Despite poor conditions, aiming to end the away losing streak

　In the 23rd round of the league, we will face Kashiwa Reysol away. In the previous round, we suffered a frustrating comeback loss with our "second goal" far away. However, there were also moments where we gained confidence in the process leading up to the finish. Coach Jofuku also talks about the feeling of "not being able to finish, the frustration of not being able to win", but also mentions that the team has been creating more chances. We must turn that fight into goals and secure 3 points away, and make it a game to stop our losing streak.

　Based on that momentum, we will approach the game without changing the system from the previous match. We will also be cautious of Kashiwa's side attacks and will start Fujiyama as left back. Otake, who has recovered from injury, also made it to the bench for the first time since the July 26th match against Yokohama FM.

　Kashiwa, on the other hand, is currently in 7th place with 32 points. In the last 5 matches, they have only managed to draw 3 times and lose twice in close games. However, their speedy attacks, pressing from the front, and starting from the sides are still effective. This round, MF Alex will be suspended. Additionally, FW Lee will also be absent due to injury, making it a difficult situation. However, they are still able to take advantage of their opponent's weaknesses and launch sharp counterattacks. How they will break through their opponent's tough pressing will be a key point to watch.

　In the attack, both sides are likely to hold the key, but since Kashiwa's central DF is strong, it will be important to use Cabore as the center and use his speed to pull out the center back. At the same time, it will be important to not let Kashiwa's FW França and FW Popo, who can do "one job" with tough defense, easily move forward.

　However, the Hitachi Kashiwa Soccer Stadium was hit by heavy rain, and the pitch was in a state of puddles. Although the rain weakened just before the game, under the poor conditions, Coach Shirofuku once again emphasized the need to play soccer that suited the pitch conditions, and the game started at 7:04 pm with Kashiwa's kickoff.

Both teams struggle for control, in a safe battle.

　In the early stages, both teams struggled to control the ball as it rolled and created large splashes. They fought safely against each other and engaged in a fierce kicking battle. In the 3rd minute, Hayashi brought the ball into the area from the side and earned a left corner kick, but it was cleared. In the 5th minute, Kashiwa MF Ota jumped out behind the Tokyo DF to meet a long ball from their own half, but the ball dropped and stopped in the area. From there, they were able to turn around and take a shot, but it lacked power and Shioda easily caught it. However, there was still a possibility that "something could happen" if they were able to take a shot, and in the 6th minute, Kajiyama made a run and took a shot from the middle. However, it was blocked by the GK.

　12 minutes, when we got a FK on the right side of the opponent's field, Suhara quickly restarted. He sent it to Cabore in front of the left area, and Cabore feinted the opponent's DF and shot. However, it was blocked and became a CK. In the 20th minute, Emerson led the way forward, and Akamine sent a lob pass behind the Kashiwa DF, where Kajiyama jumped out, but the Kashiwa GK jumped out and caught it. In the 25th minute, Nakano in the center → Cabore on the left → Nakano → Kajiyama expanded to the right, and finally Hayashi put in a fast ground cross, but it was cleared.

　At 30 minutes, Emerson's sharp right cross went to Cabore in the far. However, it was not finished and bounced off the DF, but Akamine was unable to follow up. At 37 minutes, they got a free kick from the center of the opponent's field, and Kajiyama sent it to the goal, but it was cleared and Kashiwa was able to counter. FW França dribbled up fiercely and sent a through pass to MF Kanno who ran into the area from the left, but Nagatomo was able to catch up and clear it. At 44 minutes, both teams kicked long balls back and forth, and the clearances continued, but in the end, Kashiwa started from the side and right MF Ota made an early cross. Here, left MF Kanno jumped in and headed it, but it went over the bar.

　Kashiwa started their attack with FW Fransa and made runs behind FW Popo, while Tokyo also looked for chances by moving the ball through Emerson, but both teams remained focused on defense. The first half ended with a score of 0-0.

Akamine flashes his right foot! Protecting a valuable point, and winning for the first time in three games.

　In the second half, the water recedes and the ball starts rolling. In the 46th minute just after the start of the second half, Akamine sent a through pass into the area, which was initially cleared but picked up by Hayabusa, who then connected with Imano on the left side, who cut inside and sent a cross. Cabore made a run into the box, but narrowly missed connecting with the cross. In the 47th minute, Emerson fearlessly pressed the opposing defender and created a big chance, but was unable to finish the shot due to the quick reaction of the goalkeeper...

　But even so, they managed to connect passes and find their rhythm. In the 53rd minute, a quick pass led to a breakaway by Emerson on the right side, who cut back and found an open Julian! A great scoring opportunity was created, but the shot from close range went wide... In the 58th minute, Kashiwa's right back Togawa made a run into the right area, but the Tokyo DF covered well and closed in, and the shot went wide. In the 63rd minute, Nagatomo sent a ground cross to Cabore, who slid in but was unable to finish due to pressure from the DF.

　At 65 minutes, Kashiwa's right back Kurokawa floated a right cross and Nagatomo tried to control it, but it was picked up by Kashiwa FW França and shot. It was a moment of panic, but the ball went over the bar. In the 72nd minute, they passed the ball around and attacked with numbers, Cabore → Emerson connected with Akamine just outside the area. Akamine confidently swung his right foot from the left side of the area, the ball grazed past the opponent and curled into the net, GOAL! It was Akamine's 7th goal of the season and they took the lead!!

　After that, Kashiwa made a sharp counterattack and the fast transition between offense and defense continued, but in the 73rd minute, Ishikawa was substituted for Hayashi and in the 77th minute, Hirayama was substituted for Cabore. In the following 84th minute, Asari replaced Emerson. By using player substitutions, Kashiwa did not let the pace slip away. They defended Redmine's goal and stopped their losing streak. They achieved their first victory against Kashiwa in the league since May 9, 2004, and their first victory at Hitachi Kashiwa Soccer Stadium since November 29, 2003.

　【Player Comments】《Akamine》"It was a game under bad conditions for both teams, but I'm glad we were able to win with a good performance. In the first half, the ball was stopping so we couldn't connect passes and had to kick it forward. It wasn't our usual style of play, but we focused on moving forward without taking risks and I personally aimed for the back instead of receiving the ball in the wedge. In the second half, Kashiwa's midfield started to open up a bit, and we were able to find our rhythm by connecting passes. (The goal) was a free pass and I immediately aimed for it. I always had a high awareness for shooting. We've been playing well but couldn't win recently, so I'm happy that my goal today led to 3 points. We have a home game next, so we definitely want to win."《Kajiyama》"In the second half, we were able to attack with a good balance. We picked up second balls and either Inono or I would move forward while the other maintained balance. From there, we were able to create opportunities from the sides and spread the opponent wide...which was our intended strategy. After that, the center also opened up and everyone moved well today, allowing us to connect passes. Our challenge is still the "second goal". However, in the Verdy game, we rushed and made mistakes, but today we were able to create chances by not rushing and passing well. I think we played a game with a focus on winning."

　【Summary of Manager Jofuku's Press Conference】"We have been struggling with results lately, our ranking has dropped and we are being left behind by the top group. Today, we needed to secure 3 points no matter what. The players approached the game with a strong mindset, but first and foremost, I would like to thank the fans who cheered us on in this difficult situation, even in the rain. Today, our team has been aiming for the same thing - to stay compact and go for the ball, and to be strong against the opponent's feet. Our goal was to then take care of our own ball. However, because the pitch was slippery due to the rain, it was okay to be a bit rough at first. We were aware that once the rain stopped and the pitch conditions improved, we would be able to connect our passes, so we tried to start from the sides and eliminate the opponent's strengths. In the beginning of the second half, we had chances to score, and we regret not being able to convert them. But I think it's important to continue creating those kinds of opportunities. Kashiwa is strong on the counter, and they created some dangerous situations today as well. It was important for us to respond to those counters and to not let them counterattack. We also wanted to launch precise attacks to prevent them from counterattacking. The players fought without losing focus, but there are things we can learn from their counters. (What was the key to keeping a clean sheet?) We kept our lines compact and didn't allow Kashiwa's FW Fransa to get into good positions. Our relationship with the defensive midfielder also helped us stay compact and defend well. We did lose the ball a few times when trying to play out wide, but we didn't lose it in the center very often. However, these are things we have been working on in the past few games, so today was not anything special."

　[Summary of Kashiwa Ishizaki's press conference] "It was raining quite a bit, so we tried to play soccer according to the condition of the field. In the first half, there were puddles on the pitch and neither team had any real chances. In the second half, the water had drained, but we couldn't create any chances or take any shots. We should have played more calmly, but we panicked and made mistakes. I think that's the current state of the team. In the midst of that, MF Yamane returned from a long injury. By having him in the midfield, I think we can regain some composure. We have a break for about two weeks now, so we want to confirm the team's style and approach the next match."