18th Tama River Clasico held! Aim for consecutive victories in official matches

　The league's Sec. 31 is being held. As the 18th Tamagawa Classico, we will face Kawasaki Frontale at home. In the Emperor's Cup match against Chiba, a fresh lineup showcased dynamic play and achieved a resounding victory at Ajinomoto Stadium. With only two days between matches, we aim to switch our focus back to the league, maintaining team unity and a positive atmosphere as we head into this match for victory. In contrast, Kawasaki currently sits in 5th place with 49 points. This is the first Tamagawa Classico since the World Cup, following the overseas transfers of GK Kawashima and FW Jeong, but this match will see MF Nakamura suspended. Additionally, DF Mori was injured in the Emperor's Cup match against Yamagata on the 20th. With three players absent for the Asian Games, the team's condition can be considered challenging. Nevertheless, players like FW JUNINHO, MF Vitor Junior, and Kusunoki, who can break through with individual skill, are all present. Great caution is needed for counterattacks initiated by them. In response, we want to focus on fierce ball recovery in midfield to prevent Kawasaki from getting the ball into their forward line as much as possible. In attack, surpassing Kawasaki with quick transitions should be the key to scoring and winning. Recently, there has been a strong emphasis on utilizing individual strengths to create opportunities, and there are high expectations for consecutive goals from forwards like Hirayama and Ooguro. Furthermore, we have not lost in the last five official matches. In the matches against Yokohama FM and the Emperor's Cup, we made decisions based on the situation and fought to bring about our own victories. Tokyo will deploy Tokunaga as the right back. Morishige returns to center back after his suspension. The Tamagawa Classico is always an intense match, but even if it turns into a shootout, if we fight without panic, there should definitely be a chance for victory. With a combination of aggression and composure, we head to the stage of the Classico! A clear day at Ajinomoto Stadium. The match started at 14:04 with Tokyo's kickoff.

Unable to grasp the rhythm of the attack, time passes in the midfield battle

　They aggressively attacked from the start. In the 2nd minute, Hirayama dribbled in from the left side and passed to the right side. Ishikawa timed his shot from the area, but it lacked power. In the 5th minute, Kajiyama advanced to the right side and crossed. They tried to connect after picking up the clearance, but lost the pass and suffered a counterattack from Kawasaki. They were dispossessed several times during their attacks, leading to situations where Kawasaki brought the play to a finish. In the 8th minute, a quick attack initiated by Kawasaki's midfielder Vitor JUNIOR was cut off by Tokunaga, who returned in time. In the 10th minute, Kawasaki's left back Komiyama overlapped, and forward JUNINHO shot with a toe kick in front of the goal, but Gonda made the save. In the 12th minute, they were dispossessed while attacking, and from the advance of Kawasaki's midfielder Vitor JUNIOR, forward JUNINHO, who ran to the center, took a shot, but Konno managed to deflect it for a corner kick. Tokyo aimed for quick transitions in their attacks, but couldn't find their rhythm against Kawasaki's tough defense. As time passed, it turned into a battle for possession in midfield. Kawasaki connected their passes and took control, but Tokyo remained focused and neither side could create decisive chances. In the first half, Tokyo's shots were limited to Ishikawa's early attempt and two set pieces taken by Morishige and Oikawa in the 36th and 37th minutes. On the other hand, Kawasaki was only allowed two shots in the early stages. The score remained 0-0 as the match moved into the second half.

Equalizing with Morishige's header, but allowing the opponent to take the lead due to a mistake...

　Right after the start of the second half, in the 46th minute, they cut off Kawasaki's attack, and Hanyu passed to Kajiyama, who connected with a direct pass to the speedy Ooguro, but it was offside. Just after that, in the 47th minute, Kajiyama brought the ball into the area, and Hanyu on the left made a cross. However, this was suppressed by the Kawasaki defense, leading to a counterattack. The ball was connected to the front line, and from a dribble by left midfielder Kusunoki, it reached forward JUNINHO in the left area, then to forward Yajima in front of the goal. Forward Yajima quickly turned and shot, scoring in the bottom left of the goal. They allowed the first goal right after the start of the second half... However, there was still time left for a counterattack. In the 50th minute, Ricardinho was brought in to replace Hanyu, and in the 57th minute, Mukuhara was substituted for Ooguro as a right back. Tokunaga was moved to the defensive midfield, and Kajiyama was pushed up a line to attack aggressively. In the 65th minute, Ricardinho made a breakthrough with speed and skillful dribbling, earning a free kick just before the left area after being fouled. Ishikawa aimed directly at this free kick, but the shot that flew towards the goal was blocked by the goalkeeper's save, resulting in a corner kick. Then in the 66th minute, on Ishikawa's right corner kick, Morishige jumped in and headed the ball into the goal! They took advantage of the set-piece opportunity and equalized. The mood to aim for a comeback intensified, and they tried to push Kawasaki back. In the 68th minute, Ricardinho sprinted up the left side and made a cross. Ishikawa jumped in the center to connect, but he couldn't get a shot off, and it went straight to the goalkeeper. In the 75th minute, Ricardinho again entered the left area. He sent a clever dribble pass back, but Tokunaga's shot was blocked by the Kawasaki defense. Following that, they connected passes in front of the Kawasaki goal, and Tokunaga advanced into the left area, close to the goal, but was blocked while trying to pull it back, resulting in a corner kick. In the 78th minute, Kajiyama spread the play to the right front line. Mukuhara's advance earned a corner kick. From the flow of this right corner kick, Kajiyama, who persistently chased the ball, aimed for the goal from just in front of the right area, but it crossed the frame. On the other hand, Kawasaki quickly sent the ball to the front line, and in the closing stages, both teams' lines stretched out, leading to a counterattack exchange. In the 84th minute, Kawasaki connected from their own half, and left-side midfielder Vitor JUNIOR sent a long pass to the front line. Morishige tried to clear it, but it spilled behind him, and the ball reached the advancing Kawasaki forward JUNINHO. From there, he aimed with a loop, and the shot went into the unguarded goal over the head of Gonda, who had come out to cover... The defensive weakness showed, and they allowed the go-ahead goal... Still, they did not give up until the end, and in the 86th minute, Maeda was brought in to replace Nakamura. They thickened the front line, and Konno was also pushed up to threaten the Kawasaki goal. In the 4 minutes of stoppage time, they earned a corner kick opportunity, and Gonda also advanced, but they couldn't get a shot off. In the end, they launched a wave attack, and Hirayama took a shot from the center, but it went straight to the goalkeeper and was also offside. They couldn't shake the net until the end... The 18th Tamagawa Classico ended in a painful defeat. 【Player Comments】《Yonemoto》"I think we struggled with positioning and winning the ball today. Especially in the second half, we stretched out, and we needed to communicate more effectively. Kawasaki forward JUNINHO played well, but it wasn't just him who caused the problems. I want to reflect on that and make corrections. The tough situation continues, but we need to switch gears and focus on the next match here." 《Ishikawa》"Today, we couldn't quite find our rhythm and conceded the first goal. After equalizing, we felt we could turn it around, but... But I want to keep my head up and look forward to the next match. Right now, rather than thinking about other teams, we need to improve the quality of our own soccer, which is what we should be focusing on. I want to pursue our own soccer without worrying about the surroundings." 【Coach Okuma's Press Conference Summary】"Regarding the content, I don't think there's anything to be pessimistic about at all. We were compact and could have aimed for a second goal. However, in soccer, if there are self-destructive mistakes, it's difficult to pull the result back. For the remaining three matches, I want to correct the points that need correction and fight firmly. (What care do the players need as they face psychological pressure?) There have been late goals since before I took over as coach, and there are parts that are being dragged down by that. However, as long as we don't make mistakes, we have the power and mentality to bounce back from such things. I told them they could approach with confidence, not overconfidence. Even today, they fought without being pessimistic after conceding the first goal. We can only believe in what we have built up to this point and continue to fight in the future." 【Kawasaki F. Takahata's Press Conference Summary】"We fought for 120 minutes and a penalty shootout in the Emperor's Cup, but unfortunately lost, and there are no more matches with titles at stake. We faced today's match just two days later. I told the players to fight firmly in the remaining four matches towards the goal of the ACL, and to express what they have done so far on the pitch for the supporters who always cheer for us. It was a difficult game, both physically and mentally, but the players fought well. I am truly grateful that we won this match. We have three matches left in the season, and we want to accumulate points and aim for a higher ranking. I want to express what we have worked on this season without leaving any regrets."