Win even away! ~ Sec. 14 Tamagawa Classico held

　In Sec. 25 of the league, we will face Kawasaki Frontale, and the 14th Tamagawa Classico will be held. In the previous match against Omiya, we achieved victory at home, marking our consecutive wins. Although this match is away, Coach Jofuku has declared, "We are committed to winning." Riding on this momentum, we aim for our second league three consecutive wins this season. At the same time, this match is crucial to settle the score in the Classico, where both teams have equal records (4 wins, 5 draws, 4 losses). This match will be one we cannot afford to lose. This week, Sahara returns from suspension, while Hanyu will be absent due to accumulated warnings. Therefore, Konno, who played as a center-back in the previous match, will return to the defensive midfield position.

　Kawasaki is currently in 5th place. They have 5 points less than Tokyo, but their total goals scored so far is 42, which ranks them 2nd in the league. This match will focus on how to neutralize Kawasaki's strengths, including the newly joined FW Renatinho, and how to contain their three forwards. As Coach Jofuku analyzes, "Kawasaki's attacking players each have their own characteristics," FW JUNINHO and MF VITOR JUNIOR possess technique and speed, while FW Zheng and FW Kurotsu combine strength and quickness, making it crucial to determine how to respond to each of them. Additionally, preventing MF Nakamura, who is the source of Kawasaki's passing, and MF Taniguchi, who creates scoring opportunities with sharp runs, from playing freely will also be a condition for victory.

　Kawasaki's defense has been employing a four-back formation lately, and they may not easily give up space on the sides. Therefore, the key will be how quickly they can exploit gaps and launch fast attacks. They want to create chances with quick passing, as demonstrated in their home match in the first half. However, Kawasaki is currently in great form with five wins and three draws, remaining unbeaten since Sec. 17. Additionally, Tokyo has yet to win at Kawasaki Todoroki Stadium, which adds to their disadvantage. It looks like it will be a tough battle, but the "Clasico" cannot be measured by data alone. Let's unite to diminish Kawasaki's momentum and achieve victory!

　The typhoon that approached the Kanto region has passed, and Todoroki is clear and sunny. Although the humidity still lingers, the match started at 19:03 with a kickoff in Tokyo.

Akamine scores first with three consecutive goals! After that, a series of accidents occurred...

　In the early stages, Kawasaki was pushed back by their fast-paced attack. In the 3rd minute, Kawasaki's MF Nakamura's cross was chest-trapped by FW JUNINHO in the area, preparing for a shot. The Tokyo DF blocked it, resulting in a corner kick. From this left corner kick by Kawasaki, FW JUNINHO headed the ball, but it went wide. However, in the 5th minute, Tokyo gained a left corner kick from an opponent's clearance after a throw-in. From this corner kick, the ball kicked by Tokunaga slipped through the center and spilled to the far side, where Akamine, who was waiting, kicked it in with his left foot for a goal! Taking advantage of the set-piece opportunity early on, Akamine scored for the third consecutive match, giving them the lead.

　Even so, Kawasaki pressed on without losing heart, and in the 9th minute, forward Zheng's sharp shot grazed the crossbar. True to the classic rivalry, a fierce battle of wills unfolded, and in the 15th minute, Akamine had an accident, colliding with an opponent and injuring his right arm, leading to his substitution for Hirayama in the 16th minute. After the 20th minute, Kawasaki's momentum slightly waned, resulting in a back-and-forth struggle.

　In the 29th minute, Kawasaki FW Jeong dribbled in from the left side, but was blocked by Tokyo DF. The ball spilled to the right side and was picked up, leading to a cross from MF Nakamura that was headed by MF Vitor JUNIOR. In the 34th minute, from a steal by Kajiyama, Konno sent a through pass to Emerson in the right area, but the opposing DF escaped to a throw-in just in time. In the 35th minute, Konno headed a free kick from the right side, but the GK caught it. In the 37th minute, Nagatomo passed to Hirayama in front on the right, who sent it directly inside, and Konno took a shot, but it went just outside the frame. In the 39th minute, Kawasaki FW Kurotsu sprinted in from the right side. He evaded Tokunaga and brought the ball into the area, delivering a last pass to FW Jeong in the center. After evading the pressure from Tokyo DF, he passed to the left FW JUNINHO, but this was also cut off by Tokyo DF.

　However, just as Tokyo was trying to create chances and find their rhythm, in the 41st minute, Konno received a red card for elbowing Kawasaki midfielder Nakamura in the opponent's half, resulting in his expulsion. Tokyo was forced to fight the remaining time with 10 players.

Everyone concentrates, endures with desperate defense, and wins the intense battle!

　In the second half, maintaining a one-goal lead, Kawasaki pressed forward with numbers from the start, creating chances. Nevertheless, everyone stayed focused, and with quick closing down and committed defending, they managed to stop Kawasaki's attacks at the last moment. In the 48th minute, Kawasaki DF Ikawa also moved up, increasing their numbers in attack, but they escaped to a corner kick. From the rebound of this corner kick, Kawasaki MF Taniguchi sent a negative pass in front of the goal from the left area. The cleared ball was picked up by DF Yamagishi outside the area, who took a shot, but it was blocked with a committed effort. In the 57th minute, Kawasaki FW JUNINHO entered the left area, and MF Nakamura dove in to meet the cross, creating a decisive opportunity, but Shiota made the save with a diving header!

　In the 59th minute, Kawasaki MF Vitor JUNIOR's right early cross was cleared by Sahara, and Kajiwara passed to Hirayama to initiate a counterattack, with Nagatomo sprinting down the right side. They aimed for an additional goal from the counter, but the cross to Cabore, who had moved into the center, just missed by a step. In the 60th minute, Kawasaki MF Nakamura passed behind Tokyo DF. FW JUNINHO broke free, evaded the advancing Shiota, and aimed for a loop shot, but the shot narrowly went to the left... In the 61st minute, Suzuki Tatsu was brought in to replace Cabore, raising the defensive awareness from the front line to counter Kawasaki's attack. Kawasaki also brought in FW Renatinho to replace FW Kurotsu in the 62nd minute.

　Even so, Tokyo maintains its balance and looks for opportunities to score additional goals from a solid defense. In the 66th minute, Hirayama unleashed a powerful long-range shot from the left side, which the opposing goalkeeper fumbled, but no one was there to capitalize on it. In the 67th minute, Kajiyama was fouled and brought down near the right sideline in the opponent's territory, earning a free kick. Kajiyama took the kick, and Hirayama jumped in with a header, but the timing was slightly off, and he couldn't make contact.

　In the 76th minute, Fujiyama was brought on for Emerson, immediately entering the right side. As the intense action continued without a moment's pause, in the 80th minute, Asari passed to Fujiyama who moved up the center, delivering a pass to Hirayama at the front line. Hirayama boldly aimed for the goal from the right side just before the area, but it went wide left. Kawasaki continued their fierce attack, and in the 84th minute, FW JUNINHO broke free from a vertical pass from their own half, spreading the play from the center to the left. Finally, a cross was delivered from the left. In the 86th minute, FW Zheng headed a cross from the right, but Shiota made the save. In the 87th minute, Kawasaki's left-side MF Tasaka circled in from outside to inside, delivering a shot-like cross from near the left corner of the area. FW JUNINHO dove in at the far post, but Tokyo, showing their fighting spirit, desperately cleared the ball, fought hard, and the time was up!

　With the final whistle, the Tokyo players collapsed on the pitch after running hard and fighting with all their might, achieving a hard-fought victory over Kawasaki. They secured their second three-game winning streak of the season and earned their first three points in the J-League at the challenging Kawasaki Todoroki Stadium.

　[Player Comments] <Sahara> "It was truly the result of everyone fighting through without losing focus. I think both myself and the entire team ran our hearts out. When we were down to 10 men, we accepted that conceding an equalizer was possible and stayed calm. Even so, including the forwards, everyone maintained a strong defensive mindset and fought hard. Keeping a clean sheet with 10 men is a huge confidence boost and will be valuable in future matches. Although I had special feelings about facing Kawasaki, I tried not to be overly conscious of it. However, I do understand their individual skills and style of play. We were dominated, but I believed that if we solidified the center, we wouldn’t be easily beaten." <Shioda> "We were attacked early on, but Kawasaki’s chasing weakened a bit, and when we looked like we could push forward, we went down to 10 men. I think that clarified our defensive mindset. We shared the common understanding that 1-0 was acceptable, and it would be even better if we could make it 2-0 on a counterattack. Even when pressed, everyone cut off passing lanes and stayed close to opponents, never allowing them to be free. Thanks to that, even when shots were taken, they gradually went off target. I’m grateful to everyone. Ideally, we wanted to win with more beautiful and stylish football, but even with the accident, we can be proud that we won with strong, planned play. We learned that we can grit our teeth and hold out better than the opponent, which boosts our confidence. We had lingering regrets at Todoroki, so I’m glad we got a result today. However, if we lose next time, this victory will mean nothing. We want to keep working hard to continue winning."

　[Summary of Coach Shirofuku's Press Conference] "We prepare for matches anticipating various accidents, but soccer is a sport where unexpected things happen. Today, despite unexpected events, the players continued to do what they needed to do individually and as a team until the very end without interruption. I believe that led to earning 3 points. Although we were down to 10 men, at halftime we confirmed that instead of just kicking the ball to rest, we would create our own time to rest and approached the second half with that mindset. There were moments we managed that somewhat, but we also had parts where we kicked the ball under the pressure of Kawasaki's dribbling, passing, and shooting. Initially, there were mistakes in midfield at the start, and the players became hesitant to receive the ball out of fear. Ideally, we wanted to keep moving 2 to 3 meters to reposition and circulate the ball, and that repositioning is key to how we move the ball, but we couldn’t do that. When we had possession, deciding whether to kick or receive, and identifying where space and time existed to best circulate the ball became a bit chaotic. We planned to fix this at halftime, but then the accident of Konno's sending off occurred. After going down to 10 men, we aimed to form a solid block with a 4-4-1 formation with one forward. Originally, two players were pressing up front, so losing one didn’t drastically change things. Defensively, the team remained very focused until the end. We allowed Kawasaki to play outside our block, and although they occasionally broke through from there, I think there were few scenes where they entered the most dangerous areas guarded by our two defensive midfielders and two center backs. Of course, there were moments when the opponent’s crosses were pinpoint, and when the front four dropped too deep in our midfield and defensive block of four, shots came from outside, but considering we were down to 10 men against Kawasaki, I think the players defended very well. This was not just the defenders but the result of everyone’s concentration. When the final whistle blew and the players collapsed onto the grass, it was proof they gave their all, and I want us to carry this spirit into future matches."

　[Summary of Coach Takahata's Press Conference for Kawasaki] "We were frustrated in the previous Tamagawa Clasico. Since today was a home game, we absolutely wanted to give the supporters 3 points. We conceded early due to our own mistake and found ourselves in a tough situation chasing a goal. Even so, I think we were able to showcase our attacking strength and develop meaningful attacks. In the first half, despite creating good chances, we couldn’t score and got a bit impatient. We were taking on challenges, but there were moments where our mistakes caused danger, so at halftime I told the team not to rush and to break them down until the end. Tokyo formed a block with one player less, so we decided not to rush and to break them down from the sides. We aimed to effectively switch sides and attack from the opposite flank. Even when they formed a block, our ideal was to exploit the space near the penalty area with one-twos and third-man runs and bring the ball to a finish. However, the opponent was desperate too, and we wanted to break them down more. This is how the result ended up, but I am truly grateful to the players who fought to win until the end and to the supporters who backed them. Although we are now a bit behind the top, there are still 9 matches left and possibilities remain. We want to face forward and fight through the upcoming consecutive matches."