Blow away the incomplete combustion of the previous match!

In the previous match, Tokyo was caught up to a draw despite being close to victory. In this match, Tokyo went to Sapporo with the aim of achieving a decisive victory to vent their frustration. The venue for the battle with Sapporo was Sapporo Dome, which is known as Japan's first dome-style soccer stadium and will be the venue for next year's World Cup. The rumored beauty and grand scale of the stadium are truly impressive, but being indoors, it may feel somewhat different from a typical soccer field. Another issue for the players was the "explosive sound" generated by intense cheering, which made it difficult to hear instructions. The intensity of the sound could be compared to a Giants game at Tokyo Dome, where you can't even hear the voice of the person next to you. This information was obtained in advance, and Sapporo coach Okada stated that they would overcome it through "eye contact," while Tokyo coach Okuma stated that they would use a "relay communication method." However, among the enthusiastic supporters who gathered on this day, the "explosive sound" emitted by the passionate Sapporo fans far exceeded expectations and left the players and coaches at a loss.

The pitch is hard and the voices cannot be heard, but Tokyo is determined to face Sapporo with the best environment for victory and success.

Tokyo woke up with an early goal conceded

Despite being a sunny day, the decisive battle began at 3:33 PM with a feeling similar to a night game (due to being indoors).

Overwhelmed and bewildered by the intense away atmosphere that they had never experienced before, which included a roaring sound like a storm and a sense of oppression inside the dome, Tokyo Eleven struggled against Sapporo. Sapporo, fueled by their enthusiastic support, immediately launched a powerful attack. Sapporo, which relied on counterattacks even more than Tokyo, showed their attacking prowess in the 4th minute. Responding to a vertical pass on the left side from a counterattack, Yamase shook off Asari with his speed and charged towards the goal. Sandro tried to stop him inside the penalty area, but Yamase, who was on a roll, was fouled, resulting in a penalty kick. Sapporo's ace, Will, converted the penalty kick, and Tokyo Eleven helplessly conceded the opening goal.

Sapporo Dome heated up with an early opening goal. Tokyo woke up with this goal, knowing that if they play their own soccer from the end of the 1st stage to the previous match, they will always get results. Despite the disadvantageous situation from the beginning in the away game, Tokyo Eleven calmly played their own soccer. Amaral and Kelly created a base in the front line by entering the post firmly while receiving tough marking, and gradually grasped the pace by repeatedly expanding to the sides. And on this day, Tokyo, who focused on fast attacks from the right side, seized the opportunity as expected when Yukihiko was in excellent form. In the 10th minute, Yukihiko broke through the right side with a sharp dribble and sent a perfect last pass between the opponent's goalkeeper and defender from the right side pass from Kelly, causing the Sapporo DF to clear it into their own goal. Yukihiko's speed and accurate cross exposed the mistake of the Sapporo DF.

Tokyo, who completely regained their pace, continued to attack from the side and created chances. In the 13th minute, Kelly broke through with a through pass and crossed from the right side, but Nariyoshi Kobayashi narrowly missed the goal with a header that hit the bar. Yukihiko and Miura also actively made runs into the side spaces and launched sharp attacks. On the other hand, Sapporo, with Will at the center, Hato, Yamase, and Almir also connected passes intricately from the center and looked for opportunities. Just like the excitement in the dome, there was intense back and forth on the pitch.

Tokyo on the run, Sapporo chasing

Tokyo's long-awaited additional goal was born in the 27th minute. Miura threw in from the left side, and Kelly sent a pass to the front of the goal with an artistic overhead kick from a chest trap. The surprised goalkeeper rushed out but couldn't touch the ball, and Yukihiko covered it, but the Sapporo DF who entered the cover accidentally hit it with his body and it went into their own goal. Tokyo successfully turned the game around with this extremely rare own goal. Tokyo, riding on the momentum, continued to attack, and in the 42nd minute, Amaral jumped into the air to meet the cross from Kobayashi on the left side. The Sapporo DF who was marking him committed a crucial handball inside the penalty area. Amaral neatly converted this penalty kick, and Tokyo ended the first half with a 3-1 lead of two goals.

In the second half, Sapporo came out to play. They cut off the left side of the midfield and made a change to a front three by bringing in Kikawada, who has speed and power. This is what they call a "power play". However, Tokyo had read this and responded by increasing the number of defenders by having Fujiyama, the left full-back, focus on defense.

The match started moving early in the second half. In the 2nd minute, Will scored directly from a free kick given slightly to the left in front of the goal, narrowing the gap to one point. Will had taken good care of his left foot, but there was no way to prevent this perfect free kick.

Amaral, who pushes away the pursuing Sapporo.D, scores two goals in a row by Miura's fierce attack!

Sapporo regained their breath with this goal and continued to attack the Tokyo goal one after another. With just one more point to catch up, Sapporo's momentum was in top gear. Previously, Vijay, who had been focused on defense in the midfield position, also moved up to the front line, chasing and stealing the ball, and even taking shots himself. Will's dribbling, Hato and Yamase's precise central breakthroughs, and Almir's mid-range shots showed their momentum, but Tokyo's defensive line, centered around goalkeeper Doi, held firm at the last line and did not allow any additional points. Tactically, they calmly defended against the opponent's aggressive situation, waiting for the chance to come by stealing the ball and breaking through sharply from the sides.

In the 11th minute of the second half, Yukihiko Sato lifted a large cross with a side change, which was picked up by Fujiyama on the opposite side. Fujiyama attracted the Sapporo.DF and passed it to Amaral, who became free near the center of the penalty area. Amaral looked at the position of the goalkeeper and shot with a soft curve with his right foot, and the ball grazed the desperate attempt of the Sapporo.GK to save it and shook the goal net.

With this perfect shot by Amaral, Sapporo once again took a 2-point lead, but Sapporo was not yet out of focus. The passionate support from the entire Sapporo Dome was heating up even more in this situation, and the timing was also like that, but it seems that the players couldn't afford to break in front of this large number of supporters.

The match became even more intense. Sapporo showed their determination and launched attacks with intense movement. On the other hand, Tokyo also allowed the opponent to attack, and after stealing the ball, Kelly and Miura made runs into open spaces, creating opportunities with Yukihiko's sharp breakthrough on the right side.

In the 21st minute of the second half, Amaral kept the ball in the center and expanded it to the right side. Yukihiko perfectly crossed the ball with a curved trajectory, just like in practice. Miura then powerfully headed the ball into the goal net from the front, scoring a decisive fifth goal to give Sapporo a three-goal lead. At this moment, the Sapporo Dome fell silent, and only the cheers of the Tokyo supporters could be heard.

A valuable victory that leads to the next

The match continued with Sapporo showing their determination, and it became a fierce battle until the end. However, Tokyo ultimately won with a score of 5-2. I would like to show respect to the Sapporo supporters and players who never gave up despite conceding 5 goals, but Tokyo showed even greater concentration as the "away" team. Despite conceding a goal early in that atmosphere, Tokyo calmly played their own style of football and achieved a comeback victory with a season-high 5 goals. In the previous match, they also held on during extra time despite conceding a goal near the end and played their own style of football. The victory against Sapporo is naturally a collective effort, but Miura and Yukihiko in particular had a significant impact. Miura defended by putting his body on the line to prevent dangerous situations as a defensive midfielder, and in attack, he not only made effective passes but also instantly found spaces in the opponent's defense and made daring runs. He made "good plays" based on accurate situational judgment from his numerous experiences in both offense and defense. Yukihiko also continued to perform well, improving his breakthrough ability and cross accuracy. In addition, the team as a whole has improved, including the stability of the defensive line with Komine's growth as a side back, the absolute ace Amaral, and Kelly's performance as expected. It is a result that comes with the overall improvement, but it is significant that they can approach the next match against Shimizu S-Pulse with this momentum. It is understood that there are still areas that need to be corrected. However, the next match is an important home game. To continue this momentum, it is important to fight with a strong determination of "victory is a must" rather than relying on logic.

[Coach Okuma's Comment]

'In that atmosphere, it seemed like it would be a difficult situation with an early goal conceded, but it was good that we were able to quickly equalize and regain balance. It was a very valuable victory, but the next game is an important home game, so I want to approach it with a renewed mindset.'