Challenge the top-ranked Kashima with all your might

　In the 30th round of the league, Kashima Antlers will face off against their opponent at home. In the previous round, they suffered a bitter defeat from a single FK by Oita. However, the team has not given up on anything yet. Of course, every match is important as they head towards the end of the season, but first they will put everything on the line for the upcoming match and gather all their strength to fight.

　In this section, Uchida and Nagatomo will make a full return and start. In addition, in reflection of only scoring one goal in the last two games, Hirayama, who has not started since the 26th round against Iwata, will be used as the top. Nagatomo will be placed at left back, Tokunaga at right back, and Ishikawa will play on the side. Otake, who was injured, will also return and be on the bench.

　Kashima, who will face them, is currently in first place with no losses in 7 games since the 23rd round. Their total score of 51 so far is top class, tied with Kawasaki. Their total goals conceded of 27 is also a strong performance, second only to Oita, and their balance between offense and defense is outstanding. With top scorer FW Marquinhos and FW Kojiro making strong moves and runs behind the defense, along with their midfield dominance, it will not be easy to contain them. However, Tokyo will respond by "taking the initiative to attack and defend (Shigetani)". Their defensive balance has not been bad lately, so they want to make a more compact formation to contain Kashima's powerful attacking lineup.

　In the attack, not only starting with Cabore, but also targeting Hirayama should increase the variations. We want to push up the line and connect to the second attack by picking up the second ball. In the game held the day before, 2nd place Nagoya drew and 3rd place Oita lost, and the top battle is still in a close state. In order for Tokyo to continue the top battle, we aim for victory in a fight where we can use our own strength to the fullest! The game started with Tokyo's kickoff at Ajinomoto, which gathered 33,596 spectators calmly and sunny.

Threatening Kashima from the side with a dominant play full of passion

　Tokyo took control of the rhythm from the first half with a passionate battle. In the first minute, they quickly restarted from their own half. Hayashi connected the ball and Ishikawa broke through on the left side. They showed a strong attack, but in the end, it was blocked by Kashima DF. In the 10th minute, Kashima FW Marquinhos made a powerful dribble through the center and passed to FW Okubo who entered the area. However, Mochizuki and Nagatomo sandwiched and defended.

　11 minutes, Kashima launched a counterattack from a throw-in, with Kajiyama dribbling and Ishikawa crossing from the right. However, it did not reach Cabore in the center. Hayu ran in and tried to take it, but he missed the timing by a little. In the 16th minute, Tokunaga → Ishikawa crossed and Hirayama headed it perfectly in front of the goal. It was a beautiful attacking play, but the ball hit the GK directly. In the 19th minute, Kashima FW Okazaki made a powerful dribble and Sasaki stopped him with a foul. A FK was given just before the left area. This FK was aimed directly at Kashima MF Nakago, but it was off target.

　After that, Kashima continued to pass through the intense press, creating chances with the bold movements of Hayashi and Cabore, and Ishikawa's daring side breakthroughs. In the 27th minute, Tokyo had a great chance. Ishikawa entrusted the ball to Konno and flew into the area. Konno then made a through pass and Ishikawa was one-on-one with the Kashima GK. However, the GK's quick jump stopped him... In the end, Tokyo took control and gained the upper hand, but Kashima remained calm and responded. In the first half, Tokyo had 10 shots compared to Kashima's 5, but Kashima showed no signs of weakness and the score remained 0-0 going into the second half.

Defeating the top-ranked Kashima by scoring 3 goals and winning the battle for points!

　The second half was also a battle between the sides. In the 49th minute, Kashima's DF Uchida crossed from the right. The ball was cleared once, but then picked up on the opposite side and crossed again from the left, attacking from both sides. However, it ended up as a corner kick. In the 53rd minute, Kajiyama on the right connected with Hayashi on the left near the area, and then passed to Hirayama in the area. He got into a shooting position, but was unable to shoot due to the DF closing in.

　At the 56th minute, Cabore and Nagatomo's combination took a left corner kick, and Ishikawa kicked a fast trajectory corner kick. Cabore, who jumped into the near post, headed the ball and deflected the Kashima GK's hand, scoring a goal. The long-awaited first goal was born from a set piece! However, in the immediate 59th minute, Cabore lost the ball in the midfield and was countered, and Kashima DF Uchida passed into the area. Receiving the ball, MF Marcinho dribbled to the right side of the area. Here, Shioda jumped out, but was avoided and passed, and FW Koroki, who jumped into the center, scored with a header, conceding a goal... In an instant, they were caught up to a tie. In the 65th minute, Suzuki was substituted for Ishikawa. They aimed to take the lead by not letting Kashima gain momentum and continuing their own soccer.

　In the 77th minute, as both sides created chances from attacking full-backs and quickly switched between offense and defense, Cabore dribbled in from the left side and passed it to the center. Yuu Hanyu jumped in and pushed the ball in after a scramble with Kashima defenders, scoring a goal! In the 78th minute, Daichi Otake was substituted for Hanyu. Continuing to aim for another goal, in the 81st minute, Kajiyama in the center passed to Cabore on the left, who then passed it through to the area. Suzuki jumped in from the far side and connected with a heel, Otake dribbled in and stretched out his left foot while falling, and the ball rolled into the goal. With Otake's goal just after being substituted, they scored their third goal!!

　It seemed like they had pulled away from Kashima, but in the 84th minute, they passed the ball from Kashima's right throw-in, and although Nagatomo cleared it once, the ball ended up at the feet of Kashima's MF Aoki in the center. From here, FW Okazaki on the left received the ball and FW Tashiro received it in the area, turned and easily scored a goal, bringing the score back to a one-point difference...

　After that, Kashima continued to attack towards the goal without giving up until the end, and it became a back-and-forth battle with counterattacks. The tense and intense battle continued, but in the 87th minute, Akamine was substituted for Cabore. They regained their composure during a difficult time and did not allow any additional points, leading to the final whistle. With the support of the stands, they bravely competed against the top team and emerged victorious. As a result, they have secured their spot in the J1 league for this season.

　【Player Comments】《Cabore》"The marking was tough and it was a difficult game, but we were able to stay calm and fight in a tough situation and get a good result. I believed that a good ball would come from Ishikawa and I jumped in near the goal. The header hit well and there was also some luck, but I think it was the fact that I was able to get in front of the opponent's defender that led to the goal. We expected it to be a difficult game and it turned out to be just that, but the strong support from the fans helped us. We had lost the previous game and were in a slump, but they conveyed to us that they were not giving up. I think we were able to respond with our play. We only have one more home game left, but in all of our games, including the Emperor's Cup, we want to play with the same passion as today and aim for the top."《Nagatomo》"In preparation for today, I trained as a left back for the past week. I didn't have any particular rivalry with Kashima's defender Uchida, but I personally and as a team, I definitely wanted to win. I believed that Cabore would be able to beat his opponent one-on-one, so I was conscious of jumping in front of the goal. The goal scene was also like that. I had plenty of energy and wanted to score. I thought Cabore would beat him, so I jumped in boldly. I haven't been able to show a good performance lately and the team has been on a losing streak, but the supporters and those around me have been cheering for me, and I'm glad I was able to express my gratitude with a goal."

　【Summary of Manager Jofuku's Press Conference】"We were in a difficult situation after losing the previous match and almost lost our goal of fighting for the top spot, but many fans came to the training ground and the stadium today. So, it was really good that we were able to stand on the pitch with a strong determination not to give up. I want to express my gratitude once again. When I first took on the role of manager, I told the players and the club that our main goal was to fill Ajinomoto Stadium. Looking at the J-League schedule, there was no doubt that Kashima would be in first place or close to it in the 30th section. Still, we have been aiming to be close to them and fill Ajinomoto Stadium. Today, we faced them with the feeling of being on equal footing, even though we were a bit behind in terms of ranking due to our lack of strength. The players showed the determination to fight on equal terms in both halves and had a strong consciousness of going towards the goal. I think this resulted in us scoring three points against Kashima, a strong defensive team. Kashima has strong technical skills in every position, especially their attacking fullbacks. Considering our current strength, I thought that competing on both sides would be the key to victory. We focused on attacking first and the defensive risks that came with it were something we had practiced as a team for the past week. (Was the balance between connecting and attacking from the sides as planned?) I think the balance was good. In order to use the sides, we needed to build up in the center. Kajiyama and Konno connected well in the center, and Hayashi was involved in the play. We didn't fully satisfy our goal of squeezing the opponent and then attacking from the outside. (Did you switch the left and right fullbacks?) We made the decision based on the combination of the opponent and our players, and we thought that Nagatomo on the left and Tokunaga on the right would bring out their strengths. Furthermore, Cabore not only looks for space behind the defense, but also receives the ball in the center when we build up. At that time, if Nagatomo runs up, he can neutralize Kashima's attacking player Uchida. Or Cabore can also move into the center without using Nagatomo. We wanted to use our left side as the starting point for our attack and neutralize the opponent's right side, which also had the meaning of the best defense being a good offense. (Looking towards the remaining four matches) The more we analyze Kashima, the more we realize their strength, and we also felt the same when we actually played against them. In terms of not being able to compete on equal terms without giving our all, I think Kashima has raised our level. We have always used our joys and sorrows as nourishment, and now we want to use the joy of beating the champions Kashima as nourishment and show what we have built up in the remaining four matches."

　【Kashima Oliveira Coach's Q&A】 "(Regarding the reason for the loss) I don't feel like we were too passive at all. Tokyo was certainly aggressive, but we also created chances with the same intention to win. The difference was whether we were able to score or not. (What was the strategy against Cabore and Nagatomo?) We expected them to target our right side. During the game, we reminded our team to be careful, but some teams also target our left side with Arai. For us, both sides are important. We try to maintain a balance, but some teams focus too much on one side and end up failing. Today, I think Tokyo's strategy worked well, but I don't think everything was our fault or that we did well. In football, sometimes things go well and sometimes they don't. It's a subtle difference. (What is the most important thing in the remaining 4 games?) First, we want to maintain overall stability and make sure each zone is functioning efficiently. Until now, we have been efficient, but we couldn't show that today. Every team tries to target one side, but it's important to have a strong midfield battle to get the ball there. We need to compete for second balls and loose balls. Whether we can pick them up and build up from there determines if we can supply the sides or break through from the sides. Today, we couldn't pick up second balls well. That's why the opponent was able to create a rhythm in the center and spread the ball to the sides, and their strategy worked. But there's no need to be pessimistic. It's my job to make sure we pick up second balls through awareness and positioning. If we can do that well, it will lead to controlling the midfield battle. (Both teams attacked each other from the beginning. Did you want to play a little more calmly?) It's true that going back and forth is not ideal. If we could have taken advantage of the opponent's lack of pressure and played calmly, we might have been able to create more chances and be more efficient. But that's the final result. It's a matter of efficiency whether we can score with the same number of chances as the opponent."