Ajinomoto welcomes a total of 6 million league attendees, challenging at the end of a 7-match series.

As we enter Sec. 11 of the league, we will face Kashima Antlers at home. In the previous match, we marked our first three goals of the season. Despite struggling against Sendai's counterattacks, we secured our first J1 victory at Yurtec.S and achieved Massimo Tokyo's first four consecutive wins. This match marks the end of a seven-match series, but it is also a battle to aim for our club's joint record of five consecutive J1 wins without creating any openings ourselves.

However, Yoshimoto has been suspended due to accumulated warnings. Canini, who has recovered from injury, returns to the starting lineup as a center-back. The forward line features a two-top of Muto and Azuma, with Kono positioned just behind them. Additionally, the newly joined Lassad will also be on the bench.

Kashima has played through Sec. 9 of the league, with 3 wins, 2 draws, and 4 losses, placing them in 11th. Additionally, in the ACL, which they were participating in alongside the league, they lost to FC Seoul on the 5th, missing out on advancing to the Final Round. This season, the absence of FW Davi has affected them, and they seem unable to showcase their usual "Kashima style." However, with their abundant experience and the emergence of young players, they are a team aiming for "constant victory" while undergoing a generational change.

The previous match record shows Tokyo with 8 wins, 8 draws, and 18 losses, significantly trailing behind. Particularly, they have not won in the last 10 matches. While Tokyo should have the advantage in terms of current team condition and momentum, it is noteworthy how they can secure a victory against Kashima, who are known for their strong competitiveness. This match is one to watch.

Under clear weather during the day, 42,070 spectators gathered at Ajinomoto, marking the second highest attendance of the season and surpassing a total of 6 million home league match attendees. With support from the stands before the start, the match kicked off at 16:04 in Tokyo.

Gradually pushed back by Kashima, allowing the opening goal

From the start, Kashima attacked with momentum. In the 4th minute, there was the first long-range shot of the day. In the 8th minute, from a counterattack, MF Doi dribbled through the center. He connected with MF Endo, who entered the area and was about to shoot, but Ota blocked it and it went for a corner kick. From this corner kick, DF Yamamoto had a decisive header from close range at the near post, but Gonda made the save. There were moments where they could have taken a shot, but Tokyo defended calmly, being aware of the quick transitions. The game continued with rapid changes between offense and defense.

However, Kashima frequently utilized side changes, and both full-backs advanced aggressively, implementing thorough countermeasures against Tokyo. On the other hand, Tokyo often lost the ball in midfield and struggled to find their rhythm. In the 26th minute, they attempted to launch a counterattack, but it became half-hearted, resulting in a counterattack from Kashima. In the 32nd minute, Kono, who drifted to the right, executed a side change. Timing it perfectly, Ota advanced and sent a low cross, but it was cut off by Kashima's defense in the area.

In the 34th minute, while being pushed back by Kashima, central MF Endo passed to DF Yamamoto, who moved up just before the left area and sent a soft floating pass into the box. FW Akasaki attempted to connect, but Morishige held him back, preventing a finish, yet no one reacted to the loose ball. Kashima MF Doi closed in and allowed a shot. The ball lacked power but rolled into the bottom left corner... We were caught off guard for a moment and allowed the opening goal.

Still, in the 41st minute, Higashi broke through on the left flank and sent a sharp cross. Free from the opponent's goalkeeper, Yonemoto rushed in and took a right-footed shot after a one-touch just outside the area, but it went wide to the right. Tokyo's first half ended with this one shot, trailing by one goal as they headed into the second half.

Unable to break through the solid defense of Kashima, lost without scoring

Gradually covered by clouds and with the wind picking up, in the second half, Tokyo substituted Takahashi for Hanyu and Maeda for Kono. They changed their formation to 4-4-2 and aimed to launch a counterattack. Seizing this opportunity, they gained momentum and went on the offensive, but continued to lack precision in their final plays. In the 46th minute, Takahashi's vertical pass was spread to the left by Muto. Higashi delivered a cross, but it went over Takahashi's head as he entered the area and flowed to the far side. In the 48th minute, Maeda made a perfect header from a left corner kick, but it went straight to the goalkeeper. In the 54th minute, Higashi cut in from the left side and unleashed a powerful shot just before the area, but it was right at the goalkeeper. In the 58th minute, a quick attack was initiated with a dribble from Kajiyama to Muto, and Higashi returned the ball from the left area to the center, but it was cut off by the Kashima defense.

Kashima substituted DF Ueda for MF Doi in the 70th minute. From this point, they increased their numbers in front of the goal and tightened their defensive block. In response, Tokyo substituted Mita for Kajiyama in the 74th minute. Shortly after, a shot taken by Morishige from a right corner kick hit the crossbar... In the 78th minute, from a right corner kick won by Mita, Maeda headed the ball to the far post, and Azuma pushed it into the goal, but they were unable to capitalize on the scoring opportunity due to a handball foul.

In the 81st minute, a coordinated quick attack was launched, with Muto on the left passing to Mita on the right, and Tokunaga making a run on the outside, breaking through vertically to deliver a final pass in front of the goal. However, the ball flowed into an unoccupied space. From here, Kashima launched a counterattack, and midfielder Shibasaki in the right area took a decisive shot, but it hit the crossbar. Although they did not allow an additional goal, Kashima managed to bring the play to the finish.

Even so, receiving loud cheers from the stands, they did not give up until the end. In the 87th minute, Maeda headed the ball from a corner kick, but it just went over the bar. They earned consecutive corner kicks during stoppage time as well. In the end, Gonda also pushed forward, but they could not capitalize on a total of 9 corner kicks today. Unable to overcome the deficit, the match ended. This marked their second scoreless game of the season, and the goals conceded in the first half proved costly, as they could not win against Kashima once again. They suffered their second defeat in the league.

[Player Comments]
《East》
"In the first half, I felt like we were on the back foot. It turned out to be a similar development to the match against Kawasaki. If that was the case, we should have kept the score to zero. Alternatively, in a home game, we should have fought from the start like we did in the second half... I feel regretful that we couldn't win with so many people coming to support us. However, a record of 4 wins and 1 loss over 5 matches is certainly not bad. I want to take a break to recover physically while keeping my spirits up to ensure we can play well again."

《Yamamoto》
"I'm frustrated about losing and have regrets. However, if we hadn't conceded in the first half, it would have been our match. I felt once again that 'defense is our lifeline,' and I believe if the first half had been 0-0, the result would have been different. I want to make the necessary corrections and do my best for the next match."

【Massimo FICCADENTI's press conference summary】
"In the first half, we became a bit passive. Although Kashima wasn't particularly good, it turned into a tactically difficult match. We knew the opponent would come out strong from the start, and we managed to respond well until around the 20-minute mark, but after that, we lost the ball easily in midfield, which led to the opening goal. The second half was a different match compared to the first. There were a couple of counterattacks against us, but considering the quality of Kashima's players, it was unavoidable. One incident didn't go our way, but it's something that can happen in football when things don't progress positively. Kashima had just lost in the ACL, but we were able to play our game. Although we lost, I am satisfied with the performance in the second half. I think it made them realize that winning against us is not easy."
(Why didn't we make adjustments until halftime?)
Even after falling behind, there was still time left, and we organized our thoughts calmly to unify our intentions at halftime. We are competing against technically strong teams like Hiroshima, Kawasaki, G Osaka, Urawa, and Kashima, but we are fighting by showcasing our own strengths. However, it is difficult to maintain that for a full 90 minutes. The players received instructions at halftime and responded wonderfully.

(In the second half, we were aggressive, but wasn't our attack too monotonous?)
We had various strategies from the first half. In the last 30 minutes, the opponent's defense had five players and fell back into their own half, so I thought crosses from deep positions would be effective. We still lack the ability to break through individually. In that situation, we tried to find solutions. Attacking from the sides against a withdrawn opponent was to reduce the risk of counterattacks, and I think we played wisely.

(Was there no plan to take control of the game from the first half?)
There were players with issues, so management was necessary. There was a willingness to challenge actively, but we kept losing the ball in midfield, which caused our balance to drop. It felt like we lacked possession in midfield.

【Kashima - Toninho CEREZO's press conference summary】
"With a large crowd supporting the home team, it was expected that we would be pushed back in the second half after taking the lead at halftime. The first half was excellent, and the players were doing what they needed to do. We had communicated how to deal with the opponent's runs into space and attacks from the left side in advance, so they responded well. However, in the second half, we lost focus on the sides and allowed several chances to be created against us. We also had some ball losses that put us under defensive pressure, but I believe we could have responded more calmly. We knew that we had conceded many goals from set pieces, so we changed our defensive approach. It’s not something that can be perfected in just two days, and there were several dangerous situations created by Maeda near the side. That needs to be analyzed and adjusted. Still, we did not create any chances from the flow of play, and the players who managed to regroup in just two days deserve praise."