Unbeatable Match

At the end of the 6th round of J2 League, Kofu, who still hasn't won a single game and remains at the bottom with 0 points, cannot escape from the last place. On the other hand, Tokyo, who has 2 wins, 2 losses, and 2 draws, has been stuck in 6th place without being able to ride the wave. The match between the two teams, who cannot afford to lose any more, kicked off on a rainy day on the best pitch that turned into a "green carpet". Tokyo, who has been missing their attacking core, "KING OF TOKYO" Amalao, due to injury, gathers the ball to the "midfield dynamo" Almir, and tries to create a rhythm by carefully connecting passes and sending the ball behind the opponent's defense. However, Kofu's defensive focus and deep defense leave no space, and although the passes connect, they cannot break through and create decisive opportunities. On the other hand, Kofu plays defensively as a whole and launches a quick counterattack using the fullbacks after winning the ball. They try to create chances by combining early crosses from the sides with tall forward Watanabe, but the accuracy of the passes is lacking, and they cannot create decisive opportunities. The back and forth battle continues, but gradually, Fujiyama's sharp dribbles start to break through the Kofu defense line and take control of the game.

Sandro, a powerful shot!

In the 36th minute of the first half, the game finally started to move. Sandro scored a spectacular diving header from Yukihiko's corner kick. With this, the momentum completely shifted to Tokyo. As Kofu began to attack in a hurry, spaces opened up behind the previously stable defensive line, and Kagamiki and Okamoto made chances by running into those spaces. In defense, Sandro completely contained Kofu's tall forward Watanabe, and Komine consistently won against the speedy forward Hori with solid and aggressive play. In the midfield, Niijou showed his commitment with tackles and effectively shut down the source of the ball. In the second half, the game was completely dominated by Tokyo. On the left side, Fujiyama created chances with his dribbling and final passes to Okamoto, while on the right side, Yukihiko's accurate passes and Kobayashi's flexible dribbling created decisive chances. In the 30th minute of the second half, a perfect pass from Yukihiko to Kobayashi was timed perfectly on the right side, and Kobayashi directly crossed the ball. Almir, who had been closing in on the ball, scored the second goal with a powerful right-footed shot. It was a goal in the best possible way.

Tokyo's "secret weapon" that raises expectations

In the 22nd minute of the second half, Wada, Tokyo's "secret weapon," returned to the pitch after a break of about seven weeks. The man who suffered a left ankle fracture just before the start of this season in a practice match and has been forced to endure a difficult rehabilitation life made his J2 debut with great anticipation. Although he is not yet in perfect condition, his speed in bursting behind the opponent and his fearless diving into the goal area, which were not seen in Tokyo this season, have definitely increased the threat to the opponent. In the 44th minute of the end of the second half, he showed a play that responded to expectations by heading a corner kick from the left with a powerful dive, but unfortunately it bounced off the goal post. In addition to Wada, another player, Furukoshi, who made his debut with great anticipation, showed his strength and veteran-like stability in just about 4 minutes of playing time, fully demonstrating his presence. The addition of these reliable forces to Tokyo in the future can be considered a bright topic. In the end, in the 33rd minute of the second half, Yukihiko, who had moved to the left side, forcefully crossed the ball while being surrounded by the opponent, and Kobayashi decisively scored with a diving header while competing with the defender. The "must-win match" was won with the best three goals of the season, giving a definite sense of accomplishment and a fruitful game.