2nd Stage begins, welcoming the 26th Tama River Clasico

Kawasaki Frontale will face off against Thales in the opening match of the 2nd stage, known as the "26th Tama River Clasico". They will be playing away. Despite finishing in a record high 2nd place in the 1st stage, both coach Massimo and the players agree that they have not achieved anything yet. Their goal is to continue accumulating points and achieve results throughout the year, giving their all in each match and aiming for victory.

This week, Nathan BURNS, who has recovered from injury, returns to the starting lineup for the first time since the May 30th Kashiwa game. Kajiyama will anchor the midfield, with BURNS and Hayashi playing as inside halves, and Ishikawa and Maeda as the two top players. They will face the game in a 4-3-1-2 formation with Higashi playing as the attacking midfielder. In addition, new signing Australian national team FW Nathan BURNS will be on the bench.

Kawasaki is in 5th place with 30 points in the 1st stage. They suffered a big defeat of 0-6 in a friendly match against Germany's Borussia Dortmund, but they see it as a valuable experience to get used to the world-class pace and pressure, and want to use it as momentum for the 2nd stage. Above all, they will have a strong determination to not lose in this season's Tama River Clasico.

FW Yu OKUBO and FW Renato lead a strong attacking force, with a total of 32 goals, ranking second in the league. The key to this match will be how well we can withstand and endure the pressure without panicking. In order to prevent conceding goals, we must maintain our focus and concentration, but also work on our teamwork and balance, especially in the front line. We must also utilize each player's individual strengths and come together as a team to face Kawasaki.

Kawasaki Todoroki Stadium, where the humidity remains even in the evening. The game started at 6:30 PM with Kawasaki's kickoff.

Defense from the front line is working, not allowing Kawasaki to move freely.

Both teams fought with great intensity from the kick-off. In the 2nd minute, Kawasaki MF Elsinho showed his strength and made a vertical cross to FW Yu OKUBO on the right side. In the 4th minute, Tokyo connected the ball from a set piece and Iwashita passed it to the front of the left area. Ota made a run to receive it, but the ball was caught by the GK. In the 5th minute, Kawasaki once again had a quick passing play, and MF Nakamura took a shot from the left. The shot had a low trajectory, but Gonda calmly caught it in front of him.

Tokyo pressed from the front with a compact formation and quickly switched to attacking after winning the ball. In the 10th minute, they counterattacked by stealing Kawasaki MF Nakamura's back pass. East received a foul and earned a free kick from the right side of the opponent's field. Ota took the direct shot, but it went wide to the right. In the 12th minute, East received a return pass from Ishikawa after cutting off Mori's pass, and sent a pass to Maeda who made a run behind the opponent's defense. However, their timing was slightly off. In the 13th minute, Maeda received a pass from the opponent's mistake and cut back against the defender in the right area, but the shot went over the bar.

Amidst intense defense from both sides, there were many instances where chances for FK were given to the opponent. In the 28th minute, from a quick restart by Kawasaki, FW Renato dribbled through the center. Tokyo DF had no choice but to fall back, and although they were able to bring the ball to a shot, it missed the goal. In the 33rd minute, Tokyo earned a FK from a position just outside the left area and goal line. East sent a sharp kick to the far side, but it did not reach Maeda...

As time passed, Tokyo was dominated by Kawasaki and although they had some shots on goal, their organized defense was effective. They did not allow their opponents to create any scoring opportunities. On the other hand, they were unable to capitalize on their chances, including set pieces. The first half ended scoreless.

Allowed the first goal and fell into Kawasaki's rhythm. Down by two points...defeat

In the second half, the ball continued to go back and forth, but the high positioning of right DF Takeoka and left MF Komiyama's fullbacks caused trouble. In the 52nd minute, from a pass in the center of Kawasaki, FW Renato passed to the left area. MF Komiyama sent a pass to the space in front of the goal, and MF Elsinho, who was left free, ran in and shot with his right foot from the outside. It went into the top right corner... and we conceded the first goal by being caught off guard.

At 56 minutes, East broke through the left front line and managed to take a shot despite being marked by DF, but it was saved by the opponent GK. Then, at 59 minutes, Ota's left CK was headed by Morishige, but it went over the bar. At 61 minutes, Nathan BURNS, who made his first appearance in the J-League, was substituted for East. He tried to lead a counterattack with momentum.

However, Kawasaki tried to increase the tempo and launched a speedy counterattack. As a result, in the 65th minute, Takahashi was substituted for Hayabusa. Kajiyama and a double pivot formed a partnership, with Yonemoto on the left side and Ishikawa on the right. They changed their formation to a 4-4-2 with Maeda and Nathan Burns up top, trying to change the flow of the game. However, in the midst of a back-and-forth counterattack, in the 74th minute, Kawasaki FW Renato dribbled from the right to the center. Unable to stop him, Yoshimoto committed a foul, giving away a free kick from just outside the penalty area on the right. Renato himself took the free kick with a soft kick, and the ball passed through the wall and was sucked in to the right... resulting in their second goal being conceded.

In the 75th minute, Nakajima came on for Ishikawa. They aimed to score a goal and make a comeback, but they couldn't create any attacking opportunities and were hit by Kawasaki's precise counterattacks. In additional time, Nathan BURNS dribbled and took a shot, earning a corner kick. Ota followed up with a shot from the kick, but it was blocked by Kawasaki and they were hit on the counter. In the end, Kawasaki's defender Igawa made it to the goal and took a decisive shot. However, it was saved by Kanda and they avoided conceding a third goal. But they were unable to score and the game ended with no points. They were defeated by a 2-point difference.

[Player Comments]
"Nathan BURNS"
"I was aware that it was an important game. It was my first J-League game and I was confused by Kawasaki's technique and speed, but I also feel good about being able to play in such a difficult game. It takes time for teamwork and combination plays. I want to practice more and gradually get used to my teammates and the team's style, and grow."

"Morihito"
"In the first half, our defense worked as planned by taking possession in a high position. However, it was necessary to take the lead in that flow. In the second half, we conceded a goal and then Kawasaki did what they wanted. I think we made it easy for the opponent to play. As a team, we need to reflect on and correct our individual mistakes."

[Summary of Massimo FICCADENTI's press conference]
"It was a good performance until we conceded the first goal. We were able to attack from a high position and Kawasaki struggled with their build-up from the back. I think their only chance was Renato's shot. We also had chances with Maeda's shot, corner kicks, and set pieces. I think the fact that we won many fouls that led to free kicks shows that our pressing was working. However, our finishing was not accurate enough. It was a balanced game until it became 0-1, but then there was a period where the game dragged on and it became an open game, resulting in a 0-2 score. In the end, we had to take risks and attack, which was inevitable. If I have to mention a positive aspect, it would be that Kajiyama, Yonemoto, and Hanyu, who were injured, returned and gave a good performance. However, I still have to praise Kawasaki's quality today. They improved after scoring the first goal and were able to launch attacks with their speed."
(About Nathan Burns)
A speedy player. East put him in because he wanted to take advantage of Nathan Burns' speed in front of the goal. Although he has just joined the team, FW is a player who can always decide the game. There are times when one chance leads to a goal. We were able to see his attacking ability in some scenes. He may not be in his best condition yet, but I think he will definitely be a helpful player for the team."

[Kawasaki - Yahiro Kazama Coach's Press Conference Summary]
"We had a two-week break and were able to prepare well. Also, the players' awareness has become higher and they played a very good game. (Is the change in players' awareness due to the effect of the Dortmund game?) This is often said, but our players have always had a high awareness. However, we were shown a speed that exceeded our imagination, so I think it was a good training match. The atmosphere of practice has also changed, so it is important to continue that."