To show the growth of Kashima, the last national event of the season

Sec. 28 of the league is being held. Kashima Antlers will play at home. They are entering this match with a 4-game winning streak. However, Coach Popovic, as usual, said, "Winning streaks are in the past. Even if we keep losing, our attitude towards the next game should be the same, and our motivation to fight should not change." He emphasized the importance of focusing on each game and aiming for victory, regardless of the opponent or the situation. This match is also just one game out of the 34 games, but it is also true that they do not want to break their momentum and good flow up until now.

In particular, if we win against 4th place Kashima this round, our positions will be swapped. In the league away game in May, we suffered a comeback loss despite taking a 2-point lead, so we will fight with determination for victory to show our growth.

Kashima, the opponent, currently has 47 points. This season, fresh members such as DF Yamamura and MF Doi have emerged through continuous battles. Although DF Nishi will be suspended for this match, Kashima has always maintained a top position by changing the lineup and fighting. Additionally, they suffered 7 consecutive away game losses until the 25th match (September 14th), but they stopped that record in the 26th match against Iwata and have not experienced any consecutive losses this season. That is what makes Kashima strong. On the other hand, it is important not to rush or be too hasty. It should be a battle that requires both aggressiveness and calmness.

Tokyo is without Hyun Soo JANG due to injury, and Kaga is selected as the center back. Kashima starts with FW Davi and FW Osako as the two forwards. In place of suspended DF Nishi, league debutant DF Ito takes on the role of right SB in a 4-4-2 formation. Despite not feeling too cold, the game started with Kashima's kickoff at 19:04 in the midst of light drizzle that shows no signs of stopping.

Conceding goals repeatedly at the beginning, just as Kashima intended

5 minutes into the game, Lucas on the left side passed the ball to Ota who overlapped on the outside and crossed. Near the goal, Watanabe headed the ball but it went wide. Right after that, the game started to move. In the 6th minute, Kashima's left throw-in was skillfully kept by forward Davi in the center, and then connected to midfielder Endo in the right area. Endo took a calculated shot from the right area, aiming for a loop. Gonda couldn't react to it and the ball curved into the far net, conceding the first goal.

Three minutes later, FW Osako, who had been positioned defensively, advanced through the center with a dribble after having his pass in the midfield intercepted by Kashima. He received a through pass from FW Davi, who was trying to break through the defense. Kaga attempted to block, but was overpowered by the strength of FW Davi's challenge, allowing the loose ball to be picked up and a goal to be scored from inside the area, resulting in the team conceding two goals in quick succession.

Kashima, who led by 2 points, took control of the pace, and then got caught in Kashima's defensive net, aiming for passes to the front line. And from there, they were brought into sharp counters. In the 32nd minute, Tokyo also launched a quick attack, with Hasegawa running up the left front line. Nakawaki received a pass inside, controlled it once, and took a shot, but it was blocked. In the 34th minute, they obtained a left corner kick from Ota's cross, and Morishige from the far side jumped in, but it was off target.

In the 43rd minute, he created the biggest chance of the first half. Hasegawa, who received a vertical pass from behind in the opponent's central area, immediately turned around and made a through pass. East had a one-on-one situation with the GK, but the shot was saved by the Kashima GK. Unable to close the two-goal gap, the first half ended.

Despite launching a final counterattack, Hirayama's retaliation fell short...

In the second half, Tokyo substituted Hasegawa for Kaga and introduced Hirayama. Takahashi dropped back to center back, and Hasegawa dropped back to defensive midfielder, launching a counterattack with a front two of Hirayama and Watanabe. By circulating the ball, gradually grasping the rhythm, and picking up second balls, they successfully pushed Kashima back. In the 58th minute, Yonemoto passed to Tokunaga, who broke through on the right side and put a low cross into the middle, but it was saved by the goalkeeper.

In the 64th minute, East advanced to the left area from Hasegawa's pass behind. Far from the cross, Hirayama headed in front of the Kashima DF, but it went straight to the GK. Tokyo is pushing up as a whole, trying to connect passes and create chances, but they have been unable to break down the Kashima DF, who are defending well and staying back, for a while.

In the 65th minute, Nemanja VUCICEVIC was brought on to further attack, but in the 67th minute, Tokyo's defense was exploited in a Kashima throw-in situation, and Kashima MF Keisuke OGASAWARA dribbled forward towards the center. Tokyo DF also confronted him but ended up dropping back, leaving space for a shot from the right area. The powerful shot pierced through the top corner, resulting in the third goal being conceded.

In the 73rd minute, Mita came in. In the 74th minute, they got a free kick, followed by a right corner kick, and from this flow, Ota sent an early cross to the front line, and Hirayama made a header shot. In the 76th minute, Hirayama cut off the opponent's clearance ball in front of the left area, bypassed the defender, and took a shot. Then Mita made a move from the right side and passed it to Hirayama on the outside. Hirayama sent a final pass in front of the goal, but Lucas was blocked near the goal, and both balls were saved by the goalkeeper.

At 80 minutes, Yamamoto sends a lobbed pass to Vucicevic who is trying to break through the defense, earning a right corner kick. From here, Ota crosses the ball and Hirayama jumps in, but fails to finish. On the contrary, they suffer a counterattack from Kashima. In the 81st minute, Shibasaki dribbles past Juninho and passes through to Osako who runs behind the defense. Osako skillfully evades Gonda who came out of the goal and easily scores a goal...

Tokyo, which never gives up, approaches the Kashima goal. In the 83rd minute, Ota's cross leads to Hirayama attempting a header and winning a corner kick on the right. In this corner kick, Takumi Hasegawa, who was positioned in front of the goalkeeper, tenaciously connects with the ball that was contested by Takahashi and the opposing defender, and Hirayama in the right area scores with his right foot. Although they scored a goal, they couldn't mount a comeback. As the final whistle blows, Tokyo suffered a complete defeat against Kashima, who executed their game plan as intended. As a result, Tokyo dropped to 6th place (provisional). However, depending on the results of other matches, it has been confirmed that Tokyo will continue to compete in J1 next season.


[Player Comments]
《MoriShige》
"We conceded 2 goals at the beginning, but we still had the desire to turn the game around. In the second half, we were able to pass the ball well and had several shots. However, the goal was still far away. But we could hear the support from the stands until the end, and it showed us the determination to move forward. I think we need to respond to that."

《Shun HIRAYAMA》
"I am really disappointed because I was focused on the result. (Regarding goals) Right now, the people around me are assisting me and passing me the ball. That's why I am able to score. Even after conceding 2 goals, there were opportunities. If I had been able to convert them, we might have been able to turn the game around. I have regrets and reflections on that."


[Coach Popovich's Press Conference Summary]
"If we approach the game in a negative way from the start, it won't be easy even against weaker opponents, let alone against the strong Kashima. That is evident from the result. In soccer, there are no 'ifs', and we cannot say 'if we had played like this...'. We are not satisfied with the result. However, there is no need to be pessimistic. It is a point of reflection that we missed scoring opportunities, but it is commendable that we created numerous chances. Continuing to show an attacking attitude until the end and not giving up in order to turn the game around is something that will lead to the next step."

Regarding the third goal conceded, it was our own judgment mistake. The intentions of the referee and assistant referee were different, and the players were influenced by that, allowing Kashima to enter the shooting zone and score. It wasn't that we showed any gaps, but it was still an important part in deciding the game. We need to make adjustments to prevent such goals from happening. However, we shouldn't dwell on today's game and instead show improvement in the next game, demonstrate our team's strength. We want to continue focusing on both results and performance. We want to keep moving the ball fluidly, creating chances, and maintain our never-give-up attitude until the end of the match. We appreciate the support from the fans and supporters, and we want to respond to that."


[Kashima Toninho CEREZO Coach's Press Conference Summary]
"(Although it's difficult to win away games, what has changed?) I think it's just the players' mindset. In the past, our schedule was tight, but this time we had time to adjust. We were able to recover properly and thoroughly focus on what the team should do. As you can see, we have to compete with limited resources. Other teams can use up to four foreign players, but we are not in that position. Today, even DF Nakata is overcoming the situation with just his mindset, but the transfer window is closed, so the players are determined to fight."

From before the match, I had thought that the game against Tokyo would be open. This is because both teams fight to score goals, so it wouldn't be strange for either team to win. However, we were able to continue paying attention to the details. We were able to score and also had counter attacks. There were fewer passing mistakes in our attacks, and I think we were able to pick up more important second balls than the opponent.

Tokyo has promising young players with speed, and we were able to handle their play. Especially in Tokyo, the side midfielder on the opposite side often comes inside instead of staying on the ball side, but we were able to see that well, and both center backs also maintained their focus. The opponent had diagonal movements from the side and knew how to move the ball, but we were able to adapt to that as well. Normally, Lucas has space and a wide range of movement, but today we were able to shorten the time to think and hold the ball, reducing the frequency of his activity."