The big match against the top-ranked Antlers!

　Currently, Kashima Antlers are leading the 2nd stage. The starting lineup includes FW Yanagisawa, who recently scored a historic goal in the Italy match (11/7) and has now grown into Japan's ace, GK Sogahata, who made his national team debut in that Italy match, as well as MF Nakata and FW Suzuki, who have firmly established themselves in the national team. The player depth of Antlers is solid, with MF Motoyama and FW Hirase as substitutes, but today they are facing the match with a perfect best lineup.

　FC Tokyo, on the other hand, has been steadily improving their team strength, with MF Kelly and Ki-na, who returned from injury after three games, and DF Tetsuya ITO on the bench. They are also riding the momentum of their big win against C Osaka in the previous round. In the match of the 1st stage (7/7), they won by a shutout with Kelly's two goals at the packed home Tokyo Stadium, so they have no sense of weakness or fear against the Antlers. The motivation is extremely high as there is a possibility of rising to 3rd place if they win this match. On the other hand, the Antlers also have high motivation as winning this match will be a big step forward towards the championship, and it is expected to be an intense and exciting game. From Tokyo, the club's largest ever 6 buses and 270 supporters rushed to Kashima Soccer Stadium, and the atmosphere in the stands heated up with passionate support that could match the local Antlers supporters. The "big match" for both teams kicked off at 2:03 pm in the afternoon at the Kashima Soccer Stadium, with the sound of the kickoff whistle echoing in the pouring rain.

1 minute into the game, Kobayashi's opening goal explodes!

　The match started with an exciting development that made the stadium restless. In the first minute, FW Amaral kept the ball on the left side and passed a looping pass to DF Fujiyama, who had moved up in the center. Fujiyama controlled the ball and then passed it through the Antlers' defense. In response, MF Miura broke through and crossed from the goal line, and MF Seigo KOBAYASHI, who had been closing in on the near side, kicked a powerful shot with his left foot to take the lead. Perhaps feeling the pressure of high expectations, Tokyo, who had been playing with a sense of urgency from the start, scored the fastest goal of the season in just one minute. The stadium was filled with a chaotic atmosphere, with sighs from Antlers supporters and cheers from Tokyo supporters.

Antlers' thick attack and Tokyo's sharp counter

　Antlers, who woke up with a strong opening punch, immediately turned to counterattack. In the midfield, Antlers' MF Nakata, Ogasawara, and Bismarck circulated the ball with outstanding ball control and passing, trying to catch the rhythm by hitting the ball to the Japanese national team's top two forwards, Yanagisawa and Suzuki. However, the combination of the two was poor in the early stages, and DF Yamao and Sandro cleared the ball every time with tough charges even against simple vertical passes. However, as the two gradually alternated between playing the role of a post player and jumping into space, the marking started to shift subtly, and scenes where the response was delayed and fouls were committed became more noticeable, leading to more free kick opportunities near Tokyo's goal. Additionally, the aggressive attacking participation of DF Augusto, which is also a symbol of Antlers' rapid progress in the 2nd stage, is astonishing. Not only does he race up the left side and compete, but he also cuts inside to create space on the left side, with Ogasawara marking that space and becoming the focal point. The attack involving Augusto in the thick midfield confused Tokyo's defense. In the 13th minute, Yamao was caught off guard by Augusto and brought him down near the penalty area, resulting in a yellow card. Tokyo's defense maintained a high level of concentration and made brave plays to prevent decisive opportunities, but they had to endure Antlers' thick attack for a long time.

　On the other hand, Tokyo, which had many opportunities to defend, created chances with sharp counters. Tokyo's "solid defense and fast attack" was still effective on this day. Amaral chased fiercely from the front line, and after winning the ball with a tough press centered around Shimodaira in the midfield, Augusto moved up to the right side where space was created, and Yukihiro and Toda alternately made runs from there, serving as the starting point. They supplied accurate crosses to the center. They sent numerous final passes into the goal area, but Amaral was tightly marked and had few opportunities to enter the goal area, so they couldn't bring the ball to a shot.

Equalized by Ace Yanagisawa's "skillful goal"

　It was understood that they were not an opponent that could be defeated with just one goal, but they were quickly caught up with by the ace's shot. For Tokyo, it was a good flow as planned, but in the 29th minute of the first half, Antlers kept the ball in the midfield with Bismarck and passed it to Suzuki at the top. Suzuki dropped the ball and Nakata advanced with a dribble at high speed, passing it through to Yanagisawa in the front line. Yanagisawa skillfully took a course between Tokyo's defenders Yamao and Sandro at top speed, and shot the ball just a moment before goalkeeper Doi's dive, shaking Tokyo's goal net. Nakata's pass was also splendid, but there was no choice but to take off one's hat to Yanagisawa's "international level" play that brought it to a perfect finish.

　Tokyo, who was caught up in a tie, did not hesitate and continued to trouble the Antlers with aggressive play on both offense and defense. In the 33rd minute, Amaral chased after the opponent and induced a back pass miss, then Amaral rushed towards the Antlers' goal, but goalkeeper Sogahata jumped out of the penalty area to clear the ball. However, the clearance was small and it flew to Miura's feet, who followed Amaral from behind. Miura shot directly towards the unguarded goal, but unfortunately, the ball missed to the left of the goal. Furthermore, in the 36th minute, Shimodaira intercepted the ball on the right side and passed it intricately to Amaral, Shimodaira, and Yukihiko. Taking advantage of the opportunity, they sent a through pass to Miura, who had jumped out in front of the goal. Miura tried to break through inside the penalty area but was fouled, although no foul was given. The Antlers also had Suzuki as the focal point in the front line with aggressive play, and in the 38th and 44th minutes, he unleashed powerful left-footed shots, but no goal was scored. In the end, both teams were unable to score additional points, and the match was carried over to the second half with a 1-1 draw.

Despite Kelly and Kina's efforts to turn the tide, the game was lost with two goals conceded in the last 8 minutes.

　In the second half, Tokyo was the first to launch an offensive. In the 2nd minute, Yukihiko rushed down the right side and sent a sharp ground cross between the goalkeeper and the defender. The goalkeeper, Sogahata, fumbled the ball. However, Tokyo failed to capitalize on the opportunity. In the 9th minute, Kelly, who returned to the pitch after a 3-match absence due to injury, was substituted in. Despite playing with a injured right elbow, Kelly immediately made his presence felt on the pitch. In the 11th minute, he received the ball outside the penalty area and broke through a tight space with a quick one-two pass with Miura, then took a left-footed shot. The shot did not result in a goal as it went straight to the goalkeeper, but in the following 13th minute, he broke free on the right side from a through pass by Toda and crossed the ball with a shot-like ball from an angleless position, only to be caught by the goalkeeper. With Kelly's presence, the focal point of the forward line, which had been focused on Amaral, was strengthened, and the team's overall attacking rhythm improved significantly as there was an additional reliable focal point for passing. Kelly quickly carried the ball forward whenever he received it and spread the ball to the left and right sides before making runs into the goal area. In the 22nd minute, he leaped for a header from a cross by Yukihiko on the right, but it fell just short. On the other hand, the Antlers also showed an attacking play from Augusto, who seemed more like a midfielder or forward than a defender, and launched attacks on the Tokyo goal. In the 23rd minute, he attempted a curved free kick in front of the goal with his favored left foot, but it narrowly missed.

　In the midst of a fierce offensive and defensive battle where the tide constantly changes, it was Tokyo who made the first move. Coach Okuma said before the match, "The crucial moment is when the opponent brings in substitute Motoyama," but Tokyo's timing to make a move was with the introduction of Kina, ahead of the Antlers. And then, two minutes after Kina's introduction, the Antlers sent Motoyama onto the pitch.

　With the addition of Motoyama, Antlers' attack has become more solid, and Motoyama has become the focal point in front of Tokyo's goal with his sharp dribbling skills. Antlers, who want to decide the match in 90 minutes no matter what, have shown a relentless all-out attack, with not only Augusto on the left but also Narahashi on the right side actively participating in the attack. However, Tokyo also responded with a strong defense. In the 31st minute, the ball came out in front of Tokyo's goal from a scramble, and Yanagisawa took a decisive shot in a one-on-one situation, but goalkeeper Doi made a super save to catch it. However, in the 37th minute of the second half, Narahashi unleashed a powerful mid-range shot from the right side, and Motoyama, who was waiting in front of the goal, volleyed with his right foot to send the ball bouncing into the right side of Tokyo's goal. Despite being pushed back, Tokyo looked for a chance to score an additional goal with high concentration and their characteristic style of play, so conceding a goal at this time was painful. Even after being reversed, Tokyo aimed for a goal with their "never give up" soccer, but in the 44th minute of stoppage time, they were broken through on the left side by a one-two between Augusto and Motoyama, and Motoyama delivered a final pass from the front of the goal, allowing Yanagisawa to score an insurance goal freely. It was a regrettable defeat as they had taken the lead against the top-ranked Antlers away from home and displayed a strong concentration to fully demonstrate Tokyo's strengths until the last 8 minutes. Conceding two goals in the final moments was disappointing. This type of goal was also seen in the Júbilo match, but it was a positive goal conceded while trying to win, and we should think positively about it. It should have been a challenge that will lead to the next opportunity, creating a situation where we can go for a win against both teams, which are considered the top two in Japan, and going for a win boldly. It would have been a valuable experience for the players as well. In this match, Kelly, Kina, and Tetsuya Ito returned earlier than expected, and there were many bright spots. We want to change our mindset for the remaining two matches.

[Coach Okuma's Comment] We took the initiative today, but couldn't get the result we wanted. We had informed the players before the game that Motoyama's entry was a crucial moment for the opponent, and we had taken care of it. However, in the end, we were overwhelmed by Motoyama on the front line. We need to switch our mindset and aim to win the remaining two matches.