Sec. 16 Tama River Clasico, aiming for revenge and overtaking

　Sec. 20 of the league is held. As the 16th Tama River Clasico, we challenge Kawasaki Frontale away. The overall record of the Tama River Clasico so far is 5 wins, 5 draws, and 5 losses, completely even. This season, we have also been defeated in the first half home game, so it will be a game to seek revenge and aim for a winning record overall. It is an important match that we want to connect to the future by making one more effort here before the break period and finishing the last match of the consecutive games with a victory, even though fatigue reaches its peak in the hot and humid weather.

　Kawasaki, on the other hand, is currently in 4th place with 33 points. In the Nabisco Kashima match on the 29th (Wed), they won 3-0 in extra time. Although fatigue is a concern, they have secured a spot in the semifinals and the team's atmosphere should be on the rise. In addition, they have not lost a single game at Todoroki Stadium in the league and Nabisco this season, boasting an outstanding home winning rate. At the same time, they have one of the top attacking units in the league, so it won't be easy to keep them from scoring.

　Still, in the league matches, Tokyo has only conceded 1 goal in the last 6 games, maintaining a strong defense. With everyone having a high defensive awareness, they have been able to limit the goals by extending the time to execute their own style of play and taking control of the game. The key for this match is to prevent Kawasaki from gaining momentum and to keep the number of goals conceded to a minimum. As the rankings can change based on the result of this match, it is important to not give up and show a strong desire for victory on the pitch, and to seize the win with their own style of play.

　Tokyo changed their lineup from the Nabisco Nagoya match and started with the same starting lineup as the previous league match against Hiroshima. Kawasaki had DF Kikuchi suspended, so DF Terada played as center back and MF Yokoyama entered the midfield. It is humid, but there is a breeze and the heat has subsided at Todoroki Stadium. The away goal end is packed with Tokyo fans, and the match started with Tokyo's kickoff at 19:03.

Took the lead with Ishikawa's goal at the end of the first half

　From the start, both teams quickly switched and launched speedy attacks. In the 1st minute, Kawasaki MF Nakamura took a shot, but it was headed away by Bruno QUADROS. Kawasaki MF Taniguchi picked up the loose ball, but Ishikawa intercepted his pass to the side and initiated a counterattack. Cabore broke through the right side and crossed the ball, but it was cleared before reaching Hirayama. In the 7th minute, Kajiyama intercepted Kawasaki's attack from a right corner kick in a deep position in their own half and sent a long ground pass to Ishikawa in the front line. Ishikawa chased after it with a fierce dash and appeared to be fouled by the opponent's defender, but there was no foul from Kawasaki and he couldn't finish.

　Tokyo gradually connected passes from a concentrated defense and moved forward. In the 13th minute, Hirayama hit the post and drew out Hayu's attacking run. Hayu, who entered the left area freely, took advantage of his speed and took a decisive shot, but the ball slipped through the goalkeeper's side and was blocked by the covering Kawasaki DF... In the 21st minute, Kawasaki MF Nakamura made a move from the right side and dribbled into the area. However, Imakawa quickly covered and showed his strength, and Tokyo got the ball. In the 24th minute, Hirayama dropped a vertical pass to the front line with one touch, and it reached Yonemoto who followed. From here, the pass went to Hirayama who jumped into the area, and he crossed the ball with a shooting intention, but the angle was not good and the goalkeeper caught it.

　Kawasaki launched a coordinated attack, but couldn't finish it off. They also launched sharp counters, and the exciting offensive and defensive battle continued. In the 37th minute, Yonemoto passed to Nagatomo, who sprinted up the left side, using his strength to slip between two Kawasaki defenders and break through deep into the left area. From the sideline, he sent a minus cross. Ishikawa met it directly and stabbed it into the net, scoring the first goal since the Nagoya game on July 15th. They took the lead and turned around to the second half in the midst of an intense match.

Conceded a comeback goal in stoppage time, a frustrating defeat

　In the second half, Kawasaki substituted FW Yamagishi, who had been playing in a midfield position, with FW Renatinho. Right MF Nakamura moved to the attacking midfield position, and they launched a counterattack with a formation of almost three forwards. In the 55th minute, Kawasaki's right SB Mori passed the ball to FW Renatinho and advanced to a high position. Although Yonemoto also tried to defend, a cross was delivered, surpassing the head of the nearby FW Yajima and heading towards the back where FW Juninho was. Juninho headed the ball, hitting the left post and bouncing inside the goal... Tokyo had been defending well until then, but they conceded a goal in a momentary lapse of marking and were equalized...

　Kawasaki's momentum remains strong, with a rapid exchange of offense and defense. In the 58th minute, Ishikawa used his speed to break through the right side. He crossed the ball and Hirayama in the center took a free header shot, but narrowly missed the target. In the 59th minute, Kabore broke through the opponent's defense from Hirayama's through pass and found himself one-on-one with the goalkeeper, but the shot was saved... Immediately after, Kawasaki MF Taniguchi unleashed a sharp shot, but it was saved by Gonda and resulted in a corner kick.

　Unable to convert chances, the line gradually stretched in the intense match and we were unable to regain possession of the ball. In an attempt to break the deadlock, Tanabe was substituted for Yonemoto in the 70th minute, and Akamine was substituted for Cabore in the 77th minute, but we were unable to create any decisive opportunities as time passed. In the 74th minute, Hirayama dribbled towards the right side of the center, carrying Ishikawa on his back as he ran towards the goal from the left. However, Hirayama was unable to pass to Ishikawa and lost the ball as the opposing defender closed in on him. Tanabe, who had moved up to support, managed to regain possession and attempted to challenge the opposing defender on the right side, but was unable to get past and was once again dispossessed. Suzuki was substituted for Ishikawa in the 82nd minute, but in the 88th minute, Suzuki broke through on the right side and crossed the ball, only for the Kawasaki defender to win the contest against Hirayama and prevent him from taking a shot.

　In the 4th minute of stoppage time, from Kawasaki's throw-in, midfielder Nakamura, who had advanced deep into the right area, floated the ball towards the center. In clearing the ball with a header, Imakano hit forward Juninho and it went to midfielder Taniguchi. Taniguchi unleashed a ground shot that woke up the eyes, passing through the legs of Gonda and into the goal... We suffered a heartbreaking defeat with a last-minute turnaround goal. We couldn't get revenge in the first half, and we suffered our first loss in the league since the 13th round against Kawasaki.

　【Player Comments】《Ishikawa》"The goal was scored when Nagatomo sent a cross from a deep position, and I just had to finish it. We were able to take the lead in a good way, but after that, especially in the second half, we couldn't find our rhythm. We had moments where we couldn't make risky passes and couldn't finish. There were also monotonous parts, and I wanted us to challenge without fear and create our own rhythm... I don't have any weaknesses, but the Clasico always brings out each other's characteristics. Today, we let the opponent show their strengths. Kawasaki has experience in Asia and I felt that they are good at playing matches. I think that's something our team still lacks."《Nagatomo》"I definitely didn't want to lose. It's really frustrating because the performance wasn't bad. In the second half, we knew the opponent would come with a front three, and we discussed that at halftime. So, I played with balance, knowing that if we could control that, we wouldn't lose. It's meaningful to get results against strong opponents. I realized that there are still many things we need to do."

　[Summary of Coach Jofuku's Press Conference] "Very disappointing. Many of you gave us passionate support, and the players took the field today with the determination that we absolutely had to win this match. However, we couldn't secure any points in the end, and there's nothing else to say but that it's regrettable. But in order for us to continue competing for the top positions, we need to improve on the mistakes we make just before reaching decisive chances, and also on the inability to convert chances when they arise. If we turn a blind eye to those aspects, we won't be able to truly compete for the top positions, and this match made that clear. Especially in the second half, during the prolonged periods, the decision-making and accuracy of passes just before the shot deteriorated. I think the way we played in the first half was good, but when the game became back and forth, it allowed Kawasaki's individual strengths to shine even more. Our ability to recover the ball was particularly poor in the second half. Furthermore, I still think that our backup players need to step up and contribute more than the starting players. We want to once again firmly address the challenges as a team."

　[Summary of Kawasaki and Sekizuka's press conference] "I am satisfied with the good game we played. The supporters at Todoroki today also played a part in creating this atmosphere. I think the fact that we were able to win with a comeback is thanks to the power of Todoroki. In terms of the lineup, Kikuchi was suspended from the Nabisco Cup, so we made one change there and started the game. I felt that Tokyo would be a difficult opponent as they attack while possessing the ball in the midfield. However, looking at Tokyo's recent goals, they mostly come from long balls from the defensive line to the two forwards, with the two midfielders getting involved, so I thought we had to stop that. In that regard, I think Tani and Yokoyama were trying too hard to win the ball and it disrupted our rhythm. Nevertheless, we were able to create good opportunities from the sides, but in the first half, Tokyo scored one goal and we couldn't convert our chances. So in the second half, we tried to play with a more stable formation and have confidence. We brought in forward Renatinho to apply pressure upfront and aim for the balls coming in. The midfield and the backline also played their roles and we were able to equalize. Overall, I think the players fought well in the game. Today's match was important for us to compete at the top, so I think it is valuable to earn points against Tokyo and we will continue to strive for the top in each game."