25th Tama River Clasico at Home

The 9th round of the 1st stage will be the "25th Tama River Clasico" as Kawasaki Frontale welcomes the home team. In the previous round, they were pushed back by Niigata, but they endured together and took advantage of a free kick to win. Following the Yamagata match, they took 6 points in a row in the away game. Now, they face the next round with only 2 days of rest. The heat has also become a factor, but manager Massimo reveals that "with the absence of Ishikawa and Canini, we are not in a situation where we can rotate 7-8 players." They are facing the difficulty of surviving consecutive games, but they will fight with determination and focus on winning no matter what the situation or flow of the game. Tokyo will have Kajiyama, who has finished his suspension, returning to the starting lineup. They will also face the match with Lin, who will make his first league start as a forward.

Kawasaki, on the other hand, is currently in 5th place with 4 wins, 2 draws, and 2 losses. Their total goals scored so far is 17, while their total goals conceded is 12, making their goal difference also "+5". This match could potentially result in a change in rankings, as it is a "direct confrontation" between the two teams. However, in their previous match against Kashiwa, Kawasaki only managed to score 1 goal from a free kick, while conceding 4 goals while being on the offensive. Therefore, it will be interesting to see how they will adjust their balance for this match, but their attacking lineup is diverse. For this match, they will have FW Yu OKUBO and Funayama as their two top players, with MF Renato and Kobayashi on both sides.

On the other hand, Tokyo's key will be whether they can keep their opponents from scoring for 90 minutes with their usual style of play, or if they can "fight without falling apart even if they concede a goal (Hanyu)". The Tama River Clasico is always a heated battle, but they will need to maintain their focus, endurance, and competitiveness for the full 90 minutes in order to secure a victory.

Under the clear and sunny weather, which was the hottest of the year, the game started at 4:04 PM in Tokyo with a record-breaking attendance of 42,604 people in the stands.

Allowed Kawasaki's domination, conceded from set pieces

Competing fiercely in the battle for the ball from the start, without losing out. In the 5th minute, Hayashi and then Kajiyama tenaciously took the Kawasaki ball and connected it to the front line. However, the ball that was played out to Kono on the left front line was held back by the Kawasaki DF, and they were unable to create a chance. In the 7th minute, Muto received a foul on the left side of the midfield, earning the first FK of the day. Ota sent Miimoto running to the front line, and Miimoto slipped between the opposing DFs and sent a cross. From the loose ball that was contested by Hayashi in the center, Kono in front of the left area aimed directly, but it was not a clean hit and was blocked.

Kawasaki managed to keep a compact formation and prevent Tokyo from finding their rhythm, but gradually they were able to break through the press and allow Kawasaki to dominate possession. In the 20th minute, Tokyo's Muto fouled Renato from Kawasaki while he was dribbling. This gave Kawasaki a free kick from the left side of Tokyo's defense. In the 21st minute, Kawasaki's Nakamura sent a cross from the center to the far side, where FW Okubo headed it in from the outside. This was the first goal they conceded since their match against Hiroshima on April 18th.

At 33 minutes, from a free kick by Kawasaki again, this time DF Igawa shifted his mark to block Tokyo DF in the right area, and MF Kobayashi was released from the outside and took a direct shot. It was a decisive moment, but the shot missed the goal. At 45 minutes, from a free kick from the left corner by Kawasaki, it was crossed to FW Okubo in the far area, just like the goal scene, but Kanda caught it. Although they were under pressure, they did not allow an additional goal. However, they were unable to bring the ball to the front line against Kawasaki's defense. They ended the first half without creating any chances.

Changed the flow, dramatic come-from-behind victory with Ota and Muto's goals!

Tokyo replaced Kono with Higashi in the second half. In the 50th minute, Maeda replaced Hayashi and took the initiative by aggressively pressing from the front. In the 52nd minute, in the midst of a counterattack, Yonemoto on the left sent a through pass to the front. Maeda in front let it through, leading to a free Muto in the center of the area. It was a decisive opportunity, but Muto's shot... couldn't be put together well. In the 60th minute, in a battle for the ball in the air in front of Kawasaki's goal, Muto on the right received the ball and crossed it from a close distance to the right goal... but it went wide.

In the midst of an offensive, in the 64th minute, Kajiyama from their own team steals a pass from Kawasaki MF Nakamura and launches a counterattack. Mutoh charges through the opponent's territory with a dribble. He receives a foul from Kawasaki DF Kurumaya just outside the left area. Kurumaya receives his second warning of the day and is sent off. Immediately after, Tokyo takes a free kick and Higashi jumps in near the goal, but his direct shot is saved by the opponent's goalkeeper. In the 68th minute, Higashi makes another run into the area and receives a feed from Kajiyama. He traps it with his chest, but is closely marked by Kawasaki DF Elsinho from behind and is unable to take a shot.

At the 71st minute, Muto received a foul in the right area and earned a FK, which Ota aimed directly and sunk into the bottom left for a GOAL! Ota once again took advantage of a set piece opportunity and equalized the score.

Afterwards, even with only 10 players, Kawasaki did not give up and continued to attack with their natural attacking power. However, they were able to shut down the counterattack, thanks to the support from the stands and their concentration. In the 86th minute, Tokyo launched a quick attack and Mutoh, who had moved up the center, attempted to dribble past the left area, but was stopped. However, he persisted and was able to pick up the loose ball, earning a free kick from the left front line near the goal line.

87 minutes, Mutoh flew in at the perfect timing for Ota's kick, heading it in for a spectacular goal and a dramatic lead! Both goals were scored from set pieces, but they were able to control the pace of the game and secure a victory in the intense Tama River Clasico! This also marks their third consecutive win in the league.

【Player Comments】
《Muto》
"In the first half, we couldn't play the way we wanted and we couldn't put pressure on them. Kawasaki dominated and we conceded a goal, but in the second half we switched to pressing from the front. I think it worked well. In the goal-scoring situation, I had been staying on the far side but I moved closer to the goal. Ota sent me a great ball. Today, I missed some chances and was also at fault for the goal we conceded. I wanted to make up for those mistakes."

《Ota》
"Our current theme is to keep the score at zero, so conceding a goal first was somewhat unexpected. However, we were able to switch our mindset and endure the first half. We didn't panic and didn't leave any spaces, we just tried to endure."
(About the equalizer goal)
During that time, we were able to create many chances from CK and other set plays. I was able to make good kicks and felt the responsibility of being in charge of set plays. I also knew the characteristics of Kawasaki GK Nishibe, so I kicked it far away from him, making him think it was near by using my distance and tactics. I thought if I could get it over the wall and into the frame, I could score. Now, everyone on the pitch, including the substitute players, is working hard for the team. I think we are seeing the results of that hard work."

[Summary of Massimo FICCADENTI's press conference]
"The four players in Kawasaki's front line have high quality and were attacking from the start. I think we were able to respond as planned. We conceded a goal from a set piece, but after that, our performance improved. At halftime, I told the players, 'It's going as expected.' I also told them that the opponent's physical strength would drop in the second half and I was confident we could turn the game around. I was aware of the players' condition and that gave me confidence, but I think we were able to run twice as much as the opponent even at 11 vs 11. Tsubasa, who came on in the second half, entered the game with a good flow and pressed from the front line. We had an aggressive and aggressive start in the second half and were able to show an unbelievable physical condition. Even after equalizing, we took risks to seek victory, it was a wonderful game. Kawasaki, who boasts one of the best attacking powers in the J-League, is a team worthy of respect and has wonderful players. It was a big win to be able to beat such an opponent."
(Was it a big victory for the championship race as we reached the halfway point of the 1st stage?)
We never think about the title, we always focus on the next game, the present moment. We value each day and our ability to concentrate on the game in front of us is our strength. The players deeply understand the mentality they should have and have the wisdom to know their own limits. Today, I think the fans and supporters were able to enjoy the great fighting spirit, goals and plays, but the team still has a lot to build on. Time and dedication are important to achieve something, and daily consistency is crucial. We believe we can still grow.

[Kawasaki KAMATA coach's press conference summary]
"Unlike the previous round, we tried to attack the center firmly by ourselves, and the players did very well from the first half. In the second half, we knew how the opponent would play, but the players were not in a hurry. However, it was a miscalculation that we got a red card when we were about to regain our tempo. Even with one less player, if we could score in the situation where we had to score, I think we were lucky. We really wanted to deliver a victory with so many fans and supporters coming. However, I think the players did a very good job."