Sec. 16 Tamagawa Classico, aiming for revenge and to take the lead

　The league's Sec. 20 is being held. As the 16th Tamagawa Classico, we will challenge Kawasaki Frontale away. So far, the overall record of the Tamagawa Classico stands at 5 wins, 5 draws, and 5 losses, making it completely even. This season, we lost in the first half of the home match, so this is a chance for revenge and to aim for an overall winning record. The heat and humidity will peak, and fatigue will be at its highest, but this is an important match to push through one more time before the break and to finish the series of matches with a victory to carry forward into the future.

　Kawasaki is currently in 4th place with 33 points. In the Nabisco match against Kashima on the 29th (Wednesday), they won 3-0 after extra time. Although fatigue is a concern, they have secured a spot in the Semifinal Round, and the team's atmosphere should be on the rise. Additionally, they have not lost at Kawasaki Todoroki Stadium this season in the league and Nabisco, boasting an excellent home win rate. At the same time, they have one of the league's top attacking lineups, making it difficult to keep goals conceded to a minimum.

　Still, Tokyo has maintained a solid defense with only 1 goal conceded in the last 6 league matches. While everyone has a high awareness of defense, they are extending the time to implement their own style of football and controlling the game, which helps to minimize goals conceded. This match will be key in whether they can prevent Kawasaki from gaining momentum and keep the goals conceded to a minimum. Given that the results of this match could change the rankings, they want to express their strong desire for victory on the pitch without giving up and seize the win with their own style of football.

　Tokyo changed its lineup from the Nabisco Nagoya match, starting with the same players as in the previous league match against Hiroshima. Kawasaki's DF Kikuchi is suspended, so DF Terada takes the center back position, and MF Yokoyama is included in the defensive midfield. Despite the humidity, the wind is blowing, and the heat has settled at Kawasaki Todoroki Stadium. The away supporters' section is packed with Tokyo fans, and the match started with Tokyo's kickoff at 19:03.

Ishikawa takes the lead with a goal, halftime ends

　From the start, both teams quickly switched and launched speedy attacks. In the first minute, Kawasaki's midfielder Nakamura took a long shot, which was cut by Bruno QUADROS with a header. The loose ball was picked up by Kawasaki's midfielder Taniguchi, but Ishikawa intercepted the pass to the side and initiated a counterattack. From the combination on the right side, Cabore broke through to the front line. He delivered a cross, but it was cleared before it reached Hirayama. In the seventh minute, from a right corner kick by Kawasaki, Kajiyama cut the play at a low position in his own half and sent a long ground pass to Ishikawa at the front line. Ishikawa chased it down with a sprint and appeared to be fouled by the opposing defender, but there was no foul called by Kawasaki, and he could not finish the play.

　Tokyo gradually connected passes from concentrated defense to advance the ball forward, and in the 13th minute, Hirayama became the pivot to draw Hanyu's attack. Hanyu, who entered the left area free, took a decisive shot with speed, but the ball slipped under the GK's armpit and was blocked by the covering Kawasaki defender... In the 21st minute, Kawasaki MF Nakamura initiated an attack from the right side and dribbled into the area. However, Konno quickly covered, demonstrating strength, resulting in a Tokyo ball. In the 24th minute, Hirayama dropped a vertical pass to the front line with a one-touch to Yonemoto, who followed. From here, a pass reached Hirayama, who jumped into the area and sent a shot-like ball back inside, but it had no angle and was caught by the GK.

　They launched a coordinated attack but couldn't finish it, while Kawasaki also executed sharp counters, leading to a captivating back-and-forth. In the 37th minute, Yonemoto passed to Nagatomo, who surged up the left side, using his strength to slip between two Kawasaki defenders and break deep into the left area, sending a low cross from the sideline. Ishikawa met it with a direct shot, piercing the net for a goal! This was Ishikawa's first goal since the match against Nagoya on July 15, taking the lead in a fierce match as they headed into the second half.

Conceded a comeback goal in stoppage time, a frustrating defeat

　In the second half, Kawasaki replaced FW Yamagishi, who was positioned closer to the midfield, with FW Renachinho in the 53rd minute. Right MF Nakamura moved to the attacking midfield position, forming a nearly three-forward formation to launch a counterattack. Just after that, in the 55th minute, Kawasaki's right SB Mori exchanged passes with FW Renachinho and advanced high up the field. Although Yonemoto was also responding, a cross was delivered, going over the head of FW Yajima at the near post and heading towards FW JUNINHO at the back. The shot hit the left post and bounced back inside, resulting in a goal... Tokyo had been defending well until then, but they conceded a goal due to a momentary lapse in marking, allowing the score to be equalized...

　Kawasaki's momentum did not wane, and the game continued with a rapid exchange of offense and defense. In the 58th minute, Ishikawa utilized his speed to break through the right side. He delivered a cross, and Hirayama, free in the center, attempted a header, but it narrowly missed the target. In the 59th minute, from Hirayama's through ball, Cabore broke past the opposing defender and found himself one-on-one with the goalkeeper, but his shot was saved... Immediately after, Kawasaki's midfielder Taniguchi's sharp long-range shot was deflected for a corner by Gonda's excellent save.

　Unable to capitalize on chances, the team gradually stretched their line during the intense match, and they could no longer win the ball. In an attempt to break the deadlock, Tanabe was substituted for Yonemoto in the 70th minute, and Akamine was substituted for Cabore in the 77th minute, but time passed without creating any decisive opportunities. In the 74th minute, they launched a counterattack, with Hirayama dribbling towards the center-right. Ishikawa ran towards the goal from the left while being marked by a defender. However, he could not receive a pass, and Hirayama lost the ball as he was closed down by the opposing defender. Tanabe, who had moved up to support, regained possession and challenged the opposing defender on the right side, but he could not get past and was dispossessed again. In the 82nd minute, Suzuki was brought on for Ishikawa, but in the 88th minute, Suzuki broke through on the right side and delivered a cross, but Kawasaki's defender outjumped Hirayama, preventing a shot.

　In the 4 minutes of stoppage time, from a throw-in by Kawasaki, MF Nakamura advanced deep into the right area and sent a floating ball to the center. Konno cleared it with a header, but the cleared ball hit forward JUNINHO and fell to midfielder Taniguchi. Taniguchi's stunning ground shot slipped through Gonda's legs and went in... Just before the end, they suffered a reversal and faced a frustrating defeat. They could not achieve revenge for the first half, suffering their first loss in the league since Sec. 13 against Kawasaki.

　【Player Comments】<Ishikawa> "The goal came from Nagatomo making a deep run and sending in a cross, and I just had to connect with it. We took the lead in a good way, but after that, especially in the second half, we couldn't find our rhythm. We kept passing without taking risks and couldn't finish off our chances for a long time. There were some monotonous parts, and I wanted us to challenge more boldly and create our own rhythm... I don't have any mental blocks, but Clasico always brings out each other's characteristics. Today, we allowed the opponent to show their strengths. Kawasaki has experience in Asia and I felt they are tactically savvy. I think that is still something our team lacks." <Nagatomo> "I absolutely did not want to lose. The content wasn't bad either, so it's really frustrating. We knew the opponent would come out with three forwards in the second half, and we discussed that at halftime. Because of that, it became harder for me to push forward, but we agreed that if we could stop that, we wouldn't lose, so I played with balance in mind. It only matters if we get results against strong top teams. I realized there is still a lot we need to do."

　[Summary of Coach Shirofuku's Press Conference] "It is very disappointing. Many people gave us passionate support, and the players stepped onto the pitch today with the strong determination that they absolutely had to win this match. However, in the end, we couldn't earn any points, and all I can say is that it's regrettable. To compete further for the top positions, we must improve on mistakes made just before decisive chances and also on failing to convert opportunities when they arise. This match made it clear that if we turn a blind eye to these issues, we cannot truly compete at the top level. Especially in the second half, when the game became stretched out, the decision-making and accuracy of passes one or two passes before shots became poor. I think the way we managed the game in the first half was good, but when the ball went back and forth, Kawasaki's individual strengths became more apparent. The way we lost possession was particularly bad in the second half. Also, I believe our backup players still have a long way to go to bring energy and change the flow of the game more than the starting players. We want to firmly accept these challenges as a team and work on them again."

　[Kawasaki Coach Sekizuka's Press Conference Summary] "I am satisfied that we were able to play a good game. This was made possible thanks to the supporters at Todoroki today. I also think that winning with a comeback at the end was due to the power of Todoroki. Regarding the content, from the formation used in the Nabisco Cup, DF Kikuchi was suspended, so we started by making one change there. Tokyo is a troublesome opponent as they attack while maintaining possession in midfield. However, looking at Tokyo's recent goals, most come from long balls from the defensive line to the two forwards, with two midfielders involved, so I thought we had to suppress that. Around that area, MF Taniguchi and Yokoyama tried to take the ball a bit too aggressively, which I think disrupted our rhythm. Still, we were creating good chances from the sides, but Tokyo scored one goal in the first half and we couldn't score. So in the second half, we aimed to play more stably and confidently. We brought in FW Renatinho to apply pressure upfront and aimed to intercept balls coming in there. The midfield and back line also executed their roles well, and from there we managed to equalize. I also think the players fought well during the game. Today was an important match to gauge the top teams, so earning points against Tokyo is valuable, and we want to keep aiming for the top by working hard in each match."