A crucial match to seize the opportunity to rise

　Sec. 4 challenging Kawasaki Frontale away. It is a game that we want to rebuild after losing to Niigata and Shimizu. The time for adjustments was short due to the match being held two days after the previous round, but we aimed to break through by increasing the common understanding in the meeting and changing the members. Lucas and Rychely as the top two, with Baba starting for the first time this season as the attacking midfielder. In addition, Inoha started as the right midfielder instead of Kajiyama, who was injured in the Shimizu match, and Miyazawa started as the left midfielder, and Inoha started at the bottom, forming a 4-4-2 formation.

　Kawasaki, on the other hand, won the first and second matches with explosive scoring power from FW JUNINHO and Ganaha, but in the previous match, they struggled against Kofu's tough press and lost without scoring. For Tokyo as well, the first thing they need is a tough mark. After that, they would like to take advantage of Rychely's speed and attack Kawasaki's side and backline.

　In the past two matches, the players themselves have realized that they "lack the fighting spirit" in their battles for the ball and other aspects. This match is also one of the themes to put their emotions into their play and fight with concentration. We hope to see a united team with a fighting attitude that wants to seize the opportunity to rise. The match started at 16:04 with Kawasaki's kickoff at the serene Kawasaki Todoroki Stadium in the spring weather.

Equal struggle, but conceding from a set piece

　Kawasaki's start was good in suppressing the attacking attempts. In the 1st minute, Kawasaki FW JUNINHO tried to break through from the right side, but was tightly marked and stopped by Imakano. In the 5th minute, Suzuki stopped FW JUNINHO's central breakthrough. A free kick was given in front of the goal, but MF MARCUS's direct shot went over the bar. In the 15th minute, Tokyo's Miyazawa made a big side change from his own territory to the right front line. Rychely caught up and turned the opponent's DF, and passed to Imakano who had moved up for support, but the cross went out of play.

　Kawasaki has a high awareness of shooting, with Igawa, the right MF, aiming for the goal boldly from the middle range in the 18th minute, and Mori, the left MF, doing the same in the 19th minute. Tokyo also launched a rhythmic attack in the 23rd minute, with Tokunaga cutting inside and passing the ball to Lucas. Baba, who received the return pass outside the left area, attempted a shot, but the opponent's DF blocked it.

　After that, both teams had decisive moments. In the 25th minute, Inaba sent a left throw-in to Rychely in the front line. The ball initially passed the opponent's DF Terada, but Rychely picked up the loose ball from the mistake and rushed into the area for a shot! However, he was blocked by the opponent's GK and missed the chance to take the lead. In the 29th minute, MF Marcos dribbled into the Tokyo territory. FW JUNINHO made a crossing movement with Marcos and ran into the goal area, where he received the final pass. They also had a decisive shot, but escaped the pinch with Doi's fine save.

　In the midst of a fierce situation where 5 warnings were issued in the first half alone, both teams were showing an even battle. However, in the 39th minute, they allowed a goal from a set play, following the Shimizu match. MF Marcus headed the ball to the far side from a free kick on the right side of the Tokyo team's field. MF Taniguchi followed and struck it with his head. In the 43rd minute, Rychely got injured and was replaced by Kawaguchi. Despite being behind, they turned their hopes to a counterattack and headed into the second half.

Jean, leading with Kawaguchi's goal, but unable to hold on

　In the second half, the fast transition of offense and defense continued from the beginning. Immediately after the start, Lucas received a left throw-in and Miyazawa ran into the dropped ball and took a shot! The ball was blocked by the crossbar and did not go in... In the 47th minute, Juninho, the FW who slipped through the Tokyo DF's defense from a through pass by Kawasaki MF Marcus, took a shot. However, Toi made a nice save. In the 48th minute, Lucas jumped in with a header from Imakuno's right cross, but the ball went to the right.

　In the 58th minute, Kurisawa was substituted for Baba, and the team gained momentum with Kurisawa's quick decision-making play. In the 61st minute, Kawaguchi crossed from the right side from a quick pass by Imano to Kurisawa. Lucas headed the ball in the center, but it didn't meet properly. Then, in the 63rd minute, Kurisawa was fouled on the left side, earning a free kick opportunity. Jean jumped in with a high-precision kick from Miyazawa and scored a goal! Miyazawa looked back on the play and said, "Just like in practice," as they equalized.

　With this goal, they gained even more momentum and took control of the pace. They continued to launch fast attacks by stealing the ball and pushing forward. In the 68th minute, Kawasaki made a substitution, replacing MF Igawa with DF Yoneyama and placing him as a right full-back, changing the formation to 4-4-2. However, it was Tokyo who scored the next goal. In the 74th minute, Tokunaga intercepted the opponent's ball and passed it to Kurisawa, who quickly sent a through pass from the right front line to Kawaguchi, who had run into the goal area. Kawaguchi calmly evaded the oncoming goalkeeper and scored the goal! It was Kawaguchi's first goal since transferring and it gave them the lead.

　Tokyo's momentum continues. In the 78th minute, Suzuki took a low middle shot from the left side. It was blocked by Kawasaki DF, but Inomata picked up the loose ball and momentarily shook the goal net. However, it was offside. In the 80th minute, Kawasaki substituted FW Kurotsu for MF Marcus and switched to a 3-top formation to counterattack. In response, Tokyo substituted Mazushima for Miyazawa in the 84th minute. Mazushima was assigned to mark FW Juninho and Inoha was pushed forward to protect the one-goal lead. However, ultimately, this player substitution would make a difference.

　85 minutes, immediately after the substitution, Kawasaki MF Nakamura took advantage of the gap and passed JUNINHO with a one-two, breaking through the Tokyo DF. The goal was conceded with a shot from the right area, and the game was equalized. Nevertheless, they continue to attack without feeling down. In the midst of a quick exchange of attacks, in stoppage time, Kawaguchi competed for the ball, which was picked up by Kurisawa near the area and quickly shot. However, the ball hit the crossbar and they couldn't score the third goal. In the end, it ended in a 2-2 draw, but their attitude of going for the goal and going for the win was evident, making it a promising game.

　【Player Comments】《Kawaguchi》"We were on a losing streak, so we made sure to bring out our emotions and fight together as a team, with the coach and Mr. Doi at the center, from before the game. It's disappointing that it didn't result in a win. The goal-scoring scene was when I received a great pass from Kurisawa. The timing of when I wanted it and when he delivered it was perfect. I could see the goalkeeper and the surrounding defenders, so I was able to calmly score. I believed that if I made a good move, the pass would definitely come. I'm happy to score my first goal, but I want to continue striving for 3 points without forgetting the sense of crisis."《Kurisawa》"(Regarding the assist) As soon as I received the ball, I looked ahead and saw that Kawaguchi-san was free, so I just had to pass without hesitation. I was happy, but it didn't lead to a victory, which is disappointing. However, I think the fact that I had been aiming for the back all along led to the goal. I want to continue making plays that lead to goals. If there's space in front, I want to put in a vertical pass without hesitation."

　[Summary of Manager Garo's Press Conference] "Both teams played at a high level. As for our team, we were able to play with the spirit and passion we aimed for, and we were able to connect passes. I think the players did their best until the end without giving up. Baba and Kurizawa have been away from the game for a while, so they were planned to be substituted before the 90 minutes. The opponent was tired, and I think we were able to break down Kawasaki in a good way with Kurizawa's abundant movements. Miyazawa also hadn't played a 90-minute game for a while, so I thought his physical condition had dropped and I substituted him with Mashima. The opponent changed to a 4-4-2 formation, which increased the number of players in the midfield, so I moved Inoha forward and had Mashima mark FW Juninho. I also decided to bring in Mashima to respond to Kawasaki's set plays. Kawaguchi has speed and the ability to change the rhythm. Rychely is the same, but today we tried to use fast players in the front line and play with speed. Rychely got injured and Kawaguchi came in, but today we were able to play in a way that utilized Baba and Kurizawa's passes and flowed into space. (Impression of the J-League?) I think every team in the league is evenly matched, and it is difficult to earn 3 points. But we will continue to strive for victory. Unfortunately, we couldn't win today, but we had good plays in the second half. I want to praise the players."

　[Summary of Kawasaki-Kanzuka Coach's Press Conference] "In the previous match, we lost without scoring any goals, so we tried to switch our mindset and aim for a win. I think we were able to play a very balanced game of soccer from the first half. We tried to play organized soccer, both in attack and defense, by using the field widely and creating many chances. We scored from set plays and entered the second half with a lead. As for the content of the second half, we should have connected the ball a little more, but we rushed to score the second goal. As a result, there were many fouls and we conceded a goal. We need to improve in situations where we are winning 1-0. Even after being reversed, we continued to go for goals until the end, and we were able to score the second goal in a good way. It would have been better if we could have scored another goal from restarts, etc. I want to thank the players who fought without stopping until the end. Also, thanks to the many supporters who gathered, I think we were able to play our soccer. (Regarding the change to a 4-4-2 system) Inagawa's injury and the caution against Kurizawa, who was brought in when we were leading 1-0, led to the decision. I was planning to switch to a 4-back or 3-defensive midfielder and mark him. We switched to a 4-back when the score was tied, but we conceded a goal due to a coordination mistake. After that, we only focused on scoring with a front three."