Rival! Ally!? J1 Showdown with Frontale

In the previous match, Tokyo suffered a painful comeback defeat against Shimizu. In this match, which was played with a schedule of two days, they faced Kawasaki Frontale, who have fought in both the JFL and J2. As rivals who have had numerous fierce battles in the past, this match between two teams in their first year of promotion is not to be taken lightly. In J1, Frontale has been struggling and currently sits in 15th place, lacking energy. However, Yukihiko SATO says, "A team that is struggling is trying various trial and error, and that is the scariest time. In fact, we lost to Gamba, who was in that situation. Taking advantage of that lesson and experience, we will not repeat the same mistake today."

From this round, I want to mercilessly win against the new Frontale led by the new coach Toshiaki IMAI, who served as the coach of Tokyo Gas until 1994.

Unable to score despite dominating the game

From the start, an intense development with a series of fouls was expected, but it was Tokyo who took control of the pace. In the 7th minute, Fujiyama on the left side initiated the play, and Tsuuto made a cross behind the defense line, but Kamiya couldn't connect just a little bit short. In the 8th minute, this time Naito on the right side initiated the play and passed to Yukihiko. A perfect ball was sent to the front of the goal, but Kamiya's header shot narrowly missed the target. Immediately after, Tsuuto forcefully took a shot, but it was saved by the goalkeeper.

After that, Kawasaki Frontale showed a solid defense with a backline of four or sometimes five, countering Tokyo's attacking play and dominating the ball. There were moments when Frontale suffered from counterattacks due to lack of concentration and misplaced passes, but they were still in control thanks to Tokyo's mistakes. In the 26th minute, Sandro scored a header from a set piece, and in the 33rd minute, Yukihiko took a direct free kick from the center of the goal. The first half saw a total of 12 shots. In the 35th minute, TUTO, who was energetically running around the field as always, made a through pass, and Yukihiko took a powerful shot, but the opponent's defender cleared it just before the goal. Despite having several scoring opportunities, Tokyo couldn't find the back of the net and the first half ended.

Masamitsu KOBAYASHI, first goal in J1 to take the lead!

In the second half, Tokyo struggled to break through Kawasaki Frontale's solid defense. However, in the 10th minute of the second half, Frontale's free kick was cleared by the defense. Kobayashi headed the ball to Kanano, who quickly launched a counterattack. Kanano dribbled forward and passed the ball to Kobayashi, who was running free. Kobayashi skillfully evaded the goalkeeper and scored into the empty net! This goal showcased the team's quick transition from defense to offense and Kobayashi's excellent decision-making.

TUTO, a powerful header!!

Frontale, who was leading, made a simultaneous substitution of FW Moriyama and MF Ikeda in the 60th minute. They changed to a 3-back formation with the side raised to a high position to prepare for a counterattack. Tokyo, whose energy had dropped, also substituted Kina for Koike. The back-and-forth battle continued evenly. Furthermore, in the 70th minute, Frontale replaced MF Ito with Alvarenga and deployed a formation with a three-man front line. However, in the 73rd minute, Kobayashi connected with TUTO with a one-two pass and sent the ball to the right side again. Naito brought the ball into the vacant space on the side of the 3-back and made an exquisite cross after evading one player. TUTO, who was waiting, pushed it in with a header to make it 2-0! It was a perfect opportunity for Frontale.

However, Tokyo gradually lost the ability to chase the ball up front, causing their defensive line to drop back and allowing the opponents to control the ball in midfield. As the marking shifted little by little, in the 79th minute, the ball fell into a wide-open space in front of the goal from a scramble, and Frontale's Ikeda took a clean shot. This narrowed the gap to one goal. Immediately after, there was a scene where midfielder Kuno delivered a precise cross and Moriyama made a run to connect, almost resulting in a goal. However, Tokyo held on, taking advantage of the lessons learned from the Shimizu match, and managed to withstand the dangerous period. In the 83rd minute, Kamiya was substituted for Toda, and in the 89th minute, TUTO was substituted for Yamao, securing their solid 7th victory.

"Comment from Coach Imai"

"Regarding the first goal, we were aware of Tokyo's attacking characteristics in advance and knew to be cautious of the counter. However, I think the lack of preparation in response to that was the biggest factor in today's defeat. We did manage to score one goal back and had a chance to score another, so I thought we could equalize. But I think this game became a match where there are still challenges ahead in terms of scoring."

"Coach Okuma's comment"

"I think it was a good game, with a fighting spirit based on the recent schedule, the way we lost the previous Shimizu match, and the consecutive losses in the Gamba match. However, we must reflect on the fact that there were plays that gave energy to the opponent from ourselves at the end. We must make it clear as a team that we should not do it again and have a clear concept. Considering that time period, I think it would have been better to play a little safer."