Unbeatable Match

Tokyo, who suffered their first consecutive defeat of the season in the previous match against G Osaka. After seven matches since the start of the season, the team, which has just been promoted to the high-level stage of J1, seems to be experiencing more physical and mental fatigue than expected. Perhaps the "strong two-top" of Amaral and TUTO, which is the axis of Tokyo's fast vertical soccer, has been studied and other teams have started to find ways to counter it. In any case, it is essential to win this match and stop the consecutive defeats. If they lose three consecutive matches in the high-level J1, the atmosphere within the team will darken, and there is a possibility of falling into the "consecutive defeat hell" as seen in the past teams. First and foremost, it is important to win in any way possible.

On the other hand, this will be an important match for Sanfrecce Hiroshima, the opponent of the day. Hiroshima, aiming for the championship, is currently in 9th place, but the gap with the top teams is not large and they are not left behind. If they win this match, it will be a big step forward to break into the top positions, but if they lose, they will join the ranks of the lower teams. It is truly a critical moment. As it is a home game, they will come at us desperately.

It was expected to be a fast-paced game with quick transitions between offense and defense, as both teams excel in "solid defense ⇒ fast attack" and compete for one point.

Unable to create an attacking shape, it's a difficult development...

The game unfolded as expected, with a fast-paced transition between offense and defense from the beginning. Tokyo's left fullback Fujiyama aggressively pushed forward, distributing good passes to Amaral, who entered the post and became the starting point of the attack in combination with midfielder Kobayashi. However, Tokyo struggled against Hiroshima's solid defense, which held a deep position, and failed to create decisive opportunities. On the contrary, Amaral, who had been struggling with a foot injury this week and had also suffered from poor physical condition during the week, was unable to find his form and was constantly countered after losing the ball near the post. He was unable to perform his usual duties due to the hard marking by Hiroshima's 193cm tall defender, Popovic.

Tokyo, which cannot create a starting point in the front line because it is deeply defended and its space is eliminated, continues to struggle without being able to take advantage of TUTO and Yukihiko Sato's speed.

On the other hand, Hiroshima quickly expanded to the left and right front lines from a deep position after taking the ball. Olympic representative Fujimoto and Corica flowed to the side with the ball and became the starting point, and the two side halves supported quickly and raised crosses at an early timing. Recently returned ace Kubo aims for the goal with a high jump, playing a simple soccer that steals Tokyo's "fast and speedy soccer" with quick switching between offense and defense.

Tokyo, where difficult times continue, moves here. In the 34th minute of the first half, Tokyo substituted the out-of-form "King" Amaral with recently recovered Kamiya, who had just returned from an injury. As Coach Okuma said, "There is no one but Kamiya to replace Amaral. We are expecting his post-play." The pattern of Kamiya's substitution had been decided since before the start of the season. In the immediate 39th minute, Yukihiro skillfully connected on the right side and Kamiya, who had just entered, made a diving header! Unfortunately, the ball narrowly missed the right goal, but the reigning J2 top scorer from last year immediately showed his skills.

A PK that changed the flow!?

At halftime, Coach Okuma said, "In any case, let's start from Kanno's post. And, let's seize the opportunity by cutting through the side with a pass from Kanno."

When the second half started, the intention to pass the ball to Kamiya as instructed was thoroughly implemented. As for Kamiya himself, he was not at his best due to the long absence from the game, and his expected post-play was somewhat unstable. However, his straightforward play, carrying the heavy responsibility, boosted the team's morale.

In the 13th minute of the second half, Tokyo substituted Kina for Koike. By introducing Kina, who has good ball retention skills, the team started to find rhythm in their midfield build-up. However, Hiroshima's counterattacks also became more frequent. In difficult situations where they were repeatedly attacked, Koike solidly fulfilled his role against ground balls, while Sandro did the same against crosses and high balls, putting their bodies on the line to prevent the opposition from scoring. The same can be said for both fullbacks, Asari. Additionally, goalkeeper Doi made numerous fine saves to rescue the team from dangerous situations. Tokyo's concentration on this day was remarkable. Even against the "set piece challenge," which accounted for over 70% of their total goals conceded so far, they were able to repel the attacks with high concentration, with goalkeeper Doi at the center.

And in the 20th minute of the second half, a crucial moment that would determine the outcome of the match arrived. Kubo broke through the right side from Hiroshima's counter-attack, and Komine, who was chasing him, committed a fatal foul inside the penalty area! The referee judged it as a penalty kick. Considering the flow of the game, the away ground, and the timing, it was a very harsh reality, but Doi made a splendid catch of the penalty kick taken by Popovic! Following the penalty kick stop in the Kashima match, a chorus of "Miracle Yoichi!" erupted from the supporters. The situation remained difficult, but this concentration changed the flow of the game.

Kamino scores a priceless winning goal!

Tokyo managed to survive a big pinch, but Hiroshima continued to dominate the game afterwards. However, in the 28th minute of the second half, Tokyo took advantage of a momentary gap. Taking advantage of a brief lapse in the hard marking, Kanno received the ball and dribbled towards the right direction, where TUTO was positioned. TUTO perfectly timed his movement to evade his marker. Kanno quickly passed the ball to TUTO, who unleashed a powerful shot with his right foot while competing with the opponent's defender. The Hiroshima goalkeeper made a desperate save, but Kanno was there to calmly push the ball into the net, scoring the long-awaited opening goal. It wasn't a flashy goal, but it was a typical striker's goal. Kanno scored his first goal for Tokyo (after transferring) in the best possible moment.

After that, Hiroshima's fierce attack awaited. In the 31st minute of the second half, a decisive situation was created from a right cross, but Sandro threw himself into the center and prevented a shower of shots. Three minutes later, Kubo headed from the left, but Doi blocked it. In the end, Tokyo, who did not lack concentration until the end of the match, escaped and stopped their losing streak with their third shutout victory of the season.

[Coach Okuma's Comment]

Without Amaral, the movement in the front line became only TUTO, and it became a difficult situation due to the lack of power in the midfield. With this lineup, we had no choice but to make the most of the few chances we had. In that sense, I think Kanno did a great job. It was also significant that Doi stopped the penalty kick.

The point of reflection is that we could have scored additional points if we had properly connected the ball when the opponent pressed forward in the latter part of the game. This was also due to the lack of strength in the midfield.