The final match of the 7-game series, looking for a chance to win away

Sec. 4 of the league, facing Kashima Antlers away, three days after the ACL Jiangsu Suning match.
Tokyo's record against Kashima has not seen a victory since 2008, and a tough battle is expected away from home. However, with a solid defense and clever attacking strategies, they aim for their third consecutive win in the league.

Tokyo will have Maeda and Higashi as the two top players due to Abe's poor physical condition. Mizunuma will be on the right side, and Tanabe on the left. They will face the game with a formation of a double volante with Yonemoto and Hashimoto. In addition, Hirayama will make his comeback since September 12th last year (2nd section 10th Kobe game) and will be on the bench. Kashima will start with MF Suzuki and MF Caio on both sides. FW Akasaki and FW Kanazaki will be the two top players in a 4-4-2 formation.

The heavy rain that fell in the early afternoon had stopped, but Kashima Soccer Stadium was covered in clouds and fog began to appear. The match started at 3:04 PM with a kickoff from Tokyo.

Enter the game from defense and do not let Kashima get into rhythm

Pressing aggressively from the start, they prevented Kashima from finding their rhythm with coordinated defense, and when they won the ball, they attacked both sides of the opponent.

7 minutes: Mizunuma brings the ball to the right front line, shakes off the opponent's mark and drops back to the right area, crosses. Tanabe connects with a header from the cleared ball by Kashima in front of the area, and Hashimoto aims for the goal.
18 minutes: East → Minus as Mizunuma jumped out to the right front line aiming for the opponent's back. East again sent a ground cross to Hashimoto, who was free in the center area just in front, creating a decisive situation, but Hashimoto's shot went over the bar.

As time passed, Kashima gradually allowed ball possession and was pushed back into their own territory, but Tokyo maintained their focus and did not allow any goals.

33 minutes: Kashima's left side FW Kanazaki brought the ball up to a high position, and Suzuki, MF, jumped in to meet the cross and was hit with a decisive diving header in front of the goal, but it went just slightly to the left.

38 minutes: From a quick restart, Yonemoto sends a vertical pass and Higashi quickly expands to the side. Mizunuma crosses and Maeda jumps in with a header, but the shot hits the goalkeeper's face. In the end, they were unable to create attacking opportunities, but they still held Kashima back with organized defense and ended the first half scoreless.

After conceding the first goal immediately after the start of the second half, our countermeasures against Kashima were also unsuccessful...

The second half was a time when we wanted to extend the scoreless time and make Kashima impatient, and connect to chances, but we were unable to attack in Tokyo's attacking scenes.

50 minutes: Kashima loses the ball. Midfielder Ogasawara sends a pass to the right front line, where forward Akasaki runs to a high position in the right area and makes a move. Maruyama blocks midfielder Suzuki, who is in a shooting position in the right area... The loose ball is taken by left fullback Yamamoto, who shoots the ball in front of the goal. Forward Kanazaki, who was briefly in an offside position, easily scores and takes the lead.

54 minutes: Replaced Tanabe with Kono on the left side.
59 minutes: As they prepare to counterattack, Higashi passes to the right and then through the center. Mizunuma, who has circled around to the center, takes a shot.
60 minutes: From the right side development, Mizunuma aimed for the opponent's gap and took a shot, but both were off target.
62 minutes: Kajiyama is substituted for Mizunuma as a defensive midfielder. Hashimoto moves to the right side and tries to steal the ball from the front line.
66 minutes: From a pass exchange between Higashi and Kono on the left side, Yonemoto enters the area. Maeda connects with the second ball and Kono on the left side takes a shot from the loose ball, but Hashimoto's overhead kick only results in a corner kick.
74 minutes: Hirayama was substituted, forming a two-top with Maeda, and Higashi approached the Kashima goal with power, with Higashi on the left and Kono on the right.
80 minutes: Maeda pushes forward on the left side and passes to the near side with a ground ball. Hirayama skillfully collects it with his feet and turns around. He drops a short pass to Kono, who has run into the center. It was a decisive opportunity, but he couldn't control the ball and missed the shot...

It seemed that the team became more aggressive with the introduction of Hirayama, but they were unable to capitalize on their opportunities. On the other hand, Kashima's calm and varied passing game prevented them from being able to steal the ball.
88 minutes: The ball is passed around on the right side of Kashima, and MF Shibasaki crosses it to FW Kanazaki in the center, who powerfully strikes it in... With the second goal conceded, all hope is lost and this season also ends with a bitter defeat away at Kashima.


[Player Comments]
"Hirayama"
"I wanted to score somehow because it was a game where I came on while we were losing. There are many things that I, as a FW for Tokyo, should do, but I can't do them all. I was thinking about doing each play firmly and trying to make plays that would lead to a goal by entering the opponent's penalty area. It was important to get results, but I couldn't achieve either a goal or a victory, and I only have a feeling of regret. I think that if I can't continue to give my all, I won't be able to stand on the field. I want to do my best to bring out my strengths within the "strengths of Tokyo"."

"Maruyama"
"I think our approach to the game and the first half were good. In the second half, we believed that if we continued to fight, the opponent would become impatient and give us a chance. However, we gave up the first goal when the opponent created a 2-on-1 situation, and the second goal was a result of us pushing forward and giving them space. The opponent's strategy was to exploit the space behind our fullbacks, and that's how we conceded the goal. We also had chances, but whether we could convert them or not would determine the outcome of the game. It's not the responsibility of the attacking players, but as a team, we need to improve."

[Coach Hiroshi JOFUKU's Press Conference Summary]
"Unfortunately, we were not able to meet the expectations of the many fans and supporters who came to support us. Our plan for today was to nullify Kashima's strengths and launch counterattacks, and in the first half, we were able to execute our desired game plan. However, we may have been too fixated on counterattacks and felt that we didn't have enough time, but our performance was not bad. We need to reflect on the fact that we used too much energy on defense as a whole. We wanted to create more time for ourselves to control the ball. We need to be able to withstand the strong pressure from teams like Kashima and break them down by controlling the game. It was a game where we felt that wall, but I don't think it's an insurmountable one. We want to share our frustration and determination with our fans and supporters and achieve good results moving forward."

[Kashima - Masatada ISHII Coach's Press Conference Summary]
"Despite the bad weather, many fans and supporters came to watch our football, which has been a source of strength for our players. With lots of cheers, I think the players were able to keep going until the end. Although we couldn't create many attacking opportunities in the first half, we were able to score the first goal in a good way and even add another goal, resulting in a clean sheet. During the game, there were some moments where our defensive balance was disrupted after scoring the first goal, so that is something we need to work on in the future."