Although allowing Kashiwa's dominance, "If Muto scores, we won't lose!"

The match started off lively. Amidst the battle for possession, Tokyo picked up the second ball with Hanyu, Takahashi, and Tokunaga breaking through the right side. They outcompeted the opponent's left midfielder, Takayama, and broke through to the front, sending a low cross to the center. Just as the opponent's defender tried to clear the ball, Muto ran in and pushed the bouncing ball into the goal with his left foot! GOAL!! Muto's consecutive goal in the second match already gave Tokyo the lead.

In the games so far where Muto has scored, the team has not lost in all 7 matches. And by taking the lead, they have gained a psychological advantage. In the 8th minute, Kono passed the ball through to the front line. Edu tried to break free but was caught between the opponent's defenders. However, Takahashi ran in to collect the loose ball and took a shot from the right side. In the 11th minute, Yoshimoto dribbled powerfully towards the front line, with Muto. They played a one-two with Edu and broke through to the left area, but were held back by the Kashiwa defenders here.

After that, gradually Kashiwa started to avoid Tokyo's press. In the 15th minute, Kashiwa attacked from the right side and Tokyo's clearance went to Kashiwa's MF Ohtani, who took a shot. In the 19th minute, Kashiwa's right cross was directly passed to MF Takayama. Tokyo blocked it, but their defensive line dropped deep and they struggled to connect passes forward. As a result, they allowed Kashiwa to dominate possession, but they concentrated on holding their defensive line and prevented them from finishing.

The time spent on defense increased, but in the midst of that, we reached the first half additional time. Kono completely stole the pass from the Kashiwa DF to the midfield, dribbling slightly to the right and rushing towards the center. Attracting the DF, he made the final pass to Muto on the left front. Muto, who received the ball at the penalty arc, brought the ball in front of his left foot with a trap of his right foot and scored a shot with reduced power to get an additional point! Exploiting Kono's defensive skills and quick transition, they expanded their lead and ended the first half.

Edu also scored 2 goals!! He scored 4 points and pushed Kashiwa ahead, winning consecutive matches

In the second half, we didn't miss the opponent's gap and took advantage of the chance. In the 49th minute, Edu perfectly dropped Takahashi's early cross, and Muto took a shot. It missed to the left, but in the following 50th minute, Muto pressed fiercely against the Kashiwa DF, won the ball, and immediately connected with Kono. Kono carried the ball forward on the left side and passed it to Edu, who had moved up from the far side. Edu broke free from the opponent's DF and stabbed the ball into the goal with his left foot! From here, Kashiwa launched a counterattack, but Tokyo continued to maintain their energy and quick transitions, launching effective counters.

In the 66th minute, Ota went up the side from Kono's development and crossed minus in front of the area. Yonemoto hit a volley, but... it missed to the left. In the 73rd minute, Kajiyama replaced Kono. Immediately after that, Takahashi, Muto, and Hanyu exchanged passes in the opponent's territory, and Hanyu created a momentary pause for Kajiyama in the center and passed it back. It was once taken by Kashiwa, but Yonemoto pressed and Takahashi took it back on the left. Ota, who overlapped, aimed for the gap between the goalkeeper and the Kashiwa defender and sent a cross, and Edu jumped in here and took a direct left-footed shot in front of the Kashiwa defender! The powerful ball bounced off the opponent's goalkeeper's hand and was decided, taking Kashiwa away with Edu's second goal.

In the 80th minute, Watari was substituted for Edu. In the 88th minute, Matsuda was substituted for Tokunaga, who had been engaged in intense competition. They tried to close the game by creating their own time zone. However, Kashiwa did not give up and launched a counterattack. In the 89th minute, Kudo, the forward on the left area, slipped through the Tokyo DF's defense with precise passing and took a shot from the area. It was a decisive moment, but Kanda made a save! Furthermore, Ohtani hit the post with a shot from the middle. In additional time, Kashiwa MF Dudu entered the right area and took a shot at the central FW Leandro, but it missed the target and they escaped the danger. Time's up.

There were moments when Tokyo was pushed back by Kashiwa, but Tokyo skillfully took advantage of the gaps and consistently converted them into goals, scoring four goals in the match following the previous round. Tokyo also kept a clean sheet in defense and achieved a consecutive victory.

[Player Comments]
"Toku Nagai"
"The scene of the first goal was good movement by player Muto, so it was easy to combine with the cross. However, personally, I think it is more important to keep a clean sheet as a defensive player than to assist. There was also a time when we were pushed back by Kashiwa, but I believed that there would be a chance if we could exploit the opponent's weaknesses."

"Ota"
"I was able to play the game as planned. Kashiwa connects passes, but I thought that if we can overcome that, spaces will be created. We were able to score the opening goal early in the game, and just before the end of the first half, we scored the second goal at a very unfavorable time for the opponent. Even when we were pushed back, no one panicked, and I think we were perfect throughout the first and second halves. In the second half, spaces opened up, and I think I was able to play by using others while also being active myself."

[Summary of Massimo FICCADENTI's press conference]
　"As you all saw, today's result of 4-0 speaks for itself. By scoring the opening goal, it made the rest of the game easier to control. We were able to withstand difficult moments and had some great plays, like Kono's counterattack after winning the ball. Tokunaga's cross and Ota's play for the fourth goal were also fantastic. Kashiwa is a team that always competes for titles every year. I don't think they are in a bad state this season either. I am truly satisfied with the fact that we achieved such a result against them."

[Summary of Kashiwa's coach NELSINHO's press conference]

"I think I have to take full responsibility for today's result. In order to play against Tokyo, I positioned FW Kudo further forward than usual to prevent their defender Takahashi or one of their fullbacks from functioning and to limit their attacking work. However, this ended up creating space for the opponent to pass the ball. After conceding the first goal, the team recovered well. We were able to execute our game plan, especially in the attacking aspect, and created scenes where we were just one step away from scoring. However, I believe the second goal just before the end of the first half was quite difficult to bear. There were also goals conceded due to mistakes, but rather than blaming them, I think my judgment was incorrect today."