Sec. 25 Tama River Clasico at Home

The 9th match of the 1st stage will be held as the "25th Tama River Clasico" with Kawasaki Frontale as the home team. In the previous match, they were pushed back by Niigata, but they endured together and took advantage of a free kick opportunity to win. Following the Yamagata match, they earned 6 points in consecutive away matches. Now, they face this match with only 2 days of rest. The heat has also become a factor, but Coach Massimo reveals that "with the absence of Ishikawa and Canini, we are not in a situation where we can rotate 7-8 players." They are facing the difficulty of overcoming consecutive matches, but they will push forward with a fighting spirit no matter how the match unfolds, and strive for victory. Tokyo's Kajiyama, who has finished serving his suspension, returns to the starting lineup. They will also face the match with Lin, who will make his first start in the league, as one of the FW positions.

Kawasaki, the opponent, is currently in 5th place with 4 wins, 2 draws, and 2 losses. Their total goals scored so far is 17. The total goals conceded is 12, which is in contrast to Tokyo, but the goal difference is both "+5". This match could potentially result in a change in rankings, as it is a "direct confrontation". However, in the previous match against Kashiwa, Kawasaki only scored 1 goal from a free kick and conceded 4 goals while being on the offensive. Therefore, it will be interesting to see how they adjust their balance for this match, but above all, their attacking lineup is diverse. Therefore, for this match, the formation will have FW Yu Okubo and Funayama as the two forwards, with MF Renato and Kobayashi on both sides.

On the other hand, for Tokyo, the key is whether they can keep the goals conceded throughout the 90 minutes with their usual style of play, or "even if they concede one goal, can they continue to fight without collapsing from within (Hanyu)". The Tama River Clasico is always a heated battle, but they want to maintain their concentration, resilience, and competitiveness throughout the 90 minutes and achieve victory.

Under the clear weather that became the hottest of the year, with a record-breaking 42,604 people gathered in the stands, the match started with Tokyo's kickoff at 16:04.

Allowed Kawasaki's domination and conceded from a set piece

Competing fiercely in the battle for the ball from the beginning, without losing. In the 5th minute, Hayu and Kajiyama tenaciously took the Kawasaki ball and connected it to the front line. However, the ball that was played to Kawano on the left front line was suppressed by the Kawasaki DF and could not be turned into a chance. In the 7th minute, Muto was fouled on the left side of the midfield and obtained the first FK of the day. Ota sent Yonezawa to the front line, and Yonezawa passed through the opponent's DF and sent a cross. From the loose ball contested by the center, Kawano in the left area in front of the hand aimed directly, but it was not hit cleanly and was blocked.

Up until now, we have maintained a compact formation and prevented Kawasaki from gaining control of the rhythm. However, gradually we have been bypassed by their press, allowing Kawasaki to dominate possession of the ball. In the 20th minute, Muto fouled against Kawasaki MF Renato's dribble. This resulted in a free kick for Kawasaki, slightly to the left inside Tokyo's territory. In the 21st minute, in this situation, Kawasaki MF Nakamura sent a kick towards the far side, crossing the center, and Okubo, the forward, jumped in from the outside and scored a header... This was the first goal we conceded since the Hiroshima match on April 18th, putting us behind.

In the 33rd minute, again from Kawasaki's free kick, this time right area defender Igawa shifted his mark to block Tokyo's defender, and midfielder Kobayashi was released from the outside and took a direct shot. It was a decisive moment, but the shot went wide and they avoided conceding a goal. In the 45th minute, from a free kick in the left area corner by Kawasaki, it was crossed back to forward Okubo in the far post, but Kanda caught it. Despite being under pressure, they did not allow any additional goals. However, they were unable to bring the ball to the front line against Kawasaki's defense in their attacks. They ended the first half without creating any chances.

Change the flow and achieve a dramatic come-from-behind victory with goals from Ota and Muto!

In the second half, Tokyo substituted Higashi for Kohno. In the 50th minute, Maeda replaced Hayashi and took an aggressive stance, pressing from the front to seize the momentum. In the 52nd minute, amidst a counterattack, Yonemoto on the left played a through pass to the front line. Maeda in the foreground let it go through, connecting with Muto in the center of the area. It was a decisive opportunity, but Muto couldn't finish the shot well. In the 60th minute, in an aerial battle in front of Kawasaki's goal, Muto on the right received the ball and crossed it from a close distance to the right goal... but it went across the frame.

In the midst of the offensive, in the 64th minute, Kajiyama of the home team stole a pass from Kawasaki MF Nakamura and launched a counterattack. Mutoh dribbled into the opponent's area. He was fouled by Kawasaki DF Kurumaya just outside the left area. Kurumaya received his second warning and was sent off. Immediately after, Tokyo had a free kick and Higashi jumped in near the goal, but his right-footed shot was saved by the opponent's goalkeeper. In the 68th minute, Higashi also received a feed from Kajiyama as he entered the area, but he couldn't bring it to a shot due to the tight marking from Kawasaki DF Elsinho from behind.

In the 71st minute, Mutoh was fouled near the right area and won a free kick. Ota aimed directly at it and sank a sharp kick to the bottom left, GOAL! Ota once again took advantage of a set piece opportunity and equalized.

Afterwards, even with 10 players, Kawasaki did not give up and came out attacking with their inherent offensive power. However, they were able to shut down the counterattack by displaying their concentration, seemingly encouraged by the atmosphere in the stands. Then, in the 86th minute, from a quick attack by Tokyo, Mutoh from the center attempted to dribble past the left area but was blocked. However, he tenaciously picked up the loose ball and earned a free kick from the left forward position near the goal line.

87 minutes, Mutoh jumps in at the perfect timing for Ota's kick, drives a header into the goal dramatically, and successfully takes the lead! Both goals were scored from set plays, but they managed to control the pace even in the flow of the game and dramatically won the Tama River Clasico! At the same time, they achieved a three-game winning streak in the league.

【Player Comment】
《Muto》
"In the first half, we couldn't play the way we wanted and couldn't put pressure on them. We were dominated by Kawasaki and conceded a goal, but in the second half, we switched to pressing from the front. I think that worked well. The goal-scoring situation, I had been staying on the far side, but I moved closer when Ota sent me a wonderful ball. Today, before that, I missed some scoring opportunities and was also at fault for conceding a goal with a foul and giving away a free kick. I wanted to somehow make up for those negatives."

《Kiyoshi OTA》
"Our theme right now is to keep the goals conceded to zero, and conceding a goal first was somewhat unexpected. However, we quickly switched our mindset and tried to endure the first half by staying calm and not giving away spaces. We tried to be patient and not panic."
（Regarding the equalizer goal）
During that time, we were able to create many chances from corner kicks and such. I was able to make good kicks and felt the responsibility of being entrusted with set plays. I also knew the characteristics of Kawasaki GK Nishibe, so I kicked it far, making it seem like it was going near with my distance and tactics. I thought that if I could get it past the wall and on target, I could score. Right now, everyone on the pitch, including the substitute players, is working hard for the team. I think that effort is paying off."

[Summary of Massimo FICCADENTI's press conference]
"Kawasaki's front four players have high quality and were attacking from the start. I think we were able to respond as planned. We conceded a goal from a set piece, but after that, the game improved. At halftime, I told the players, 'It's going as expected.' I also told them that the opponent's stamina would drop in the second half and I was confident that we could turn the game around without a doubt. I was aware of the players' condition, and that led to my confidence, but I think we were running twice as much as the opponent from the 11 vs 11 point. Higashi, who was brought in from the second half, entered the game with a good flow and pressed from the front. In the second half, we had an aggressive and aggressive start, and we were able to show an unbelievable physical condition. Even after equalizing, we took risks and sought victory. It was a wonderful game. Kawasaki, who boasts one of the best attacking powers in the J-League, is a team worthy of respect and has wonderful players. Winning against such opponents is a significant victory."
(Was it a big victory for the championship race as we reached the halfway point of the 1st stage?)
We don't think about the title, we always focus on the current match, the present moment. We value each day and believe that our strength lies in being able to concentrate only on the match in front of us. The players deeply understand what mentality they should have and possess the wisdom to know their own limits. Today, I think the fans and supporters enjoyed the great fighting spirit, goals, and plays, but the team still has a lot to build. Time and dedication are important to achieve something, and daily consistency is crucial. We believe that we can still grow."

[Summary of Coach Kazama's Press Conference]
"Unlike the previous match, we tried to attack the center firmly by ourselves, and the players did very well from the first half. In the second half, we knew how the opponent would play, but the players were not flustered. However, it was a miscalculation that we had a player sent off when we were about to regain our tempo. Even with one less player, if we could score in the situation where we had to score, I think we would have been lucky. We really wanted to deliver a victory with so many fans and supporters coming. However, I think the players worked very hard."