Enter the second half of the league, seek revenge against Kusatsu at Ajinomoto Stadium!

　Sec. 24 match against Zaspa Kusatsu will be held. We will have a home game at Ajinomoto Stadium for the first time in about a month. The league has completed 19 games and will now enter the second half of the season. In the previous match against Gifu, we struggled away but managed to secure 3 points and regained the top position. This match is against Kusatsu, who defeated us in the first half of the season, but regardless of the opponent, we are determined to play the game in our own rhythm at home and continue our winning streak.

　Tokyo, while Otake has completed a temporary transfer to C Osaka, Nagasato and Sakata have joined the team. In addition, Imano, Gonda, and Tanabe have been engaged in their respective national team activities, so the team has only had substantial practice for almost one day. Nevertheless, based on what they have built up so far, Imano and Tanabe will also start, and they will face the match with the same lineup as the previous round.

　Kusatsu, who is currently in 12th place with 26 points, is facing Tokyo. FW Canini, who has been a challenge for Tokyo, transferred to G Osaka in July. There seems to have been a period when the team's performance dropped, but now they have added MF Zamfir with breakthrough power and DF Yamagawa with height, and in the last 3 matches they have had 2 wins and 1 draw without a loss. Especially in the previous match, they broke through Tosu's solid defense and achieved a come-from-behind victory, covering the absence of FW Canini with the hard work and tenacity of all the players.

　Above all, the distribution from midfielders Matsushita and Kumabayashi is the lifeline of Kusatsu. We want to not only press them, but also minimize the mistakes in connecting passes and increase our dominance to suppress Kusatsu's attacking potential. On the other hand, in our attack, it is crucial to score the opening goal before being pushed back. Kusatsu has conceded a total of 31 goals, the second worst in the league, but they have height, so we want to break them down by utilizing the width and depth of the pitch. It is a cloudy day, but the humidity remains at Ajinomoto Stadium. The match started with a kick-off in Tokyo at 18:34.

Tokyo Aim For Revenge Over Kusatsu

Thespa Kusatsu were the visitors to Ajinomoto Stadium for a game that marked the start of the second half of the season. Tokyo had ground out a 2-0 away win over Gifu in their previous outing, a result that kept the side top of the league at the halfway point. Kusatsu had beaten their hosts in the reverse fixture earlier in the year but at home Tokyo were aiming to dominate and embark on another winning spree.
In a flurry of midweek transfer activity midfielder Otake moved to Cerezo Osaka on loan while Tokyo gained midfielder Nagasato and striker Sakata. Konno, Gonda and Tanabe had all been involved in international games at their respective levels meaning that the full squad had only a single day's training together. Nevertheless, Konno and Tanabe both started in an unchanged first eleven.
Visiting Kusatsu lay in 12th place with 26 points at kick off. Forward Rafinha, who tormented Tokyo in the first meeting between the sides, had departed for Gamba Osaka and the team suffered a dip in form afterwards, but the arrival of midfielder Shota Kobayashi and defender Masaki Yanagawa prompted a revival with the team unbeaten in three, having won twice and drawn once. The come from behind win over the usually miserly Tosu in the previous fixture had been particularly impressive with the side making up for Rafinha's absence with hard work, grit and determination.
Midfield instigators Matsushita and Kumabayashi were the pair Tokyo would need to control, pressing them hard to deny time on the ball and nip potential attacks in the bud. The visitors had conceded 31 goals thus far, the second worst in the league, so using the full width and depth of the pitch would be the key to opening up the shaky defence.
Tokyo kicked off shortly after 6:30pm under a cloudy sky on an oppressively humid evening.

Unable to create scoring opportunities despite maintaining possession of the ball...

　Shortly after the start of the match, Kusatsu launched a quick attack and Alex, who broke through on the left side from MF Kumabayashi's long pass, was hit by a sharp shot. However, Shioda saved it and gradually Tokyo started to possess the ball and find their rhythm. However, the fullbacks also actively pushed forward and carried the ball up to the area, but in the 19th minute, Hayashi in the front line dropped the pass from Tanabe, who had positioned himself in the center, and Tanabe, who received the return pass, brought it to a shot but it was caught by the goalkeeper.

　In the 21st minute, the right side of Tokunaga → Tanabe → Hanyu connected, and finally Roberto CESAR, who had circled around the area in front of the center, took a shot, but it was blocked by the defender and resulted in a corner kick. In the 24th minute, Morishige took a direct free kick, and in the 30th minute, Nakamura aimed but couldn't shake the net.

　At 36 minutes, Tokunaga was fouled and earned a free kick from the right side. From Tanizawa's kick, Morishige struck a sharp header, but it was cleared by the defender near the goal. In stoppage time, Kajiyama, who had advanced from a counterattack, was fouled and earned a direct free kick, but Tanizawa's kick was cleared and the first half ended. Despite their focused defense, Kashima was unable to create any decisive opportunities.

Tokyo Dominate Possession 

Kusatsu nearly caught Tokyo cold from the kick off as forward Alex sprinted down the left, latched onto a long ball from Kumabayashi and hammered a drive at the near post. Shiota stood up and parried the shot away. Following that effort Tokyo slowly began to dominate possession and find their rhythm. Despite the sidebacks pushing forward aggressively clear-cut chances were few and far between. In the 19th minute Tanabe chipped a pass forward to Hanyu who controlled the ball and played it back to Tanabe whose shot drew a save from Kita in the Kusatsu goal.
In the 21st minute a neat passing move sparked by Tokunaga's foray down the right created a shooting opportunity for Cesar; his effort struck a defender and flashed narrowly wide of the post with Kita wrong-footed on the goalline. Neither Morishige's fiercely struck free kick in the 24th minute nor a Nakamura shot in the 30th troubled the Kusatsu keeper.
Tokyo won a free kick in a good position on the right after a foul on Tokunaga in the 36th minute. Yazawa whipped a telling ball into the danger area where Morishige made a firm connection but a defender was well-placed to clear the threat. The visitors broke up a Tokyo counter attack by fouling Kajiyama in additional time; Yazawa's free kick was cleared and the whistle blew on a scoreless first half. Despite controlling the game Tokyo had struggled to create decisive openings in the face of Kusatsu's defensive concentration.

After a strong second half, they were able to secure a solid victory with only one goal from a penalty kick.

　Entering the second half, in the 48th minute, a counterattack was launched and Roberto CESAR took a shot from the right area. Although it was blocked by the goalkeeper's save, this became an opportunity for the team to gain momentum. In the 54th minute, Roberto CESAR dribbled from his own half and brought it to the finish. After the 60th minute, Hanyu, Yuzawa, Tanabe, Kajiyama, and others launched a series of attacks with depth from their passing play. However, the shots were all blocked by the Kashima DF.

　In an attempt to break the situation, Ishikawa was substituted for Tanabe in the 66th minute. However, the proactive attitude until then paid off as Nakamura sent a floating pass into the left area, and Taniyama, who had jumped out, was pulled by the Kashima DF, resulting in a penalty kick. In the 69th minute, Roberto CESAR pierced the net with this penalty kick, finally taking the lead!

　After taking the lead, they safely defended against Kashima's attacks and counterattacked. Ishikawa and Roberto CESAR stirred up the front line and the defensive line pushed up to score the second goal. In the 75th minute, Ishikawa launched a counterattack from Kashima's corner kick, and Konno, who pushed up, connected with it. Ishikawa, who went up the right side again, crossed the ball. Tanizawa jumped in the center but was offside...

　In the 81st minute, Roberto CESAR was replaced by Lucas. In the 85th minute, Takahashi's pass was intercepted in their own half, and Imakawa passed it to Tanizawa who ran in the center of the front line. However, Tanizawa lost control after turning around. In the 89th minute, Suzuki replaced Hayu. They launched a fierce attack, taking advantage of the movement in the front line, but... In the end, Tokyo could not score any additional goals despite taking 20 shots compared to Kashima's 4 shots, and they only managed to score 1 goal from a penalty kick. Nevertheless, they securely won the match without conceding any goals, maintaining their winning streak and holding onto the top position.

　【Player Comment】《Roberto CESAR》"The flow wasn't bad, but we couldn't score goals easily, so it was a tough game. However, we managed to score one goal through a penalty kick and kept our top position. Of course, we wanted to score in the first half, but at halftime, we talked about continuing our strategy from the first half. We were able to score as we continued. It was 1-0, but I think it was important that we secured 3 points without conceding any goals. Regarding the penalty kick, for a moment, I remembered the previous miss, but I was focused at the moment of taking the kick. The next match will also be a difficult away game. However, we have to win. We will strive to maintain the rhythm we had today, score goals, and do our best to win."

　"Yasawa: "I am not satisfied with just scoring goals from penalties. I want to play a game where we connect more passes and break through to score goals, but recently there have been scenes where the balance is slightly off. I want to communicate more and play a game where we can connect and break through. (What about the second half of the season when you face the top team?) Compared to the beginning, our style of play has become clearer and the team has also come together. With the addition of players like Nagasato and Sakata, we want to have good competition, individual growth, and be able to play well as a team.""

　[Summary of Coach Okuma's Press Conference] "Compared to other matches, today Kashima started from defense. We couldn't break through their defensive line until the back of the zone, which was quite challenging. Tanabe and others are doing a great job behind the zone, but since we are playing in a formation close to a lone striker, we lacked combination play, numbers, and intensity in the first half. Tanabe made few mistakes, but I believe we need to figure out how to create fear and decisiveness in front of the goal. In the second half, both teams were affected by the heat and the game became a bit stretched out. Our priority was to attack from the sides and increase variations towards the center. However, we couldn't score the second goal, and Kashima showed their determination. That is something we need to reflect on. Nevertheless, we kept running for the full 90 minutes without stopping in both attack and defense. We will hold on to that, make up for the shortcomings, and focus on the next match."

　[Summary of Kashima Vice Island Coach's Press Conference] "We won against Tosu in the previous match and aimed for 3 points today, but FC Tokyo was still one or two steps ahead. It was a hot and humid match, and the physical exhaustion was intense as we were made to run. If we could create more time to move the ball in the final line, we might have been able to grasp the rhythm a little more. We want to firmly identify the challenges in these areas again and strive to catch up and win in this kind of game."

Penalty Earns Tokyo Solid Win 

In the 48th minute, Tokyo counter-attacked, with Cesar drawing a save from Kita with a sharp drive. The chance added impetus to the attack, and Cesar went close again in the 54th minute, spearing a shot narrowly wide after a powerful surge from deep. As the second half progressed, Hanyu, Yazawa, Tanabe, and Kajiyama all combined to add numbers to the attack, but the attempts on goal resulting from the neat passing approach play all struck Kusatsu defenders or were blocked away.
Ishikawa replaced Tanabe in the 66th minute in an attempt to break the deadlock. Tokyo's enterprising approach was finally rewarded just a minute later as Nakamura spotted Yazawa's sprint into the area and chipped the ball up to him from a position on the left. Yazawa took the ball down and was pulled back by a defender, earning Tokyo a penalty. Roberto Cesar sent Kita the wrong way from the spot, and Tokyo had a priceless lead.
After taking the lead, Tokyo successfully negated the Kusatsu attack, regaining possession and pushing forward. Ishikawa and Cesar flitted around the front line while the defense pushed forward as the side sought to deliver the knock-out blow of a second goal. In the 75th minute, Tokyo counter-attacked following a Kusatsu corner, with Ishikawa and Konno leading the charge. Ishikawa crossed from the right, but the unmarked Yazawa was given offside as he burst into the penalty area.
Lucas replaced Roberto Cesar in the 81st minute. In the 85th minute, Takahashi intercepted a pass in midfield, and Konno stroked the ball forward to meet Yazawa's run. Yazawa lost control of the ball as he turned inside, and the opening quickly evaporated. Suzuki replaced Hanyu in the 89th minute to add some extra pace to the Tokyo attack. Tokyo continued to pour forward, but a second goal was unforthcoming, and the final whistle blew on a 1-0 win, Cesar's penalty being the difference between the teams. Tokyo had outshot the visitors 20-4, kept another clean sheet, and the three points maintained their place at the top of the league.


Players' comments
Roberto Cesar
"We weren't playing badly at all but couldn't get the ball in the net and that made the game difficult. Still, we scored from a penalty and that kept us at the top of the table. Of course we had wanted to score during the first half but at the break we just talked about continuing with what we were doing in the second half. We kept going and then got the goal. It may have only been 1-0 but we kept a clean sheet and it was a solid performance, which is important. When we won the penalty I had a momentary flashback to the last time, when I missed, but as I ran up to shoot I kept my concentration. We're away again next week with what will be another difficult game. Even so, we have to carry on winning. I'll be doing my best to play with the kind of rhythm we had today, get on the scoresheet and win the match".

Yazawa
"We're not satisfied with scoring a single goal from a penalty. We want to pass the ball around more to open the opposition up but to some extent our balance has been poor on many occasions recently. Communicating better and playing flowing football to wear down our opponents is the way we want to go.
What about staying at the top in the second half of the season? Well, compared to the beginning of the year we've isolated the way we should be playing and the team is settled. We've got Nagasato and Sakata to come in which is great for the competition for places and should lead to individual improvement".


FC Tokyo manager Kiyoshi Okuma
"Compared to their other games, Kusatsu started far more defensively today. It was very difficult for us to find space behind their defense. Tanabe and the others did very well playing behind the zone, but with us fielding something close to a single forward formation today, we had trouble in the first half with our combination play, lack of numbers, and a shortage of momentum going forward. Although Tanabe made very few mistakes, there's a question of how to add some threat in front of goal and some decisive finishing. In the second half, the heat took its toll and both teams lost their shape somewhat. We wanted to add some variation to our attack, using the flanks and then moving into the middle. Not scoring a second goal left Kusatsu with some hope of salvaging the game, and that showed in their spirited approach. It's a point we have to reflect on. Still, we kept running for 90 minutes. We have to maintain that as it's some compensation for areas we're lacking in as we prepare for the next game."

Thespa Kusatsu manager Soejima
"We beat Tosu last time out and had wanted to take the points again today but, as I anticipated, Tokyo were one or two steps ahead of us. We were forced into a lot of running in the heat and that exhausted our energy, making the game very demanding. If we could have played the ball around more at the back then perhaps we could have enjoyed a better rhythm to our game. That's an issue we have to address as we work on ways to take something from games like this".