REMATCH

0 wins, 2 losses, 0 goals scored, 3 goals conceded... This is the record against Niigata this year. In the two matches played, both ended in a shutout loss. This season, including the cup matches against J1 teams (Nabisco Cup), Tokyo has only lost to one team, which is Niigata (they haven't even won against them, meaning they have 1 draw and 1 loss against Kawasaki F). Tokyo, who will face Niigata, recently defeated Yokohama F.Marinos in the quarterfinals of the Nabisco Cup, becoming the only J2 team to advance to the semifinals. In the league, they are currently on a 6-match winning streak (5 consecutive shutout victories) and are leading the first half of the season. However, unlike other J2 teams, they have accumulated fatigue from intense cup matches against J1 teams (2 matches) in between league matches. This is a concern considering the scorching heat exceeding 30 degrees and the physical and mental impact it may have. Regardless, in this first match of the second half of the season, they are required to win convincingly and repay the debt, whatever the reason may be.

Solid Defense Niigata!?

Manager Okuma started right back Umayama, who had been out of action for a long time due to injury (gluteal muscle strain), and attacking midfielder Yukihiko, who had returned from injury (lumbar sprain), in the starting lineup for this match. In order to counter Niigata's solid defense in the center, although they were not in perfect condition, they decided to start these two players because they are attacking and have speed, and can exploit the space behind the opponent's defense. In the first half, both teams started with a slow tempo, considering the physical exhaustion caused by the scorching heat. Tokyo attempted to attack from the side with the full-backs participating in the attack from the side, and also tried to break through the center using sharp passes from midfielder Almir to forward Amaral, utilizing wall passes. However, Niigata, who had studied Tokyo's attacking patterns well, closed the space on the side (where the full-backs were), and the center was tightly packed with the tough and large defender Sergio at the center, with even the two defensive midfielders dropping back, leaving no gaps. Tokyo's left-back Fujiyama managed to create some chances with his dribbling skills, but the right side, which was expected to be the key to breaking down Niigata's defense, did not function well due to the return of Umayama and Yukihiko, possibly due to the extreme heat. The only big chance came in the 23rd minute when Almir-Amaral-Almir cleverly played a one-two in a tight space in the center and Umayama overlapped to cross the ball from the goal line. Amaral was inches away from scoring. On the other hand, Niigata showed effective counterattacks that seemed to steal Tokyo's advantage, creating decisive shooting opportunities through midfielder Ricardo, sharp attacking participation from right-back Kizawa, and simple wall passes with the two forwards. Tokyo, showing signs of fatigue, was inferior to Niigata in terms of physical fitness, and especially struggled to mark the intense positional changes of the two forwards, often being pushed back by allowing Niigata to establish a base in a high position (= being pressed).

Crying over the same pattern...

In the second half, Tokyo introduced the speedy Kaburagi. Kaburagi moved to the right, while Yukihiko moved to the center to regroup. However, the flow remained the same, and in the 50th minute, Niigata's forward Suzuki ran deep from the right side on a counterattack. Sandro was marking him, but Suzuki took advantage of a momentary opening and entered the center, unleashing a powerful long-range left-footed shot from the corner of the penalty area! The stunning shot, which woke everyone up, pierced through the desperate save of Tokyo's goalkeeper Suzuki, who had not conceded a goal in the league, and found the bottom right corner of the goal. After this, Tokyo brought in midfielder Kobayashi. With his unique dribbling skills, Kobayashi was able to bypass two opponents, giving Tokyo slightly more time to keep possession of the ball. Tokyo then made another substitution, bringing in Koike. As they were able to spread the ball to the sides, Kobayashi and Yukihiko started to break through from the right side more frequently, increasing the number of crosses. In the 73rd minute, Sergio, who had been a wall for Niigata, was forced to leave the field due to injury. Tokyo pushed Sandro, a defender, forward as a forward and went for a twin tower strategy with Amaral. However, in the midst of this, in the 80th minute, they conceded another goal from a left corner kick by Niigata. With only 10 minutes left and no more chances, Tokyo finally woke up and launched a furious attack. Although their attacks were monotonous, simply crossing the ball from the sides, Tokyo, who had the advantage in height, created several scoring opportunities in quick succession. However, Niigata's defense, which had all players focused on defending, remained solid until the end and they were unable to break through the goal. In the end, just like in the second round, they suffered a complete defeat by conceding two goals in the second half, resulting in a humiliating third consecutive shutout loss against Niigata.

Coach Nagai's Comment

Tokyo was tired today. Niigata won with their energy and sharpness, executing their strategy of "defend well and counter-attack" as planned. I thought that we could win against Tokyo by shutting down the attacking spaces of their fullbacks and stopping their speed.

＜Coach Okuma's Comment＞

Due to this heat, the attacking prowess of Yukihiko SATO and Osamu UMEYAMA, who have not fully recovered their conditioning, was not evident. The challenge lies in adapting to opponents who defend in a narrow space and pull back. We want to make the necessary adjustments as soon as possible in the future.