Tama River Clasico to be held on the J1 stage

　In the 5th round of the league, Kawasaki Frontale will face off against each other as the 19th Tama River Classic. They will go on the road. In the ACL match against Beijing Guoan, they gave their all and brought back a valuable 1 point. However, they will face this round with only 3 days of rest. Even though Kawasaki will also be playing in the Nabisco Cup on the 4th, they will still have a big disadvantage in terms of their condition.

　However, the players' motivation is still high in this traditional match. And because they lost to Hiroshima in the 4th round, they must avoid consecutive losses in the league. Using their heads in the game and maintaining concentration may be key factors.

　For this match, Chang Hyun Soo, who will make his first appearance in the league, will be starting as center back in place of the injured Kaga. Maruyama will also make his first appearance in the lineup. On the other hand, coach Popovic is being cautious about Kajiyama's return. As a result, Takahashi and Hasegawa will form a double pivot, with Ishikawa and Taniyama on the wings, and Uyu in the attacking midfield position. And the team will be led by Lucas up front, just like in the match against Beijing Guoan.

　Kawasaki, on the other hand, has 2 wins, 1 draw, and 1 loss in the league. They have not won in the last 3 games, but this season, the team aims to play a speedy style of soccer that utilizes the individual abilities of the players and also focuses on connecting passes carefully to break down the opponent's defense. Looking at the attacking line, new addition FW Renato has speed, while FW Yajima and Komatsu have height and a strong finishing ability. Above all, we must be wary of the attacks from MF Nakamura and Shibasaki, who are able to utilize the strength of the front line.

　In this away game, we want to dominate the ball as long as possible and continue to try without fear of mistakes in order to grab a victory. The weather is clear, but the wind is cold and the Todoroki Stadium feels chilly. The stands of both teams are heated and full of excitement, and the match started at 4:03 PM with Kawasaki's kickoff.

Both sides displayed their fighting spirit and aggressive attitude, resulting in a fierce back-and-forth battle.

　Both teams were actively attacking from the start. Tokyo connected one-touch passes and moved forward, while Kawasaki tried to create chances by using the speed of FW Renato, starting from FW Yajima. In the 9th minute, Lucas dropped the ball and Takahashi sent a floating ball to the left area, where Ishikawa jumped out and faced the GK in a one-on-one situation... but the shot was blocked by the GK's quick dive.

　At the 20th minute, a quick attack was launched, with a pass from Lucas on the right side to Hayashi who broke through to the right front line and crossed to the goal. There, Tanizawa jumped in and created a decisive opportunity, but... the pass was slightly weak and was blocked by the fast returning DF of Kawasaki. On the other hand, at the 22nd minute, FW Renato took a dribble shot from the left area. At the 23rd minute, DF Jesse took a shot from a left corner kick, creating opportunities to bring the ball to the finish line with bold attacks.

　In the midst of a back-and-forth battle, in the 27th minute, Tokunaga dribbled through and earned a right corner kick, but Tanizawa couldn't find the target with his shot in the scramble. In the 30th minute, Chang Hyun Soo from their own half → Hayashi with a sharp decision, sent a long pass to Ishikawa who was trying to break through the front line. Ishikawa saw the position of the Kawasaki GK who had come out, and aimed for the right area from just outside the box, but... it was stopped by the returning save of GK Nishibe...

　After missing a chance, Kawasaki created another scoring opportunity from MF Nakamura's pass, but it was saved by Gonda. In the midst of a rapid exchange of attacks and defenses, in the latter part of the first half, they continued to receive counters from mistakes, but Morishige and Ota concentrated and responded. Neither team allowed a goal, and the score remained tied at 0-0 at halftime.

Something happens in the Clasico... Even with 10 players, Morishige's header leads to a dramatic victory!

　It was a second half where we wanted to finish our chances, but in the 48th minute, Hasegawa received his second warning and was sent off. From the early stages of the second half, we were forced to play with a numerical disadvantage. As a result, in the 51st minute, we substituted Hayami for Yonemoto in the midfield to make adjustments. However, in the 52nd minute, we tried to catch Kawasaki's forward Yajima offside, but he was perfectly timed and Renato, the FW, was able to break through from behind and take a decisive shot from the left area, but Konda made a save! Then, once again, Kawasaki's MF Nakamura passed to MF Tasaka on the right area and took a shot, but we were saved by a mistake.

　In the 67th minute, from the development of Kawasaki MF Nakamura, MF Tasaka pushed forward on the right side and made a minus last pass to the center. FW Kobayashi in the area was left free and took a decisive shot, but once again, Gonda made a save! Despite receiving a fierce attack from Kawasaki, Gonda and the DFs continued to put their bodies on the line and concentrated to defend, never entering a defensive stance. They also took advantage of Kawasaki's weaknesses and launched a counterattack.

　In the 75th minute, Tanabe was replaced by Tabata. Kawasaki also brought in MF Inamoto and then FW Komatsu, putting pressure on the front line. As the tense time continues without a moment to relax, Ishikawa sprints down the right side in the 86th minute. Without forcing it, Tokunaga connects a pass to the advancing teammate and crosses. Tabata, who entered the area from the far side, couldn't finish the shot, but Yonemoto chases after the throw-in given to Kawasaki. He intercepts and passes to Lucas in the center. From there, Tabata on the left and Takahashi, who moved up in the center, take a shot at the goal with a middle shot.

　Blocked by GK's save, they only managed to get a CK, but in the 87th minute, Ishikawa kicked this right CK and Morishige powerfully headed it into the net! They successfully took advantage of the set piece opportunity and scored a goal. After that, including the 6 minutes of added time, Kawasaki also created chances from FKs, but everyone stayed focused and defended until the end. They turned the tables on the numerical disadvantage in an exciting match and achieved victory with a score of 1-0.

　【Player Comments】《Morishige》"There is a clear style of football that Popovic has shown us. Even when we were at a numerical disadvantage, we didn't panic and tried to play our own football. We weren't just constantly pushed back, we also tried to take the ball and attack, and we never lost our attacking mindset. We all had to endure and I think the victory we achieved was a big one. (At the moment the goal was scored) I wanted to share the joy with the fans in the stands. I also felt fortunate to be able to play this classic match in J1 with the supporters who came to various away games with us last year in J2."

　《Hyun Soo JANG》"At first, I couldn't get used to this atmosphere and there were some confusing parts. There were also moments where we were pushed back, but we were able to help each other and ultimately achieve victory. I think we proved that we can fight even with 10 players. I wanted to win and I am sincerely happy with the victory."

　【Coach Popovic's Press Conference Summary】"It was a fantastic game. It's not just about winning, but as I always say, it's important to understand how we won and the process behind it. Even with 10 players, we stuck to our style of play and continued to connect through football. After the Hiroshima game, when we didn't get the result we wanted, I was asked if we should change our style. But we didn't change our style and that's why we won today's game. If Barcelona had changed their style every time they lost, they wouldn't be where they are now. And today, we showed that we believe in ourselves until the end and we fought through any situation. Each and every one of us showed a great attitude of fighting for the club and the team, and I think it was a very good game."

　Many fans and supporters from both teams came to the stadium and created a fantastic atmosphere. I want to express my gratitude, especially to the Tokyo fans and supporters who cheered us on until the end. It gave us strength and support. Thank you very much. I think this was a big game that proved the club and team of FC Tokyo. Even with fewer numbers, the players showed an attacking style of passing without dropping their line. This is a team victory. It was the result of everyone fighting for the team. Finally, the fans and supporters from both teams were truly amazing today. Please make sure to convey our gratitude.

　[Kawasaki Soma Coach's Press Conference Summary] "It was a classic match, and many fans and supporters came to support us. The opponent also had a player sent off, and we had to win, but unfortunately we ended up with this result, and I feel sorry about it. However, in football, if you can't score when you need to, you end up with a result like today. Today was exactly that kind of game. In the professional world, as a coach, I am responsible for all results, but we have been working on things recently and we want to continue that in the next game."