Defeat Kashima on Brazil Day, boasting an undefeated record!

　The 2nd stage also enters the second half, and in the 9th match, they will face Kashima Antlers, who are currently in 5th place, at home. Tokyo has 4 draws and 1 loss in the last 5 matches. Although they remain in 8th place, they struggled in September without a single win. However, Kashima is also in a similar situation with 4 draws and 1 loss, including the Nabisco Cup. Both teams are not blessed with victories. In order to remain in the top battle of the closely contested 2nd stage, it will be a match where they must win cleanly and take 3 points. In addition, after this match, the 2nd stage will have a 2-week interval for the activities of the Japanese national team, and Kaji will be selected for the national team for the first time. He will participate in the Tunisia and Romania expeditions with Toi. Naturally, attention will also be focused on their performance in this match.

　Today is Brazil Day. The traditional event that has been continuing since the Tokyo Gas FC era boasts an undefeated record for the past 6 years. Expectations for victory are high this year, and the stands are heating up with the rhythm of samba before kick-off. Due to a broken nose bone during training this week, Nduka will be playing with a face guard, but the match started with a kick-off in Tokyo under the clear autumn sky.

Unexpectedly taking the lead in an overwhelming manner against Kashima!

　The start of the game saw both teams pressing aggressively and attacking, resulting in a back-and-forth battle. Tokyo took advantage of a weak clearance by the opposing defender from a left corner kick in the 4th minute, with Amaral, Miyazawa, and Miura launching an attack on the goal. As the game progressed, Tokyo gradually found their attacking rhythm, but they were unable to create any clear-cut chances in the midst of a foul-filled match. In the 13th minute, Kanazawa's cross was cleared by the opposing defender between Amaral and Toda in the front line. In the 15th minute, Toda received a pass from Kelly and sprinted up the left side. He entered the penalty area but was tackled by Kashihashi, a defender from Kashima, and lost possession.

　However, it was the 17th minute. From Kelly to Ishikawa's pass, he took a throw-in from a deep position on the right side, and Kaji made a long throw. Amaral aimed and headed the ball to the far side, but before it could reach Kelly, the opponent's defender cut it off with a sliding tackle. This ball was sucked into the Kashima goal, and Tokyo got the opening goal in a lucky way.

　Tokyo, who felt the momentum of today's game with this opening goal, continued to dominate the game. In the 19th minute, they stole the ball from Kashima's throw-in in their own half, and Kelly connected with Amaral, who quickly made a decision and played a through pass to the front line. Toda, who broke free from the left side, sprinted towards the goal, but Narahashi couldn't help but foul him from behind. As a result of this play, he received a red card, and Tokyo was forced to play with only 10 players. Following an own goal and a red card, the game took an unexpected and intense turn.

　Kashima substituted DF Ishikawa for FW Fukai in the 24th minute. They first tightened their defense. However, Tokyo, who was gaining momentum, controlled the ball from Kelly and Amaral's keep and deployed wide attacks using side changes. In the 32nd minute, Miura and Miyazawa surrounded the opponent's dribble in their own half and cut it off. Miyazawa then boldly passed a through ball to Amaral, who had crossed the half line. Amaral cut inside and created space, then sent the ball to Ishikawa, who had started running towards the right side at the perfect timing. Ishikawa rushed into the penalty area, attracting the GK in a 1-on-1 situation, and made a last pass to the center. Kelly, who had moved up to support, easily scored the goal!

　They scored the second goal with a beautiful combination and display of individual judgment!!

Kelly, Amaral's goal lead by 3 points

　Unstoppable Tokyo attack. In the 36th minute, Toda persevered and won a left corner kick. Kanazawa received a short corner from Miyazawa and evaded the defender to take a shot. In the 37th minute, Toda jumped with perfect timing to head in a cross from Kaji, but the Kashima goalkeeper made a save. In the 38th minute, Miyazawa aimed for a direct goal from a free kick. In the 42nd minute, Kelly attacked the goal area from Kanazawa to Ishikawa's side change and Miyazawa took a shot from the cleared ball. And in the 44th minute, once again, after winning the ball on the right side of their own half, Kaji connected with Ishikawa, and Kelly, who was on a high speed, cut deeply into the right side and floated a perfect cross over the head of the Kashima goalkeeper. Amaral, who ran into the goal area, scored a powerful header! The ball shook the net and Tokyo took a goal to leave Kashima behind at the end of the first half!!

　Tokyo, which gained a 3-point lead with the performances of Kelly and Amaral, fitting for Brazil Day. In the first half, they kept Kashima's shots at zero, but in the second half, they were chased by their counterattacks. Kashima's coach, Toninho CEREZO, said, "There's no point in panicking with a 3-point difference. Put Ogasawara at the top to keep the ball in the front and push forward. I want to put more players in the attacking pass work." With the aim determined, Kashima's passes started to circulate.

　Tokyo substituted Abe for Ishikawa, who injured his left foot, in the 50th minute. In the 53rd minute, Abe broke through with a counterattack on Miyazawa's through pass, but was slightly offside. However, Abe was cautioned for delaying the game by shooting after the whistle. In the 54th minute, Kashima MF Ogasawara broke free in front of the goal after receiving a pass from the left side and skillfully evaded Miura and Jean with a trap before shooting. It was a decisive chance, but the ball went over the goal. In the 56th minute, MF Fernando's shot hit the crossbar. The rhythm seemed to be with Kashima. However, in the 58th minute, Ogasawara, who was competing with Shigetani on Tokyo's left side, received a second caution for rough play. He was sent off, and Kashima had to play with 9 players. However, in the following 60th minute, Tokyo gave Kashima a free kick at their own 30m mark. When Fernando kicked the ball, DF Akita jumped out in front of the goal, and the ball grazed Jean's head in the contest and went into the goal. Caught off guard, Kashima suffered a comeback and was down 3-1.

Master the rapidly changing situation with the season's best 5 goals

　Kashima Antlers made a shot in the 67th minute, with Motoyama receiving a pass from the left side and shooting from inside the penalty area. They showed an impressive attack, but it ended up being a single attempt. Then, in the 68th minute, Tokyo passed the ball to Kaji on the right side from a post-play with Amoroso facing away from the goal. Kaji dribbled into the penalty area and delivered a sharp cross with a shot-like quality in front of the goal. Toda, who received this ball near the goal, changed the direction with one touch and scored! They took the fourth goal as if to undermine the morale of Kashima.

　Tokyo, which still does not let up on the attack, substituted Kajiyama for Miura in the 69th minute. In the 73rd minute, Abe turned around and unleashed a powerful header from Toda's left cross, but it missed the goal. However, just one minute later, Abe, who was competing with an opponent player on the right side, received a second warning for a rough play decision and was sent off. The game, now a 10 vs 9 battle, became hectic. In the 73rd minute, Kashima substituted MF Honda for DF Uchida, and in the 78th minute, substituted Nakajima for FW Hirase. In the 77th minute, Tokyo substituted Fujiyama for Kaji, who had already received a warning today. In the 81st minute, Fernando from Kashima also missed the target with a direct shot from a free kick in front of the goal.

　As the 3 minutes of stoppage time approached the end, it seemed like the game would end as it is. At that moment, Kajiyama, who received a pass in the midfield, dribbled past one opponent and advanced. Then, he made a through pass that threaded the needle between the two defenders in front of the goal. Kanazawa, who was overlapping from the left, received the pass and despite being surrounded by defenders, passed it to Toda in the center. Toda's shot from close range was saved by the opponent's goalkeeper, but Kanazawa reacted to the loose ball and scored with his right foot!

　The attitude of attacking until the end of the game led to a valuable fifth goal that sealed the victory for Kashima. With the contributions of Amaral and others, Brazil Day achieved a delightful victory this year. Moreover, they won convincingly against Kashima with a season-high score of 5-1, earning 3 points for the first time in 6 matches.

【Player Comments】《Amaral》"I had been aiming for the goal all along but couldn't score, but my motivation and determination to do my best for the team never changed. In the past few matches, we have been more defensive and had many draws, but today we were able to play a really attacking soccer. On Brazil Day, the support from the fans was an extra boost of power. I was able to score there, and it was a great festival. I believe that if we continue to play well, goals will naturally come."《Neo Choffart》"From the middle of the second half, there were times when it felt like we had fewer players due to the chaotic situation. However, we made sure to communicate well in order to defend properly. Because of the face guard, it was particularly difficult to see the ground, but I think we were able to defend almost perfectly."

[Summary of Manager Hara's Press Conference] "Both Tokyo and Kashima have not won in the last five matches, including the Nabisco Cup, and both teams were in a difficult situation. However, today was our home game and it was Brazil Day. Amaral, Kelly, and Jean fought well, riding the rhythm of samba. Especially Amaral, who has been in good condition, induced an own goal from his header. I would like to have Brazil Day in every match if that's the case. I think our rhythm was established when Narahashi was sent off. The factor that created that was Toda's vertical challenge from Amaral's pass. However, even in the final match of the previous league, Kashima also had a player sent off, but in the end, they were dominated and lost. I also had that memory, so I tried to chase after the goal from an earlier stage. As instructed, we scored an additional goal from Ishikawa's breakthrough, and Amaral's third goal was significant. In the second half, Kashima changed to a three-back formation, which didn't start well and disrupted our rhythm. There was also a sense of relief when the opponent had a second player sent off. However, instead of tightening our defense, we sent a message to attack more by bringing in Kajiyama. The fact that the opponent's numbers decreased also had an impact, but I think it was good that we scored the fifth goal from Kajiyama's dribble. We haven't had a clear game recently, so I want to build on this victory for the next one."

[Summary of Toninho CEREZO's press conference] "It was not good to concede the first goal, but we lost by only one point, and even when we were down to 10 men, it was necessary to fight calmly. The opponent had one more player and was winning, so they came out attacking with momentum. It was possible to score points from counters and set plays by taking advantage of their gaps, and I wanted to fight a little more calmly. One of the challenges is not being able to keep the ball in the front line. We couldn't create enough time to push up and, due to impatience, kicked the ball forward, which prevented Honda and Ogasawara from showing their creative side, resulting in Kashima's attacks not coming together. We conceded the first goal, couldn't score the next chance, and ended up in a situation where we had to stop the opponent with fouls while chasing them, creating a vicious cycle. I want to commend the players for their attitude of fighting until the end, but the point of reflection is that we lacked concentration at the start. We must learn the lesson of starting in a 100% state from the beginning."