Challenging the tough opponent, Kashima, in an away game

Entering Sec. 4 of the 2nd stage, we will face Kashima Antlers away. The match against Yamagata ended in a draw, but we managed to keep a clean sheet in the league since the match against Niigata on April 29. We want to take confidence from the fact that, despite a series of injuries to players including Kajiyama, Ota, and Takahashi, the team did not crumble. The challenge in our attack is to convert chances into goals reliably. While continuing to fight tenaciously, we will work on assessing the flow and situation, and strive to bring intensity as a team, continuing our growth.

However, Kajiyama injured his left ankle and fibula in the Yamagata match, forcing him to take a long-term leave. Additionally, Ota and Higashi are not in perfect condition and will miss this match. Therefore, Maruyama will be used as the left side back. Sandaza and Kono, who has returned from injury, will be in the starting lineup for the first time since the Nabisco Hiroshima match on May 27. Maeda and Sandaza will form a two-top, with Kono playing just behind them. In midfield, Takahashi will act as the anchor, with Yonemoto and Hanyu serving as inside halves in a 4-3-3 formation.

Kashima, on the other hand, is in 8th place in the 1st stage. In the 2nd stage, where they tried to make a comeback, they currently have 1 win, 1 draw, and 1 loss, and it can be said that they are not fully demonstrating their true "Kashima style." Therefore, after a change in management, this match will be the first game under the new coach Masatada ISHII. However, the players from Tokyo all agree that "as a tradition of Kashima, the way to fight for victory should not change," and Coach Massimo also continues, "We must not be influenced by the circumstances of the opposing team," vowing to focus on what they need to do.

Kashima starts with FW Davi and MF Kaio on the bench. Meanwhile, MF Shibasaki returns to the starting lineup. Ito is utilized as the right side back, maintaining the same 4-4-1-1 formation as before. Without missing any gaps from Kashima, the team aims for goals and victory by combining everyone's power. Under the scorching weather, the match finally started at 18:34 with Kashima's kickoff as a slight breeze began to pick up in the evening.

Lost rhythm due to a mistake, allowed the opening goal

From the start, the fighting spirit was evident, and the match continued in a balanced manner. In the 3rd minute, Yonemoto applied intense pressure on Kashima's right midfielder Endo, winning the ball and passing it forward. However, it did not reach Sandaza, who was trying to break through behind the defense. In the 4th minute, there was a throw-in situation that led to a counterattack from Kashima, but Kashima forward Akasaki, who broke through behind Tokyo's defense, was offside. In the 5th minute, they attacked from the left side, and Maruyama delivered an early cross, but it was caught by the opposing goalkeeper. In the 11th minute, Sandaza on the right front received the ball and faced forward, aiming for the goal, but was a beat too slow and was blocked by Kashima's defender. In the 13th minute, Takahashi intercepted the ball during a midfield tussle. He immediately passed it to Sandaza at the front. Sandaza entered the right area! He shot in front of the opposing defender, but... it went straight to the Kashima goalkeeper.

Tokyo had possession of the ball for a long time, but Kashima launched sharp counterattacks, resulting in a back-and-forth development. In the 16th minute, Kono passed to Hanyu on the right flank, who broke through to the front line. Sandaza and Maeda were in front of the goal, and Hanyu aimed for a cross to them, but it was blocked by the opposing defender. Unable to capitalize during a good rhythm, mistakes began to emerge gradually.

In the 19th minute, Tokyo's defense was shaken by a series of passes on Kashima's right side, leading to a shot from right back Ito from the right area. The ball hit the left post, but this moment gave Kashima momentum, and in the 26th minute, they pressed forward with quick transitions and wide attacks. From a backward pass by left back Yamamoto, who was free in the left area, forward Akasaki took a shot. This hit the crossbar, narrowly escaping danger... In the 30th minute, following a forward run by Kashima's defender Yamamoto, midfielder Shibasaki was left free slightly to the left of center and aimed for a long-range shot. The ground shot grazed Yoshimoto, slightly altering its course, and found the net, catching Gonda off guard... allowing the first goal to be conceded.

After that, Kashima took control. In the 43rd minute, from Morishige's long pass, Kono on the right flank brought the ball inside and attempted to aim for a goal after a one-two with Sandaza, but it was blocked by Kashima. Unable to finish the attack, they ended the first half trailing by one goal.

The team is revitalized by a substitution, Nathan BURNS scores his first goal in J-League, but……

In the second half, Tokyo replaced Yoshimoto with Matsuda as the right side back. Tokunaga moved to the left, while Maruyama and Morishige played as center backs. Yonemoto and Takahashi formed a double pivot. With Hanyu and Kono on both sides, they launched a counterattack. This substitution brought momentum to the team. In the 53rd minute, Hanyu broke free on the left flank and delivered a ground cross. The ball went past Sandaza in the center and flowed to the far side, but Maeda charged in from the outside and slid to shoot! However, it was blocked by the post... After that, Matsuda took the kick and pushed Kashima back, focusing on set plays.

In the 61st minute, Nathan BURNS was substituted for Sandaza, and in the 66th minute, Mita was brought on for Kono. They aimed for a goal by increasing their speed. In the 69th minute, Maruyama was fouled in a contest with an opponent, earning a free kick in their own half. In the 70th minute, Gonda took this free kick forward. Maeda on the right headed it further ahead. In response, Nathan BURNS burst into the right area, outmaneuvered the opposing defender, exploited the goalkeeper's gap, and rolled it into the net for a GOAL!! Nathan BURNS scored his first goal in J-League, leveling the match!

Tokyo, with a rising momentum, attempted to attack further, but Kashima aimed to secure 3 points at home, leading to intense exchanges between offense and defense. In the 80th minute, Kashima brought in forward David. Immediately after, Kashima MF Doi broke into the right area. At this point, Tokyo managed to close in and escaped with a corner kick... In the 81st minute, from a sharp right corner kick by Kashima MF Shibasaki, DF Masu was able to score with a powerful header... and they conceded the second goal...

Still not giving up on the counterattack, in the 4 minutes of added time, Matsuda's right cross was headed back by Maeda, and Tokunaga, in the left area, reacted. He took a direct shot, but it went wide to the right. Following that, they earned a right corner kick from Matsuda's cross. Mita sent a sharp kick to the far post, and Maeda headed it, but... it was blocked by Kashima, and from the rebound, Hanyu aimed a precise middle shot, but it was caught by the goalkeeper, and time was up. They showed a never-give-up attitude in a total war and aimed for the goal until the end, but it did not bear fruit. Once again, they could not seize victory against Kashima.

[Player Comments]
《Nathan BURNS》
"I'm happy to score, but it's disappointing that we couldn't achieve victory. J.League matches are very fast-paced in every moment, but I play with a positive mindset. Scoring in a short time after coming on as a substitute is not easy, but as a striker, I aim for a goal in every match. Good passes don't come every time, but I've been instructed to make runs behind the defense, so I played accordingly and I think it worked well."

《Riki MATSUDA》
"In preparation for the match, I was instructed to start with solid defense and to attack when there is an opportunity. It was good that we were able to create chances, but... I accept the result of not winning in the last two matches, and for the next game, I want to turn the cheers of the fans and supporters into strength and absolutely aim for victory."

【Summary of the press conference by Massimo FICCADENTI】
"We were very good for the first 15 to 20 minutes. We played well and created the best chance. However, after that, Kashima gained some momentum starting from when their shots hit the bar and post, and shortly after, we conceded a goal. In the first half, Kashima gradually played better. So, at the start of the second half, we brought Matsuda in as a right back. We were trying to build up from the back, so we put Maruyama in as a center back, and as a result, we managed to respond well. Overall, we applied pressure from the front and were able to equalize. The second half was completely different from the first half. There were a few episodes, but regarding the second goal conceded, the opponent's shot was outstanding. Still, the positive thing is that the performance in the second half was excellent. Both mentally and in terms of quality, it was very good. I believe we are on the right path. The second stage has just begun. There are many players who are not in good condition due to injuries or returning from injuries, and despite facing many issues, I want to view the fact that we were able to perform at this level positively.
(What was the intention behind substituting Matsuda for Yoshimoto?)
We needed a player who could move forward from the side. With the space that was created, Matsuda's presence was necessary to add speed and quality. Maruyama is more defensive, but afterwards, we were able to build up from the center as well, and the substitution had a positive impact on the team. We created many chances from the right side, and I think the tactical changes worked well. I am satisfied with the content of the second half.

【Kashima - Masatada ISHII's press conference summary】
"First of all, I feel relieved. The match was tough in terms of ball contests, and I think we were able to overwhelm Tokyo from the first half by showing our fighting spirit. In the second half, our energy levels dropped, and we were equalized, which brought our tone down a bit, but in the end, we were able to score an additional goal and secure the victory. However, we have only achieved one win so we want to keep going."