League matches resume! Increasing maturity

The J1 League resumes after about two months. It's finally time to restart from here. During the break, we reaffirmed our style of play and also worked on expanding our tactical variations. After the camp, we aimed for further integration.

Coach Massimo also stated, "From here, I want to enhance our maturity to move on to the next step," expressing his enthusiasm for the future and pledging to continue growing. Additionally, in the 2nd Round of the Emperor's Cup held on July 12, the team scored a record 8 goals in club history to secure victory. They want to use this confidence as momentum for the league matches.

Kashima, on the other hand, is currently in 4th place in the league. In the 2nd Round of the Emperor's Cup, they suffered an unexpected defeat to JFL Sony Sendai, but the players are on high alert, stating that "they will come back to fight with even more determination." The destructive power of FW Davi and MF Kaio is outstanding, and MF Endo also brings fluidity and decisiveness to the game. Above all, MF Ogasawara's ability to read the flow of the game and his plays that serve as a starting point for both offense and defense can be said to be among the best in the J-League.

In response, Tokyo wants to first establish a rhythm through solid defense. If they can score the opening goal with quick buildup from there, a repeat of the Nabisco Cup (March 19, winning 3-1) should be possible. Tokyo will approach the match with the same starting lineup as in the Emperor's Cup match against Akita. Additionally, CACA Hiju will also be on the bench.

A light rain began to fall at Ajinomoto. The match started at 18:34 with a kickoff in Tokyo.

Transitioned from resilient defense to attack, but could not capitalize on the chances.

Maintained concentration from the beginning, stole the ball with organized defense, and launched quick counterattacks. In the 12th minute, Kono broke through the right flank and sent a cross. Yonemoto was making a run into the left area, but the ball was just a bit too long and did not reach his outstretched foot. In the 17th minute, Mita on the right connected with Muto, and finally, Yonemoto in the center took a shot from distance. The ball deflected off a defender, changing direction, but was saved by the goalkeeper.

After winning the ball, there were mistakes that led to a period of counterattacks from Kashima, but gradually, they began to show cohesion in their attacks from solid defense and started to find their rhythm. Even so, there were moments when they couldn't finish due to Kashima's intense pressure, but in the 23rd minute, Mita delivered an early cross from just outside the right area. Yonemoto jumped in from the far post to meet it. In the 32nd minute, Ota's feed to the front line was chest-controlled by Edu, and Muto ran in to take a shot, but it went wide.

In the 34th minute, a decisive chance arose. Yonemoto's feed was connected directly by Kono and Muto, and once again from the left, to Edu, who broke free in the center. Edu took a decisive shot with his left foot but missed the target... Although they couldn't capitalize on the chance and ended the first half scoreless, they defended stubbornly against the attack initiated by Kashima's forward Davi, led by Morishige, and went into halftime without any goals.

Mita scores in consecutive official matches to take the lead! However, they faced a fierce counterattack from Kashima in the final stages...

In the second half, both teams aimed for the opening goal, actively challenging each other. In the 50th minute, Muto, while competing with the opposing defender, broke through with a strong dribble into the left area. YoneMoto, who ran into the area for a negative pass, attempted a direct shot but could not hit the target. Kashima also launched a quick counterattack, leading to a fierce exchange of counters, and in the 56th minute, Higashi was brought in as an attacking midfielder in place of Kono.

In the following 60 minutes, Edu dribbled down the right side. The last pass sent into the area was intercepted by the opposing defender, but Muto charged in fiercely, and the clearance went to Mita just before the right corner of the area. Mita took a step inside and boldly struck with his left foot. The no-spin shot soared over the goalkeeper's outstretched hand and hit the bar just right, GOAL!! Mita scored with a magnificent shot to take the lead!

However, from here, Kashima launched a fierce counterattack. Therefore, they changed their formation back to 4-4-2 to respond. Both sides maintained their concentration, and intense back-and-forth continued. In the 78th minute, Higashi advanced through the center and made a through pass to the left area. Here, Muto made a run, breaking free in front of the opposing defender and took a decisive shot, but... it was saved by the advancing goalkeeper. Conversely, in the 80th minute, Kashima's midfielder Ogasawara made a long feed to the front line. In response, substitute forward Toyokawa broke through and, while competing with Tokunaga, took a shot. The ball floated gently and shook the net, but just before that, there was a handball foul, resulting in a Tokyo ball.

Still, the period of being pushed back by Kashima continued, and in the 86th minute, Kashima's left cross was dropped by FW DAVI, setting up FW TOYOKAWA in the center for a shot. This was blocked by MORISHIGE, but the ball spilled to the right, where right back NISHI delivered a cross. The ball cleared by YONEMOTO with a header while returning to the area fell to Kashima FW TOYOKAWA in the left area, who scored with a direct volley using his left foot... and finally, a goal was conceded.

In added time, Tokyo's FK situation saw Kashima MF Luis Albert sent off. Tokyo, not giving up, aimed to take the lead, and even after 5 minutes, both teams launched counterattacks. In the end, substitute Hanyu dribbled up the left side, cut back past the opposing DF, and sent a pass between Mutou in the center and Ota making a run to the far post, but... the opposing GK also rushed out, and the DF defended collectively, resulting in a time-up. Both teams attacked with fighting spirit, but the fierce battle ended in a shared point.

【Player Comments】
《Mita》
"There were chances to score additional points. However, we couldn't capitalize on those opportunities, and instead, we ended up being equalized, resulting in a very frustrating draw. I wanted to score goals since practice, and I have been training for shots like that. It was good to be able to show that in an official match. I want to keep producing results and continue to build on this. Next, I want to work hard to contribute to a victory."

Yoshimoto
"After taking the lead, we had the awareness to defend properly. I didn't want to fall back if possible, but we ended up in a situation where we had no choice but to retreat. However, it is the job of us defenders to hold the line at the end. It is truly frustrating that we couldn't do that. While it's disappointing that we couldn't win, there are parts where we can feel progress and growth. I want us to come together as one and build on this to be in the best shape for the final match."

【Summary of Coach Massimo FICCADENTI's Press Conference】
"Although it was after the break, I think the performance was good. I knew that Kashima would come at us with high motivation since they had lost an important match last week. I clearly told the players that in such matches, we should not just finish the game 1-0, but we need to score a second goal. It is impossible to finish the game without giving the opponent any chances from a 1-0 situation. Therefore, it is important to secure the game by scoring a second goal. I believe that not being able to score despite having chances is our current issue."

【Kashima - Summary of the Press Conference by Coach Toninho CEREZO】
I think it was a wonderful match. Every time we play against Tokyo, it feels like a good game. The opponent played a 4-3-3 formation, and I could see their thorough coaching. In particular, their inside midfielders were aggressive in suppressing our defensive midfielders during the build-up. We became compact in defense and were able to attack effectively through side changes using the space on both flanks. From there, we increased our speed and pressed into the area, but the quality of our crosses in the first half was low. In the second half, we were able to create better shapes.
We fell behind due to the opponent's high-quality shot, but there was still plenty of time left, so I thought about calming the team down. I believe both teams were quite exhausted in the second half. In that context, the midfield opened up, allowing us to create chances. It was a match where it wouldn't have been surprising if it ended 2-1, but I want to commend the players for showing that they would keep going no matter the situation. I feel the same way about the Tokyo players, and the spectacle we both showed should be appreciated.