Entering the second half of the league, challenging the away game against Kashima with full force

　Approaching Sec. 18 of the league, we face an away game against Kashima Antlers. In the previous match against Nagoya, we conceded a goal just before the end and suffered a shocking defeat, marking our second consecutive loss. This match is crucial as we must avoid a third consecutive defeat at all costs. From here, away matches against top teams continue, but it is essential to fight with determination and composure to secure points.On the other hand, Kashima held the top spot from Sec. 13 to Sec. 16 but dropped to third place after losing to Shimizu in the previous round. However, they have only lost three matches this season. Naturally, they will aim to secure 3 points at home this time and approach the game with a strong mindset to avoid consecutive losses. During the break, defender Lee transferred to Qatar. Also, forward Marquinhos left due to injury in the last match, but with highly skilled players like defender Inoha, forward Koroki, and Osako, their strength does not seem diminished. We want to disrupt them with passing and side changes, exploit gaps, and convert them into goals. United as one, we aim for victory with a fight that never gives up until the end.Tokyo saw Akamine move to Sendai on a loan deal. Meanwhile, forward Shunsuke MAEDA joined but has not yet joined full team training. Despite this situation, we face this match with Hanyu sidelined due to leg condition. Also, Kajiyama injured his right ankle the day before and will miss this match as he is "not at 100 percent condition (Coach Jofuku)." Amid these accidents, Tokunaga returns to the starting lineup for the first time since Sec. 13. Kim Young-gun, who played for the Korean national team on the 11th, is also named in the starting lineup, with Matsushita at left midfield, Mukuhara at right side back, and Nakamura on the left. This is truly an all-out battle.In the middle of the Obon season, it is cloudy but humid at Kashima Soccer Stadium. The match kicked off at 19:04 with Tokyo starting.

Struggling and conceding a goal from a set piece...

　Kashima pressed from the early stages. At 1 minute, FW Koroki attempted an overhead shot from a cross, and at 6 minutes, after a counterattack, Tokyo's DF clearance was picked up by Kashima DF Araiba, who took a mid-range shot. At 8 minutes, from a cleared cross, MF Ogasawara took a looping shot. Tokyo struggled from the start, unable to secure second balls. Even when regaining possession in a low position, they couldn't connect passes under Kashima's intense pressing. At 15 minutes, Tokunaga's right cross was contested by Hirayama, but the ball was then taken by Kashima, leading to a counterattack. Right MF Nozawa's cross was dropped by FW Osako, who unleashed a powerful shot by DF Juton, but Shiota saved it, resulting in a corner kick. At 16 minutes, Ishikawa advanced to the right sideline and passed back centrally. This pass slipped between Kashima's defenders to Hirayama near the edge of the area in the center. Hirayama fired a powerful shot, but it went straight to the GK. At 20 minutes, Young Gwon KIM sent a long ball behind Kashima's defense. Hirayama broke through and shot from a tight angle, but the GK saved it. At 21 minutes, a speedy attack was launched, switching sides from Mukuhara's advance. Matsushita, receiving the ball, cut inside past the opposing DF and shot, but it went well wide. Apart from this moment, Tokyo created almost no clear chances in the first half. At 26 minutes, Young Gwon KIM fouled Kashima FW Koroki, conceding a free kick from the left side of Tokyo's half. At 27 minutes, from this free kick, Kashima MF Ogasawara sent the ball forward, and FW Koroki skillfully made a run to head the ball freely, scoring and giving Kashima the lead. Once again, Tokyo conceded from a set piece, forcing them into a difficult battle. Afterward, under Kashima's intense pressing, Tokyo struggled to advance the ball. Although they did not concede an additional goal, they ended the first half without finding their rhythm.

Otake and Nakamura create movement and rhythm, and with Konno's strike, they secure 1 point!

　In the second half, trailing by one goal, the team adjusted by moving Konno up to defensive midfield and shifting Morishige to center back. At the 50th minute, Tokunaga passed to Konno who advanced and took a long-range shot, but it went off target. At the 56th minute, Otake was brought on as a midfielder replacing Mukuhara. Matsushita dropped back to left side back, and Nakamura took the right side, forming this lineup. This worked well as Otake started making runs aiming between opposing defenders, and Nakamura’s forward runs gradually helped the team gain rhythm. At the 59th minute, Matsushita delivered a ground pass to Hirayama inside the area. Hirayama boldly aimed for goal, but the quickly closing Kashima defender blocked it. Then, Hirayama headed Nakamura’s cross again, but it went off target.At the 66th minute, Shigematsu replaced Ishikawa, and at the 72nd minute, Ricardinho came on for Hirayama, bringing in more attacking players to try to break through. Kashima’s stamina dropped, and Tokyo pressed forward. At the 69th minute, from a sequence of passes Oguro → Otake → Tokunaga in the center, Nakamura overlapped and delivered a sharp cross. Oguro jumped in, but the Kashima goalkeeper came out a step early to catch it. At the 74th minute, Nakamura’s shot-like cross from the right side hit the far post bar. However, the rebound was immediately caught by the Kashima goalkeeper. At the 71st minute, Otake stole the ball over Kashima defender Juton’s head and made a shooting motion before delivering a final pass to Oguro who had broken through the center of the area. But just before reaching Oguro, the pass was cut off by a Kashima defender.The team lacked precision in play and struggled to create decisive finishing chances as time passed. However, at the 86th minute, Otake supported Ricardinho on the right side. Ricardinho cut inside and passed a wedge ball to Oguro in front. Oguro controlled it well and laid it off to Konno just outside the area, who took a step forward and fired a carefully aimed left-footed shot into the net—goal! Against Kashima, who tried to hold on to their one-goal lead, Tokyo equalized late in the game!After that, Kashima also brought on forward Sasaki. Both teams aimed for the winning goal, and a tense battle continued, but the defense held firm until time was up. This was a full-strength battle despite missing Hanyu and Kajiyama. Although Tokyo was at a disadvantage from the first half away, they never gave up and fought hard, earning a valuable point with Konno’s passionate equalizer.Player CommentsKonno: “It was a tough match, so I’m glad we didn’t lose. I moved up to defensive midfield in the second half and was determined to score somehow. Oguro laid the ball off for me, and I just focused on shooting on target. Kashima is a good team and solid in every aspect. I think our collective challenge to break that down led to this point.”Nakamura: “We knew Kashima would tire in the second half, so our plan was to attack then. But we conceded from a set piece we were cautious about in the first half, which broke our plan. To win, we needed to keep a clean sheet in the first half. We controlled the pace in the second half, and I tried to transition from good defense to attack, creating some chances. But I need to improve the accuracy of my crosses. The next match is important to make today’s point meaningful. We want to prepare well.”Coach Jofuku’s Press Conference Summary“It’s frustrating to finish with just one point. Despite not getting the results we wanted so far, many fans came to support us passionately even away from home, which was encouraging. But we must reflect on not getting three points. Still, I want to commend the players who fought hard to equalize against Kashima. It was a game where we could have won, but the continued inability to close out matches is my shortcoming. I believe we need to improve our level, including myself. We will prepare thoroughly to get three points next match.(Is a draw a fair result considering the number of chances?) First, I respect Kashima’s group of highly skilled players. They can deliver high-quality kicks into tight spaces just a few ball widths apart. Having such players is a threat. It’s not just about breaking down defense but the fear of pinpoint passes. I expected this frequency to be high in the first half. However, I recognized that their stamina would change in the second half, so if we could keep a clean sheet in the first half, we could play our football in the second half. That’s why conceding in the first half is frustrating. Still, we should learn from Kashima’s precision and sharp counterattacks and turn their strengths into our own.”Kashima Coach Oswaldo OLIVEIRA’s Press Conference Summary“(Coach Jofuku analyzed that Kashima’s stamina drops in the second half?) I think the cleverest choice was Tokyo’s Konno and Morishige switching positions. That made FC Tokyo more dynamic and improved ball circulation compared to the first half. Konno’s mobility was effective. As a result, he was able to score. (You had a great first half in recent matches. Is it difficult to maintain the same pace for 90 minutes?) Not only in the first half but also in the second half, we had chances to score additional goals. Failing to convert those chances prevented us from gaining momentum. The fundamental rule in football is that teams that fail to finish chances pay the price later, which affects the result. On the contrary, I think Tokyo’s chances were more in the first half. In the second half, we were able to suppress Tokyo’s intended plays better.”