Sec. 16 Tama River Clasico, aiming for revenge and overtaking

　Sec. 20 of the league is held. As the 16th Tama River Clasico, we challenge Kawasaki Frontale away. The overall record of the Tama River Clasico so far is 5 wins, 5 draws, and 5 losses, completely even. This season, we have also been defeated in the first half home game, so it will be a game to seek revenge and aim for a winning record overall. It is an important match that we want to connect to the future by making one more effort here before the break period and finishing the last match of the consecutive games with a victory, even though fatigue reaches its peak in the hot and humid weather.

　Kawasaki, on the other hand, is currently in 4th place with 33 points. In the Nabisco Kashima match on the 29th (Wed), they won 3-0 in extra time. Although fatigue is a concern, they have secured a spot in the semifinals and the team's atmosphere should be on the rise. In addition, they have not lost a single game at Todoroki Stadium in the league and Nabisco this season, boasting an outstanding home winning rate. At the same time, they have one of the top attacking units in the league, so it won't be easy to keep them from scoring.

　Still, in the league matches, Tokyo has only conceded 1 goal in the last 6 games, maintaining a strong defense. With everyone having a high defensive awareness, they have been able to limit the goals by extending the time to execute their own style of play and taking control of the game. The key for this match is to prevent Kawasaki from gaining momentum and to keep the number of goals conceded to a minimum. As the rankings can change based on the result of this match, it is important to not give up and show a strong desire for victory on the pitch, and to seize the win with their own style of play.

　Tokyo changed their lineup from the Nabisco Nagoya match and started with the same starting lineup as the previous league match against Hiroshima. Kawasaki had DF Kikuchi suspended, so DF Terada played as center back and MF Yokoyama entered the midfield. It is humid, but there is a breeze and the heat has subsided at Todoroki Stadium. The away goal end is packed with Tokyo fans, and the match started with Tokyo's kickoff at 19:03.

Took the lead with Ishikawa's goal at the end of the first half

　From the start, both teams quickly switched and launched speedy attacks. In the 1st minute, Kawasaki MF Nakamura took a shot, but it was headed away by Bruno QUADROS. Kawasaki MF Taniguchi picked up the loose ball, but Ishikawa intercepted his pass to the side and initiated a counterattack. Cabore broke through the right side and crossed the ball, but it was cleared before reaching Hirayama. In the 7th minute, Kajiyama intercepted Kawasaki's attack from a right corner kick in a deep position in their own half and sent a long ground pass to Ishikawa in the front line. Ishikawa chased after it with a fierce dash and appeared to be fouled by the opponent's defender, but there was no foul from Kawasaki and he couldn't finish.

　Tokyo gradually connected passes from a concentrated defense and moved forward. In the 13th minute, Hirayama hit the post and drew out Hayu's attacking run. Hayu, who entered the left area freely, took advantage of his speed and took a decisive shot, but the ball slipped through the goalkeeper's side and was blocked by the covering Kawasaki DF... In the 21st minute, Kawasaki MF Nakamura made a move from the right side and dribbled into the area. However, Imakawa quickly covered and showed his strength, and Tokyo got the ball. In the 24th minute, Hirayama dropped a vertical pass to the front line with one touch, and it reached Yonemoto who followed. From here, the pass went to Hirayama who jumped into the area, and he crossed the ball with a shooting intention, but the angle was not good and the goalkeeper caught it.

　Kawasaki launched a coordinated attack, but couldn't finish it off. They also launched sharp counters, and the exciting offensive and defensive battle continued. In the 37th minute, Yonemoto passed to Nagatomo, who sprinted up the left side, using his strength to slip between two Kawasaki defenders and break through deep into the left area. From the sideline, he sent a minus cross. Ishikawa met it directly and stabbed it into the net, scoring the first goal since the Nagoya game on July 15th. They took the lead and turned around to the second half in the midst of an intense match.

Conceded a comeback goal in stoppage time, a frustrating defeat

　In the second half, Kawasaki substituted FW Yamagishi, who had been playing in a midfield position, with FW Renatinho. Right MF Nakamura moved to the attacking midfield position, and they launched a counterattack with a formation of almost three forwards. In the 55th minute, Kawasaki's right SB Mori passed the ball to FW Renatinho and advanced to a high position. Although Yonemoto also tried to defend, a cross was delivered, surpassing the head of the nearby FW Yajima and heading towards the back where FW Juninho was. Juninho headed the ball, hitting the left post and bouncing inside the goal... Tokyo had been defending well until then, but they conceded a goal in a momentary lapse of marking and were equalized...

　Kawasaki's momentum remains strong, with a rapid exchange of offense and defense. In the 58th minute, Ishikawa used his speed to break through the right side. He crossed the ball and Hirayama in the center took a free header shot, but narrowly missed the target. In the 59th minute, Kabore broke through the opponent's defense from Hirayama's through pass and found himself one-on-one with the goalkeeper, but the shot was saved... Immediately after, Kawasaki MF Taniguchi unleashed a sharp shot, but it was saved by Gonda and resulted in a corner kick.

　Unable to capitalize on chances, the team gradually stretched their line in the intense match, and they started to lose possession of the ball. In an attempt to break the deadlock, Tanabe was substituted for Yonemoto in the 70th minute, and Akamine was substituted for Cabore in the 77th minute, but time passed without creating any decisive opportunities. In the 74th minute, they launched a counterattack, with Hirayama dribbling towards the right center. Ishikawa ran towards the goal from the left while being marked by a defender. However, he couldn't receive a pass, and Hirayama lost the ball as he was pressured by the opposing defender. Tanabe, who had moved up to support, regained possession and challenged the opposing defender on the right side, but he couldn't get past and was dispossessed again. In the 82nd minute, Suzuki was brought on for Ishikawa, but in the 88th minute, Suzuki broke through on the right side and delivered a cross, but Kawasaki's defender outjumped Hirayama, preventing a shot.

　In the 4th minute of stoppage time, from Kawasaki's throw-in, midfielder Nakamura, who had advanced deep into the right area, floated the ball towards the center. In clearing the ball with a header, Imakano hit forward Juninho and it went to midfielder Taniguchi. Taniguchi unleashed a ground shot that woke up the eyes, passing through the legs of Gonda and into the goal... We suffered a heartbreaking defeat with a last-minute turnaround goal. We couldn't get revenge in the first half, and we suffered our first loss in the league since the 13th round against Kawasaki.

　[Player Comments]《Ishikawa》"The goal came from Nagatomo making a deep run and sending in a cross, and I just had to finish it. We were able to take the lead in a good way, but after that, especially in the second half, we couldn't find our rhythm. We had moments of passing without taking risks, and there were times we couldn't finish. There were monotonous parts, and I wanted us to challenge ourselves a bit more and create our own rhythm... I don't have a complex about it, but in a clásico, both teams' characteristics always come out. Today, we allowed the opponent to show their strengths. Kawasaki has experience in Asia, and I felt they were skilled at managing the game. I think that's something our team still lacks." 《Nagatomo》"I absolutely didn't want to lose. The performance wasn't bad, which makes it even more frustrating. In the second half, we knew they would come at us with three forwards, and we discussed that at halftime. Because of that, I found it harder to push forward, but we talked about not losing if we could just manage that, so I played with balance in mind. It's meaningful only when we can produce results against strong opponents in the top ranks. I've realized that there is still a lot we need to do."

　[Summary of Coach Jofuku's Press Conference] "It is very disappointing. Many of you supported us passionately, and the players took the field today with the mindset that they absolutely had to win. However, in the end, we were unable to earn any points, and all I can say is that it is regrettable. To compete for higher positions, we need to improve on the mistakes that occurred just before the decisive chances, and also on the opportunities we failed to convert. This match made it clear that if we turn a blind eye to these issues, we cannot truly compete for higher positions. Especially in the second half, when the game stretched out, our judgment and accuracy on passes just before the 1-2 shots became poor. I think we managed the game well in the first half, but when the match turned into a back-and-forth affair, it allowed Kawasaki's individual characteristics to shine even more. The way we lost the ball was particularly poor in the second half. I also believe that our backup players still need to create situations that can energize the team more than the starting players. I want to firmly acknowledge the challenges we face as a team and work on them."

　【Kawasaki - Sekizuka's Press Conference Summary】 "I am satisfied that we were able to play a good game. This was made possible thanks to the supporters at Todoroki today. I believe that winning in the end with a comeback was also due to the power of Todoroki. In terms of content, we started with one change in defense as DF Kikuchi was suspended from the Nabisco Cup formation. I felt that Tokyo was a troublesome opponent as they attack while possessing the ball in midfield. However, looking at Tokyo's recent goals, most of them came from long balls from the defense line to the two forwards, with the two midfielders getting involved, so I thought we had to contain that. I think MF Taniguchi and Yokoyama were a bit too eager to win the ball in that area, disrupting the rhythm. Still, we were creating good shapes from the sides, but in the first half, Tokyo scored one goal, and we couldn't score. So in the second half, we aimed to play with a more stable shape and confidence. We brought in FW Renachinho to apply pressure up front and aimed for the balls coming in. The midfield and the back line also showed their intent, and we managed to equalize well from there. I believe the players fought well during the game. Today was an important match in determining the standings, so I think it is valuable that we were able to earn points against Tokyo, and I want to keep striving for each match as we aim for the top."