2nd Stage kicks off, welcoming the 26th Tama River Classico

Facing Kawasaki Frontale in the opening match of the 2nd stage, known as the "26th Tama River Clasico". We will go away. Although we finished the 1st stage in the best-ever 2nd place, coach Massimo and the players all agree that "we haven't achieved anything yet". From there, we will continue to accumulate points and aim to achieve results throughout the year. We will give our all in every match and strive for victory.

This week, Nathan BURNS, who has recovered from injury, returned to the starting lineup for the first time since the May 30th Kashiwa match. With Kajiyama as the anchor, Yonemoto and Hanyu will serve as the inside halves, and Ishikawa and Maeda will form the front two. They will face the match in a 4-3-1-2 formation with Higashi playing as the attacking midfielder. In addition, newly signed Australian national team forward Nathan BURNS will be on the bench.

Kawasaki is in 5th place with 30 points in the 1st stage. They suffered a heavy defeat of 0-6 in a friendly match against Germany's Borussia Dortmund, but they see it as a valuable experience to adapt to the world standard pace and pressure, and they want to use it as momentum for the 2nd stage. Above all, they will have a strong determination not to have a losing streak in this season's Tamagawa Clasico.

FW Yu OKUBO, FW Renato boast a high attacking power, and their total score of 32 is the second highest in the league. In addition, how we handle the moments we should endure without panicking will also be a focus of the match. To prevent goals, not only concentration but also coordination and balance, including the front line, will be required more than ever before. On the offensive side, we will make use of each individual's characteristics, gather the strength of everyone, and confront Kawasaki.

Kawasaki Todoroki Stadium, which remains humid even in the evening. The match started with Kawasaki's kickoff at 18:30.

The defense from the front line is working and not allowing Kawasaki to move freely

From the kick-off, both teams engaged in a spirited battle. In the 2nd minute, Kawasaki MF Elsinho displayed his strength and FW Okubo made a vertical run on the right side, crossing the ball. In the 4th minute, Tokyo connected the ball from a set play, and Ishikawa passed it into the area from the left side. Ota made a run to meet it, but the ball reached the goalkeeper a step ahead. In the 5th minute, Kawasaki once again had a quick passing sequence, and MF Nakamura on the left took a low trajectory shot. Although the shot was low, Gonda calmly caught it in front of him.

Tokyo pressed from the front with a compact formation and quickly launched attacks after winning the ball. In the 10th minute, they counterattacked by intercepting Kawasaki MF Nakamura's back pass. Tokyo drew a foul and earned a free kick from slightly right of the opponent's half. Ota took the shot directly but missed to the right. In the 12th minute, Mori Shige intercepted a pass and East dropped it to Ishikawa in the center, who returned it to East with a pass that pierced the opponent's defense. Maeda made a run into the space, but the timing was slightly off. In the 13th minute, Maeda received another opponent's pass mistake and cut inside to face the defender from the right area, but his shot went over the bar.

Amidst intense defense from both sides, there were many instances where chances for free kicks were given to the opponents. In the 28th minute, Kawasaki quickly restarted the game and forward Renato dribbled through the center. The Tokyo defenders had no choice but to retreat, and although a shot was taken, it missed the target. In the 33rd minute, Tokyo earned a free kick from a position just outside the left area and goal line. Tohga sent a sharp kick towards the far side, but it did not reach Maeda...

As time passed, Tokyo was dominated by Kawasaki and although they had some shots on goal, Tokyo's organized defense was effective. They did not allow the opponent to create scoring opportunities. On the other hand, they were unable to capitalize on their attacking chances, including set plays. The first half ended with a scoreless draw.

Allowed the first goal and fell into Kawasaki's rhythm. Down by two points...defeat.

The second half started with a back and forth exchange of the ball, but the high positioning of the right defender Takeoka and the left midfielder Komiyama caused difficulties. In the 52nd minute, from a pass in the Kawasaki Central area, forward Renato passed to the left area. Komiyama sent a pass to the space in front of the goal, and midfielder Elsinho, who was free, ran in and shot with his right foot from the outside. It went into the top right corner... and we ended up conceding the first goal by being caught off guard.

In the 56th minute, Higashi broke through the left side, but was marked by the defender and managed to take a shot, only to be saved by the opponent's goalkeeper. Then, Ota's left corner kick was headed by Morishige, but it went over the bar. In the 59th minute, Ishikawa broke through the right area and got behind the opponent's defense, but was grabbed by the Kawasaki defender and lost control. In the 61st minute, Nathan Burns, who made his first appearance in the J-League, replaced Higashi. They tried to launch a counterattack with momentum.

However, Kawasaki tried to increase the tempo and launched speedy counterattacks. As a result, in the 65th minute, Takahashi was substituted for Hayabusa. Kajiyama formed a double pivot with a left side of Yonemoto and a right side of Ishikawa. The formation was changed to a 4-4-2 with Maeda and Nathan Burns up top in an attempt to change the flow of the game. However, amidst the back-and-forth of counterattacks, in the 74th minute, Kawasaki FW Renato dribbled from the right to the center. Unable to stop him, Yoshimoto fouled him, giving away a free kick from just to the right of the penalty arc. Renato himself aimed for the goal with a soft kick from this free kick, and the ball passed through the gap in the wall and was sucked in to the right... resulting in the second goal being conceded.

In the 75th minute, Nakajima replaced Ishikawa. First, he aimed to score a goal, but couldn't create an attacking opportunity and was countered by Kawasaki's precise counterattack. In additional time, Nathan Burns dribbled and took a shot, earning a corner kick. Yonezawa followed up on Ota's kick, but was intercepted by Kawasaki, leading to a counterattack. In the end, Kawasaki's defender Igawa advanced to the goal and took a decisive shot. It was saved by Gonda, avoiding a third goal, but there were few opportunities to bring the ball to the shooting position in the attack, resulting in no goals at the end of the game. They were defeated by a two-goal difference.

[Player Comments]
"Nathan Burns"
"I was aware that it was an important match. It was my first J-League match, and I was confused by Kawasaki's technique and speed at times, but I also feel that it was good to be able to play in such a difficult match. Time is needed for coordination and combination plays. I want to practice more, gradually get used to my teammates and the team's way of playing, and grow."

"Mori Shige"
"In the first half, our defensive strategy of pressing high worked as planned. However, we needed to score first within that momentum. In the second half, we conceded a goal and then allowed Kawasaki to do what they wanted. I think we made it easy for the opponent to play the game they wanted. As a team, we need to reflect on our performance as a whole and individually and make necessary improvements."

[Summary of Coach Massimo FICCADENTI's Press Conference]
"It was a good performance until we conceded the first goal. We were able to defend and attack from a high position, and Kawasaki struggled with their build-up play from the back. I think Kawasaki's only chance was a shot from forward player Renato. We had chances with Maeda's shots, corner kicks, and set plays. The fact that we won many fouls that led to free kicks is proof that our pressing was effective. However, our finishing accuracy was lacking in those situations. It was a balanced game until it became 0-1, but then there was a period of stagnation and it became an open game, resulting in 0-2. In the final stages, we had to take risks and attack, which was inevitable. If we were to mention positive aspects, it would be that Kajiyama, Yonemoto, and Hanyu, who were injured, returned and performed well. Nevertheless, I think we have to praise the quality of Kawasaki today. They improved after taking the lead and were able to launch attacks with speed."
About Nathan Burns
A player with speed. Higashi wanted to utilize Nathan Burns' speed in front of the goal, so he was brought in. Although he has just joined the team, FW is always a player who can decide the game. There are times when one chance leads to a goal. We were able to see his attacking ability in several scenes. It is still difficult to say that he is in his best condition, but I think he will definitely be a player who can help the team."

[Kawasaki - Coach Yahiro Kazama's Press Conference Summary]
"We had a two-week break and were able to prepare well. The players' awareness has become even higher, and they played a very good game. (Is the change in player awareness due to the Dortmund match?) It is often said, but our players are originally highly aware. However, we were shown a speed that exceeded our imagination, so I think it was a good training match. The atmosphere of the practice has also changed, so it is important to continue that."