Fearlessly challenge last season's champion, Kashima!

　Sec. 5 of the league will be playing against Kashima Antlers at home. In the previous match against Iwata, they defended Akamine's valuable goal and took 3 points away. This season, they have not had a single goalless match, and whenever they have kept the opponent's score at 0, they have won every time. In this match as well, the focus will be on enduring Kashima's attacks and creating opportunities to score. There is hope for a victory at home.

　This week, Shigeki Moriba will play as a center back, with Konno and Hanyu forming a double pivot in midfield. Akamine will be up front, Kajiyama will play as an attacking midfielder, and Cabore and Ishikawa will be on the wings. The team has slightly changed its lineup and system since the last match. Coach Shirofuku said, "This is also a test to see how effective our style of play can be against the league champions. It's not just about winning or losing, but also about demonstrating our determination for this season on the pitch."

　Kashima, who is currently in second place with 3 wins and 1 loss, will face the match. On the 7th (Tue), they achieved a great victory in the ACL away match against Singapore Armed Forces FC. From there, they will face the match in 4 days, with the emergence of new forces such as FW Osako and DF Park Chu-ho. The player depth was originally strong, and in the last 2 matches, they decided to win in the final moments, highlighting their competitiveness. Not only the starters but also the substitute players have strength, so it will be a tough battle until the end. However, in the match at Ajista Stadium in October last season, they fought evenly and achieved a dramatic victory. The current difference in points is 3, so if they win today, they will be tied, so they will aim for victory by demonstrating their individual strengths without hesitation.

　Under clear skies and a climate reminiscent of early summer, the match started with Kashima's kickoff at 13:04.

Despite conceding 2 goals, they rallied back with consecutive goals from Akamine, starting from the side

　Shortly after the start, Kabore → Nagatomo's attacking run wins a left corner kick. However, this corner kick is cleared and Kashima counters, Aoki → Marquinhos on the left side brings it inside and takes a shot. The shot grazes the Tokyo defender and changes direction, going into the top left corner of the goal. Unlucky circumstances overlap, and they concede the opening goal in the first minute. Nevertheless, they do not let it affect their spirits and create opportunities from the sides, with Ishikawa at the center, launching a counterattack.

　11 minutes into the game, Hayashi aimed for a shot from the middle, grazing the goalkeeper's hand and hitting the right post... The rebound was picked up by Ishikawa, but quickly cleared by the Kashima DF, resulting in a right corner kick. Following that, Inamoto headed Ishikawa's corner, but lacked power and was caught by the goalkeeper. However, in the 15th minute, Kashima's left SB, Park Chu-ho, intercepted Tokyo's clearance ball and launched a quick counterattack once again, passing to FW Osako in the left area. Hayashi was marking him, but he skillfully turned and evaded the tackle from Sato, slipping through the gap. And then, he pierced a shot near the goal, resulting in the second goal being conceded...

　Kashima, who took a 2-point lead, calmly defended, and then Tokyo took control of the ball. They frequently attacked from the sides, and in the 25th minute, Ishikawa broke free in the penalty area after receiving a long pass from Hayu and won a left corner kick. Ishikawa's corner kick was initially cleared, but they persisted and connected the loose ball in the midst of the scramble. Sato had a shot, but it didn't hit the target. In the 34th minute, Kajiyama made a powerful attacking run, trying to create a chance by exchanging passes with Akamine, but the two collided just outside the penalty area. Their coordination was slightly off.

　Although they couldn't bring it to a finish while grasping the rhythm, they reached the 40th minute and took a throw-in from Ishikawa's move. Here, Haneda, who received a throw from Tokunaga, advances deep into the area. When he sends a cross to the center, Akamine jumps in perfectly and scores a powerful header! With Akamine's goal in two consecutive games, they narrow the gap to one point. In the final stages, they frequently approached the Kashima goal from set plays, but they couldn't catch up. They continued into the second half with hopes of a comeback.

Grabbing the rhythm, they attacked the Kashima goal, but...

　Tokyo took control of the pace in the second half. Immediately after the start of the second half, Kajiyama unleashed a powerful shot from just outside the box, which the opponent's goalkeeper managed to save. Ishikawa followed up on the rebound that spilled to the right area, creating a great chance, but failed to score... resulting in a corner kick. Tokyo continued to create opportunities from wide positions and made substitutions, replacing Cabore with Suzuki in the 58th minute and Ishikawa with Otake in the 62nd minute, pushing forward with momentum. In the 63rd minute, Nagatomo delivered a cross from an impressive overlap, and Tokunaga seized the ball that the opponent's goalkeeper parried to the far side. Finally, Suzuki in the center sent a cross to the left area, but no one was able to connect with it.

　In the 74th minute, Hirayama was substituted for Akamine. Kajiyama and Hayu also changed positions fluidly and attacked the Kashima goal. In the 76th minute, the ball was passed to Hirayama on the left side, but there was no player to close in on the goal. The cross was cleared by the Kashima defender. In the 81st minute, while connecting passes, they approached the opponent's territory, and Imakano took a shot from the center, but it lacked power and went wide to the right. In the 88th minute, Nagatomo on the left passed to Tokunaga on the right, and finally Kajiyama headed the ball from Tokunaga's cross, but the timing was slightly off.

　The time passes without being able to decide on a chance. In the injury time, Suzuki, who ran through the middle, was fouled and won a free kick near the opponent's goal on the right side. Otake took a direct shot that went through the wall towards the goal, but the opponent's goalkeeper made a save at the bottom left corner... Corner kick. Konda and Shigemine also went up for this left corner kick, but it was cleared and they couldn't take a shot. Towards the end of the game, Kajiyama's lob pass to the front line, even though Hirayama fell, created an opportunity, and Otake jumped on the loose ball! However, he was stopped by the opponent's goalkeeper's quick reaction.

　Against last season's league champions Kashima, we competed in the battle of the sides and showed a determined and passionate play without giving up. We created numerous decisive opportunities, but were unable to break through Kashima's strong defense. At the same time, the two goals conceded in the first half had a significant impact and we suffered a frustrating defeat...

　[Player Comments]《Ishikawa》"I think the way we started wasn't bad, but the opponent's pressure was quicker than ours. I felt a very intense and uncomfortable pressure. Even in that situation, by opening up the opponent, we were able to create space even with fewer players in the center, so Hanyu, Kajiyama, and Akamine dropped back a bit and received the ball in a triangular shape, which made me envision receiving it as the third player. I think we created some good opportunities. We were playing good football, so we definitely had chances to win. We need to reflect on our finishing and practice more." 《Hanyu》"I anticipated that the opponent's condition might be poor, but Kashima scored first in the first 15 minutes and then they are a team that can defend well. We conceded a goal in that way, which made it easier for the opponent. (In the goal scene) the opponent wasn't focused on my movement, so I was able to run a long distance and get free. I saw the opening and delivered the cross. Today, we had a lot of time to pass the ball and a lot of possession time. We had big chances, but the result was '1 goal'. There may have been aspects where we troubled Kashima, but what matters is the result. I want to build on the good points with confidence and a strong mindset to secure 3 points."

　[Director Jofuku's Press Conference Summary] "I am very disappointed that we could not achieve a result, especially since we faced the defending champions Kashima, who have won two consecutive titles, and I approached the match with a strong mindset. Of course, I take this result seriously, but I believe we should not be pessimistic about the content of the match. This may have been the game where we showcased our full potential in the league so far. However, conceding two goals can be considered careless play, and it led to a very difficult situation. We must reflect strongly on that, but in terms of what we brought to the game, as a collective of individuals, it was the best performance compared to the last four matches. This season, the team is taking on new challenges, and I felt that we may not have been able to bring out the greatest common divisor as a collective of individuals until now... Therefore, today, if we wanted to compete on the sides, we started by trying to stretch the opponent. After stretching the opponent, we used the middle, and finally, we competed on the outside, which is our weapon. We had 9 corner kicks while the opponent had 1, which indicates that we were able to attack from the sides. I think we can be proud of that. However, it is a fact that there are areas where we are lacking, and I am not completely satisfied, but we were able to find hope in our side attacks, which are our strength. Including the fighting spirit of the players, I do not think this is a match to look down upon. The 34 matches in the league are very honest, and that is why we finished 6th instead of 4th last year. I believe that if we continue to showcase our full potential like we did in today's match, results will definitely follow."

　【Kashima - Oliveira's Press Conference Summary】"(Evaluation of Osako?) He is a player with high ability, and he was able to score a wonderful goal today. He is growing, and I think he is a player that should be treated with importance in the entire football world. I want to continue to have high expectations for him, and I hope he will work hard without forgetting his humble attitude. (About the second half's game management?) I believe we were able to showcase Kashima's wonderful solid defense. At home, it is often the case that the opponent shows such defense, and we end up winning the match, but today I think we were able to demonstrate our defensive capabilities. (About the game plan for the second half?) First of all, I think everyone is only watching today's match, but I want you to think about what was happening in the process. We went to Singapore on Tuesday and played in high temperatures and humidity. There are also sensory aspects that cannot be expressed in words, and we had to face a team that had a week to prepare while we had only four days. Additionally, last week the temperatures were low, but when we returned, it suddenly became very hot. Today was also hot, and there was considerable fatigue. The opponent was coming into the match after conserving their energy for a week, so we knew there would be many times and situations where we would be pressured. We predicted that we would score two goals in the first half and then the pace would drop. We had to fight while being fatigued. Shouldn't we be evaluated for being able to hold on in that situation?"