The first home game after the restart of the 2nd stage is the Verdy match at Komazawa

Verdy Kawasaki, which will be the first home game after the resumption of J1, will face an opponent they lost to away in the final match of the 1st stage. They definitely want to repay the debt and it is also a match where they want to show the improvement in the past two months at home after a long time.

Tokyo, who will be without the key defender Sandro due to accumulated warnings and the injured Naito on the right side. Yamao and Furube, who are forming a combination at the top for the first time this season, are in the center back position. Komine is in the right back position. Amaral, who took precautions, starts on the bench. TUTO and Kanno will serve as the two top players, just like in the previous match.

Verdy dominates the game with high individual skills

Tokyo, which showed an aggressive attitude by sending a cross to the front of the goal from a fast restart by Masamitsu KOBAYASHI and attacking from the left to win a corner kick, started off well. However, Verdy, who had the advantage of the wind, immediately took control of the pace of the game. In the 4th minute, MF Sakurai broke through the right side and MF Kim Togun shot the ball in response to a negative cross. Verdy, who has quick movement and ball control skills for each player, dominates the ball with ease. If there is an opening, the full-backs will overlap and attack wide. In the 9th minute, Tokyo's right side was broken by MF Ishizuka, and Furube couldn't help but commit a foul inside the penalty area. MF Hayashi confidently converted the penalty kick obtained from this, taking the lead.

Coach Zhang said after the game, "In the first half, we were able to execute the attacking pattern we studied for Tokyo." As a result, Verdy thoroughly exploited the space behind the side. Then, in the 14th minute, left full-back Mikami advanced and delivered a cross-like ball that floated into the goal with the wind. It was an unfortunate goal for Tokyo, but they were already trailing by two goals at this point in the game.

The speed of switching and the abundant amount of exercise should be the strengths of Tokyo, but so far Verdy has surpassed them in both speed and exercise. In the 24th minute, the ball was passed to Koike from a counterattack from a set play, and GK Honda came out and a big chance occurred, but the return of Verdy's DF was remarkably fast, and TUTO, who received the pass, couldn't bring it to a shot. On the contrary, in the 30th and 35th minutes, Kim Togun had a decisive shot, but it was somehow avoided by Doi's nice save, and the first half ended.

Members substitution that showed brilliance, Amaral creates rhythm

Tokyo, which couldn't create a shape based on Kanno due to poor coordination, substituted Amaral for Kanno from the start of the second half. In the 46th minute, Kobayashi received a through pass from Amaral and entered the penalty area. Although he was blocked by the defender, Tokyo started to show signs of attack. Amaral not only kept the ball in the front line but also played a connecting role in both offense and defense from a slightly withdrawn position, which led to Tokyo finding a good rhythm. In the 53rd minute, Kina was substituted for Koike. From here, Tokyo continued to dominate the game.

However, Verdy also calmly dealt with the situation without rushing, even though they started to make more noticeable passing mistakes while standing downwind. They didn't force anything, but once they had the ball, they showed a consciousness to finish with a shot in any form of play.

Tuto scores 2 goals! Takes the top spot as the top scorer

Tokyo, who couldn't break the goal despite riding the rhythm of the game and Verdy's focused play. In the 59th minute, TUTO unleashed a powerful free kick that goalkeeper Honami barely punched away. However, finally in the 65th minute, TUTO quickly broke free from the defensive line in response to a long pass from the right side by Komine, and calmly scored while competing with the defenders! In a flowing attack that lasted only a few seconds, they were able to convert the chance into a goal.

From here, Tokyo's strong counterattack mode begins. Just 7 minutes after conceding a goal, Amaral quickly switches from defense to offense and passes to Masuda on the left. Masuda sends a perfect pass directly into the space between the goalkeeper and the defensive line, and there TUTO runs in with speed, shaking off the defenders and taking a shot! This equalizing goal is TUTO's 17th goal of the season, putting him at the top (tied) of the goal scorer rankings.

Tokyo continues to attack. In the 74th minute, Amaral's header shot from the left corner kick. In the following 79th minute, TUTO, who was unmarked again from the corner kick, takes a shot, but both shots miss the goal.

Disappointing goal conceded in stoppage time

However, Verdy, who was caught up by two points, is not silent. "Somehow, we need another goal," they attack quickly and powerfully, taking advantage of Tokyo's forward position. Yamao and Furukata manage to defend with their bodies and escape to a corner kick, but in the 81st and 85th minutes, DF Yoneyama and MF Kim Togun's header shots from those corner kicks were both free and unmarked. They missed the target and escaped unscathed, but it can also be said that Tokyo was in a vulnerable state where they could have been scored against at any moment. In the 89th minute, Amaral on the right side broke free from the defenders after winning the ball in the midfield, cut inside, and delivered a precise final pass, but it narrowly missed being connected in front of the goal.

Finally, in the reverse, in stoppage time, a counterattack connected two passes, and the fresh FW Hiramoto, who was substituted in the 71st minute, took a bold shot. Although GK Doi initially saved it, the loose ball was kicked again by Hiramoto, and all hope was lost.

When it comes to the end, Tokyo had 7 shots compared to Verdy's 18. It is clear when you see TUTO, who is leading the top scorer race, that they do not lack finishing ability. It is a current situation where it cannot be denied that there are few chances leading up to that.

After the resumption, two consecutive losses. Tokyo, who has not been able to overcome the six consecutive losses including one draw in the 2nd stage overall, is struggling. TUTO's two goals are hoped to be a catalyst for the team's recovery and somehow overcome this situation.

"Coach Zhang's comment"

"It was good to win in extra time, but the way we played in the first half and the second half changed drastically, and it was difficult to understand the way we played in the second half. There were many points to reflect on in the second half."

"Coach Okuma's comment"

"Regarding the goals conceded, I think there was also an element of luck and accidents involved, so I wanted to switch my mindset and endure the first half with a score of 0-2. From there, in the second half, up until the scene where we conceded the last goal, including player substitutions, the team was following the expected flow and playing Tokyo-style football. In the second half, we were very aggressive due to the influence of the wind, but pressing too much ended up creating a last-minute situation that was like a pitfall. The position of the defensive midfielder Asari and the defensive line were slightly exposed at that time. However, regardless of the development, that is a place that we must defend, so I want to confirm it again. However, we were able to play very positively and try to recover somehow, so after this, I want to play a good game in Tokyo-style football and give our all to achieve results."