Secure the chance and take away the points with a sure goal!

　Sec. 16 of the league, we will play against Kashima Antlers away. We lost to Urawa in the previous match and have not won any of the three matches since the league resumed. We are in a difficult situation as we have not been able to produce results. However, as we have consecutive matches against G Osaka and Kyoto, this match is important to break the bad flow. The players also switch their mindset to "not dwell on the past" and approach the game.

　Kashima, on the other hand, conceded the top spot to Urawa by a margin of 1 point, but they have scored a total of 27 goals and conceded 13 goals so far, both of which are the highest in the league. Furthermore, they have been unbeaten at home for about a year in 23 matches (including league, Nabisco Cup, Emperor's Cup, and ACL) since their defeat against Tokyo on June 30th last season, showcasing their immense strength. In particular, their attacking duo of FW Marquinhos and Tashiro possess shooting power and height, and they also have a high level of finishing ability. Additionally, midfielders Ogasawara, Nozawa, and Motoyama excel in maintaining possession and making penetrating runs into space, creating scoring opportunities from anywhere on the field.

　Tokyo, Kajiyama temporarily left the team for the Olympic representative, but energetically rejoined. The starting members changed the DF line from the previous match. Murahara is appointed as the right SB, and Tokunaga is appointed as the left SB. Coach Jofuku says, "What is required now is not the content but the result. For that, both the technical and tactical aspects and a certain kind of tenacity and strictness = a strong mindset on the pitch are necessary." Nagatomo also returns from injury. He himself vows, "If I can play in the Kashima match, which I haven't been able to contribute to the team so far, I want to make a performance that leads to victory."

　Tokunaga also said, "In the Urawa game, we needed to come up with another idea for our attack. We had few shots, so we focused on that in practice and made adjustments. We want to actively challenge with powerful plays on both offense and defense." By increasing our dominance through persistent defense, shaking things up by using the space on the sides, and pulling out Kashima's central defenders, we should be able to create decisive opportunities. We will fight without fear against Kashima, who are skilled in games, and want to seize victory by making sure to convert our chances. The match started at 19:04 with a kickoff in Tokyo at the mist-covered Kashima Soccer Stadium.

The first half ended in a scoreless draw in a closely contested match.

　Kashima has been dominating the ball since the start of the first half. In the 6th minute, FW Marcinhos and in the 8th minute, MF Ogasawara both took shots but missed the target. Tokyo gradually adapted to the game and started creating chances by picking up second balls. In the 14th minute, Kajiama in the center passed a lobbed pass to Emerson in the front line. Hirayama in front of the goal trapped the ball, turned around, and took a shot, but it was saved by the opponent's goalkeeper and did not result in a goal. In the 19th minute, Tokunaga on the left passed to Kajiama, who then passed to Emerson for a side change. The ball was crossed to Muhara on the right side. Tokunaga seized the loose ball and took a shot, but it was blocked by the defender. The ball then fell to Kajiama, who took a well-controlled shot aiming for the target, but it went over the crossbar.

　Kashima also builds up their attack with MF Keisuke OGASAWARA as the starting point. In the 23rd minute, MF Keisuke OGASAWARA → MF Motoyama attracts the DF in the center and passes to FW Marcinho in the left area, but Mukuhara blocks it with his body and avoids danger. In the 26th minute, Emerson runs up the right side and crosses in front of the goal. Kajiyama was also closing in, but Kabore gets into a shooting position from the loose ball of Kashima DF. However, the quick-approaching Kashima DF cuts it off and counterattacks. From the counter, a right cross is sent to DF Uchida, but Shioda catches it.

　After 30 minutes, the back and forth battle continues. In the 34th minute, Tokyo launched a counterattack, with Cabore breaking through the defense and shooting from the left corner of the area. The shot was on target, but the opponent's goalkeeper caught it. In the 36th minute, Kashima's defender Iwamasa received a long feed to the left front line and switched the play to the right area, where forward Marcinhos attempted an overhead kick but was fouled. In the 39th minute, Tokunaga sprinted down the left side and brought the ball into the penalty area, crossing it with a high ball. Uchida controlled it with his chest and attempted a volley, but it went over the goal.

　After that, Tokyo continued to create opportunities with Murohara and Tokunaga on both sides, while Kashima relied on FW Marquinhos as the starting point, but neither team was able to score. The first half ended in a scoreless draw.

Despite taking the lead with Cabore's goal, they suffered a comeback defeat with 4 goals conceded

　Tokyo brought in Nagatomo as left SB from the second half, and Tokunaga on the right. In the early stages, there were moments when Kashima struggled with their quick start and counterattacks, but Shioda made a good save and they defended with concentration. In the 58th minute, Tokunaga threw the ball in and Hayabusa returned it, Tokunaga crossed. Cabore's header fell in front of Hirayama in the right area, and Hirayama shot from close range. Although it was saved by the goalkeeper once, they connected another pass and Cabore kicked it in to take the lead.

　However, in the 61st minute immediately after, Kashima introduced FW Koji and MF Danilo. Tokyo was unable to catch their fresh movements and gradually pushed back. Then, in the 62nd minute, starting from MF Danilo's pass, FW Koji was able to score a goal to FW Marcinhos, equalizing the score. Kashima gained momentum with the equalizer. Tokyo also tried to score a second goal, seizing the chance from DF Nagatomo's side attack, but couldn't bring it to a shot. Both teams continued to counterattack, with Tokyo losing the ball frequently and the defense line becoming stretched.

　Substitute Otake for Hanyu in the 74th minute. Tokyo tried to regain the momentum, but couldn't stop Kashima's rhythm. In the 77th minute, they allowed a comeback as FW Marcinhos broke through the left side and crossed the ball to MF Motoyama. Immediately after, in the 78th minute, substitute Akamine for Hirayama and Tokyo wanted to counterattack. However, Kashima solidly defended with their MF and DF, aiming for a counterattack. Then, in the 86th minute, FW Okazaki scored, and in the 89th minute, MF Danilo scored from a set piece, resulting in 4 goals against. Tokyo showed an attacking attitude until the end and tried to launch attacks, but the game ended like this. Following the previous match against Urawa, this is Tokyo's consecutive loss in the league.

　【Player Comments】《Nagatomo》"I had the intention to score, but we became too aggressive and got caught on the counter. I wanted to change the flow of the game when I came on as a substitute, but I couldn't fulfill that role and it's frustrating. I made sure to defend well when I came on, and I tried to push forward in the attack... I didn't feel any discomfort in my legs. We had a lot of supporters come today, but next time it's a home game so we definitely want to win. For that, we need to fix our defense first. If we lose in one-on-one battles right in front of us, we can't win as a team. I reflect on that."《Mukuhara》"I think we were able to play our football in the first half... After taking the lead, we wanted to build momentum. But then we started attacking, the midfield opened up, and Kashima's forward Marquinhos became the focal point and they were able to move forward. We conceded four goals and suffered consecutive losses, but we can't afford to be discouraged here. Whether I play or not, I want to uplift the team from training."

　[Summary of Coach Jofuku's Press Conference] "I feel truly sorry that we couldn't give the fans a good experience despite having so many of them come to support us, especially in a situation where we haven't been able to secure any wins and playing away. As for the game, in the first half, we managed to neutralize the opponent's strengths to some extent and it wasn't far from what we had planned to challenge in the second half. Until we conceded the first goal, I don't think we were playing poorly, but conceding four goals from that point on is the difference between us and Kashima, and we need to firmly acknowledge that. We need to evaluate ourselves properly from now on and build on it for the next game. (Two consecutive losses against top teams, what is the difference in strength?) Regarding today's game, I feel that Kashima had the advantage in terms of being the starting point in the front line. Specifically, the opponents' two forwards dropped back and turned forward in the zone, and then accelerated from there. On the other hand, for us, the zone where we turned forward was a zone slightly behind. So we couldn't break through the opponent's block and run through. We turn forward in the midfield zone, not in the zone where the forwards drop back. Of course, the formation may change to some extent in the process of going for goals, but the quality of pulling out the ball and the technical ability to turn forward, and the precision of it, I think it creates a phenomenon where the second line starts running with belief, just like Kashima did today. I recognize that the difference in intensity is the difference in where the ball settles."

　[Summary of Kashima - Coach Oswaldo OLIVEIRA's Press Conference] "(How do you evaluate the players' performance?) I think it was a very good performance. There may have been some frustration among the fans because we couldn't score in the first half. However, I personally think that the players did a solid job in terms of tactical roles and functionality. Of course, we have to acknowledge the opponent's strength and tactics, and I felt that they were trying their best to neutralize our strengths. At halftime, I told the players not to panic and to stick to their targets, and that if they did, goals would naturally come. I think that's what actually happened on the pitch. (What were your instructions when you made two substitutions at the same time in the 61st minute?) We conceded a goal right after that, and the opponent was playing defensively, so I thought it would be difficult to break through. Also, the players who were on the pitch until that point had been giving their all in terms of ideas and effort, so I decided to send out two different players who could find a way to break through. I think it turned out well. (What are your thoughts on taking the top spot?) I really wanted to regain the top spot quickly. We were in first place until the 5th section, and if we had the same conditions as other teams in terms of schedule, we could have stayed in first place for a long time. We had a break, and we were able to recover from injuries and improve the players' condition. If we could have all the same conditions, I think we could prove that we can deliver such a high performance in the past few matches. However, this is the most difficult part. I think anyone can take the top spot, but it's difficult to keep it. We want to do that. There are many teams that have the ability to be in first place, so we have to overcome them. We want to cherish team spirit, attack together, defend together, and earn points together. I think the players will work hard with that mindset."