League matches resume, challenging the tough opponent Kashima!

The league matches resume for the first time since October 1, facing Kashima Antlers at home in Sec. 15 of the 2nd stage.
After the Levain Cup Semifinal Round, we will continue to engage in high-intensity hard training during the interval period. While focusing on continuity and accumulation for growth, we will remain committed to winning each match and continue to fight.

During the Levain Cup, Morishige and Maruyama, who were participating in the World Cup qualifiers for the Japan national team, have returned to the team and will start together. The team has conceded 11 goals in their last 5 official matches, so they want to focus on rebuilding their defense with them at the center. In terms of offense, under Coach Shinoda, there has never been a match without scoring, so how they can take the initiative in this match will be a key point. In this match, Maeda will start in the forward position, and Hashimoto will be used as the right side back. Muroya will start on the left side.

Kashima is in 9th place in the 2nd stage. They lost 1-3 to Omiya in the previous match, and it seems they have not fully demonstrated their true Kashima style. However, it is also true that they are in a situation where they "cannot afford to lose" as they aim for the championship from winning the 1st stage and improving their annual ranking.
In this match, DF Masashi, who has recovered from injury, and MF Endo are in the starting lineup. Along with MF Endo, MF Fabricio is utilized on the side. MF Shibasaki and Nagaki are arranged as double defensive midfielders, and the front line features a two-top with FW Doi and Kanazaki.

Kashima, known for their resilience as a weapon, faces this match with the desire to dominate at home and secure victory without hesitation.
The match started at 14:04 with a kickoff from Kashima under a chilly weather with no sunlight.

Dynamic in both offense and defense, Kono scores from Nakajima's pass to take the lead!

Showed an aggressive attitude right from the start. Kashima also switched quickly, demonstrating momentum and drive forward, and the game progressed at a high pace.
4 minutes: Hashimoto joined the attack and created a connection on the right side, advancing to the corner of the right area. In response to a return from Kono on the outside, Nakajima and Hashimoto overlapped, but Hashimoto in front took the shot.
6 minutes: Kashima quickly initiates an attack, with MF Shibasaki sending a long pass to the right front line. FW Doi managed to break through, but Maruyama cut it off with a sliding tackle, leading to a counterattack.
7 minutes: Taking advantage of a gap in the opponent's defense, Higashi passes through to Kono, who breaks into the left area. A scoring opportunity was created, but Kono's shot was saved by the opposing goalkeeper...

14 minutes: The ball was advanced from the midfield, initially taken by Kashima, but Mori-shige, who pushed up the line, applied intense pressure on the opponent's pass from the defense line to the midfield, connecting to Nakajima in front. Nakajima dribbled from the center towards the right and sent a perfect through pass to Kono, who ran into the right area. Kono's shot, lightly tapped with his left foot, went over the goalkeeper and into the net! From a speedy counter, Kono scored the opening goal with his skillful play.

After that, Tokyo maintained a compact formation, applying coordinated pressure to win the ball. They outpaced the opponent with their quick starts and strength in duels, taking control of the game.
19 minutes: Higashi breaks into the left space in the Kashima area. However, Kashima GK Sogahata rushes out and stops him with a foul, resulting in a free kick. Kono sends this free kick forward, and the opponent's defender heads it towards the Kashima goal, but it is deflected by the GK, leading to a left corner kick. However, they could not convert it into a finish.

After that, in front of the opponent's fierce defense, we had many opportunities for set plays and approached the Kashima goal.
35 minutes: An incident occurred where Kono injured his foot during a corner kick, and he was substituted by Mizunuma in the 37th minute.
43 minutes: Still maintaining the rhythm, Maeda was fouled on the left side of the midfield, resulting in a free kick. Hashimoto sent it into the left area, and Maeda headed it down, but it just missed Nakajima in front of the goal.

Although they could not score an additional goal, they concentrated on fending off Kashima's counterattacks and did not allow any real chances. They maintained a one-goal lead and ended the first half.

With a fighting spirit on display, Maeda scored an additional goal, securing 3 points!

In the second half, Kashima substituted MF Endo for the speedy MF Suzuki, aiming to counterattack, but Tokyo seized the ball with aggressive defense and launched a counterattack.
47 minutes: Muroya steals the ball on the left side and dribbles forward. Mizunuma was running free on the right side, but Muroya does not change sides and tries to break through with a connection with Maeda in front. However, the pass to the left forward was just a bit too long, and Muroya could not catch up.

51 minutes: Kashima FW Kanazaki brought the ball into the area and created a play, but we persevered and won the ball back, with Nakajima dribbling up the opponent's half. In the end, he tried to send a final pass to Mizunuma, who was making a run on the right, but it was cut off by the Kashima DF.
52 minutes: Higashi collects a right cross in the center and delivers a last pass to the right area. Mizunuma, who ran in, connects with a direct shot.
54 minutes: Mizunuma's right cross flowed to the far side, but Tanabe followed up and passed to Nakajima in the center. Nakajima turned and aimed for a shot, but both attempts missed the target.

Unable to score additional points, on the other hand, Kashima began to threaten the Tokyo goal with crosses and set pieces, gradually gaining momentum for a counterattack.
66 minutes: From a free kick outside the right area, DF Fan Socco heads the ball following a kick from MF Shibasaki.
74 minutes: After a clearance from a left corner kick by Kashima, FW Doi was pressured and took a ground shot, but it was blocked in front of the goal. Furthermore, the loose ball was connected, and from a right cross, DF Masachika headed the ball just in front of the far post, but it narrowly missed the target, avoiding a crisis.

84 minutes: As the tense battle continues, Higashi is fouled and wins a free kick at the left corner of the area. Mizunuma aims directly for the goal with a sharp shot. Just before the goal, Maeda, who ran to the near post, extends his foot to connect with the shot, but it is blocked by the Kashima goalkeeper and defense. However, Morishige shoots the loose ball. This is also saved by the opposing goalkeeper, but Maeda reacts again. He strikes a direct shot from the left area into the goal! Securing a valuable additional point, they extend their lead to 2-0.

Immediately after entering stoppage time, Kashima, not giving up on their counterattack, sent a throw-in to the right area, where midfielder Suzuki turned around. He connected with a cross, and defender Yamamoto headed it in. The bouncing ball was saved by Akimoto, but it was ruled a goal. They conceded one point, but calmly created their own time without panicking, leading to the end of the match.

With fighting spirit at the forefront, we ran through to the end, and in a united battle, we achieved victory in the league for the first time in 8 years since 2008.

[Player Comments]
《Kono》
"I was able to score the goal as I imagined. There was space in front of me, and I made eye contact with Shoya NAKAJIMA when he looked up. I am grateful for the good pass he sent. My playing time was short, but today everyone moved well, and I think we ran more than the opponent. We were able to connect our passes and had momentum. That's how we were able to win, which was very good. My injured left ankle still hurts, but I want to recover in time for the next match."

《Maeda》
"Morishige's shot came to a good spot. I have always wanted to contribute to the team by scoring goals, so I am glad I was able to do it. There were tough moments today, but we were able to run more than the opponent. I think it's the result of our practice. It's important to continue fighting like we did today. I want to do my best to keep it up."

【Yoshiyuki SHINODA's press conference summary】
"It was a solid game from the start. Against a strong opponent like Kashima, we didn't give them any space, and everyone worked hard to press from the front. As a result, we were able to earn 3 points. The flow we aimed for, winning the ball and then executing a short counter, also went well. With a high motivation to somehow defeat Kashima, we were able to focus on our training until the league resumes, and I believe that contributed to the result. Of course, it would have been better to finish with a score of 2-0 or 3-0, but there are still mistakes. There are elements we need to improve on, such as how to close out the game, so I want to prepare and work towards the next game."

【Kashima - Masatada ISHII's Press Conference Summary】
"Today, more than 37,000 soccer fans gathered at Ajinomoto Stadium. A public viewing was also held at Kashima Stadium, where many Kashima fans were watching, and the players were discussing how to have a good match. However, Tokyo was very aggressive both offensively and defensively. The pressing we were trying to implement and the way we moved the ball quickly in the opponent's half were outperformed by Tokyo, resulting in this defeat."