and-forth battle. At 22 minutes, Kanazawa delivered an early cross which Kurisawa headed towards the goal, but it narrowly missed Toda. At 29 minutes, from Fujiyama's overlap, the ball was passed from Miyazawa to Kurisawa, and Kanazawa took a shot after the cross was cleared. At 30 minutes, Jean took a shot from a right corner kick. At 32 minutes, Toda stole the ball and launched a quick counterattack, passing to Miura who advanced on the left side. The ball then reached Kajiyama in front of the goal, who took a shot. At 36 minutes, after a quick restart, the ball was opened to the right side, and Toda took a shot while turning to catch the rebound from the cross. However, none of these shots hit the target. From around the 30th minute, Tokyo gained control and created many chances but could not shake the net of Kashima's goal. At 44 minutes, Kashima's Ogasawara advanced with a dribble and took a looping shot, but Shiota made a nice save, resulting in a corner kick. The first half ended with the score remaining 0-1.

30 seconds into the second half, Kurizawa, Lucas, and Toda equalize!

　In the second half, Tokyo connected the kickoff ball. Kurizawa dribbled forward into the center, was blocked by the opposing DF, but while falling, made a through pass to the front line. Reacting to this, Lucas caught up on the right side and charged at full speed to the goal line. He sent a powerful shot-like ball into the goal area. Then, Todah, who was in front, got tangled up with the opposing DF, and the opposing DF failed to clear it, resulting in an own goal! With the quick combination play of Kurizawa, Lucas, and Todah, they equalized in less than 30 seconds after the start of the second half!

　In the 47th minute, a cross from Kajiyama to Kurizawa was headed by Toda. The ball hit the bar, and Lucas shot the rebound over the goal. They missed the chance for an additional goal, but following the equalizer, the pressure intensified, leading to a fast-paced back-and-forth battle. In the 60th minute, Abe was brought in to replace Toda, aiming to score "one more goal." In the 61st minute, from Lucas's hold-up play, Kanazawa advanced and passed to Abe in the left area. Abe cut back past the defender and shot, winning a corner kick. In the 64th minute, Abe again entered the left area, receiving a final pass from Miyazawa, who shot from near the penalty arc but missed over the goal.

　In the 66th minute, Asari was brought on for Miyazawa. They did not become defensive, maintained balance, and launched an attack with more intense pressing. In the 68th minute, Lucas was fouled on the left side, earning a free kick. Mashima connected with a header, but it went just to the right of the goal. In the 69th minute, Kurizawa caught up to a pass sent into the space on the right side by Asari and crossed it. Abe jumped in with his head in the center, but it was cleared by a defending player who put his body on the line.

Kajiyama's spectacular turnaround goal secures the first away victory against Kashima!

　Defending until the 70th minute, Masushima cleared a long pass from Kashima's counterattack. At the 74th minute, Kashima's Ogasawara's shot was cut off by Jean, and Fujiyama boldly attempted an interception, preventing the crisis beforehand. Kashima made substitutions at the 61st minute, replacing Masuda with MF Nozawa, and at the 76th minute, replacing FW Hirase with FW Nakajima. Using their substitution slots, they tried to recover from the disadvantage in the pressing battle. However, at the 78th minute, in the opponent's territory, Kurisawa lost the ball, and just as Kashima was about to launch a counterattack, Miura fiercely charged and snatched the ball, rushing fiercely toward the Kashima goal. His shot from just outside the penalty area was cut off by the opposing defender, but Lucas, who followed up, neatly picked up the rebound and passed it back with one touch. Kajiyama, running in, unleashed a powerful shot!! The ball pierced the net above the goal with a stunning trajectory!

　Tokyo overturned the score with Kajiyama's first professional goal, a powerful strike. They controlled the remaining time with focused play, suppressing Kashima's counterattack and attacking calmly. In the 87th minute, Suzuki was brought on to replace Kurisawa, who had shown excellent performance so far. In the 88th minute, Shiota's clearance reached Kashima's Nozawa, who took a volley shot, but Masushima cleared it. In stoppage time, Shiota rushed out to intercept a pass in front of the goal, and although the ball spilled, Asari calmly connected it to the left side. Then, substitute Suzuki sprinted with a dribble, surrounded by defenders, and unleashed a powerful shot from the left area. The goalkeeper saved it, but Suzuki showcased his strengths before time was up. Each player earnestly fulfilled their role, securing their first away victory against Kashima since their first encounter in the 1999 Nabisco Cup Semifinal Round during their J2 days.

【Player Comments】《Kajiyama》"In the goal scene, Lucas delivered a good ball, so I controlled it to avoid lifting and kicked it. We created chances in the first half, so I was just thinking about scoring a goal. After scoring one point, we had momentum, so I wanted to finish it properly. There were mistakes toward the end, and for the first time, my leg cramped. But being able to play for 90 minutes gives me confidence. I'm happy to have won the match with my first professional goal."《Shiota》"I'm not satisfied with my own play, but I'm glad we won. The early goal conceded was a moment when we wanted to push the line up, but communication was lacking. However, conceding only one goal at this time was still manageable, and I think we defended well after encouraging each other. There were parts where I panicked, and I want to improve the feel of the game going forward, but above all, the team's victory is the priority. We hadn't won in the last three matches, so I want to head into the league with good momentum."

[Summary of Coach Hara's Press Conference] "At the start, we conceded a goal from a set piece we were careful about, which felt unpleasant. However, we recovered well. We created good chances in the first half, but still couldn't score or create decisive moments. Since we were playing the style of football we wanted, at halftime I told the team not to spend too much time and to break down the sides. In the second half, Kurisawa became the starting point for the first goal, and thanks to Miura's effort, we were able to score the second. Kajiyama has shooting power but doesn't shoot much himself, so I constantly tell him to 'shoot,' and he scored well today. We decided to rest the U-23 national team players, but the remaining players were highly motivated. Kelly got injured, so Kurisawa was suddenly put in the starting lineup, and Kajiyama moved to Kelly's position; both created good chances. Masushima still makes mistakes but showed great sense and became a valuable asset. Miura, Fujiyama, and Asari put their bodies on the line and led the younger players. Their efforts will make the team even stronger. I knew we had never won an away game against Kashima (even before I became coach), but we have to change that history. So I told the players we must win at least once first. We didn't outperform Kashima in every aspect, but winning without the national team players, and that too away, is significant. We want to carry this momentum into the upcoming league matches."

[Summary of Kashima Coach Seleso's Press Conference] "The first and second halves were completely different games. The same pattern happened in the league match against Niigata, where we were leading in the first half and had several chances to secure the game, but failed to score and ultimately got beaten. In the second half, the focus, spirit, and awareness of each player were not unified, and the team did not function as a whole. The Nabisco Cup is an important competition... the group stage is like a league with several matches, and we talked about how winning each game would make future matches easier, but after leading 1-0 at halftime, we conceded a goal 30 seconds into the second half. As a team aiming for the title, this was an unacceptable lapse in concentration and carelessness. In the first half, some players were able to maintain calm passing and control tempo, but in the second half, none of that was present. We should have played simply in the midfield zone, but due to easy mistakes, we lost possession and allowed the opponent to take control in a negative cycle. Some players played despite injuries, and Arai played as a defensive midfielder in an unfamiliar position while injured, but there were still some positives. Iwamasa and Masuda started for the first time and faithfully fulfilled their roles. FC Tokyo also had no national team players, but young players stepped up and maintained their level. Similarly, Kashima is trying to develop young players, but it requires time and patience. You can't suddenly replace players like Narahashi or Motoyama. They have the ability to carry Kashima in the future. If results come with that, it will boost their confidence. My biggest concern is the reaction power after conceding a goal."