A crucial match that cannot be lost

Recently, Tokyo has been distant from victory and just three days ago suffered a humiliating defeat with a V-goal. On the other hand, Kobe has not won a single game since the start of the season and only recently achieved their first victory four days ago. Winning today's match is undoubtedly a crucial game for both teams, despite their different situations. Before the match, the familiar chant of "Tokyo! Tokyo!" echoes from the backstand. The "Blue and Red Army" from the goal end has come to Kobe with a group of over 30 people on a weekday night game. With such strong "comrades" supporting them, Tokyo cannot afford to lose. Tokyo has changed their formation, moving Almir to a defensive position, placing Yukihiko Sato in the center, and positioning Kobayashi on the right side to activate their midfield. On the other hand, Kobe starts with the Korean national team's ace, Kwon Seok-ju, who was rested in the previous game, aiming to take control of the midfield. It is expected that there will be intense battles to dominate the midfield between the two teams.

Awakening with Kobe's opening goal

After the start of the first half, Tokyo, which is still not able to shake off the bad image from the past few games, is showing another solid performance. On the other hand, Kobe is riding the wave of their victory four days ago and attacking aggressively and boldly. In the 4th minute of the first half, a free kick from the left is easily redirected and Kobe midfielder Hobe scores the opening goal. It happened in an instant. However, Tokyo wakes up after this. Kobe, who is attacking defenselessly, often leaves space in the midfield after the ball is cut, and Yukihiko Sato and Almir stir things up with their fast ball movement and effective dribbling. Sato Yukihiko in this match is fantastic, actively getting involved in the ball like a fish in water with the freedom to move in the center, creating chances with his excellent direct passes and speedy dribbles. Almir also bewilders the opponents with his brilliant technique and accurate passing. On the other hand, Kobe counters with the combination of their ace Kawashima, Hasebe, and substitute Nagashima. As expected, there was a fierce battle in the high-level midfield.

Dramatic Finale!

In the second half, Tokyo's attack gained momentum. Amaral, who has been in good form since the opening, remained stable and became a focal point in the front line. Kobayashi, who entered as a right midfielder, repeatedly bewildered Kobe's defense with his flexible dribbling, and Fujiyama, the left fullback, tore apart Kobe's defense with one-twos with Almir and high-speed dribbling. In terms of the number of shots in the second half, Tokyo had 11 shots compared to Kobe's mere 2 shots, clearly dominating the game in Tokyo's favor.

However, they fell just short of scoring, and time passed in vain. Then, in the 43rd minute of the second half, Amaral won the ball from a left corner kick and Sandro pushed it into the goal in the midst of a scramble, equalizing the score and turning the tide. The match ended in a draw after 90 minutes and went into extra time. Even in extra time, Tokyo maintained their pace and attacked Kobe's goal. Then, in the 12th minute of the first half of extra time, substitute Kagamiki delivered a perfect cross from the left. Amaral dove and headed the ball into the goal, putting an end to the intense battle that lasted 102 minutes.

We have great confidence in playing on par or even better against J1 teams and achieving dramatic victories. After the match, Coach Okuma stated in the press conference that "we surpassed the opponent in terms of physicality and mentality" and seemed to feel the momentum leading to the next match. Tokyo, who advanced to the 2nd round of the Nabisco Cup, will face JEF Ichihara on June 12th (Sat) at Nishigaoka.