Show your determination to bet on victory!

　Sec. 14 will be held as a home game at Matsumoto City Comprehensive Sports Park in Nagano Prefecture, facing Kashima Antlers. In the previous match against Fukuoka, the team was unable to play as they wished due to harsh pitch conditions. Baba and Ishikawa are both determined, saying, "Next time for sure...!" The team's training will take place directly in Matsumoto after the match in Fukuoka. They will focus on restructuring their midfield defense, which was a challenge in the last match, and confirming their attacking coordination as they prepare for the consecutive matches.

　Kashima, under the new manager Paulo AUTUORI this season, aims to play a more goal-scoring style of football based on the teamwork built up until last year. They have attacking players such as Japan national team FW Yanagisawa, MF Ogasawara, U-20 Brazil national team newcomer Fabio Santos, and FW Alex Mineiro, but currently sit in 6th place with 7 wins, 1 draw, and 5 losses. In the previous match against Kawasaki, midfielder FERNANDO was sent off, preventing them from executing their desired style of play, resulting in three consecutive league losses. Therefore, like Tokyo, their determination for this match should be strong.

　Tokyo's formation is 4-4-2 on the roster, but the defense consists of a three-back with Moniwa, Jean, and Tokunaga. Konno and Inoha form a double pivot, with Ishikawa on the right side and Suzuki on the left. Baba is placed at the forefront, with Lucas and Kajiyama just behind him, making changes to the lineup from the previous match. Regarding this intention, Coach Garo stated, "I want to utilize the speed of Suzuki and Ishikawa to take advantage of the flanks. Not only did we address the defensive issues in midfield that remained from the last match, but we also opted for two holding midfielders to better utilize the sides," as they approached kickoff.

Lucas scored the opening goal, but conceded just before the end of the first half...

　After several days of heavy rain that had been hitting Nagano, the weather cleared up and it was a sunny day. The pitch was in good condition, and an exciting game was anticipated. Before kickoff, a moment of silence was held for the victims affected by the flooding. Then, at 18:06, the game started with Kashima's kickoff. However, just six minutes into the match, Suzuki collided with the opposing defender Iwasaki and fell down. He dislocated his right shoulder and was forced to be substituted. As a result, Miura was brought in as a defensive midfielder, and Inoha was positioned on the left side.

　Responding calmly to this incident. In the 7th minute, a pass from Baba reached Ishikawa, who broke through on the right side, and he made a shot after cutting inside. In the 14th minute, Ishikawa crossed the ball after an interception by Tokunaga. Baba jumped in the center, creating a situation where Kajiyama capitalized on a defensive rebound, and afterwards, Ishikawa and Inoha seized the rhythm. In the 33rd minute, Tokunaga intercepted a vertical pass from Kashima as it entered the Tokyo territory. Lucas, who received the ball, advanced slowly with a dribble. Seeing that the opponent was not closing in, he took a shot from slightly right outside the area! This beautifully found the bottom left corner of the goal, taking the lead.

　In the 36th minute, from Inoha's left cross, Ishikawa picked up the ball that spilled to the far side and took a shot. In the 40th minute, matching Kajiyama's pass from right to left, Konno moved forward and headed the ball to the left. Inoha's left cross showed a good development. However, Kashima did not panic. In the 42nd minute, a strong and fast right cross came in from FW Alex Mineiro between Tokyo's defense and goalkeeper. FW Yanagisawa jumped in, but the shot went over the bar, avoiding the crisis.

　I wanted to maintain the lead and head into the second half, but during stoppage time, we were slow to respond to Kashima's quick restart. We allowed a right cross from Kashima's right back Uchida, leaving midfielder Ogasawara free at the far post, who scored with a header. We were equalized just before the end, and it went into the second half at 1-1.

Failed to capitalize on chances, defeated by Kashima's finishing ability

　It was a renewed effort in the second half, but once again, we allowed a goal during a crucial moment when we needed to concentrate at the start. In the 47th minute, Kashima seized Jean's clearance and passed it vertically to midfielder Motoyama at the front. From there, the ball was passed to defender Uchida, who had moved up from the right. At this point, we were a moment late in closing down Uchida, and he took a decisive shot from just outside the area, resulting in a turnaround goal against us.

　Tokyo brought in Rychely for Kajiyama in the 55th minute. Baba was moved to midfield, and they launched a counterattack. In the 59th minute, Lucas received a pass from Baba just outside the area, and seeing that the opponent's pressure was low, he took a well-aimed shot. The ball flew into the right net with a beautiful trajectory, leveling the score once again. From here, both teams aimed for 'one more goal,' leading to a fast-paced exchange of attacks and defenses. In the 67th minute, Tokyo substituted Kawaguchi for Miura, who entered the left side, while Inoha moved to the bottom of the midfield.

　With this formation, chances were created from Baba's passes and Konno's aggressive forward runs. In the 68th minute, after Baba's skillful ball control, Konno took a decisive shot in front of the goal, but the opposing goalkeeper made a save. In the 69th minute, a clearance by Moniwa reached the opposing forward Fukai in front of the goal, creating a crisis, but the defense held firm and prevented a shot. Connecting play, midfielder Nozawa took a shot from the left side, but Doi caught it, averting danger. However, while both teams were pushing forward, it was the experienced Kashima who exploited the gaps.

　In the 74th minute, Kashima's right corner kick was taken by MF Nozawa, and DF Oiwa made a header shot. Unable to mark DF Oiwa, they conceded the third goal... On the other hand, Tokyo in the 76th minute could not convert a header from Konno after a left corner kick. In the 82nd minute, Baba's through pass allowed Lucas to break free, but he was brought down with no foul called. In the closing stages, Jean also pushed forward, showing determination until the end, but in the 89th minute, Tokyo's throw-in was intercepted, leading to a quick counterattack that resulted in a precise fourth goal. Ultimately, Tokyo took 19 shots but only scored 2 goals. They also failed to capitalize on 7 corner kicks, making crucial mistakes at important moments. Kashima took advantage of those mistakes to connect them to goals. With 12 shots, they scored 4 goals, highlighting the difference in finishing ability in the game.

　【Player Comments】<Lucas> "Both goals were scored from outside the area, though at different angles, and I was able to strike the ball well in good positions. Whether as a midfielder or forward, I think I am starting to execute the coach's instructions as intended. However, I am disappointed with the team's result more than my individual goals. Strong teams capitalize on opponents' mistakes and finish decisively. I believe Tokyo dominated the match content-wise, but Kashima did not overlook mistakes and converted them into goals. We can play well because our supporters always cheer for us. I am grateful they came all the way today, but I am sorry we couldn't meet their expectations." <Miura> "We had to finish the first half leading 1-0. There is a big difference between ending with a lead and being equalized. I came on as a substitute during an accident, but if I can't produce results in such moments, it's tough. I can't change the team's momentum, and my presence fades. Very disappointing."

　[Summary of Coach Gallo's Press Conference] "We were encouraged by having many supporters come all the way to Matsumoto to cheer for us. First of all, I want to express my gratitude for that. In the first half, we were able to play the game as planned with positioning, marking, and quick attacks. Unfortunately, from the end of the second half, our rhythm broke down, and in the end, we conceded a goal and lost. Overall, I think both Kashima and we played well, but including their ability to capitalize on our mistakes and finish decisively, Kashima is truly a wonderful team. Of course, we also played well, but as you saw, all four goals we conceded came from mistakes. While Kashima’s brilliance lies in turning all four mistakes into goals, we also had chances to win. Nevertheless, we lost due to mistakes. However, I think we were able to play the style of football we aim for quite well. (Do you think Baba is better used as an attacking midfielder rather than a forward?) We wanted a player who could hold the ball up front, so in the first half, we used him as a forward. I think this formation worked well. In the second half, we brought in Rychely to break behind the opponent’s defense and push forward, so we took Baba off and made it easier to pass. I think we were able to make Rychely, Kawaguchi on the left, and Ishikawa on the right function well together."

　[Summary of Kashima coach Paulo AUTUORI's press conference] "We conceded goals due to lapses in concentration and attention. However, the players showed their desire to win and fought believing in victory until the end. One reason for the win was catching up during the first half. Then, in the second half, we switched from a sideways passing style to a faster vertical passing game, which allowed us to maintain possession. That is likely the key to our victory. FC Tokyo's excellent football enhanced the value of our win. (MF Nozawa came in during the second half and improved the game. What was the reason for substituting Yanagisawa?) The formation we had been working on in practice, the double defensive midfield, was implemented from the second half. The ball movement was good and it worked well, so we stuck with this formation. Yanagisawa was substituted because he received a yellow card near the end of the first half. He has high ability and quality of movement. Although he struggled with FC Tokyo's tight marking, he is regaining his form. He is a player who can fight and also convey experience and spirit to those around him."