Stop the losing streak and aim for the championship

After winning the first 5 matches of the 2nd stage, Tokyo suffered an unexpected 3-match losing streak. In the match against Hiroshima (7/26), midfielder Asari got injured, and in the following match against G Osaka (7/29), ace player Amaral and the indispensable midfielder Kina, who has grown into a key player, also got injured. As a result, key players of the team have been forced to withdraw from the front line. The team's situation has also been on a downward trend.

And, on this day, the Nagoya match arrived. Tokyo wanted to win this match in order to avoid matching the "4 consecutive losses (10/3-10/24)" worst record set last year, and also to stay in the championship race. The opponent, Nagoya, has been improving recently (although they suffered an extended V loss to Fukuoka in the previous match, they had 4 consecutive wins until just before that), but Nagoya is actually a favorable opponent for Tokyo. In past matches, Tokyo has won 2 out of 2 games against Nagoya, in the 1997 Emperor's Cup (3-1) and this year's 1st Stage (2-1). Additionally, the venue for this day's match, Nagoya Mizuho Athletics Stadium, has also been used twice and won twice by Tokyo in the 1997 Emperor's Cup, in the 3rd round (against Nagoya) and the quarterfinals (against Hiratsuka). The match turned out to be a perfect opportunity to stop the losing streak.

Nagoya with astonishing attacking power

In the 1st stage, Nagoya, with Stojkovic at the center, has been playing an attacking style of soccer involving Robisu, Hirano, and Mochizuki. However, the team lacks cohesion and although they conceded the first goal, they managed to equalize and eventually won with Amaral's V goal in extra time. However, the Nagoya team that will compete this time has changed.

Despite the loss of two "Hinomaru-level" players, Hirano and Mochizuki, the team's direction was unified under Coach Carlos, and as a result, motivation remained high. In addition, the attacking power of Urida, who excels in technique and physicality in the midfield, along with the addition of Weslley, last season's top scorer from Bahia, Brazil, and the "fairy (Pixie)" Stojkovic, was astonishing.

The match unfolded at Nagoya's pace, as expected, with the ball being collected by Stojkovic. Stojkovic has a wide playing area and is generally positioned at the top, but sometimes he drops deep into the midfield to receive the ball. When he enters the post-play position at the top, Komine marks him tightly, but Stojkovic easily shakes off the mark with precise dribbling and exquisite body balance, and delivers accurate passes that are like "threads pulled to the front line".

In the 8th minute, Stojkovic passed to Okoyama in the center. Okoyama floated it directly to Wesley in front of the goal, and Wesley shot after getting past Sandro's mark. In the following 20th minute, Stojkovic, who stole the ball in the midfield, passed a pinpoint through pass to the front of the goal, but it was prevented by GK Doi's sharp dive. And in the 25th minute, he created a scoring opportunity with an artistic bicycle kick that made you think "Does he have eyes in the back?", showing overwhelming attacking power and approaching Tokyo's goal.

It's not Stojkovic. Yamaguchi and Urida have accurate and stable passing and dribbling in a deep midfield position, and they also have the ability to break through. Okayama comes out from the second row and forcefully shoots with a unique rhythm, pushing Lopes, who is a new addition, to the bench. Their thick attack is even astonishing.

Take advantage of the one chance and take the lead with TUTO's goal!

On the other hand, Tokyo did not lose focus and responded well to Nagoya's strong attacks. "Defend well and then counterattack." This phrase was often used to describe Tokyo's soccer when they were first promoted to J1. And on this day, they played the "Tokyo-style soccer" very well. The ball may have been kept by Nagoya with a ratio of 3:7 or even 2:8, but it was not necessarily "Nagoya's pace". Rather, considering that they intentionally played the "Tokyo-style soccer", it was a completely equal match where either team could have taken the lead.

In the 21st minute, Fujiyama dribbled up the right side (due to his position being on the right side during the corner kick) from the opponent's corner kick mistake and connected a pass to Yukihiko, then to Seigo, threatening the goal. Then, in the 26th minute, TUTO ran to the front line from the right side after stealing the opponent's pass mistake from Kanno on the right side. TUTO skillfully evaded the opponent with a perfect chest trap and took a powerful shot, but was unable to score due to the goalkeeper's fine save.

After a fierce attack and defense without a break, a big chance comes to Tokyo. In the 41st minute, Tokyo, who stole the ball in the midfield, passes it to TUTO, who is free on the left side, after Koike dribbles forward. TUTO challenges the one-on-one battle with the opponent's defender, pretending to go inside and then switches to a vertical kick feint with a big kick, and kicks the ball into the goal with a powerful left foot from an angleless position, scoring the opening goal. Furthermore, in the 44th minute just before the end, Yuki cuts off the opponent's pass again, dribbles up and passes to Seigo in the center. Seigo passes to TUTO, who is free on the left side again, and shoots with his right foot, but it is caught by the goalkeeper in front of him.

Defeated by Stojkovic's amazing technique... First 4 goals conceded this season

Tokyo, who took advantage of few chances in the first half, maintained the same rhythm in the second half. The key was "first, everyone concentrates on defending the opponent's attack." The return of Asari in this match was also significant. Although not noticeable, Asari's return made it possible to maintain the balance of defense that had been forgotten in the past few matches and disrupted Nagoya's thick attack. However, this "Tokyo-like soccer" will also lose balance after conceding a goal.

In the 4th minute of the second half, Yukihiko and Stojkovic competed for a loose ball. Yukihiko easily gave a corner kick to the opponent, and Stojkovic perfectly placed this corner kick to Okoyama on the near side, resulting in an equalizing goal.

Furthermore, Stojkovic did not miss Tokyo's flustered reaction to this "unexpected" goal. In the 8th minute of the second half, Stojkovic held the ball in the center and made a pinpoint pass to Yamaguchi, who had run into the open space in the front line. Yamaguchi dropped the ball directly and Weslley, who had made a run, kicked it powerfully into the goal, resulting in a quick turnaround.

Tokyo replaced Kanno with ace Amaral here. Although Amaral is not yet 100%, he gave the team morale with his spirited chasing. With Amaral's entry, the foundation in the front line stabilized and right back Fujiyama also started to show active and effective attacking participation.

However, Tokyo's momentum was only up to this point. Tokyo had to go for goals as they were reversed, and the fullbacks also actively participated in the attack, naturally disrupting the defensive balance. In addition, whether intentional or due to stamina issues, Stojkovic neglected defense and stayed up front, so whenever Tokyo was countered after an attack, Stojkovic was always there, creating the worst scenario for Tokyo.

After that, it was Stojkovic's "one-man show". In the 15th minute of the second half, Weslley broke through the right side and crossed to the center, where Stojkovic kept the ball in the penalty area and turned around to face Yamaguchi in front of the goal. Yamaguchi received the pass and evaded the marker with a sharp turn, then kicked the ball into the Tokyo goal with his right foot for the third goal. And the final blow came in the 28th minute of the second half, when Stojkovic, who kept the ball on the left side, delivered a perfect cross to an unreachable blind spot for both the defenders and the goalkeeper, and Weslley ran in to head it in, sealing the victory. In the end, all four goals for Nagoya were influenced by Stojkovic. His passing strength, accuracy, timing, and overall play were like a "passing textbook", and he also showed world-class plays throughout the match.

Switch your feelings and move on

4 consecutive defeats... It would be a lie to say it doesn't hurt. However, the experience of realizing that J1 is such a high level has taught us a lesson that will be valuable in the future. The losing streak that started with the Hiroshima match included many games where Tokyo's strengths were evident, and they were often close matches that could have been won. However, the players have experienced that even a "slight difference" can make a big impact in J1. They are absorbing these experiences one by one. The corner kick that Yukihiko gave to the opponent in this match is one of them. If you leave an opening, they will exploit it with pinpoint accuracy, and even a small mistake can be fatal... This applies to the entire team as well. Did the concentration waver after conceding a goal? In J1, even a momentary lapse in concentration can be exploited by the opponent. The players should understand this well. In order to not waste these 4 consecutive defeats, it is necessary to quickly change our mindset and increase our concentration for the next match. In the one week until the next match, let's unite as a team once again with the slogan "Defeat Kashima!" and believe in victory! And let's switch to battle mode right now!

[Coach Okuma's Comment]

The first half, our persistent defense was good. Asari came back and the balance improved, and the concentration was high. Even though Nagoya dominated the ball, that rhythm belonged to us.

The early goal conceded in the second half, although it is hindsight, was triggered by (Sato's) play that gave away the corner kick. That was a play that should not have been done. Furthermore, after that goal, we had no choice but to go for goals and it disrupted the defensive balance, leading to a large number of goals conceded.

I want to think about how to fight with this team in the future and prepare for the next match in this week.