League matches resume! Keep the momentum going and win at home.

　The league matches have resumed. In Sec. 29, we will face Kashiwa Reysol at home. In the Emperor's Cup, although there were some issues, we achieved a resounding victory against Kamatamare Sanuki with a total team effort. We aim to maintain this momentum as we head into the latter part of the season. Japan national team players Konno, Ishikawa, and Tokunaga have joined the team. Both mentally and physically, they seem to be in good condition. On the other hand, Nagatomo has injured his left knee, and Suzuki is suspended, so they will miss this match. As a result, Mukuhara will play as right back, Tokunaga on the left, and the two forwards will be Hirayama and Akamine.

　Kashiwa, currently with 27 points, is in 16th place. With a 4-point gap from 15th place Yamagata, they will likely come at us with everything they've got in an effort to escape the relegation zone. In the Emperor's Cup match against Jeff Reserves (JFL), they narrowly won after a penalty shootout, but under the guidance of coach NELSINHO, who took charge from Sec. 19, they currently have 2 wins, 6 draws, and 2 losses in the league. They are steadily accumulating points with a "no-loss" style of football.

　Originally known for their solid defense and counter-attacks, Coach Jofuku also noted, "Even with a change of coach, the 'good points of Kashiwa' have not changed. With everyone's defensive awareness added, they have become a team that is harder to lose to." This match will focus on how to break down this strong defense. Kashiwa's center backs, Yuki KOBAYASHI and Kondo, both demonstrate strength in one-on-one situations, making it difficult for the attacking players to easily advance. If possible, they want to launch a quick attack before Kashiwa's defense is fully set.

　Kashiwa is missing DF Park Dong-hyuk and FW Otsu due to suspension. Additionally, FW Franca is absent due to injury. FW Popo will also start on the bench. If they win today, it will secure their place in next season's J1, but they cannot afford to lose in order to stay competitive until the final match. Furthermore, they have not won against Kashiwa at home since 2004. This match is crucial to leverage their home advantage and secure 3 points. The match started under cloudy skies at Ajinomoto, with Kashiwa's kickoff at 13:04.

Dominating the ball, Akamine scored a valuable opening goal just before the end of the first half!

　From the beginning, both teams showed high levels of activity, and the transition between offense and defense was quick. In this context, Tokyo maintained calm control of the ball. They connected passes, using Hirayama and Akamine as starting points, with Hanyu and Ishikawa frequently involved, trying to create chances. In the 10th minute, Kajiyama made a big switch to the right flank. Ishikawa ran onto it, evaded the opposing defender at a high position, brought the ball inside, and shot! It was a familiar setup, but the goalkeeper made a save. In the 12th minute, they created a point of attack on the left side this time, and Kajiyama, who followed up, took a shot from distance.

　In the 15th minute, from Kashiwa's midfielder Kurizawa to forward Suganuma in the left area. From here, a cross to forward Kitajima in the right area. A decisive moment was created, but the shot was blocked by Tokyo's DF and escaped to a corner kick. In the 19th minute, Hirayama advanced from the left side and made a through pass to the right area. Ishikawa skillfully connected and shot from just in front of the right goal area, but was thwarted by the goalkeeper's save... In the 27th minute, Kashiwa launched a counterattack, and midfielder Tanaka delivered a left cross. The space behind Tokyo's DF in the right area was open, and midfielder Yamazaki slipped in, but it didn't connect at the last moment, avoiding the crisis.

　Although there were times when they couldn't create a decisive finish, they launched a series of powerful attacks towards the end of the first half. In the 38th minute, Yonemoto sent a floating pass into the left area, and Ishikawa tenaciously won a one-on-one against the opposing defender, delivering a short cross to the center. However, Akamine's header went over the bar. In the 39th minute, Tokunaga advanced from the left side → from Akamine's post, Hanyu made a run into the area and took a shot from a direct play, but this also went wide.

　However, in the stoppage time, after a series of passes on the left side of our own half, Konno passed to Kajiyama, who sent a long pass into the opponent's half. Hayu then controlled it with one touch and sent a ground pass in front of the goal, where Akamine timed his run perfectly and scored with a shot that flowed into the bottom left corner! They took the lead with a smooth sequence of play. There was also a moment when they were countered by Kashiwa, but they finished the first half with a one-goal lead.

Scored 4 goals with the intended style of football and won!

　In the second half, they maintained their rhythm and aggressively attacked. In the 46th minute, Ishikawa aimed directly from a free kick on the right side of the opponent's half, and his powerful shot struck the GK but was deflected away by a punch. In the 50th minute, Hanyu connected a cross from the right to the left side in a high position, and Tokunaga aimed for the goal from just before the left area corner, but it went wide. In the 53rd minute, Kajiyama passed to Ishikawa, who sprinted down the right side and sent a strong ground cross between the DF and GK in front of the goal, but Hirayama's sliding attempt was blocked just before by a Kashiwa DF.

　Then, in the 55th minute, Hirayama passed to Mukuara, who overlapped and, while being pressured by the DF near the right front goal line, persisted and sent the ball to Akamine in the center. Akamine was also marked by the DF, but he tenaciously secured the ball near the line and delivered a backward pass in front of the goal. Hayu, who ran into the space, skillfully kicked it in, securing the second goal! They connected the ball near the goal line without giving up and scored an additional point.

　After that, they had no choice but to attack, exploiting the gaps in Kashiwa's defense. From a setup by Kajiyama, Hanyu repeatedly delivered through passes into dangerous areas. In the 62nd minute, Bruno QUADROS intercepted an opponent's pass, and Hanyu in midfield passed to Akamine in front of the goal. Receiving the return, he sent a through pass to the front line. Hirayama, matching the play, carried the ball forward while holding off the opposing defender, and as he entered the area, he unleashed a powerful left-footed shot for the third goal. This was Hirayama's long-awaited goal in the league since the match against Omiya in Sec. 18.

　In the 69th minute, Konno passed to Kajiyama, who found Hanyu on the left side of the opponent's half. Hanyu sent a lob into the area, where Ishikawa ran in and scored with a looping shot using his right foot!! They pulled ahead of Kashiwa with a total of 4 goals, but Ishikawa collided with a defender during the play and injured his left knee... He was forced to be substituted for Tanabe at this point. Although there are concerns about Ishikawa's injury, Kashiwa's subsequent counterattacks were shut out. They achieved victory at home with coordinated football, marking their third consecutive win in the league.

　[Player Comments] {Hanyu} "Kashiwa comes with man-to-man marking in the attacking third, so we practiced creating gaps and making runs there, and I think everyone's positioning led to the goal. The first goal was a play that I am satisfied with. It was the result of each person firmly showing what they can do and moving and making decisions for the team's result. I believe it was a goal we scored together. Even if it relies on others, we are fighting with the feeling that if we lose, nothing will remain, to gain something in the final match. Kashiwa is also highly motivated, and there have been quite a few matches where we have dropped points against such opponents. Aiming to achieve results there, scoring four goals and winning is something to be appreciated. There are parts where we can be confident and parts that need to be improved, but I want to continue to grow and strive to move in a good direction."

　"Akamine" "The opening goal was made possible by Hanyu's excellent pass that got past the opposing defender. It was just before the end of the first half, but I think scoring first gave the team momentum. In the second half, we also scored the second goal in a good way. We didn't give up, connected well, and were able to stop the ball, so all that was left was to pass it to Hanyu. I believe I was able to repay the favor for the opening goal."

　[Summary of Coach Jofuku's Press Conference] "Ending with a score of 4 to 0, considering Kashiwa's strength and current motivation, I think it was a very good result. In terms of content, I thought it would be a tight game where both sides would cancel each other's strengths in the first half, but just before the end of the first half, we managed to score a good goal, which eased the pressure mentally. In the second half, there was a bit more space, allowing us to circulate the ball longer, and we were able to switch on in the attacking third more frequently. If I were to be greedy, we could have scored even more, but I am satisfied with the result of 4 to 0 against Kashiwa."

　However, the bench members must have seen Ishikawa leave the pitch in that situation. They sent in all the substitutes from the second line, but I am very dissatisfied with their attitude. If young players can only approach the game with this mindset, this club will not become stronger. I feel a great sense of crisis about that. If we do not instill in them the pride of wearing the blue and red, we cannot let them step onto the pitch in the future. I feel that much anger. It is also my responsibility that I could not clearly communicate what position I would be in due to Ishikawa's injury and could not have him on the pitch, but for this club to go further and create a miracle in the final match, it is impossible with just the starting eleven. I want to reinforce the meaning of wearing the blue and red uniform and the attitude we need to show once again.

　[Summary of Coach NELSINHO's Press Conference] "This past week, we created a game plan to face Tokyo, focusing on solid defense and preparing counterattacks to exploit gaps in Tokyo's defense. The three players, Kajiyama, Ishikawa, and Hirayama, are the core of Tokyo's attack, so our plan was to prevent these three from having any impact in the first half, and I believe we managed to defend well. However, right before the end, we lost focus near the opponent's territory, lost the ball, and were caught off guard, leading to a beautifully executed goal. Ultimately, I think that goal broke the game for us. Even in the second half, we struggled to respond to the quality movements of Tokyo's players, especially the diagonal runs we had warned about in practice, which resulted in this outcome. (It was the most goals conceded since my appointment) Today's four goals conceded were not solely due to the absence of regular players due to suspensions. I believe it was because Tokyo's players were sharp and took their chances when they needed to."