Kawasaki Frontale 2-1 FC Tokyo

Competition: J.League Division 1
Date: Sunday, 4th April 2010 (16:00 kick off)
Venue: Todoroki Stadium
Attendance: 22,199

Scoresheet:

CHONG 21', 61'

KONNO 90'

Teamsheet:

GK KAWASHIMA
DF MORI
DF IGAWA
DF TERADA
DF KOMIYAMA
MF INAMOTO
MF TANIGUCHI (replaced by YOKOYAMA 90')
MF TASAKA (replaced by KIMURA 73')
FW KUROTSU (replaced by VITOR JUNIOR 85')
FW CHONG (yellow card 45')
FW RENATINHO

Comment:

Hmm... Nice big crowd. But not your average Tamagawa Classico. In fact, I'm still not 100% sure that was actually FC Tokyo playing in white.

Not wanting to be too respectful, but the Tokyo side I remember from last season was all about passion and commitment. They held onto possession well and pressed their opponents quickly and as a team.

Well, I'm not sure what's happened, but on Sunday they looked a shadow of their former selves (perhaps epitomised by the subdued performance of last year's standout player Naohiro Ishikawa). Their control and passing was loose and there was little urgency of any kind.

That's not to say Frontale were great. They started off still looking a little jaded from their midweek travels/travails. And for much of the first half they were as guilty as Tokyo of squandering possession.

HOWEVER, the second half was as one-sided a display as I've seen this year and only Chong Tese knows how he didn't bag at least a barrelful. A one-goal margin really doesn't reveal the true disparity between these two teams on the day.

Chong actually played very well. Having sat out Wednesday's ACL encounter he was certainly a bit fresher and his all-round link-up play was much improved. He had a decent chance to open the scoring after good work from Mori down the right. But his header was all wrong and the ball ended up bouncing tamely into the arms of Tokyo keeper Shuichi Gonda.

Still, it didn't take long for the Korean to atone for his earlier misdemeanor. Kurotsu sent in a cross from near the left corner flag which the Tokyo defence could only clear to the edge of the penalty area. From here an unmarked Chong controlled it off his chest before spanking a blistering volley into the top right corner. Punished!

But, as so often, Frontale immediately went off the boil, allowing their guests a 20-minute purple patch. Tokyo undoubtedly raised their game after going behind, but the hosts just seemed intent on hoofing long balls upfield, committing needless fouls and inviting the next wave of Tokyo pressure.

Naotake Hanyu and the fleetingly-impressive Sota Hirayama both bruised Eiji's woodwork. Hokuto Nakamura snatched at a couple of half chances. But that was as good as it got for the visitors.

After the break it was pretty much one-way traffic. Chong saw a header come back off the crossbar and Gonda made a clutch of fine saves. However, the young keeper (one of the heroes of the 2009 Nabisco Cup final) was at fault for Frontale's second.

Chong took his turn at a free-kick from just outside the box, aiming to send a "daisy cutter" below Tokyo's wall. It kind of went according to plan, bouncing its way underneath the leaping defenders, but there was no real venom in the shot. Still, Gonda must have seen it very late as he could only get a weak hand to the ball before it crossed the goal line.

Tokyo got their consolation goal deep into injury time. It's not often an Igawa/Terada centre-back pairing manages an entire game without a frantic goal-mouth scramble of some description, so it's fitting that this was how the goal came - Konno eventually driving the ball into the roof of the net. The final whistle went shortly after, leaving a rueful Igawa thumping the ground.

The important thing is the three points, though. Especially with Kashima (as ever, the team to beat) losing their first game of the season. Who'd have thought only 5 points would be dropped from the first 5 games (with or without Kengo and Juninho)? Not me!

Back on the road next week. Is this when the wheels fall off?

Highlights:

To follow...

FC Tokyo v Kawasaki Frontale

Nabisco Cup - Final: Tues, 3rd November 2009

	2 - 0
YONEMOTO 22' HIRAYAMA 59'

Venue: Kokuritsu Stadium
Attendance: 44,308

"One Step" is Kawasaki Frontale's team slogan for 2009. And one step remains the distance at which they stand from their first piece of silverware after Tuesday's 2-0 Nabisco Cup final defeat at the hands of local rivals, FC Tokyo.

Having lost at the final hurdle to Gamba Osaka two years ago, Frontale were determined not to let another trophy-winning opportunity go to waste. But goals in each half from Takuji Yonemoto and Sota Hirayama once again delayed the gratification that must surely come to the Kawasaki club sooner or later.

And to be fair, Frontale actually put in a performance of which they can be reasonably proud. Their forward play wasn't at its scintillating best, but they defended solidly for the most part. And were it not for a couple of first-half blunders, this could have been a very different game.

Both teams started brightly, but with Frontale beginning to dominate play, and FC Tokyo looking increasingly vulnerable, Taniguchi was sent through on a one-on-one with Tokyo keeper, Shuichi Gonda. Although the 20-year-old stopper did well to make the initial block, Taniguchi was still able to square into the path of Juninho. But somehow, from just 6 yards out and directly in front of goal, the Brazilian contrived to lift his unchallenged shot over the crossbar.

Having failed to capitalise on that gilt-edged chance, Frontale were immediately punished. Tokyo's excellent young midfielder, Yonemoto, hit a speculative 30-yard effort that Eiji looked to have well covered. However, in truly un-Kawashima-like fashion, and despite having two hands behind the ball, the big keeper could only palm it weakly inside his near post. The shot undeniably had some fizz and dip, but it was a real soft one by Eiji's standards.

Unsurprisingly, coming (as it did) so completely against the run of play, the goal took the wind out of Frontale's previously billowing sails. And by the time they'd regained their focus, FC Tokyo had settled into a more defensive lead-protecting shape - the likes of which Frontale so often struggle to break down.

And this established the pattern for the entire second half. Frontale huffed and puffed, but could not find a way to blow down FC Tokyo's well-organised and heavily-populated defence. Gonda was delivering a commanding perfomance between the Tokyo sticks and wave after wave of Kawasaki pressure was being repulsed.

With more and more men being committed to attack, it was inevitable that Frontale would eventually be caught out on the break. And a fine counter-attacking move it was that culminated in an unmarked Hirayama heading past a helpless Kawashima on 59 minutes to extend FC Tokyo's lead.

Frontale continued to dominate possession, but the tell-tale signs were there that this was not going to be their day. The quality of the final ball into the box was getting progressively worse as the team became increasingly desperate. Chong Tese hit the bar and Gonda made a fine save low to his right to deny Kengo, but the goal never really looked like coming.

FC Tokyo, for their part, had a couple more decent chances on the counter - Tatsuya Suzuki was particularly unlucky to see his effort bounce back off the inside of the post - but the 2-goal margin proved enough.

The boys will obviously be disappointed by the result. But the nature of the defeat will hopefully mean their confidence is not overly dented, and rather spur them on at this vital stage of the season.

With just 4 games standing between them and the (far more illustrious) J.League title, they may still be able to complete that "One Step" to glory.

Kawasaki Frontale v FC Tokyo

J.League Division 1: Sat, 1st August 2009

	2 - 1
JUNINHO 55' TANIGUCHI 89'		ISHIKAWA 37'

Venue: Todoroki Stadium
Attendance: 21,379

FC Tokyo v Kawasaki Frontale

J.League Division 1: Sun, 24th May 2009

	2 - 3
KONNO 28' ISHIKAWA 54' BRUNO QUADROS(sent off 57')		JUNINHO 58' TANIGUCHI 65' RENATINHO 68'

Venue: Ajinomoto Stadium
Attendance: 27,851

Sunday afternoon's "Tamagawa Classico" didn't quite live up to its name. But what the match lacked in overall quality it certainly made up for in excitement, with Frontale turning round a two-goal deficit to steal victory from the jaws of defeat.

Three goals in the space of ten minutes from Juninho, Taniguchi and Renatinho left the FC Tokyo supporters stunned and no doubt slightly sickened. However, unlike Frontale's Lazarus-style comeback against Kashiwa Reysol last season, this one needed a hefty dollop of help from a member of the opposing team.

Bruno Quadros, the FC Tokyo centre-back, was undoubtedly the villain of the piece. With the hosts having just hammered a second nail into Frontale's coffin, the visitors put together their most penetrating move of the game. Chong Tese latched onto a through ball from Juninho and as he homed in on goal Senhor Quadros mindlessly tugged the Korean from behind.

This moment of lunacy not only gave Juninho the opportunity to pull one back from the penalty spot, but also gave the referee no alternative but to reach for his pocket and pull out a red card.

Now there's a pretty good chance Chong would have scored had Quadros not intervened. However, there's an even better chance that FC Tokyo wouldn't have lost this game had they played the full 90 minutes with eleven men on the field. Still, very refreshing that the match-defining moment of defensive stupidity didn't come from a Frontale player.

The first half started with both teams playing some very loose football. But while FC Tokyo slowly grew into their game, Frontale seemed incapable of stringing together more than two passes.

Sekizuka sent out an attacking side, with Renatinho starting alongside Juninho and Chong Tese. But his decision to play Tasaka instead of Vitor Junior had an adverse effect on the team's cohesion. It's no coincidence that the penetrating move that brought about the penalty incident took place almost immediately after Vitor's introduction. (I don't want to give Vitor too much credit, cos he hasn't been brilliant of late. But there's much more balance to the midfield when he's in it.)

Kikuchi and Igawa fought bravely in the centre of defence once again. But their limitations were exposed by the strength of FC Tokyo centre-forward, Cabore.

Yasuyuki Konno's opening strike resulted from a succession of corners that Frontale failed to clear. However, the initial surge to this spell of pressure came when Igawa buckled under Cabore's close attention. And only a last-ditch lunge from Kikuchi prevented the Brazilian marksman from capitalising sooner.

The roles were reversed for FC Tokyo's second. This time Kikuchi was muscled off the ball and no-one was able to stop Naohiro Ishikawa from rifling Cabore's cut-back into the corner of the net.

The sending off was obviously the turning point of the game. And against ten men Frontale started to show the kind of passing and movement that had eluded them thus far.

The referee had been spot-on with the penalty and the dismissal of Quadros, but he was perhaps a little generous to Frontale in the lead up to the equaliser. First of all, he awarded a free kick on the edge of the penalty area after Chong appeared to have lost out in a challenge fair and square.

Then he allowed play to go on when Juninho took a quick one that found Taniguchi free on the right, and which young Tani duly thundered into the top right corner. Nothing wrong with this per se, although the "wait for the whistle" approach has been predominant amongst officials this season.

Three minutes later the turn-around was complete. Juninho was again instrumental in the winner - breaking down the left and sending in a deep cross which Renatinho leapt acrobatically to direct into an open net.

With his opponents well and truly on the ropes, Sekizuka decided to play it safe by removing Renatinho and bringing on Yokoyama for the last ten minutes. This almost proved to be a costly mistake as it allowed FC Tokyo to regroup and gave the game a rather nerve-jangling finish. But Frontale were able to see things out and scramble up to a lofty 4th place in the table.

Kawasaki Frontale v FC Tokyo

Pre-season friendly: Wed, 11th February 2009

	4 - 1
KUKINO 11', 40' KUROTSU 46' KIMURA 139'		KONDO 104'

Venue: Todoroki Stadium

Another game of four quarters, although this time 35 minutes each as opposed to the half-hour chunks against Nagasaki (just in case anyone was wondering whether Yuji Kimura was the only man still playing when he scored in the 139th minute!).

Played behind closed doors, this match saw more of Frontale's second-string frontmen sharing the spoils and staking their claims to those all important spots on the subs' bench in what will be a packed 2009 schedule.

Kukino's already registered a few J.League goals in seasons past, and Kurotsu's obviously a well-established member of the team, but it would be nice to see Kimura get a chance to show what he can do at the top level this year. He's shown remarkable potential with some of his perfomances in the Satellite League and will hopefully have ample opportunity to impress Sekizuka this pre-season.

One other point of interest is that Tomonobu Yokoyama has been listed as playing in midfield for both pre-season games so far. Is Sekizuka looking to shore things up at the back by converting the young centre-back into a holding midfielder? In the few games he played last season he certainly looked very comfortable on the ball.

Kawasaki Frontale v FC Tokyo

J.League Division 1: Sat, 20th September 2008

	0 - 1
		AKAMINE 5' KONNO sent off 41'

Venue: Todoroki Stadium
Attendance: 20,729

Missed this one. FC Tokyo were a goal up after 5 mins and a man down after 40 and yet Frontale still couldn't pull it round.

That's 6 points the Gasmen have taken off us this year (which shows the progress they've made since last season when we beat them 5-2 and 7-0!). Could be very costly with 1st-placed Nagoya now 7 points ahead and just 9 games to play. But this is the J.League - anything can happen.

Interesting that Todoroki had the biggest crowd of all this weekend's games. There's something that doesn't happen very often.

FC Tokyo v Kawasaki Frontale

J.League Division 1: Sat, 19th April 2008

	4 - 2
CABORE 25' AKAMINE 43' OTAKE 63' KONNO 70'		CHONG 19' TANIGUCHI 26'

Venue: Ajinomoto Stadium
Attendance: 22,283

FC Tokyo v Kawasaki Frontale

J.League Division 1: Sun, 28th October 2007

	0 - 7
		CHONG 25', 29', 42' MINOWA 40' MAGNUM 74' TERADA 79' JUNINHO 85'

Venue: Ajinomoto Stadium
Attendance: 30,494

Kawasaki Frontale v FC Tokyo

J.League Division 1: Sun, 6th May 2007

	5 - 2
OHASHI 2', 43' KUROTSU 11' MURAKAMI 44' JUNINHO 68'		LUCAS 75' ISHIKAWA 86'

Venue: Todoroki Stadium
Attendance: 14,983