Tamagawa Classico, a match that tests true value

　The league Sec. 13 is being held. As the 15th Tamagawa Classico, we will face Kawasaki Frontale at home in Ajinomoto Stadium. In the previous match against Chiba in the Nabisco Cup, fresh members joined the team, securing a victory that will serve as momentum for the future. At the same time, we managed to keep a clean sheet for three consecutive matches, demonstrating stability in defense. This match will be a true test of whether what we have built up so far in both offense and defense can hold up against our rivals in the Tamagawa Classico, Kawasaki. It will be a back-to-back match just three days after the Chiba game, but during this time, Cabore, Kajiyama, Ishikawa, and Tokunaga have fully recovered from injuries and will be included in the starting lineup.

Kawasaki, on the other hand, has 18 points as of the end of Sec. 12. They have scored a total of 20 goals (2nd place after Hiroshima), boasting one of the top attacking strengths in the league. However, in the ACL match against Pohang on Tuesday the 19th, despite their aggressive play, they lost 0-2 to Pohang's solid defense. Tokyo has recently been effective in their defense, with thorough competition and coverage in the defensive line, and they are able to restrict the opponent's freedom in midfield. They want to continue this without hesitation.

　In attack, the development from the defensive midfielder and side attacks seem to be key points. While suppressing the attacks from Kawasaki's midfielder Nakamura and Taniguchi, it will be important to create our own time and break down their defense. Coach Jofuku mentioned, "This is a crucial match to see if we can bring the points back to even by the end of May. However, it is important not to force ourselves just because it's a 'Classico', but to perform as we usually do with a calm mind." After this match, the league will enter a break of about a month, but this is a match where we want to win before the break and carry that momentum into the Nabisco. Just before the match, the rain began to intensify at Ajinomoto. The match started with Kawasaki's kickoff at 14:05.

Konno scores his first goal of the season to take the lead! Seizing control of the match

　At the start, Kawasaki dominated the ball, and in the 14th minute, they were awarded a free kick in Tokyo's territory. Kawasaki midfielder Nakamura sent a floating ball kick to the front line, and midfielder Taniguchi, who broke through, headed it in, but was saved by an offside call. After that, they gradually connected passes and took control of the match. Starting with Cabore, Hirayama, and Ishikawa, in the 17th minute, Ishikawa brought the ball into the right area and passed it to Cabore at the near post. Cabore returned it with a one-touch pass to Hirayama behind him, but he couldn't shoot as he was closed down by the defender. From the loose ball, Tokunaga, who advanced, sent a cross towards the goal, but this too could not be connected, resulting in a Kawasaki ball.

　In the 21st minute, from a deep position in the opponent's half, Hirayama spread the ball to the right. Ishikawa dribbled in from the side and took a shot just before the area. It was a controlled ball, but the goalkeeper caught it. In the 23rd minute, Yonemoto persisted and connected with Ishikawa on the right side. This time, Ishikawa chose to cross. Cabore dove in perfectly for the ball aimed at the far post. However, he couldn't hit the target...

　In the 27th minute, Kajiyama advanced from the midfield and passed to Cabore on the left flank. Although Cabore couldn't take a shot, the ball was cleared by the defender, resulting in a left corner kick. From this short corner, Ishikawa sent a cross to the center which was cut off, leading to a right corner kick. In the 28th minute, from Ishikawa's corner kick, Konno's header initially hit the crossbar, but he reacted to the rebound. He pierced the net with his left foot for a goal! With this set piece, Konno scored his first goal of the season, giving the team the lead.

　By the time it passed 30 minutes, clear skies appeared, and the weather became humid. However, after that, Kawasaki was not allowed to create any real chances. In the 36th minute, the ball was passed to Hirayama, who flowed to the left front line, with Cabore and Ishikawa closing in the center. Hirayama became the starting point on the side, but the final pass did not connect and was cut off by the Kawasaki defense. In the 37th minute, Ishikawa's right corner kick was met by Bruno's header, but it went over the line. In the 39th minute, a dribble shot was taken by Yonemoto to Cabore, but it went straight to the goalkeeper. Still, hopes for an additional goal in the second half were held as the first half came to an end.

Expanded the lead to two points, but became a team of ten and suffered a frustrating comeback loss...

　Since the start of the second half, Tokyo substituted Suzuki for Hanyu. Kawasaki changed SB Ito's position to center back and moved CB Ikawa to side back. In the early stages, Kawasaki connected passes, but Tokyo quickly seized the rhythm with a counterattack. In the 51st minute, Tokyo stole the ball from Kawasaki and launched a fast break. Midfielder Hirayama passed to forward Cabore, who turned his body and dropped the ball with a heel pass to Suzuki, who burst forward from the left to the right and shot from just outside the right area, but it went straight to the goalkeeper... In the 54th minute, Kawasaki substituted MF Tasaka for MF Vitor JUNIOR.

　Immediately after that, Tokunaga sent a goal kick from Kawasaki forward, and Cabore broke free from the opposing defender to deliver a cross. Although Hirayama in the center did not touch the ball, Ishikawa, who ran in from the far side, powerfully kicked in a controlled shot, scoring a goal! They seized an additional point with a speedy attack, leading by two goals.

　However, in the 57th minute, Kawasaki FW JUNINHO sent a superb through pass, allowing FW Zheng to face forward. Bruno QUADROS pulled him back just before the penalty area, and FW Zheng fell inside the area. This was deemed a denial of a goal-scoring opportunity, resulting in Bruno QUADROS being sent off. They were forced to play with 10 men for the remaining time, and at the same time, a penalty kick was awarded to Kawasaki. In the 58th minute, this penalty kick was converted by FW JUNINHO, allowing them to close the gap to one goal, and they could no longer stop Kawasaki's momentum.

　In the 59th minute, Moniwa was brought in as a CB to replace Ishikawa. The four-back formation was maintained, and Hirayama approached from the side, but in the 65th minute, Kajiyama, who received a throw-in from the right side of Tokyo, was judged to have committed a foul just outside the area, resulting in a free kick. Kawasaki's MF Vitor JUNIOR quickly restarted the play. FW Jeong connected the ball, and MF Taniguchi, who was free at the far post, scored, taking advantage of the restart gap. In the 68th minute, on the left side for Kawasaki, DF Mori passed vertically to FW Jeong, then to MF Vitor JUNIOR, leading to a cross to FW JUNINHO, who jumped and volleyed into the goal while competing with Nagatomo. A cross from the side was converted, allowing a turnaround in just 10 minutes...

　Still, without looking down, in the 75th minute, Nakamura was brought in to replace Hiyama. They connected passes from tough defense to launch a counterattack. In the 88th minute, from Konno's through pass, Nagatomo entered the area and won a left corner kick. Suzuki's kick went through the crowded center to the far side. Nakamura caught up and took a shot, but it went wide of the goal... In stoppage time, Tokunaga on the right side cleverly passed to Nakamura in the area, and Yonemoto ran in free. They created a great chance, but slipped on the wet grass and missed the shot. They had a chance but couldn't equalize, suffering a regrettable comeback loss. As a result, the overall record of the Tamagawa Classico stands at 5 wins, 5 draws, and 5 losses. Furthermore, they finished the league in 14th place and will face about a month-long break.

　【Player Comments】<Ishikawa> "In matches where I didn't play, the defensive balance was maintained, so as an attacking player, I wanted to create good attacking opportunities. I think in the first half, good attacks came from good defense. Although it was from a set piece, scoring was good. (The goal) Cabore passed from the left side, Hirayama was pressed up front, and I felt the ball was coming. Although it was a long distance, I was able to skillfully guide it in. (With 6 goals, the team's highest) There are still chances, and goals that contribute to the team's victory are expected. Today, I couldn't connect my goal to a win, so I want to keep scoring and producing results. Even when feeling confident, there are still frustrating matches without results. The league will pause, but there is also the cup competition, so I want to reflect properly and connect to the league restart in good condition." <Konno> "It's frustrating and regrettable that we couldn't win. We still have a lot to learn. This loss made me strongly feel that we have to go even higher. (About the opening goal) I always thought I would aim whenever there was a chance. But today, more than scoring, we created many chances, so I want people to notice that as well. Even after being one player down, if we kept connecting well, we could have created chances, and I thought there was no problem, but the sending off changed the whole atmosphere in the stadium to Kawasaki's favor. However, we have to play soccer that doesn't lose to that. So, it's a learning experience."

　[Summary of Coach Shirofuku's Press Conference] "We wanted many fans to come and celebrate together, but it is very disappointing that it did not lead to a result. However, I told the players to keep their heads up. I believe the match was something to be proud of. No matter what judgments are made, we must continue playing football. Our job is to keep playing good football. In hindsight, there may be various criticisms, but the content is not something to be pessimistic about, and I believe we should continue with this style of football. (Regarding the evaluation of the 2 goals and the plan after the sending off?) After being down to 10 men, we tried to form a 4-4-1 block. It wasn’t that we couldn’t do that, but the opponent stopped attacking while leading, and on the contrary, we had to chase. Therefore, from the middle of the game, we changed the system to 4-3-2 to try to regain the ball. Regarding the goals, you could say we scored 2, but I think we should have scored 3 or 4, and it is important to keep creating such chances. (About future attempts) Of course, we must reflect on conceding 3 goals today and there is probably some cause in how we managed the game. We will reflect seriously on that, but even with 10 men, the players bravely connected passes and played football that was not just about long balls. That is a source of pride and encouragement. I want to continue playing this kind of football together with the players and achieve results."

　[Kawasaki F・Manager Sekizuka's Press Conference Summary] "We overturned a very difficult game. Thanks to the passionate support of the fans and the players' hard work. I want to express my gratitude. FC Tokyo has recently been playing powerful attacks based on solid and firm defense, so I expected a tough match. We wanted to score first, but our restarts did not lead to goals. As the game settled down, on the contrary, we conceded a goal from a restart. Especially, FC Tokyo's two center backs had a high possession rate, and even when we applied pressure there, the midfield opened up. We conceded the first goal and allowed them to function effectively. That was one key point, but we couldn't change that flow in the first half. In the second half, we changed our system, and if FW Jung Da-se had been just one tempo earlier at the start, FW JUNINHO would have had a one-on-one chance with the goalkeeper. From around that point, we started to revive a bit, but just then, similar to a mistake by DF Ito in the first half, DF Kikuchi bounced a back pass, which led to conceding a goal. Such basic errors appeared in defense, making our rhythm and style of play difficult. After that, we successfully earned a penalty kick and induced a red card, allowing us to turn the game around, but we need to correct those areas a bit more and properly refine the team."