Approaching the match with a focused mindset

In the previous match, Tokyo defeated Yokohama F.Marinos, one of the contenders for the championship, with a score of 3-0 in the opening match of the 2nd stage. On this day, Tokyo faced Avispa Fukuoka in Hakata. It was a match that they had to approach with caution, as they had started off so well and their opponents were a team that had been struggling in 14th place in the 1st stage. In the stadium, with it being Avispa's home opening match, a large number of supporters unleashed a fierce chorus even before the match, drowning out the support of approximately 1000 fans who had come from Tokyo (so many fans came all the way to Hakata!). For Tokyo, in addition to experiencing the "away" atmosphere after a long time, they also had to battle the scorching heat, which was expected to be the highest of the year (the temperature was 27 degrees, but the humidity of 80% was tough). It was anticipated to be a challenging match.

Amaral scores the opening goal with a powerful attack!

The match quickly developed into a scenario of "attacking Tokyo" and "defending Avispa". Avispa, having learned from their bitter experience in the previous 1st stage match (where they lost 0-2 to Tokyo due to being exploited in the space behind the defense), kept their defensive line flat and deep, centered around Maeda, who transferred from Tokyo. When the ball was given to the opponent, instead of chasing deep from the front line, they first returned to their own half to form a defensive line, thoroughly implementing a "secret strategy?" to not give Tokyo any space. This was, of course, a response to Tokyo's "fast vertical soccer" centered around their two forwards, maintaining a compact midfield and a deep defensive line to avoid giving space for runs, and conversely, launching quick counterattacks after regaining possession, a tactic that aimed to "steal Tokyo's thunder." After regaining the ball, Avispa's attacks were characterized by high energy, gathering the ball to the left-footed technician Bader, who unleashed powerful long-range shots and versatile passes, leading to simple plays directed to the lone forward Montoya. However, Tokyo's double pivot of Koike and Asari showed tenacious defense in the midfield, and with Komine applying intense man-marking on Montoya, they were able to prevent Avispa from creating any significant chances.

In response to this, Tokyo, despite facing tough marking, showed accurate post-play with Amaral in the front line, and TUTO, Masuda, and Seigo Kobayashi were involved. Furthermore, Koike in the defensive midfield, Naito and Fujiyama as fullbacks provided well-timed attacking participation and precise support, allowing them to dominate the ball for about 80% of the time. This "attacking when the opponent retreats" was the biggest challenge that emerged in the 1st stage and had to be overcome in order to fight through the 2nd stage, which will be studied even more. "Not only vertical but also fast development to the sides and improvement of midfield composition." This was a challenge that Coach Okuma often mentioned in the 1st stage, but judging from the development of this day, it seemed to have been considerably improved. The addition of Masuda, who has good ball retention, was naturally a significant factor.

Tokyo gradually begins to seize scoring opportunities. In the 7th minute, Koike's attacking participation leads to Naito on the right, and from Naito, a vertical pass goes to the front line to Amaral. Amaral turns and unleashes a powerful right-footed shot! Unfortunately, it was deflected by the goalkeeper's fine save, but it created a good shape from behind. In the 16th minute, from a right corner kick, Amaral heads the ball back, and Sandro drops it behind, where Masuda unleashes a fierce right-footed shot that hits the goalpost, and then Koike shoots the rebound, but it narrowly goes to the left. In the 20th minute, TUTO evades one defender with a ball deep on the left side and crosses it to the center, where Amaral shoots directly with his right foot, but this also goes over the bar. Furthermore, in the 27th minute, TUTO receives a ball that has switched sides from the right to the left, traps it with his chest to evade a defender, and charges towards the goal. He shoots at top speed, but this is also thwarted by the goalkeeper's fine play. After that, Tokyo continues to dominate, with Naito and Masuda, the former Antlers duo, on the right side, and Fujiyama creating chances with sharp interceptions on the left side. Then, in the 38th minute, Fujiyama participates in the attack on the left side and passes to Seigo KOBAYASHI in the center. KOBAYASHI, in a screen with Fujiyama, moves to the side and timely passes to Amaral in the center. Amaral shakes off the defender with a one-touch and shoots powerfully with his left foot! This hits the goalkeeper's foot and shakes the goal net, marking Amaral's 7th goal of the season, a precious opening goal.

Afterwards, there were some tense moments, such as when Doi barely managed to save Badea's powerful mid-range shot and it resulted in a corner kick. However, the first half ended with a score of 1-0.

Allowing a last-minute equalizing goal against Avispa's determination and perseverance

Entering the second half, the sky was enveloped in darkness, and despite the time being past 20:00, there was no sign of the heat at the match venue changing. I felt a slight unease when I saw the tired expressions of the players in the halftime locker room, but as the second half began, that unease gradually became more realistic. "The amount of exercise has clearly decreased compared to the first half." Still, five minutes into the second half, TUTO and Masamitsu KOBAYASHI quickly connected on the right side and from a deep penetration, they delivered an exquisite cross, which Amaral jumped and perfectly headed, but it narrowly missed to the left of the goal. This one play would have a significant impact later on.

On the other hand, Avispa regained their confidence after this one play and began to show their determination with the support of the local fans. Like in the first half, Badea was moving around the field and delivering accurate crosses from the side. In the first half, there were no crosses from the side, so it wasn't scary, but attacking from the side can still lead to conceding a goal due to a momentary lapse in concentration, so caution was necessary.

The match, like the first half, saw Tokyo keeping possession of the ball while Avispa continued to defend deep. However, the dynamics changed after Avispa regained possession. In the first half, they focused on the combination play between Badia and Montoya, but in the second half, they started to play the ball to the spaces on both sides and involve the fullbacks in the attack to create a foundation on the sides. Especially on the left side, Hisanaga made sharp movements and dribbles to cut inside, while Miura, the fullback, moved into that space and delivered crosses, adding depth to the attack. On the other hand, although Tokyo controlled the ball, they reduced their vertical runs and the number of scoring opportunities decreased.

Avispa made a substitution in the 29th minute of the second half, bringing in forward Hattori to strengthen their attack with a two-top formation. Just two minutes later, in the 31st minute, Kuninaga took a decisive volley shot from the center, gradually starting to seize opportunities. Fortunately, the ball hit the post and did not result in a goal, but it was clearly a moment of lack of concentration from Tokyo's defense line. Avispa continued to create chances from the sides and in the 41st minute, they brought in forward Eguchi, shifting to a "super attacking formation" with three forwards, showing their last stand. Then, in stoppage time, when everyone began to believe in Tokyo's victory, a nightmare moment arrived for Tokyo. A pass from the central Bader to Miura, who advanced up the left side, allowed Miura to shake off his marker with a sharp cutback and send a precise cross in front of the goal. Eguchi, who had just entered the game, made a diving header with determination to equalize at the last moment. Tokyo, who had almost secured victory, was equalized and, despite fatigue and shock causing their performance to drop significantly, managed to hold on and finished the second half at 1-1.

Disappointing ending... In the end, it was Amaral and TUTO.

Approaching the first half of extra time with renewed determination, both teams fought with their last ounce of strength. Avispa Fukuoka clearly had the upper hand in momentum, but Tokyo remained composed and stuck to their own style of play without being shaken by the situation.

The game suddenly moved. In the 3rd minute, Amaral, who received a pass in the penalty area, immediately rushed forward. The Avispa DF tried to stop him from behind and Amaral fell down, earning a valuable penalty kick. Amaral entrusted this to TUTO (who can aim for the top scorer), and TUTO, who answered to that friendship and expectation, kicked it firmly into the center of the goal, leading the team to a victory with an extra-time goal. The intense and grueling match ended with an anticlimactic ending, but the team has now won two consecutive victories in the opening. In this league where the start dash has a big impact, these two consecutive victories are significant.

[Coach Okuma's Comment]

In the final stages, the defense line, consisting of unfamiliar members, experienced a decrease in energy and physicality, which led to conceding a goal. However, in the future...

It is significant and commendable that we were able to achieve results despite not being able to fight with the same members.

In the future, there will be times when we will have to play in even hotter conditions, so we want to use players who are in good shape so that everyone can participate in the game, not just the 16 players today.