Transitioning from a stable defense to a bold attack, aiming for consecutive victories at Ajinomoto Stadium

　Sec. 9 will welcome Kashima Antlers at home. In the previous match against Kobe, it ended in a scoreless draw, but the stable defense was maintained. It was a game where we could have won if we scored a goal, so in this match, we must definitely score a goal and aim for a consecutive victory at home Ajinomoto Stadium, following the Sec. 7 match against Yokohama FC.

　Kashima is currently in 12th place with 2 wins, 3 draws, and 3 losses. Although they couldn't win at the beginning of the season, they have been able to create opportunities in games with the return of MF Jang Hyun Soo. On the other hand, FW Yanagisawa got injured just as he was getting into form. However, in the previous match against Urawa, although they lost, Kashima had more chances. Manager Hara said, "Every team is evenly matched, and if we lose concentration for a moment, we will lose, but if we can take our chances, we can win," showing his determination.

　When it comes to Kashima, the image of passing the ball is strong, but this season they are also creating chances from quick counterattacks. At the same time, they have conceded a total of "8" goals, which is few. Like Tokyo, they have confidence in being able to defend even if they have the ball to a certain extent, so the midfield battle will be one of the highlights. In the Kobe match, the gap between the two forwards and the midfield was too wide, and they couldn't launch a strong attack. The players all reflected on the fact that they were "too cautious" and said that they need to be more creative. They plan to transition from good defense to aggressive attacks. They want to break down Kashima's solid defense by using the width of the pitch in their attacks and by surpassing the forward players from the midfield and full-back positions.

　Tokyo will face the match with the same starting lineup as the previous match, while Kashima will start with FW Tashiro for the first time this season. In the Ajinomoto Stadium on a sunny day in May, with it being Golden Week, we had 34,360 visitors and the match started with Kashima's kickoff at 16:05.

Both teams launched counterattacks, resulting in a back-and-forth match.

　Both teams pressed each other from the beginning and tried to launch quick attacks after winning the ball. Tokyo set Asari as the lone defensive midfielder and launched strong attacks from Fukunishi's forward runs. In the 3rd minute, Lucas boldly cut into the box from the left side. His final pass was blocked by the opponent's defender, but he persistently picked up the loose ball and took a shot from a difficult angle. However, it was saved by the opponent's goalkeeper. In the 9th minute, Kashima's forward Marcinhos broke through to the right side, and Fujiyama tried to defend but was turned around, resulting in a shot from a very close distance inside the right area. However, it was saved by Shibata, resulting in a corner kick.

　In the 12th minute, Tokunaga -> Ishikawa became a wedge, and Tokunaga overlapped. The right cross passed to Lucas in the far post, who passed it directly to Wanchope in front of the goal. They created a good attacking shape, but the final pass was blocked by the Kashima DF. Tokyo showed a good attacking shape several times, but Kashima also created chances from long balls, resulting in a back-and-forth game. In the 21st minute, Kurizawa made a big side change from left to right. Ishikawa received the cross and won a right corner kick. In the 23rd minute, this time Kanazawa made a side change -> Ishikawa's cross resulted in a right corner kick. Lucas and then Tokunaga competed for Ishikawa's kick, but the ball floated and went out of bounds.

　In the 28th minute, Lucas connected with Wanchope from Tokunaga's right throw-in and dribbled to the center. He passed to Ishikawa who was running alongside him on the inside, and Ishikawa bravely aimed for the goal but unfortunately missed to the left. In the 30th minute, Kashima's left midfielder Danilo dribbled to the center and passed to Nogawa on the right side. Nogawa, seeing no pressure, took a precise shot. The ball hit the crossbar! The rebound went to forward Marcinhos in the left area, but his shot from an awkward position missed widely, avoiding a dangerous situation.

　During the counterattacks by both teams, in the 36th minute, Wanchope broke free from his own half with a long feed from Lucas and took a shot from the right area. In the 41st minute, Tokunaga moved up and connected a pass to the middle under pressure. Lucas, who received the ball freely, took a powerful shot from just outside the right area, but narrowly missed the target... From effective side changes by Kurisawa and Kanazawa, Ishikawa frequently crossed and won corner kicks, but they were unable to score from set plays. The first half ended with a 0-0 score.

Wanchope scored the opening goal with a header, but suffered a painful comeback defeat at home...

　In the first half, effective chances were created by using the pitch wide and launching quick counterattacks in the opponent's territory. In the second half, with expectations for a goal, the opening goal was scored in the 57th minute. Lucas deployed on the right side, received a return pass from Ishikawa, and dashed into the right area. He skillfully evaded Kurizawa with a one-two pass and sent a lofted cross to the far side. Wanchope struck the ball with his head and scored! It seemed like Wanchope would ride the momentum with his first goal in the league.

　However, in the following 59th minute, a vertical pass was sent to Kashima's FW Tashiro, and Tokyo DF cut it off and gave a left CK. CK kicked by MF Nozawa was initially punched away by Shibata, but Tokunaga and Fukunishi couldn't clear it consecutively, and the ball kicked by Lucas hit Kashima DF Aoki and spilled. Kashima MF Nakago, who ran in here, pierced the net with a powerful shot and scored a goal. They were caught up to the same score immediately after taking the lead.

　In the 70th minute, Wanchope and Ishikawa were replaced by Baba and Noriyuki Suzuki in an attempt to take the lead. However, there were scenes where the press did not work in the midfield and Kashima was able to connect passes, allowing them to gain momentum. In the 80th minute, Kajiyama was substituted in an attempt to change the flow of the game. But in the 82nd minute, Marcinhos, the forward of Kashima, broke free from the right sideline after a throw-in and was able to keep possession. Asari and Noriyuki Suzuki tried to surround him and regain possession, but he slipped through and delivered a fast cross in front of the goal. Substitute midfielder Masuda perfectly headed it in, resulting in a goal against us... We lost the second goal by being caught off guard during the restart.

　Towards the end of the game, Konno and Asari also pushed forward and attacked by sticking to the front of the Kashima goal. In the 89th minute, a left corner kick was obtained from Noriyuki Suzuki's cross, and Asari shot the ball that was cleared by Baba's kick, but it was blocked by the Kashima defender. Then, they obtained a free kick in the opponent's central area, and Noriyuki Suzuki aimed for it, but it hit a teammate and went out of bounds. In the end, they couldn't break through the Kashima wall, which strengthened their defense by substituting in defender Oiwa, and suffered a painful comeback loss at home.

　【Player Comments】《Lucas》"It was a match that was evenly matched in terms of content, and there wasn't a clear advantage for either side. I think the result could have gone either way. However, the current team is primarily focused on not conceding goals, so it's understandable that we have fewer chances. All teams that concede fewer goals also tend to score less. (Regarding the assist for the goal) I received a good ball back from Kurizawa and immediately sent in a cross. That setup was good. But it's very disappointing that it didn't lead to a result. My combination with Wanchope isn't perfect, but it's gradually improving. I want to enhance our coordination and contribute to the team's victory." 《Wanchope》"I was able to score, but I'm more disappointed that the team couldn't win. My condition was very good, but... For the team to win, I think we need to be more aggressive and apply more pressure to create situations where the opponent can't play freely. (Regarding my first goal in the league) It's not something special. The team's victory is more important than scoring a goal."

　[Summary of Coach Hara's Press Conference] "I felt that we were in a good flow, creating chances from side changes starting from the middle of the first half. There were some dangerous moments, like when we were too deep and allowed a middle shot, but there were scenes where Ishikawa received the ball well and faced forward. At halftime, I said, 'At that time, Lucas and Wanchope should make sure to get into the goal area.' In the second half, I thought we had a good flow after taking the lead, but immediately after that, we conceded from a corner kick rebound. If we could have held on for a few more minutes there, Kashima would have started to feel anxious. We conceded during that time and, conversely, we became flustered. After scoring one goal, we also stretched out a bit. I was happy with Wanchope's goal, but due to fatigue from the consecutive matches, we were left behind and the ball was picked up. So, I brought Baba in. Also, the opponent's left side was often open, so I brought in Noriyuki Suzuki to take a gamble. However, we conceded the second goal before the substitutes could get into the game. Still, even though we conceded two goals, Asari and the players in the back line have been really focused on defending in these last few matches. We are also able to make good side changes, so we need to create finishing shapes. I don't think today's game was bad at all. We lost, but we were able to achieve the shape we were aiming for to some extent. With only two days in between, we need to quickly switch our mindset and prepare for the next match against Kawasaki."

【Kashima - Coach Oliveira's Press Conference Summary】 "(In the previous match against Urawa, you mentioned it was a 'loss that leads to the next step,' but what connects today?) It may not be tactical or technical, but in terms of mentality, the fact that we were able to perform like that against Urawa has given us confidence. Even after going behind, I think we felt we could turn it around because the players had composure and confidence. (It seems that MF Nozawa's positioning was too low, what do you think?) To be honest, I want to use him further up the pitch, but as a team, we lack in the build-up phase, so he has been asked to drop back. We are relying on his cleverness and wide vision to create rhythm. However, just because he is positioned lower does not mean he is not able to show his strength. It takes time to regain form after returning from surgery. As we play more matches, I believe he will be able to show his true abilities. (What was the intention behind starting FW Tashiro and substituting in FW Sasaki?) Tashiro is a player who could easily start, but like MF Nozawa, he was delayed due to injury. I considered the rehabilitation aspect from that point. I thought he wouldn't last the full 90 minutes today. I saw the mistakes starting to appear due to fatigue, so I brought in Sasaki as planned. (What was the intention behind bringing in MF Masuda?) The opponent brought in midfield players, and our midfield's work rate had dropped, so I thought about bringing in Masuda to stabilize things. He is also a player who should carry this team, but he still lacks experience. He has a lot of energy and can get involved in the attack, but if he could be a bit calmer, he could create different developments. I believe he will be able to do that as he gains experience. He scored today, so he showed a satisfactory performance."