Challenging the top-ranked Kashima with all our strength

　In Sec. 30 of the league, we will face Kashima Antlers at home. In the previous match, we were defeated by a direct free kick from Oita, suffering a bitter loss. However, no one in the team has given up on anything yet. While every match is important as we head into the final stages, we will first bet everything on the upcoming battle and gather all our strength to fight.

　In this match, Hanyu and Nagatomo have fully recovered and will start. Additionally, reflecting on only scoring one goal in the last two matches, Hirayama will be used as a starter for the first time since the match against Jubilo Iwata in Sec. 26. Nagatomo will play as left back, Tokunaga on the right, and Ishikawa will serve on the side. Ohtake, who was injured, has also returned and will be on the bench.

　Kashima, on the other hand, has been unbeaten in 7 matches since Sec. 23 and currently sits at the top of the league. Their total goals of 51 is among the best, alongside Kawasaki. They also have a total of 27 goals conceded, second only to Oita, showcasing an exceptional balance between offense and defense. FW Marquinhos, who leads the scoring rankings, and FW Kōrō, both possess strong footwork and speedy movements that break through defenses, making it difficult to contain them, especially when combined with their midfield dominance. However, Tokyo will respond by implementing an "aggressive defense (Shigeno) that seeks to take the ball from the opponent." Given that their defensive balance has been decent lately, they aim to adopt a more compact formation to contain Kashima's powerful attacking lineup.

　In attack, not only should we start with Cabore, but by targeting Hirayama, we should increase our variations. We want to push up the line and connect to secondary attacks by picking up second balls. In the match held the previous day, second-place Nagoya drew, and third-place Oita lost, leaving the upper ranks in a tight competition. To continue competing for the top, we aim for victory by giving our all in battle! The weather was calm and clear, gathering an audience of 33,596 at Ajinomoto, and the match started with Tokyo's kickoff.

Taking control with passionate play, threatening Kashima from the sides.

　With a fierce battle, Tokyo seized the rhythm from the first half. In the 1st minute, they quickly restarted from their own half. Hanyu connected the play, and Ishikawa, who had drifted to the left, broke through the side. They showed a powerful attack, but in the end, they were closed down by the Kashima defense. In the 10th minute, Kashima FW Marquinhos advanced with a powerful dribble through the center and passed to FW Kōraku, who entered the area. However, Shigeno and Nagatomo managed to defend against him.

　In the 11th minute, a counterattack was launched from a throw-in by Kashima, with Kajiyama's dribble leading to a cross from Ishikawa on the right. However, it did not connect with Cabore in the center. Hayu made a run to seize the loose ball, but he was just slightly off in timing. In the 16th minute, a cross from Tokunaga to Ishikawa found Hirayama in front of the goal, who headed it perfectly. It created a beautiful attacking shape, but the ball went straight to the goalkeeper. In the 19th minute, Kashima forward Kuroki made a powerful dribble, and Sahara stopped him with a foul. A free kick was awarded just before the left area. This free kick was directly aimed at Kashima midfielder Nakago, but it went wide of the target.

　After that, they broke through Kashima's intense press with their passing work, creating chances from Hanyu's decisive movements, Cabore, and Ishikawa's bold side breakthroughs. In the 27th minute, Tokyo had a great opportunity. Ishikawa passed to Konno and made a run into the area. A through pass was sent from Konno, and Ishikawa found himself one-on-one with the Kashima goalkeeper. However, he was thwarted by the goalkeeper's quick advance... In the latter stages, Tokyo maintained control and held the advantage, but Kashima responded calmly. In the first half, Tokyo took 10 shots compared to Kashima's 5, but Kashima showed no signs of weakness, and the match went into halftime scoreless.

Securing victory in the scoring battle with 3 goals, triumphing over the league leaders Kashima!

　The second half saw a focus on the battles on the flanks. In the 49th minute, Kashima's DF Uchida delivered a cross from the right. Although it was cleared once, the ball was picked up after flowing to the opposite side, and another cross came in from the left, attacking from both sides, but ultimately escaped to a corner kick. In the 53rd minute, just outside the area, Kajiyama on the right connected directly with Hanyu on the left, passing to Hirayama inside the area. He got into a shooting position but was unable to shoot as he was closed down by the DF.

　In the 56th minute, Cabore won a left corner kick from a combination with Nagatomo, and Ishikawa took a quick corner kick. The ball headed by Cabore, who jumped in at the near post, deflected off the hands of the Kashima goalkeeper and into the net. The long-awaited opening goal came from a set piece! However, just after that, in the 59th minute, Cabore lost the ball in midfield and was countered, leading to a pass from Kashima's defender Uchida into the area. The received midfielder MARCINHO charged into the right side of the area with a dribble. Although Shiota came out, he was evaded and passed to forward Kuroki, who scored with a header, resulting in a goal conceded... They were quickly equalized. In the 65th minute, Suzuki was brought in to replace Ishikawa. They aimed to regain the lead by continuing their own style of play without letting Kashima gain momentum.

　Creating chances from each other's full-backs' advances, in the 77th minute, Cabore dribbled in from the left side and made a ground pass to the center. Here, Hanyu jumped in, and in the ensuing scramble with the Kashima defense, Nagatomo pushed the loose ball into the goal! In the 78th minute, Ohtake was brought on for Hanyu. Aiming for another goal, in the following 81st minute, Kajiyama in the center passed to Cabore on the left with a through ball into the area. Suzuki, who came in from the far side, connected with a heel flick, and Ohtake, while being brought down, managed to stretch out his left foot, and the ball rolled into the goal, scoring the third goal just after coming on as a substitute!!

　It seemed like they had pulled away from Kashima, but just after that, in the 84th minute, a throw-in from the right by Kashima led to a series of passes. Nagatomo cleared the ball once, but it ended up with Kashima's midfielder Aoki in the center. From there, the left FW Kuroki passed to FW Tashiro, who turned and brought the ball forward, easily scoring to bring the score back to a one-point difference...

　After that, there was a back-and-forth between Kashima, who did not give up until the end, and the counterattacks, leading to a tense and relentless battle. In the 87th minute, Akamine was brought in to replace Cabore. They regained composure during a difficult period and did not allow any additional goals until the final whistle. With the support of the stands, they boldly faced the top team and emerged victorious. As a result, their place in this season's J1 League has also been secured.

　【Player Comments】<Cabore> "The marking was tight, and it was a difficult match, but we stayed calm in a tough situation and got a good result. I believed a good ball would come from Ishikawa, so I dived near post. My header connected well, and although there was some luck, I think getting in front of the opposing defender led to the goal. I expected a difficult game, and it turned out that way, but the strong support from the fans kept us going. We had been on a losing streak until the previous match and were feeling down, but the fans conveyed that they hadn't given up yet. I think I was able to respond with my play. There is only one home game left, but including the Emperor's Cup and all other matches, I want to play with the same passion as today and still aim for the top." <Nagatomo> "I prepared as a left side back this week leading up to today. I definitely wanted to win, both personally and as a team, and I had a competitive mindset against Kashima defender Uchida. I believed Cabore would get past him in a one-on-one, so I focused on making a run into the box. The goal scene was exactly that. I had plenty of energy and wanted to score. Trusting Cabore would get through, I boldly made my run. I hadn't been showing good performances recently, and the team had been on a losing streak, but the supporters and everyone around us kept cheering, and I'm glad I could express my gratitude with a goal."

　[Summary of Coach Shirofuku's Press Conference] "After consecutive losses in the previous matches, we found ourselves in a tough situation and almost lost the goal of fighting within reach of the top spot. However, many fans came to the training ground and to the stadium today. Because of that, I strongly felt that we must not give up yet, and it was truly good that we could stand on the pitch. I want to express my gratitude once again. When I first took on the role of coach, the very first thing I told the players and the club was to 'fill Ajinomoto Stadium.' Looking at the J.League schedule, there was no doubt that by Sec. 30, Kashima would probably be in first place or close to it. Even so, we aimed to be near that position and to make Ajinomoto Stadium full on that matchday. Although we faced today a bit behind in the standings due to lack of strength and could not fill Ajinomoto Stadium, I believe we fought with the spirit of competing equally with the top team. Throughout both halves, the players showed the determination to fight on equal terms and had a very strong awareness of attacking the goal. I think that was reflected in the result of scoring three goals against Kashima, a team with a strong defense. Kashima has solid technical skills in every position, especially their fullbacks, whose attacks are a powerful weapon. Considering our current strength, I thought that contesting the flanks would be the key to the match. We focused mainly on attack, accepting the defensive risks that come with it, and practiced this as a team over the past week. (Was the balance between connecting play and attacking from the sides as intended?) I think the balance was good. To compete on the sides, the center must be well organized to prevent the opponent from narrowing down. To use the flanks, Kajiyama and Konno connected well in the middle, with Hanyu joining in. While I am not fully satisfied with making the opponent narrow and then competing outside, (you switched the left and right fullbacks?) We judged based on the opponent and our players’ combinations, and today we thought Nagatomo on the left and Tokunaga on the right would bring out their strengths. Also, Cabore not only aimed behind the defense but also settled the ball at his feet when building up centrally. When Nagatomo makes a forward run then, he can neutralize Kashima defender Uchida’s attacks. Alternatively, without using Nagatomo, Cabore can move inside. We used our left side as the starting point of attack and aimed to eliminate the opponent’s right side as a starting point, meaning that attack was also our best defense. (Looking ahead to the remaining four matches) The more I analyzed Kashima’s strength, the more I felt it deeply, and the same impression came from actually playing against them. In the sense that we must give our all to compete equally, I think Kashima raised our level. We have tried to use many joys and frustrations as nourishment so far, but I want to use the joy of beating the champion Kashima as nourishment and firmly show what we have built up in the remaining four matches."

　[Kashima - Oliveira Coach Q&A] "(Regarding the cause of defeat) I do not feel at all that we were passive. Certainly, Tokyo was aggressive, but we also aimed for victory and created chances. The difference was whether we converted those chances or not. (What about countermeasures against Cabore and Nagatomo?) We anticipated that they would target our right side. We warned the team several times during the match, but some teams instead target Arai's left side. For us, both sides are key points. We maintain a good balance, but some teams focus extremely on one side and fail because of it. I think Tokyo's strategy worked well today, but I don't think everything was bad on our side, nor was everything good. In football, sometimes things click, and sometimes they don't. It's a subtle difference. (What is the most important thing for the remaining 4 matches?) First, I want to ensure overall stability and the functionality and efficiency of each zone's role. Until now, our efficiency was good, but today it was not demonstrated. Every team tries to target one side, but for the ball to go there, midfield battles are crucial. Competing for and winning second balls and loose balls is necessary. Whether we can pick them up and build from there affects whether we can supply the sides and break down from the flanks. Today, we failed to pick up second balls well. The opponent created rhythm centrally, spread the ball to the sides, and their strategy to focus on the flanks worked. However, this is not something to be pessimistic about. We need to reinforce awareness and positioning to thoroughly win second balls. I believe it is my job to fix this, and if done well, it will lead to controlling midfield battles. (Both teams attacked early on; did you want to play more calmly?) Certainly, going back and forth is not ideal. If we could have exploited the opponent's weak pressing and played calmly, I think we could have created more chances and been more efficient. But that relates to final efficiency. While creating the same number of chances as the opponent, it comes down to whether you convert them or not."