"Win all remaining 4 matches!"

After a "dominant four-game winning streak" from the 25th round (9/10, vs Kofu) to the 28th round (9/25, vs Oita), Tokyo suffered a complete turnaround with a "disastrous four-game losing streak" sandwiched between the Nabisco Cup matches (9/29, 10/6). In the Nabisco Cup, they put up a great fight against J1 powerhouse Kashima and gained confidence. However, they accumulated physical and mental fatigue due to the "ultra-demanding schedule of five matches in two weeks" and further suffered a setback when their top scorer Amaral was forced to withdraw from the front line due to a left ankle sprain (10/6, vs Kashima). Whether it was due to the impact of fatigue and the absence of their absolute ace or the pressure of aiming for J1 promotion (?), Tokyo suddenly hit the brakes at this point. However, it wasn't because of poor performance. Despite dominating in the Tosu match (30th round, 10/11) and the Sapporo match (31st round, 10/17), they fell short in crucial moments, and in the previous round, the showdown against the top-ranked Kawasaki F (32nd round, 10/24), they played their best game. There was no need to be pessimistic. While the goal of becoming the "inaugural J2 champion (=winner)" has become somewhat challenging, they are in a situation where they can secure J1 promotion (=top 2) on their own. They are closely pursued by Oita in 3rd place with a one-point difference, but the key is to win all four remaining matches, including the match of the day. It doesn't matter if Oita goes on to win four consecutive matches; if we win four consecutive matches, it's decided. We won't look back anymore, only four consecutive wins!!

Team is active with Amaral's return!

On this day, ace Amaral returned to the field. He had just started running cautiously from the 22nd, but showed an astonishing recovery by participating in the red and white match this week and made it in time for the game on this day. Although he was not a starter, the reliable ace's comeback is definitely a bright topic. In the locker room, he livened up with his natural brightness and samba rhythm, and when it was time to go into battle, he tightened the team with an intimidating spirit. Just having a "fighting pro" gives confidence to the team and puts pressure on the opposing team. The preparations are complete for the 4th consecutive victory.

On this day, the opponent we welcomed at our home ground, Komazawa Athletics Stadium, was the bottom-ranked team, Kofu. In the previous match, we had a close battle with Oita that went into extra time, and in the match before that, we achieved a 3-0 shutout victory against Yamagata. We have been riding on a wave of momentum, so we must not let our guard down. As the game began, Tokyo fiercely attacked Kofu. Early on, Yukihiko on the right side made a sharp breakthrough and sent a cross. In the 2nd minute, Umeyama -> Yukihiko -> Kagami -> Umeyama executed a splendid direct pass combination to break through the right side, and Umeyama made a breakthrough and sent a perfect cross, but Okuhara's header narrowly missed the bar. Tokyo's relentless attacks continued, and in the 9th minute, Okuhara forcefully took a shot from the right side and Almir followed up, but it didn't go in by just a step. Kagami, following the previous match, became a post on the front line, and with Okuhara and Kaburagi making big movements, the passing lanes increased, and the long and short passes from Yukihiko on the right side were effective. On the left side, Fujiyama also made use of his dribbling skills and took a strong shot from a wall pass with Almir. It seemed like a matter of time before we scored the opening goal.

On the other hand, Kofu has been deploying a compact style of soccer, keeping the defensive line shallow and pressing aggressively in the midfield. Knowing that Tokyo is eager to win and will come forward, they have actively set up offside traps and aimed to steal the ball and launch sharp counter-attacks. The ball is gathered in the midfield by Dobashi, who distributes passes to forwards Yoshida and Hori. Yoshida enters into post-play, while Hori aims to exploit the space behind with his speed. On this day, Sandro also occasionally joined the attack, but there were dangerous moments where Hori broke through from a vertical pass and competed one-on-one with Komine. Komine cannot be said to be stable, and it momentarily made us hold our breath.

Papa Sandro takes the lead with one shot!

In the 23rd minute, Tokyo scored the long-awaited opening goal. It was scored by Sandro, who had just become a father two days ago (10/28) with the birth of his first daughter. Sandro, who had gone up for a corner kick, jumped into the cross from the left side by Fujiyama in front of the goal and headed the ball just in front of the Kofu goalkeeper who had come out. The ball was sucked into the goal. With this one goal, the battle between the two teams intensified. Kofu, who was scored against, started to attack with the defensive midfielder as the starting point, coming up to the front line, and launched an attack with thickness using not only long balls but also the sides. In the 37th minute, there was a dangerous situation where they were headed freely from a free kick from the left, and it brought back unpleasant memories of the previous 3rd round when they were reversed in an instant despite taking the lead. Tokyo also created good opportunities in the attack, such as Kagami hitting the bar with a long left-footed shot from about 30 meters just before the end of the first half, but the defense from the front line was weak, and Kofu attacked several times, making the situation completely unpredictable.

Pushing away the tenacious Kofu with Yukihiko's spectacular goal!

Tokyo, who was instructed to reaffirm the defense from the front line and repeat side attacks at halftime, regained momentum in the second half. With intense chasing from the front line, Tokyo was able to narrow down the passing lanes, resulting in more opportunities to intercept the ball and increased participation in attacks from both fullbacks. Kagamiki, Kagami, Okuhara, and Yukihiko freely changed positions, especially Yukihiko played unusually on the left side and made a run and cross from a pass from Fujiyama. In the 17th minute of the second half, Kagamiki, who received the ball deep on the right side, initiated the challenge, made a sharp cutback feint to break through vertically, and delivered an exquisite final pass to Yukihiko, who had run fiercely into the goal area. Yukihiko, who had been actively shooting from a distance on this day, kicked the ball into the goal powerfully, stopping Kofu's resistance. Tokyo continued to attack and created chances from the side with Kagamiki and Yukihiko at the center. However, after scoring two goals and feeling relieved, they lacked the aggressiveness to shoot themselves when breaking through the side forcefully and instead started to consider passing first, resulting in a decrease in intensity. Despite creating good opportunities, they couldn't score additional goals. In the end, Tokyo dominated the game but couldn't score more goals, and the game ended 2-0. Considering that the opponent was the last-place team, we would have hoped for more goals, but stopping the "four consecutive defeats in the quagmire" is significant. At a time when results are demanded more than performance, getting three points securely allows us to finally break free from the long tunnel. In the next match (11/8, vs Omiya), Amaral's condition is expected to improve significantly. Tokyo, who has awakened from their slumber, will charge forward on the road to victory in the remaining three matches!!

[Coach's Comment]

<Katsumata, Kofu Manager>

We have been improving in the past two matches and were able to do what we intended to do today as well. However, Tokyo was desperate to stop their losing streak and came together as one to face us. Their enthusiasm was incredible and surpassed our fighting spirit.

Kiyoshi Tokyo Coach

The midfield's organization and ability to create opportunities is still insufficient. (Because Amaral is not playing), we were unable to establish another focal point in the front line. However, the quality and quantity of the attacking participation from both fullbacks, as well as their covering in defense, have improved compared to before. Also, winning decisively at this stage where results are more important than performance is significant. We will continue to strive to achieve three more victories and maintain a perfect record.