Tamagawa Classico Sec. 27 at Home

Sec. 7 of the league is held. As the 27th Tamagawa Classico, we will face Kawasaki Frontale at home.
In the previous match against Kashiwa, we suffered a defeat due to a penalty goal. This match is against Kawasaki, who are currently undefeated and at the top of the league. Even if the game becomes difficult against such a formidable attacking team, we want to avoid consecutive losses. We aim to seize the rhythm from solid defense and maintain our aggressiveness, always looking for gaps in the opponent's play to find our chance to win.

Tokyo sees Tanabe starting for the first time since the match against Kashima on March 19, and Nathan BURNS also returns to the starting lineup for the first time since the ACL away match against Jiangsu. The double pivot consists of Yonemoto and Henderson, with Tanabe and Abe on the flanks. They will start in a 4-4-2 formation with Maeda and BURNS up front. Additionally, Komano has made the squad for the first time in the league and is on the bench.

Kawasaki started with MF Nakamura and MF Harakawa in the holding midfield. Up front, in addition to FW Yu OKUBO and FW Kobayashi, MF Morita and MF Tasaka take on fluid positions.

At Ajinomoto, with spring-like mild weather, the match started at 15:03 with a kickoff from Kawasaki.

The press worked, outpacing the quick transitions, and Barnes scored the opening goal.

4 minutes: Kawasaki's right cross was cut by Yonemoto in his own territory. The ball was cleared high, and Maeda on the left side sent it to the center with a header. The Kawasaki defender tried to control the ball, but Tanabe closed in on the chest trap and sent it forward to Nathan BURNS. BURNS then dribbled solo. As he entered the area, he took a controlled shot and neatly placed it into the bottom left of the goal. With a quick transition, he outpaced Kawasaki, scoring the opening goal with BURNS' first league goal of the season!

11 minutes: The score is quickly tied. Kawasaki connected passes in the midfield, and midfielder Nakamura sent a long pass behind Tokyo's defense just before the center line. Forward Yu OKUBO made a run to meet it. Ogawa chased after him but couldn't stop his powerful advance. A goal was scored.

After that, Tokyo's press from the frontline functioned, compacting their formation and pushing the whole team up, shutting down Kawasaki's passing game. From there, they gained rhythm through dribbles from Barnes and Abe, with Maeda and Tanabe also getting involved well in the frontline to create chances.

23 minutes: Yonemoto applies pressure, and here Maeda passes to Barnes who breaks forward. He dribbles up to the right area and takes a shot in front of the opposing defender, but it goes just slightly to the left.

29 minutes: Abe runs up the left side space and crosses. Maeda in the area gently lays it off. Tanabe, who was in front of the goal, couldn't take the shot, but Maeda connects again, and Barnes at the edge of the area makes contact.

33 minutes: On the right side, Barnes dribbles past an opponent, and Ha DAESUNG, who followed up, sends a floated ball directly into the center of the area. Abe takes a header.

They focused on suppressing Kawasaki's passing and fluid attacking line, outpaced them in quick transitions, and found their rhythm, but were unable to score an additional goal, ending the first half at 1-1.

Successfully took the lead with Maeda's goal, but lost momentum...

At the start of the second half, Tokyo took control.
49 minutes: Tokunaga's cross was cleared and flew to Abe's feet in front. It seemed like a great chance, but the ball came in too close to his feet and he couldn't control it. Barnes in the area also couldn't react to the loose ball that followed.

50 minutes: A mistake occurred while trying to connect from our own half, and Kawasaki intercepted the ball. Midfielder Nakamura spread the play to the right. The team was stretched wide, and forward Yu OKUBO, who moved up the center, was free to shoot. The ball hit the crossbar.
54 minutes: Kawasaki forward Kobayashi broke through the front line, exploiting the gap in the coordination between Maruyama and Akimoto. Forward Kobayashi headed towards an open goal, but as he chased, the trap slipped, and the ball went out of bounds, narrowly avoiding a goal conceded.

56 minutes: Amid ongoing pressure, a free kick is awarded on the left side. Maeda makes a run to the near post to meet Ogawa's kick, striking with his left foot past the opposing defender, successfully taking the lead! The score is now 2-1.

59 minutes: Regaining the flow again, Maeda matched the cross from Barnes, who broke into the left area, and took a direct shot, but... it went over the bar.

64 minutes: Yonemoto moves to the right front line. The cross from here flowed into the central space, but Barnes in front of the goal reacted. He turned back and took a shot, but... it was just slightly to the left.

Kawasaki also made substitutions to launch a counterattack, leading to a fierce exchange of offense and defense. Both sides attacked each other, creating opportunities for both.
68 minutes: Hashimoto replaced Tanabe, and then in the 74th minute, Hirayama was brought in to aim for an additional goal.

76 minutes: From a free kick by Kawasaki, a foul was called on FW Yu OKUBO, who entered the area, after being chased from behind by Yonemoto. A penalty kick was awarded. FW Yu OKUBO converted it himself, bringing the score back to a tie.
78 minutes: Muriqui was brought in on the side. They aimed to extend their lead with a 4-3-3 formation.
81 minutes: Kawasaki's MF Nakamura switched the side to DF Elsinho, who utilized his speed to assist FW Kobayashi in the left area, allowing a turnaround.

Additional time: It was the final moments as we tried to push forward for a counterattack, but we lost the ball in front of the Kawasaki goal and were hit with a quick counter. From a right cross by midfielder Nakamura, defender Elsinho scored with a header... the fourth goal conceded.

Lost composure midway through the second half and could not stop Kawasaki's momentum. On the other hand, Kawasaki scored 3 goals from 4 shots in the second half. Their high precision was evident, resulting in a frustrating comeback loss. Suffered a second consecutive defeat in the league.

[Player Comments]
《Nathan BURNS》
"I think we had a chance to win, and the performance was good. That's why it's very disappointing that we couldn't secure the victory."
(It was my first goal in the league this season)
I have always been waiting for opportunities and have been preparing for matches like today. I believe it is my job to perform well when I get the chance to play. However, the most important thing is the team's victory. Not being able to achieve that makes me feel more regretful.

《Tanabe》
"We applied pressure from the front and aimed to take care of where Kawasaki was distributing the ball. There were many situations where we were on the defensive, but it worked well. Against an opponent who was circulating the ball, we were able to win it back without retreating. It was a good rhythm, and it would have been great if we could have scored the third goal, but... we couldn't finish it, and the momentum shifted. We ended up being turned around, and it's incredibly frustrating."

【Summary of Coach Hiroshi JOFUKU's Press Conference】
"The players' morale for the Tamagawa Classico was high, and the game unfolded according to our game plan. However, although we scored two goals, we conceded four, highlighting the difference in finishing ability. There were several moments when we should have scored the third goal first, but we couldn't pull away at that point. If we don't score when we need to, we can't win the match. The fans and supporters cheered for us until the end, but we made them feel disappointed. I didn't want to see the players who worked hard being booed, but that is something we brought upon ourselves. I want to change this situation together with them."

[Kawasaki - Yahiro KAZAMA's Press Conference Summary]
"In the first half, there were more scenes where we played while standing still, and there were many positioning mistakes, which we were exploited for. The only good thing was that we managed to score a goal back. However, the pitch today had long grass, and we could have anticipated such a situation. I think it was tough for the players, but they gradually got used to it and adapted. Even after conceding a goal, including substitutions, the players have been showing great motivation and aiming for goals. With so many fans and supporters coming out, their cheering was more impressive than our play. I believe their presence was one of the reasons for today's victory."