Super crowded Nishigaoka

Last season, "Shinsei Okada Sapporo," who lost in the J1 promotion playoffs and started this season in J2, finally appeared in Tokyo. The number of spectators who gathered at the venue to catch a glimpse of the highly talked-about team exceeded 6,000, and the stands were packed to the point of overflowing, with people even standing. In addition, the number of media personnel, including those involved in TV broadcasts, reached a record high for this season, and the field was filled with cameras, pushing Nishigaoka Stadium to its limit. Naturally, the "battle of support behind the goal" also heated up more than usual. Tokyo's "support behind the goal" has overwhelmed away teams in terms of numbers and creativity in previous home games, but the Sapporo "support behind the goal" that gathered for this match was comparable to Tokyo in numbers, and their well-organized support made you feel their experience in the J-League, resulting in an intense battle of support on equal terms. The venue reached its climax, and at 1:00 PM, the kickoff whistle blew.

開始２分、小林が先制ゴール！

The players cannot help but be excited by this large crowd. From the start of the game, both teams attacked fiercely without observing each other's movements. In the 2nd minute, Tokyo, who was under attack, had Almir cut off the ball in front of their own goal, then he dribbled at high speed for about 50 meters and delivered a perfect through pass to Kobayashi, who had timed his run perfectly. Kobayashi then scored the opening goal with a direct shot. However, the joy was short-lived as they easily conceded an equalizing goal just 5 minutes later, as their defense was easily breached in the center. The game continued with an exciting back-and-forth battle. Tokyo once again built their game around Almir, who tirelessly ran all over the field. Almir became the starting point of their attacks with his sharp dribbling, ball retention in the midfield, and accurate passing. On the right side, Kobayashi added a unique rhythm, while on the left side, Fujiyama showed sharp overlapping runs, creating a strong attacking presence. Up front, Okamoto fought with intense determination and physicality, while Kabuki used his speed to exploit the opponent's shallow defensive line and create chances. On the other hand, Sapporo relied on their new foreign player Ashis and veteran Tanada to control the ball in the midfield and create rhythm, while their young ace player Yoshihara and powerful Fukagawa threatened the goal up front.

Kaburagi's first official goal becomes the winning goal!

At the 25th minute, Kaburaki broke through the opponent's defense from a vertical pass by Komine and unleashed a powerful shot from about 20 meters after a skillful feint with light steps. This goal put Tokyo back in the lead. Kaburaki, who already had high abilities, has not yet fully demonstrated his true potential this season, so it is hoped that the team's strength will greatly improve when he returns to his original play. After that, both teams created decisive chances, but the defenders threw themselves in to prevent any goals. Sandro showed overwhelming strength and height to repel Sapporo's attacks, and Komine also cleared a shot that was almost a goal with an overhead kick. Sapporo also did not allow any additional goals, with former Japan national team player Namizuka leading the defense. In the second half, Sapporo showed determination and surpassed Tokyo in terms of physicality, taking control of the game. However, Tokyo maintained their balance until the end despite being heavily pressed and did not concede any goals. In the post-match press conference, Coach Okuma said, "In the past few matches, we have often conceded goals in the second half despite taking the lead, but today we maintained our balance until the end and endured well." This victory at home, the first since the opening match, marked the first consecutive wins in a while, and it is hoped that this will be the starting point for riding a real wave.