Secure your chances and take away the winning points on the away game!

　In the 16th round of the league, we will face Kashima Antlers away. We have yet to win in the 3 games since the league resumed, having lost to Urawa in the previous round. We are in a difficult situation as we have not been able to produce results. However, with consecutive games against G Osaka and Kyoto coming up, this round can be considered an important one in order to break the bad streak. The players are also preparing for the game with the mindset of "not dwelling on the past".

　Kashima, on the other hand, has conceded the top spot to Urawa by a margin of 1 point, but they have scored a total of 27 goals and conceded 13, both of which are the highest in the league. Since their defeat against Tokyo on 6/30 last season, they have remained undefeated at home for almost a year, including 23 matches in the league, Nabisco Cup, Emperor's Cup, and ACL. In particular, their attack is led by the powerful duo of FW Marquinhos and Tashiro, who possess both shooting ability and height, as well as a high level of finishing. In addition, midfielders Ogasawara, Nozawa, and Motoyama have the ability to create scoring opportunities by exploiting spaces with their strong ball control, making them a threat from anywhere on the field.

　Tokyo, Eifuku has energetically rejoined the team after temporarily leaving for the Olympic representative. The starting members have changed the DF line from the previous match. Mukuhara is appointed as the right SB, and Tokunaga as the left SB. Coach Eifuku says, "What is required now is not the content but the result. For that, both technical and tactical aspects, as well as a certain amount of grit and toughness = a strong mindset on the pitch, are necessary." Also, Nagatomo has returned from injury. He himself vows, "If I can contribute to the team in the Kashima match, which I haven't been able to do so far, I want to make a performance that leads to victory."

　Tokunaga also said, "In the Urawa game, we needed to add another idea to our attack. We also didn't have many shots, so we focused on fixing that in practice. We want to aggressively challenge both on offense and defense." By increasing our possession through persistent defense, using the space on the sides to shake things up, and pulling out the central defenders of Kashima, we should be able to create decisive opportunities. We also want to fight against the experienced Kashima without hesitation and seize our chances for victory. The match started at 7:04 PM in Tokyo at the foggy Kashima Soccer Stadium.

The first half ended in a scoreless draw in a fierce battle.

　Kashima dominates the ball from the start of the first half. In the 6th minute, FW Marquinhos and in the 8th minute, MF Ogasawara both take shots, but they are off target. Tokyo gradually gets used to the flow of the game and starts creating chances by picking up second balls. In the 14th minute, Kajiyama passes to Emerson in the center, who then sends a lob pass to the front line. Hirayama traps the ball in front of the goal, turns around and takes a shot, but it is saved by the opponent's GK. In the 19th minute, Tokunaga passes to Kajiyama on the left, who then passes to Emerson for a side change. The ball is crossed to Muhara on the right side. Hirayama competes for the ball, but it is cleared by the defender. Tokunaga picks up the loose ball and takes a shot, but it is blocked by the defender. The ball falls to Kajiyama, who takes a shot from the middle. He hits it well, but it goes over the bar.

　Kashima also builds up their attack with MF Ogasawara as the starting point. In the 23rd minute, MF Ogasawara → MF Motoyama draws the DF to the center and passes to FW Marquinhos in the left area, but Mokuhara blocks it with his body and avoids danger. In the 26th minute, Emerson runs up the right side and crosses in front of the goal. Kajiyama was also closing in, but Cabore gets into a shooting position from the loose ball of Kashima DF. However, the quick closing in of Kashima DF cuts it off and they suffer a counterattack. From the counter, DF Uchida sends a right cross, but Shioda catches it.

　After 30 minutes, the back and forth battle continues. In the 34th minute, Tokyo's Cabore breaks through the defense on a counter attack and takes a shot from the left corner of the area. It goes towards the goal, but the opposing goalkeeper catches it. In the 36th minute, Kashima's DF Iwamasa receives a long pass on the left side and switches the play to the right area, where FW Marquinhos attempts an overhead kick but is fouled. In the 39th minute, Tokunaga charges down the left side and brings the ball into the area, crossing it in the air. Hanyu controls it with his chest and takes a volley, but it goes over the goal.

　Afterwards, Tokyo continued to create chances through Murohara and Tokunaga on both sides, while Kashima relied on FW Marquinhos to create opportunities, but neither team was able to score. The first half ended in a scoreless draw.

Cabore's goal gave the lead, but lost with 4 goals conceded

　Tokyo brought in Nagatomo as left SB from the second half, and Tokunaga on the right. In the beginning, there were moments where Kashima's quick start and counterattacks caused trouble, but Shioda made a good save and they were able to defend with concentration. In the 58th minute, Nagatomo's throw-in was returned by Hayabusa, and Nagatomo crossed. Cabore's header fell in front of Hirayama in the right area, and Hirayama took a shot from close range. Although it was saved by the goalkeeper once, they connected another pass and Cabore kicked it in to take the lead.

　However, in the immediate 61st minute, Kashima brought on FW Koji and MF Danilo. Tokyo was unable to catch their fresh movements and gradually began to be pushed back. Then in the 62nd minute, starting from MF Danilo's pass, FW Koji was able to score a goal to FW Marquinhos, equalizing the score. With the equalizer, Kashima gained momentum. Tokyo also tried to score a second goal, but despite DF Nagatomo's side attack, they were unable to take a shot. As both teams continued to counter, Tokyo lost the ball frequently and their defense began to stretch out.

　Substituted Otake for Hanyu in the 74th minute. Tokyo tried to regain the momentum, but couldn't stop Kashima's rhythm. In the 77th minute, they allowed a counterattack from FW Marquinhos, who broke through the left side and crossed to MF Honda for a comeback. Immediately after, they substituted Akamine for Hirayama in the 78th minute, hoping to launch a counterattack, but Kashima formed a solid block with their MF and DF and aimed for counterattacks. In the 86th minute, they scored their fourth goal with FW Koroki and in the 89th minute, MF Danilo scored from a set piece. Tokyo continued to show an attacking attitude and tried to create chances, but the game ended. Following their loss in the previous match against Urawa, this was their second consecutive loss in the league.

　【Player Comments】《Nagatomo》"I had the desire to score, but we were too aggressive and got caught on the counter. I wanted to change the flow of the game as a substitute, but I couldn't fulfill that role and it's frustrating. I tried to defend firmly and push forward in attack... I didn't feel any discomfort in my legs. We had a lot of supporters come out today, but next time we're at home, we definitely want to win. In order to do that, we need to fix our defense first. If we keep losing in one-on-one battles, we won't be able to win as a team. I need to reflect on that."《Mukuhara》"I think we were able to play our style of soccer in the first half... After we took the lead, we wanted to keep the momentum going. But then we started attacking, the midfield opened up, and Kashima's FW Marquinhos was able to lead the attack. We lost 4 goals and suffered another loss, but we can't let ourselves get down here. Whether I play or not, I want to keep the energy up from practice."

　[Summary of Coach Jofuku's Press Conference] "I feel truly sorry that we couldn't give our fans a good experience, despite having so many of them come to support us in this away game, especially in a situation where we haven't been able to win many games. In terms of the game, we were able to neutralize the opponent's strengths in the first half and were not far from our original plan of challenging for a win in the second half. Until we conceded the first goal, I don't think we were playing poorly, but then we let in four goals, which is the difference between us and Kashima, and we need to accept that. We need to evaluate ourselves properly and move on to the next game. (Two consecutive losses against top teams, what is the difference in strength?) In today's game, Kashima had the advantage of having players in the front who could start the attack, while we were starting from a zone further back. Specifically, the opponent's two strikers would drop back and then turn and accelerate from there. On the other hand, we were starting from a zone further back, so it was difficult for us to break through their block and run through. Our players were starting from the zone of the defensive midfielder, not the zone where the top players were dropping back. Of course, our formation may change slightly as we try to score, but I think the quality of being able to pull the ball out and turn forward, and the accuracy of that, is what creates the phenomenon of the second line players believing and running. I recognize that the difference in intensity is due to the difference in where the ball is received."

　【Kashima · Oswald Oliveira Press Conference Summary】 "(How do you evaluate the players' performance?) I think it was a very good performance. There may have been some frustration among the fans because we couldn't score in the first half. However, I personally think that the players did a good job in terms of tactical roles and functionality. Of course, we have to praise the opponent's strength and tactics, and I felt that they were trying their best to eliminate our strengths. At halftime, I told the players not to panic and to focus on their goals, and if they did, the goals would come naturally. I think that's what happened on the pitch. (What were your instructions when you substituted two players at the same time in the 61st minute?) It was right after we conceded a goal, and the opponent was playing defensively, so I thought it would be difficult to break through. Also, the players who were on the pitch until then were giving their all in terms of ideas and physicality, so the decision to send out two different players was to find a way to break through. I think it worked out well. (What are your thoughts on becoming the top team?) I really wanted to regain the top spot as soon as possible. We were in first place until the 5th round, but if we had the same conditions as other teams in terms of schedule, we could have been in first place the whole time. We had a break and were able to recover from injuries and improve the players' condition. If we could have done everything under the same conditions, I think we could have proven that we can perform at a high level in these past few games. However, this is the most difficult part. It's easy to become the top team, but it's difficult to maintain that position. We want to do that. There are many teams with the ability to become the top team, so we have to overcome them. We want to value team spirit, attack together, defend together, and earn points together. I think the players will work hard with that mindset."