Second half begins! We want to decorate with a victory to turn the tide

　Sec. 18 of the league will be an away match against Kashima Antlers. After finishing Sec. 17 of the first half with 6 wins, 2 draws, and 9 losses, the team is facing a difficult situation with only 20 points. In the previous match against G Osaka, despite taking a 2-goal lead, they suffered a heavy defeat with 6 goals conceded. Although they started the first half as planned, they couldn't stop the negative momentum caused by mistakes and ended up with a frustrating battle. In this match, they aim to regroup defensively and secure 3 points to turn the tide in the second half, hoping to enter the break period on a positive note.

　Kashima, on the other hand, is currently in 3rd place with 30 points. Although they don't have an explosive attacking power like G Osaka, they have been winning consistently with solid game management. They have been on a nine-game unbeaten streak since their match against Tokyo on May 3rd and have been gaining momentum. The players to watch out for are the forward Marquinhos with his finishing ability and the attacking midfielder Nozawa. Coach Hara warns, "We need to send long balls to Marquinhos, Nozawa, and left midfielder Motoyama, and then launch speedy attacks from there." Tokyo needs to stay focused and not allow them to play easily. Additionally, they need to be cautious of Nozawa's accurate set plays.

　Tokyo has changed its lineup since the previous match against G Osaka. In this game, the battle on the sides will be a major point, so we want to put Norio Suzuki, a right midfielder, and Rychely, a left midfielder with speed, and exploit the space behind Kashima's side backs who have moved up, and create chances from there. Due to participation in the Japan national team training camp, Imano and Inoha have concerns about their condition, but in this match, Akamine will be on the bench, and we hope he can create chances with his quick movements against the tall Kashima center-backs when we need goals.

　In the past, Kashima Soccer Stadium has never won a league match. It is a tough opponent, but Tokyo's soccer style is to press from the front and launch quick attacks after winning the ball. By continuously attacking Kashima's sides and never giving up until the end, we want to find a way out. The match started with Kashima's kickoff at 16:00.

Unable to create an attacking rhythm, they go into halftime trailing by one point

　Kashima starts attacking from the beginning of the match. In the 4th minute, FW Tashiro drops the throw-in and FW Marcinhos shoots from the crowded area. In the 5th minute, MF Aoki shoots a middle shot but it goes to the left. Tokyo also seizes the chance from the right side. In the 7th minute, Suzuki Nori forcefully cuts into the right area while dragging the opponent's DF and shoots, but there is no angle and it hits the side net. In the 9th minute, Lucas who made a breakthrough on the right side outside the area is fouled and earns a free kick. Suzuki Nori's kick is cleared by the DF and goes to the left corner kick. Kajiyama's corner kick is caught by the opponent's GK and Kashima counterattacks. In the end, MF Motoyama shoots a middle shot but it goes to the right.

　Gradually, Tokyo dominates the ball and launches attacks. In the 13th minute, Rychely on the left, Fukunishi, and Kajiyama pass the ball, and if the pass reaches Suzuki Nori who is free on the right side, it would have been a big chance, but Kajiyama's final pass is intercepted. In the 14th minute, Lucas persists after Kanazawa's throw-in, and Kajiyama picks up the loose ball from outside the box and takes a shot. It is caught by the opponent's goalkeeper. Kashima, who cannot find their rhythm, throws a long ball towards FW Tashiro in the front line and turns it into an attack. Then, in the 21st minute, Inomoto fails to deal with the loose ball kicked behind the defense line, and Kashima FW Marcinho breaks through and takes a shot. Although Doi makes a good save, the ball falls to FW Marcinho again. He scores it reliably and allows a goal.

　Tokyo wanted to attack, but they were not used to the deep grass, so they often struggled to regain possession of the ball and their attacking speed did not increase. Meanwhile, Kashima organized their defense and Tokyo's players with the ball were either surrounded and dispossessed or countered due to passing errors, creating a vicious cycle. In the 30th minute, a quick restart led to a cross from the right by Tokunaga. Fukunishi, who had made a run into the box, stretched his leg but missed the ball. On the contrary, in the 31st minute, Kashima's midfielder Nakago broke free on the left side from a pass by midfielder Motoyama, and faced off against Doi in a one-on-one situation, but Doi made a great save and it resulted in a corner kick.

　From around 35 minutes into the game, Tokyo swapped positions between Rychely and Norio Suzuki. Gradually, the attack on the side started to develop smoothly, but they couldn't create any decisive chances. Towards the end of the first half, Kashima Antlers' forward, Tashiro, was released into the box and had a free shot, but once again, the shot was saved by Doi, avoiding a dangerous situation. The first half ended with a score of 0-1. Doi made several great saves, keeping the score at just one goal against, and leaving enough chances for a comeback in the second half.

Lucas and Noriyuki Suzuki scored goals from a set play to secure a come-from-behind victory!

　Tokyo vigorously aims for a goal from the start of the second half. In the first minute of the second half, Tokunaga advances and crosses from the right. Lucas lets it go through, and Fukunishi, who was waiting behind, shoots from a close distance, but it hits the post. Lucas also tries to score from the rebound, but it narrowly goes to the left. In the second minute of the second half, Kashima DF clears Lucas' cross, and Kajiyama cuts inside the penalty area from the loose ball, winning a right corner kick. Tokunaga heads back Kajiyama's corner, and Lucas volleys it directly. It pierces the goal net, equalizing in the early stages of the second half.

　As instructed by Coach Hara during halftime, when you have the ball, quickly expand to the side to start the rhythm of the attack. In the 52nd minute, Suzuki Nori passed to Lucas on the left side, and Inonami, who had moved up, aimed for a shot from mid-range but it went wide to the right. In the 55th minute, after Kajiyama intercepted a pass, Lucas made a perfect through pass to Rychely who had made a run forward, resulting in a one-on-one situation with the goalkeeper, but it was saved and resulted in a left corner kick. From there, we continuously won corner kicks. Then in the 56th minute, Kajiyama's right corner kick was headed down by Imano, and Lucas attempted to score but was blocked by the Kashima defenders. This time, Suzuki Nori, who had run in from behind, kicked a powerful shot into the goal to turn the game around.

　Tokyo continues to attack without letting up. In the 60th minute, Kajiyama steals the ball and passes it to Rychely. He dribbles up the right side but fails to cross. This time, Lucas intercepts the pass and crosses from the right side, and Inonami heads the ball straight at the opponent's goalkeeper. In the 64th minute, Kashima tries to change the flow of the game by substituting two players, but Tokyo also substitutes Baba for Rychely in the 69th minute, and the back-and-forth battle continues. In the 71st minute, Suzuki Nori aims directly for the center free kick but misses the target. In the 73rd minute, Lucas runs up to the front line and challenges the opponent's DF in the right area. Baba connects with the last pass, but is surrounded by Kashima's DF and fails to finish.

　76 minutes, Kashima's MF Masuda receives a pass from the left and shoots with speed near the area, but it curves to the left. However, Lucas, who went to block this shot, injures his left leg and is replaced by Akamine. Then, in the 78th minute, Kashima substitutes DF Arai for FW Sasaki and launches a counterattack by increasing the number of players in the front line. The time spent keeping the ball in the Tokyo area increases, and Kashima is pushed back, with consecutive threats on goal from set pieces.

　In the 83rd minute, Shigetoshi Mogi was substituted for Fukunishi. They tried to hold on to the lead by strengthening their defense, but an accident occurred near the end of the match. Mogi was fouled in the penalty area, even though he had no involvement with the ball, due to Kashima's right cross. However, the penalty kick taken by Kashima's midfielder Nozawa hit the post and did not result in a goal. It was thanks to the composure and calm reaction of veteran player Doi that they were saved from this desperate situation. The match ended like this. In their 8th year, they achieved their first victory in a league match at Kashima Soccer Stadium.

　【Player Comments】《Lucas》"I approached the game with the reflection from the G Osaka match. I'm glad that we were able to achieve results. In the next Nabisco Cup, we have two matches, home and away, so I want to play aggressively throughout the 180 minutes."《Norio Suzuki》"I had an image that the goal would come loose before kicking, so I focused on shooting. However, I have been missing a lot lately, so I tried to control the ball. It also became easier for me to play on the left side from the middle of the first half. However, I think it's a good thing that the width of play expands on the right side as well. In the first half, I was able to create opportunities to break through 2-3 times, so I want to be able to score in those situations."

　[Summary of Manager Hara's Press Conference] "We suffered a big defeat against G Osaka in the previous match, but we were able to enter today's game in a good shape after a week of regrouping. However, we still conceded a goal. In the first half, Kashima put a tall player on Fujiyama and instead of connecting in the midfield, they simply pushed forward and picked up loose balls. We were aware of this and tried not to lose out in those situations. The first goal we conceded was not due to our defense being broken down, but rather a misjudgment by Imakawa when the ball was thrown in and they were able to score. In our attack, we believed that using the wings would create chances, but we were a bit slow and struggled to connect on the sticky turf. At halftime, I told the players to keep passing and moving forward to create chances. In the second half, we were able to create some opportunities, such as when Fukunishi hit the post. That was a big turning point for us. We were cautious of Kashima's restarts, but we were able to score a goal ourselves in the early stages of the second half. This gave our players confidence. The previous match against Gamba was tough, but it felt like we self-destructed. It was also difficult to bounce back from conceding 6 goals. However, I told the players that we were scoring and creating good chances. We also organized our defense for corner kicks and free kicks. Kajiyama and Inoha, who played in the G Osaka match, are young and can be great when they are on form, but can also struggle when they are not. In today's match, Kajiyama's energy and dynamism were evident in the second half, and Inoha defended well in the center. When these two are playing well, the team plays well. Also, Suzuki Norio's left foot is a valuable asset for us. We have never won a league match at this stadium. I have watched many of Kashima's matches and they are skilled at counterattacks and restarts. That's why I told the team to be careful and focused on set pieces. However, today we were able to score two goals from corner kicks. This is the first time we have won here in the league, and it feels like a good wind is blowing for the team. Today was a tough game and we were lucky that the opponent's penalty kick missed, but we will cherish this valuable victory and prepare well for next week's Nabisco Cup and the resumption of the league."

　(What is the summary of the first half of the league?) Returning to FC Tokyo, I thought about how to make use of big-name players like Wanchope, Evaldo, and Fukunishi, and how to incorporate them. Evaldo was in a state where he couldn't practice much due to injury, and Shigetani also got injured. So we tried various things, like putting Tokunaga at center back and putting Inoha on the right. Also, when players like Hirayama, Inoha, and Kajiyama returned from the Olympic team, they were in poor condition or had different ways of doing things, and couldn't come back well. We also tried various things to make use of Wanchope's strengths, but in doing so, FC Tokyo's strengths disappeared. We also tried different positions for Fukunishi, such as defensive midfielder and forward. Recently, we have finally seen FC Tokyo-like side attacks and attacks using speed. There were certainly difficult times, but the players and staff have been working without complaining. From here, there is also the Nabisco Cup, and we want to improve the accuracy while making use of FC Tokyo's style. The key point is still center back. I didn't expect to use Fujiyama and Konno as center backs this much. I want to express my gratitude to these two who have been holding on until now. I really want to let Konno play in the midfield, but for that to happen, Shigetani's condition needs to come back. It becomes difficult if we can't bounce back as center backs. The supporters have been supporting us despite the difficult situation. F.Marinos is strong, but I want to move forward in the Nabisco Cup."

　[Summary of Kashima Oliveira's press conference] "(There was confusion in the first 20 minutes of the second half, was it due to the players' arrogance and mental aspect?) There was no such aspect. The opponents were constantly pressing forward, so we were talking about focusing, but we lacked attention. Regarding set plays, we used to be able to defend them well, but we couldn't concentrate when we conceded goals. After that, we tried to adjust the balance and counterattack, but it didn't work well. (What caused the imbalance in the second half?) I think the imbalance was due to the mental aspect caused by conceding goals in quick succession. After that, we tried various methods to restore the balance, but we couldn't make it work in the end. That's regrettable. (With Uchida's absence, how did Arai perform on both sides as a right-back?) Certainly, Uchida performed well in the previous match, and his ability is excellent. However, his absence was not the reason for our defeat. The reason for our defeat was simply that we couldn't concentrate as we usually do, especially during set plays today. We need to reflect on being exposed in the center and make corrections together. In soccer, if you fix one thing, the other side will collapse. This time, it ended in a disappointing way, but we have another match coming up, so I think the players will do their best. (What is the overall assessment of the first half of the season?) At the beginning of the season, there were times when we felt unlucky and couldn't get results, which put pressure on the players and affected their performance. However, as time passed, things gradually started to sink in. We were able to deepen our understanding of each other and work towards solutions through various discussions. Especially, the players had the desire and awareness to change something, and that led to their confidence. We wanted to finish today's match with a win and continue our positive momentum. However, the league is only halfway through. We haven't reached any conclusions yet. There are still many challenges, and we want to tackle them together."