In the worst conditions...

On this day, Oita experienced heavy rain. The pitch at Oita City Athletic Stadium was in poor condition due to the continuous downpour, making the ground conditions the worst. Additionally, the players had fought through two overtime matches in the past week, and with two consecutive away games, their physical and mental fatigue had reached its peak. Oita was in second place at the end of the previous match and had also secured advancement to the second round of the Nabisco Cup, making them the hottest team at the moment. Oita wanted to win this match to take the top spot. On the other hand, if Tokyo lost this match, they would fall significantly behind in the title race, so they were determined to win and gain momentum. A fierce game with both teams' pride and determination clashing was expected. Before the match, the local Oita began their strong support. In response, the familiar chant of 'Tokyo! Tokyo!' could be heard. Despite the approximately one hour and thirty minutes flight from Tokyo and an additional hour by bus to this venue, the 'Blue-Red Army' from the goal area made their way here with a small group of about five people. While five people were not enough to turn the away game into a home advantage, their unwavering support in the pouring rain without umbrellas undoubtedly gave courage to the players.

Get the first point with a fierce attack!

In the first half, Tokyo created rhythm with fast passing from Almir, Yukihiko, and Amaral, and gained pace with Kobayashi's flexible dribbling on the right. From the left, fullback Fujiyama initiated attacks with sharp dribbling, adding depth to Tokyo's offense. Despite poor ground conditions, Tokyo dominated possession with superior technical skills, showing no signs of fatigue. In the 27th minute, Almir delivered a sharp pass from deep to the front line to Amaral, who laid the ball off for Yukihiko to execute a perfect through ball that sliced through the opponent's shallow defense line. Almir made a run and calmly got the ball. Tokyo continued to attack, completely taking control and overwhelming in shot count, but they couldn't capitalize on their chances for an additional goal. On the other hand, Oita built their game with former South Korean international Choi, creating opportunities through FW Will's hold-up play, Shiokawa's dribbling, and Kamino's speed. This combination of four was destructive, especially Choi's accurate kicks and technique, which repeatedly threatened Tokyo's goal. However, at this point, Tokyo's concentration and work rate surpassed their opponents, preventing them from creating any decisive chances.

Endure the fierce attack of Oita

In the second half, the momentum shifted to Oita. Tokyo, which had reached peak fatigue, saw a sharp decline in their activity level, and their passing in the midfield began to falter. Additionally, the marking on Oita's ace, Choi, became lax, allowing them to seize control of the midfield. In the 3rd minute, the opposing forward Will, who had drifted to the left, received the ball and broke through for a cross. In front of the goal, the opposing forward tangled with Tokyo's defense, and ultimately, the ball deflected off Sandro for an own goal. Oita, having equalized early in the second half, gained momentum and relentlessly attacked Tokyo's goal, centered around Choi and Will. Nevertheless, Tokyo's Almir became a crucial player in both defense and offense with his incredible effort, stealing the ball and distributing good passes to the front line. Moreover, judging that the overall activity level had dropped and passes were not connecting, Fujiyama surged forward with sharp dribbling, creating chances multiple times. In the end, despite being pushed back, they did not allow any additional goals and headed into extra time. As extra time began, fatigue began to show in Oita as well, and a back-and-forth battle continued. This tense and thrilling match, where pride and determination clashed, saw both teams create decisive moments without scoring, ending in a draw. Although there is frustration in having turned a winning game into a draw, this away draw in such a tough schedule can be seen as a commendable effort and should not be viewed solely as a negative outcome.