Fearlessly challenge last season's champions, Kashima!

　In Sec. 5 of the league, we will face Kashima Antlers at home. In the previous match against Jubilo Iwata, we secured a valuable goal from Akamine and managed to take 3 points away. This season, we have not had a single match without scoring, and every time we have kept a clean sheet, we have won. This match will focus on how well we can withstand Kashima's attacks and create our own opportunities to score. There are high hopes for a victory at home in this match.

　In this match, Moniwa will play as a center-back, Konno and Hanyu will form a double pivot, Akamine will be at the forefront, Kajiyama will play just behind the strikers, and on the sides will be Cabore and Ishikawa. We have slightly changed the lineup and system from the previous match. Coach Jofuku expressed his enthusiasm, stating, "This is also a litmus test to see how far the soccer we aim for can compete with the league champions. It is not just about being elated or disheartened by wins and losses, but also a stage to express our determination for this season on the pitch."

　Kashima is currently in second place with 3 wins and 1 loss. On the 7th (Tue), they achieved a resounding victory against Singapore Armed Forces FC in the ACL away match. They will face the next match after a 4-day break, with new players like FW Osako and DF Park Chu-ho stepping up. The team already has a deep roster, and in the last two matches, they secured victories in the closing moments, showcasing their strong competitive spirit. Both the starting players and substitutes are strong, making it a battle that won't allow for any relaxation until the end. In their last encounter at Ajinomoto in October last season, they fought evenly and achieved a dramatic victory. Currently, they are 3 points behind, and if they win today, they will be level, so they aim for victory by showcasing their individual strengths without hesitation.

　With clear skies and a climate reminiscent of early summer, the match started at 13:04 with a kickoff from Kashima.

Despite conceding 2 goals, they rallied with Akamine's consecutive goals from the side.

　Right after the start, Cabore passed to Nagatomo, winning a left corner kick. However, this corner was cleared, leading to a counterattack from Kashima, with MF Kokoro AOKI passing to FW Marquinhos on the left side, who took a shot from the middle. The shot grazed the Tokyo defense, changing its course and going into the top left of the goal. It was an unfortunate turn of events, allowing the first goal just one minute into the match. Nevertheless, they did not lose heart and created opportunities on the side, centered around Ishikawa, launching a counterattack.

　In the 11th minute, Hanyu's attempted long shot grazed the GK's hand and hit the right post... Ishikawa was also following up on the rebound, but it was quickly cleared by the Kashima defense, resulting in a right corner kick. Following that, Ishikawa's corner kick was met with a header from Konno, but it lacked power and was caught by the GK. However, in the 15th minute, a clearance ball from Tokyo was picked up by Kashima's left back Park Chu-ho, who launched another quick counterattack, passing to forward Osako in the left area. Hanyu was marking him, but he was skillfully turned and, although Sahara tried to intercept, he slipped through with a clever turn. Then, a shot was fired into the near post, and the second goal was conceded...

　Kashima, who took the lead with 2 goals, defended calmly, while Tokyo took control of the ball afterward. They frequently attacked from the sides, and in the 25th minute, Ishikawa broke into the area to meet Hayabusa's long pass and earned a left corner kick. Ishikawa's corner was cleared once, but they persisted and connected the loose ball, and in the midst of the scramble, Sahara took a shot, but it did not hit. In the 34th minute, from Kajiyama's powerful advance, he tried to create a chance by exchanging passes with Akamine, but the two collided just before the area. They were slightly out of sync.

　Although they couldn't finish while grasping the rhythm, in the 40th minute, they stole a throw-in from Ishikawa's setup. Here, Hanyu received Tokunaga's throw and advanced deep into the area. He sent a cross to the center, and Akamine dove in perfectly for a powerful header! With Akamine's second consecutive goal, they closed the gap to one point. In the final stages, they frequently threatened the Kashima goal from set pieces, but they couldn't equalize. They carried the hope of a comeback into the second half.

Gained the rhythm and attacked the Kashima goal, but...

　Tokyo also seized the pace in the second half. Right after the start of the second half, Kajiyama struck a powerful shot from just outside the area that challenged the opposing goalkeeper, and Ishikawa rushed in to capitalize on the rebound in the right area, creating a great opportunity, but it ended up as a corner kick. After that, they created chances from wide positions, substituting Cabore for Suzuki in the 58th minute and Ishikawa for Otake in the 62nd minute, gaining momentum to attack. In the 63rd minute, Nagatomo made a spectacular overlapping run and delivered a cross, which the opposing goalkeeper deflected, allowing Tokunaga to seize the ball that spilled to the far side, but Suzuki in the center couldn't connect with the cross sent to the left area.

　In the 74th minute, Hirayama was brought in to replace Akamine. Kajiyama and Hanyu also fluidly changed positions and attacked the Kashima goal. In the 76th minute, the ball was passed to Hirayama, who had drifted to the left side, but there were no players closing in on the goal. The cross was cleared by the Kashima defense. In the 81st minute, while connecting passes, they advanced into the opponent's territory, and Konno took a shot from the center, but it lacked power and went wide to the right. In the 88th minute, the ball was switched wide from Nagatomo on the left to Tokunaga on the right, and finally, Tokunaga's cross was met by Kajiyama's header, but the timing was just slightly off.

　Time passed without converting the chances. In stoppage time, Tokunaga was fouled by Suzuki, who ran into the middle, earning a free kick in the opponent's territory, slightly to the right. Ohtake's direct shot aimed at the goal slipped through the wall but was saved by the opponent's GK just barely in the bottom left corner... resulting in a corner kick. For this left corner kick, Gonda and Taira SHIGE also moved up, but it was cleared and no shot could be taken. Just before the end, a floating pass from Kajiyama to the front was turned into a wedge by Hirayama, who fell down, and Ohtake rushed towards the loose ball! However, he was blocked by the opponent's GK with a quick start...

　Against last season's league champions Kashima, we fought back with tenacity, winning battles on the flanks and showing spirited play without giving up. We demonstrated a strong performance, creating several decisive moments, but each time we were thwarted by Kashima's solid defense and could not break through their stronghold. At the same time, the two goals conceded in the first half were costly, leading to a frustrating defeat...

　【Player Comments】<Ishikawa> "I think our start wasn't bad, but the opponent's pressure was faster than ours. It felt like a very intense and unpleasant pressure. Even so, by making the opponent open up, space was created in the center despite fewer numbers there. Hanyu-san, Kajiyama, and Akamine dropped back a bit and received the ball in a wedge formation, so I imagined myself receiving as the third man. I think we created some good opportunities. We played good football and had enough chances to win. I need to reflect on the finishing and practice more." <Hanyu> "We anticipated the opponent's poor condition, but Kashima scored first in the first 15 minutes and then defended well. We conceded in that way and made it easier for them. (Regarding the goal scene) The opponent wasn't focused on my movement, so I ran a long distance and got free. I saw the inside and crossed the ball. Today, we had a lot of time to pass and possession. We had big chances, but the result was 'one goal.' We might have troubled Kashima in some ways, but the important thing is the result. We want to build confidence from the good parts and pursue winning 3 points with a strong mindset."

　[Summary of Coach Shirofuku's Press Conference] "We had many fans come to the stadium, and since we were facing Kashima, the defending champions with two consecutive titles, we approached the match with strong determination, but it is very disappointing that we could not achieve the desired result. Of course, we take this result very seriously, but I do not think we should be pessimistic about the content of the game. This was probably the match where we showed the best of our abilities in the league so far. However, conceding two goals was due to careless play, which is understandable, and it made the game very difficult. We must strongly reflect on that, but in terms of showing what we have as a team—a collection of individuals—it was our best performance compared to the last four matches. This season, the team is taking on new challenges, but until now, we might not have brought out the greatest common denominator as a group of individuals... That was my thought. Therefore, today, if we wanted to compete on the flanks, we started by trying to stretch the opponent wide. After stretching them wide, we used the middle, and finally, we competed on the outside, which is our weapon. We had 9 corner kicks compared to their 1, which I believe shows how much we attacked from the sides. I think we can be proud of that. However, it is true that there are still shortcomings, and we are not at all satisfied, but we found a glimmer of hope in our side attacks, which are our strength. Including the players' fighting spirit, I do not think this is a match to hang our heads over. The 34 league matches are very honest, and that is why we finished 6th last year instead of 4th. Going forward, if we continue to show the strength we displayed in today's match, I believe the results will definitely follow."

　[Summary of Kashima's Oliveira Coach's Press Conference] "(Evaluation of player Osako?) He is a player with high ability, and today he was able to score a wonderful goal again. He is growing, and I think he is a player who must be treated with importance throughout the football world. We want to continue to have high expectations for him, and I hope he continues to work with humility. (About the approach to the second half of the match?) I think we were able to show Kashima's excellent ironclad defense. At Kashima's home ground, the opponent often shows such defense, and we end up winning the match, but today I think we were able to demonstrate our defensive ability. (About the game plan for the second half?) First, I think everyone only watched today's match, but I want you to consider what was happening in the process. We went to Singapore on Tuesday and played a match in high temperature and humidity. There are also sensory aspects that cannot be expressed in words, and we had to face a team that had a week to prepare while we had only four days between matches. In addition, the temperature had been low all last week, but when we returned, it suddenly became very hot. Today was also hot, and there was considerable fatigue. The opponent came into the match having conserved their energy for a week, so it was expected that there would be many periods and situations where we would be pressed. We predicted scoring two goals in the first half and then the pace dropping. We had to fight while fatigued. Shouldn't the fact that we held on be more highly evaluated?"