The final home game that we want to end with a victory

　Sec. 33 will welcome Kawasaki Frontale at home. It's hard to believe, but there are only 2 matches left in the league. The team has been in good form since Sec. 23, without a loss, but they will face their final home match in the midst of a tough schedule. In this match as well, they want to show their strong soccer and end the year with a victory, as a response to the support they have received from the fans throughout the year.

　However, in the previous match against Niigata, Lucas suffered a foot injury. Baba also remains uncomfortable with his knee and will be absent. Sasa, who started for the first time in 8 games since the Oita match on September 25th, will enter the top as a top player, and Kurisawa will serve as the top midfielder as in the previous match. Coach Hara said about Sasa's start, "The current strength of Tokyo lies in its proactive soccer from the front. The team was used to Lucas' rhythm, but I instructed Sasa to 'take the initiative and just decide the direction of the ball. If Sasa moves, the back moves. Just score goals.'" Kaji returns to the defense line. Fujiyama enters as the left fullback, and Kanazawa starts on the bench considering the condition of consecutive matches.

　Kawasaki, on the other hand, is currently in 6th place with 49 points. They have had 1 win and 3 losses since Sec. 29, so their performance has been a bit declining. However, this will be a match against a top team for Tokyo, so it could be a difficult game. The attacking line with speed is something to be cautious of. "In particular, FW JUNINHO is scary when he faces forward. There is also a combination play with FW Ganaha and MF Marcus, and MF AUGUSTO is involved in that as well. We want to press from the front as a team and prevent them from passing the ball as much as possible," said Coach Hara, tightening his determination.

　In the attack, it is necessary to come up with ideas such as not just throwing the ball against Kawasaki's strong defenders like Minowa and Terada, but also sending fast balls between the ground and the goalkeeper and defenders. Abe and Suzuki, who have speed, also want to actively make plays. The coach and players are also determined to have an intense match in Tokyo's soccer and win. The last home game of the season at Ajinomoto Stadium started with Kawasaki's kickoff at 3:03 PM.

Signing Off With A Win 

Kawasaki Frontale was the visitor to Ajinomoto Stadium for the final home league game of the season. TOKYO was unbeaten in 10 games and aiming for a third consecutive win in six days to thank the fans for their superb support over the year.
Lucas and Baba were both suffering from knocks picked up in the win over Albirex on Wednesday and were unable to start. Sasa Salcedo returned to the starting eleven for the first time in 8 games with Kurisawa in a withdrawn role between midfield and the lone striker. TOKYO manager Hara commented, "The team is playing positive football from the front at the moment and has become used to playing to Lucas' rhythm. We told Sasa to go out and dominate, to seize the initiative and move the ball around. If he moves well then the players behind will, also. After that it's just a matter of scoring goals". Kaji returned at right back, Fujiyama moved to left back and Kanazawa began on the bench.
Frontale lay in 6th place on 49 points at kick off. Despite losing three out of the last four games the side was fast, strong and posed a serious attacking threat. "Juninho is particularly dangerous if he gets the ball facing the goal", went on Hiromi Hara, "forward Ganaha and midfielder Marcus have a good understanding and Augusto likes to get forward when possible. We have to keep the ball away from them as much as possible and press hard from the front".
The Kawasaki defenders are tall so a simple long ball game would make little impact; TOKYO needed something more subtle, like using the speed of Abe and Suzuki on the flanks to send early, low crosses into the "zone of uncertainty" between the defence and goalkeeper. "We want to play an exciting game and take the three points," commented manager Hara. The visitors kicked off under a clear blue sky shortly after 3pm.

Exploited defensive weakness and conceded the first goal

　From the beginning, Tokyo took control of the ball and attacked, while Kawasaki aimed for chances from sharp counters, trying to demonstrate each other's strengths. In the 7th minute, Noriyuki SUZUKI kept the ball deep on the left side and passed a short ground pass to Sasa in the area. Sasa forcefully attempted a shot, but the Kawasaki DF blocked it. In the 9th minute, Yoshiro ABE dribbled up from the right side and took a shot. In the 11th minute, Kajiyama directly aimed for a free kick from over 30 meters, but none of them hit the target.

　Kawasaki, in the 16th minute, MF Nakamura crosses from the right side. Tokyo DF clears the ball, which is then dropped by MF Marcus, and FW Juninho takes a shot. The shot misses the goal and there are no consequences. In the 18th minute, DF Terada joins the attack, and FW Juninho and MF Marcus exchange passes to threaten the Tokyo goal, but Shigeki Morino holds firm. Around the 20th minute, Kawasaki transitions to a 4-back formation with DF Terada moving up to defensive midfield and both wings shifting to defense.

　And in the 22nd minute, Kawasaki FW Ganaha, who had drifted to the left, made a big side change to the right. Nakamura, who received the ball, slowly dribbled inside and saw an open shooting lane from the right area outside. He took the shot and scored, allowing Tokyo to take the lead. Kawasaki did not miss the opportunity when Tokyo's defense became lax.

　Kawasaki, who grasps the rhythm and advances the game advantageously. In response to this, Tokyo deployed Abe and Sasa as a two-top after 28 minutes, with Kurizawa on the right. In the 29th minute, Kurizawa received Nori Suzuki's left cross in the area, dribbled past the opponent's defender, but no foul was called. In the 31st minute, Jean headed Nori Suzuki's left corner kick, but it went over the bar. In the 34th minute, Sasa was fouled in front of the area and won a free kick in a great position. Nori Suzuki acted as a decoy, and Sasa himself aimed directly, but it was blocked by the Kawasaki defenders' wall and resulted in a corner kick. Kurizawa connected this corner kick and took a shot from outside the area. Kaji tried to score from the rebound, but couldn't find the target. In the end, they couldn't create a decisive chance and went into the second half trailing by one goal.

Defensive Uncertainty Allows Frontale Lead

The game began with both sides playing to their strengths: TOKYO moved the ball around, using the width of the pitch and probing for an opening while Frontale defended stoutly and bided their time waiting for counter attacking opportunities. In the 7th minute, Suzuki took the ball down the left and crossed low to Sasa, whose shot was blocked. Abe then raced down the right wing and shot in the 9th minute. Kajiyama blasted a free kick over the bar from 30 meters out in the 11th minute.
In the 16th minute, Nakamura crossed from the right and the TOKYO defense cleared the ball, but only to Marcus. Marcus nodded the ball into the path of Juninho who shot powerfully but wide. Moniwa made a superb tackle to dispossess Juninho in the 20th minute after a one-two between the striker and Marcus on the edge of the TOKYO area had created a clear opening. In the 20th minute, Frontale defender Terada moved forward into a defensive midfield position while the two wing backs withdrew into a four-man backline.
In the 22nd minute, Ganaha took the ball down the TOKYO right wing before sending a long crossfield pass out to Nakamura on the right. Nakamura dribbled infield, looking for a clear sight of goal then unleashed a powerful drive that flew inside the far post to give his team an early lead. The visitors had exploited a chink in TOKYO's defensive armor.
Kawasaki found their rhythm and began to dominate the game. TOKYO responded by moving Kurisawa out to the right wing and Abe into a striker's role alongside Sasa. In the 29th minute, Suzuki latched onto Kurisawa's cross and burst into the Frontale area before a clumsy tackle sent him to ground. The referee waved play on. Jean headed Suzuki's corner over the bar in the 31st minute. In the 34th minute, TOKYO won a free kick in an excellent position just outside the Frontale area. Suzuki dummied over the ball and Sasa clipped a curler that took a deflection and sailed past the post with Aizawa, in the Kawasaki goal, stranded. Kurisawa hammered a shot against a defender from the resulting corner and Kaji blazed the loose ball over the bar. TOKYO failed to find an equalizer and the first half finished 0-1.

ササの2試合連続弾で追いつくも、ドローに終わる

　The second half continued with a back-and-forth battle. In the 47th minute, Sasa headed a cross from left side Suzuki Noriyuki. In the 48th minute, Kawasaki FW Juninho took a dribble shot. In the 51st minute, Kawasaki MF Taniguchi aimed for the goal from mid-range, but Doi deflected it over the frame. In the 52nd minute, Suzuki Nori dribbled quickly towards the goal from Kurisawa's through pass. He attempted an overhead shot on the rebound from the first shot, but the goal did not break. In the 56th minute, Kawasaki FW Ganaha's shot was saved by Doi with a fantastic reaction after a pass from FW Juninho in front of the goal.

　In the 57th minute, Toda was substituted for Kurisawa. After that, Yoshiro Abe and Noriyuki Suzuki swapped positions on the left and right, trying to break the deadlock. However, as time passed without being able to control the pace, in the 70th minute, Miyazawa was substituted for Kajiyama. In the 72nd minute, Norio Suzuki broke through the left side and sent a low cross to the center. Toda, who had his back to the goal, turned around and took a shot. However, it went straight to the goalkeeper. In the 75th minute, Kanazawa was substituted for Kaji. Fujiyama shifted to the right. This proactive substitution strategy paid off, and Tokyo began to find their rhythm. Immediately after, Inomoto took a shot from Miyazawa's long free kick, but it was caught by the opposing goalkeeper.

　In the 77th minute, they persistently approached the Kawasaki goal with a CK from FK. In the 78th minute, Norio Suzuki received Miyazawa's right CK far away, but the ball floated and once passed to the opponent's DF. Kanazawa, who picked up this clearance, crossed it in front of the goal. Jean, who was attacking, competed for the ball with a header and turned it back to the front of the goal. Sasa, who ran into this position, pushed it in with a header and scored a goal! With Sasa's consecutive goals in the previous match, they finally caught up to the same score!!

　Tokyo, showing momentum from here. In the 82nd minute, Sasu steals the left corner kick from Kanazawa's cross and scores another header. In the 84th minute, Toda runs into the ball returned by Abe Yoshiro from near the right corner of the area and shoots directly. In the 85th minute, Kanazawa cuts in from the left and takes a sharp middle shot with his right foot. Just slightly to the right. In the 86th minute, Suzuki Nori's shot hits the defender and goes out for a corner kick. In the 42nd minute, Konno also takes a shot, but it is blocked by the Kawasaki defender.

　Still not giving up, Suzuki Nori launched a fierce attack, and in the 88th minute, he dribbled past three Kawasaki markers from the side. However, the ball, which had become slightly longer, was caught by the goalkeeper. Then, Abe Yoshiro's shot hit the crossbar. In the end, many players rushed into the penalty area, aiming for a goal until the last moment, but they couldn't finish it, and the time was up. They couldn't break through Kawasaki's solid defense no matter what, and the match ended in a draw, earning only 1 point.

　Furthermore, due to the result of this round, Cerezo Osaka is now in first place. In the final round, they will face C Osaka away. They will fight until the final round aiming for victory, while expressing gratitude for the year at home.

　【Player Comments】《Sasa》"It was a difficult game because Kawasaki Frontale was playing defensively and there was no space. I wanted to score a goal because we had a lot of supporters throughout the year. (Looking back on the game) Personally, I think I did well. I was able to score goals in two consecutive matches. I am gradually getting used to Japanese soccer. I want to fit in more with the team and achieve good results next season. Since my role is to score goals, I want to score more goals."《Kanazawa》"We were in a losing situation, so I wanted to make a difference when I entered the game. I saw Jean, who is tall, running freely in the goal-scoring situation, so I crossed the ball. (There were also some close shots towards the end?) It would have been the best if that went in. It's disappointing to draw in the final home game, but everyone had the motivation to attack in the end, so we were able to push forward. However, there is a big difference between being able to score one goal and not being able to score. We have to win these kinds of games. I think the final match will be a difficult situation for the opponent, so I want to play boldly and win."

　[Summary of Manager Hara's Press Conference] "In the final home game, we wanted to win and decorate it for the supporters who have come to support us warmly even during difficult times this year. In the first half, Kawasaki returned to defense early and solidified the area in front of the goal, making it difficult for us to break through. We started with Sasa, and it's not that anyone was at fault, but I thought it would be better to have another forward near Sasa, so I moved Abe Yoshiro to the center and Kurizawa to the right after about 20 minutes into the first half. That balanced the team better. We conceded the first goal, but at halftime, we decided to use the sides more simply. Also, since Kawasaki had many players in the back, I instructed Kajiyama and others to move forward more. However, the game didn't move much, so we brought in Toda, Miyazawa, and Kanazawa, who are good at attacking, to go for the goal. We were able to score one goal as planned, and I think we maintained an attacking attitude until the end, but we couldn't get the second goal, and we couldn't get 3 points. I think the players' attitude towards the opponent's goal and their desire to get 3 points came across. Lucas and Baba were injured, but the players who replaced them did their best. Especially Miyazawa, who hasn't been on the bench lately, has his own strengths, and Toda and Kanazawa also did well even after coming on as substitutes. We have confirmed once again that our team is okay no matter who plays. I just found out that C Osaka is in first place (in the final match). I heard that it's an away game and the opponent is in good form, but we haven't lost either. Kaji and Sasa can't play due to accumulated yellow cards, but we want to fight fairly and squarely."

　[Summary of Kawasaki-Kanzuka Coach's Press Conference] "It was very disappointing that we couldn't win, but I think it was a game with a rich content for us in the third game of the three consecutive matches. We were able to play soccer that utilized the three attackers in the front line while connecting the ball firmly even though we were tired. In the first half, the opponent had a front three, so we changed the battle by moving Terada one step forward. As a result, Tokyo changed to a two-top, so we returned to our original three-back formation. There was little training time for that, but the players adapted smoothly. In that sense, the system change went well and we created many chances. However, not being able to score another goal led to a result of 1 point. However, it is very valuable to have reached 50 points. Also, today I think Soma did a good job as a right side back and wing back."

Sasa's Late Goal Earns Draw 

The second half ebbed and flowed. Sasa connected with Suzuki's cross in the 47th minute, Juninho dribbled forward and shot in the 49th, and Doi produced a good save to tip Taniguchi's dipping shot over the bar in the 51st. Suzuki ran onto Kurisawa's through ball in the 52nd minute and shot from a narrow angle; Aizawa blocked the strike with his body and Suzuki attempted an overhead kick at the rebound but directed the ball into the side netting. In the 56th minute, Ganaha found Juninho inside the area but Doi again produced a fine save to deny Kawasaki a second goal.
TOKYO replaced Kurisawa with Toda in the 57th minute while Suzuki and Abe switched sides in an attempt to open the game up. The tactic failed to produce a breakthrough and TOKYO then brought on Miyazawa for Kajiyama in the 70th minute. In the 72nd minute, Suzuki burst down the left and centered low to Toda; Toda shot first time but straight at the keeper. Kanazawa replaced Kaji in the 75th minute with Fujiyama moving to the right back position. These changes proved effective and TOKYO began to find their rhythm. Aizawa held Konno's shot following a long free kick from Miyazawa.
TOKYO began to exert severe pressure on the Kawasaki goal. In the 77th minute, a free kick and a corner allowed the home side to push men into the visitors area; the Kawasaki defense cleared Suzuki's cross from the corner out to Kanazawa on the left. Kanazawa curled a deep cross back in to Jean beyond the far post. Jean headed the ball back into the center and Sasa burst between two defenders to head past Aizawa for the equalizing goal. Sasa's second goal in two games had tied the score and revitalized the home side.
In the 82nd minute, Kanazawa's cross earned a corner that Sasa made contact with and in the 84th minute, Abe set up Toda for a shot from the edge of the area. In the 85th minute, Kanazawa burst inside from the left wing and struck a screaming drive into the side netting. Suzuki's shot hit a defender and sailed out for a corner in the 86th minute and Konno had a shot blocked a minute later. Suzuki then took on and beat three defenders but Aizawa held his cross cleanly. Abe fired over the bar as the game moved into injury time. TOKYO flung men forward into the Kawasaki penalty area but were unable to find the winning goal and the game finished 1-1.
Following the penultimate round of games, Cerezo Osaka topped the table; TOKYO faced the league leaders in the final game of the year and would be going all out to end the season with a win.


Players' comments
Sasa
"Frontale defended deeply and there was little space to work in so it was a tough game. I wanted to score and win the game for the many fans who came and supported us during the year. For myself, I think I've been playing quite well. I've scored in two consecutive games and I feel I'm slowly getting used to Japanese football. Next year I want to become more familiar with the team and post a better record. It's my job to score so I hope to contribute more goals next year".

Kanazawa
"We were losing when I went on so I was determined to change the flow of the game. For the goal, I spotted Jean making a run unmarked behind the defence so I aimed the ball towards him. I had a shot late on and if it had gone in it would have been perfect. It was the last home game so we wanted to win, of course, but towards the end of the game we got players forward and gave it everything. There's very big difference between scoring and not scoring, though. This is the kind of game we really have to win. The last game will be a difficult one for our oppnents so we're hoping to put in a good performance and take the three points".


TOKYO manager Hara
"Today was the final home game so we wanted to win to repay the fans who supported us so warmly through the difficult period earlier in the season. Kawasaki really pressured us from the start and we held off their attacks very well. Sasa started but it became obvious he needed another forward playing alongside him so we moved Abe infield and put Kurisawa on the right wing. The balance was much better. At half time we told the players to keep it simple and use the wings more. Kawasaki had packed their defence so we tried to have Kajiyama push forward. We couldn't really make any great headway so we sent on the more attack minded players in Toda, Miyazawa and Kanazawa in search of a goal. We got the goal and then went for the winner but came up short at the end. Lucas and Baba were injured but their replacements played well. In particular Miyazawa, who hasn't even been on the bench for a while, added his own individual talents to the game and put in a good performance today. It showed that no matter who plays we can perform well as a team. Our last game is against Cerezo Osaka, the league leaders, who are in good form now I hear. Sasa and Kaji will be suspended but we hope to give a good account of ourselves".

Kawasaki Frontale manager Sekizuka
"It was disappointing that we didn't win but, considering it was the third game in six days, I think we played well today. The players were tired but moved the ball around smoothly and brought the forward three into the game. Our opponents switched to a three man forward line in the first half so we moved Terada forward into a defensive midfield position. TOKYO then changed to a two striker system and we reverted to a three back defence. We weren't able to spend much time practising that in training but the players made the transition comfortably and we could still create chances. We couldn't score the vital second goal though, and that's ultimately what cost us two points today. Still, to reach 50 points for the season is a great achievement. Soma had an excellent game at side back and wing back today".