Tokyo, in a state of complete disarray, challenges the Asian champion, Espalrs!

On April 15th of this year, Shimizu S-Pulse won the Asian Cup Winners' Cup and became the glorious Asian champions. In the league matches, they have maintained their momentum from last year's 2nd stage victory and have a strong record of 6 wins and 2 losses so far this year, making them the top contender for the 1st stage victory.

Tokyo will face this "super powerhouse" match with a difficult lineup without two ace attackers, TUTO (absent due to accumulated warnings) and Amaral (absent due to injury). In the two matches after Amaral's injury (4/22 against Hiroshima and 4/29 against Kyoto), we were able to secure victories thanks to TUTO's superhuman performance, but TUTO is also absent today. Tokyo's disadvantage is undeniable, but the key will be how well Kamiya, who enters as a forward, can work on the front line, and how Yukihiko Sato, who is motivated against his former team Shimizu S-Pulse, can create chances from the side. Kamiya is expected to create opportunities in the front line with stable post play and convert the few chances in front of the goal into goals. On the other hand, Yukihiko Sato is expected to exploit the space on the right side and create as many chances as possible.

An intense game in a packed stadium

Nihondaira on this day was packed. The compact soccer-specific stadium, with its unique design that is characteristic of Shizuoka, was filled with an atmosphere that delighted those watching soccer. And the passionate support of the supporters, which is among the best in Japan. In terms of numbers, they may be inferior to the Reds, but their support, based on the rhythm of samba, is perfectly coordinated and continues almost without interruption. It made me realize that I was away for a long time.

On the other hand, the "goal end" in Tokyo did not lose. Although the number was overwhelmingly small, about 300 people gathered together and jumped up and down like a single organism, repeating a big chorus. In particular, the chant "Our YukiHiko!" resounded powerfully.

At 4:00 PM, as both teams' supporters passionately cheered, the whistle for kickoff sounded, causing the entire venue to shake vigorously.

The game started with a fast-paced attack and defense from the beginning. In the 1st minute, Tokyo's Naito crossed from the right side and Toda beautifully trapped the ball and took a shot. They made their first greeting with a powerful shot, but then they faced S-Pulse's fierce attack. In set plays, Alex skillfully delivered the ball with his left foot into the goal area, creating a dangerous situation. In the 4th minute, from a set play on the left side, Alex kicked the ball and Ohno took a left-footed shot. The ball narrowly missed the left side of the goal.

The attack of S-Pulse on this day was built up by Ichikawa, who stretched out to the right high position, and Alex, who did the same on the left, as the starting point for the attack. From here, they shook the opponent by hitting the posts of Yasunaga and Kuboyama, relaying to Ito and expanding to the opposite side, and finally breaking through the side deeply and delivering a sharp and accurate cross. This thorough attacking pattern was almost perfect, but Tokyo on this day bounced back with even higher concentration than usual. Fujiyama supported Ichikawa, and Naito and Yukihiko double-teamed Alex, while in the center, Komine and Sandro put their bodies on the line to clear the ball. The two defensive midfielders also marked the opponents fiercely, not allowing them to move freely.

Kamino's great performance! He scores the opening goal!

Tokyo, which tends to be at a disadvantage, finds a way out through counterattacks. In the 18th minute, Kamino dribbles and takes a shot from a feint during a counterattack. In the following 28th minute, Kamino passes to Yukihiko, who breaks through vertically from Kamino's post-play. Yukihiko's shot is caught by the goalkeeper in front, but Tokyo starts to create attacking opportunities based on Kamino's post-play.

As the first half ended with a score of 0-0 and the second half began, the pace of the game became even faster. Shimizu boldly played long balls from their defenders to the sides, Ichikawa and Alex, after winning the ball, quickly advancing towards the goal. In the 3rd minute of the second half, the ball was passed to Alex, who immediately rushed towards the goal and took a powerful shot. The ball hit the crossbar and did not go into the goal. On the contrary, Tokyo had a chance right after that from a counterattack. The ball was passed to Yukihiko, who had moved to the right side, and he sent a cross to the center from a feint. Kanno, who was waiting in front of the goal, managed to score with a right-footed volley while falling down, taking the lead. It was a clean goal from a sharp counterattack, taking advantage of the space created by the opponent's forward movement.

Tokyo continues to gather the ball to Kanno and build their attack from there. Kanno shows a stable and almost perfect post-play, creating chances from combinations with Yukihiko Sato and Toru Kaburagi.

Unexpected 2 goals conceded just before victory...

On the other hand, S-Pulse did not stay silent. Libero Moriooka dribbled up and distributed a pass. Kanano had no more defensive power, and Enomoto, who came on as a substitute, could not keep up with Moriooka. As Asari, who was maintaining defensive balance in the position of defensive midfielder, was pulled out to respond, Tokyo's defensive balance was disrupted. S-Pulse collected the ball with Hiramatsu, who came on in the second half, and Hiramatsu stirred up Tokyo's goal area with sharp and aggressive movements. Alex on the side also showed no signs of fatigue, and when he saw space opening up in Tokyo's midfield, he attempted sharp feint dribbles to break through. Dangerous crosses continued to fly around Tokyo's goal area, and there were many close calls, but Tokyo was saved by stable play from Doi, and time continued to pass. Then, in the 41st minute of the second half, Alex, who had been prevented from making decisive breakthroughs by Naito and Yukihiko, broke through the side and delivered a low and sharp cross, and Hiramatsu jumped in and scored the equalizer. With only 4 minutes remaining, victory seemed within reach... But the nightmare did not end there. S-Pulse, backed by frenzied support, continued to press on. In the 44th minute of stoppage time, once again Alex broke through the left side with a feint and delivered a cross. Doi deflected Kuboyama's shot, but Hiramatsu, who was following up, scored the winning goal. Despite being on the verge of victory, they conceded 2 goals just before the end and suffered a devastating comeback defeat.

＜Coach Okuma's Comment＞

The difference in results between the team that had active substitute players and the team that did not was evident. Towards the end, the midfield became crowded as Morioaka moved forward, but Asari took the opportunity to break through because Enomoto and Kanno were unable to return, which disrupted the defensive balance. Unfortunately, we conceded a goal by being exploited in that area.