Challenging the Serie A champions, Juventus!

　In between the Nabisco Cup, a preseason match is held. Juventus, who won this season's Serie A, will visit the home Ajinomoto Stadium. Juventus, led by coach Fabio Capello, will embark on an Asian tour after competing in Serie A until May 29, basking in the glory of their victory. On June 1, they faced Yokohama F.Marinos and won 1-0. Shortly after, during their tour in Hong Kong, they played against Kitchee, who finished third in the Hong Kong league. Although forward Del Piero and midfielder Nedved scored, they faced an upset by losing in the penalty shootout.

　In today's match, they will seriously confront Tokyo, knowing they cannot afford to lose any more. The members are, DF = from the right, Bilindelli, Thuram, Zebina, and Parisi. In the holding midfield, G. Pesotto and Alonika. Right MF Capo, left Nedved. A 4-4-2 formation with the two strikers being 'that' Trezeguet and Del Piero.

　Considering the tough schedule in Tokyo and the good form in the satellite matches, the team is composed mainly of young players. Oomata makes his first start of the season as left back, and Kurizawa, who missed the last match due to illness, is also in the starting lineup. On the bench, Kenji SUZUKI and Ikegami (Sendai University, JFA/J.League Special Designated Player) are also available for the first time this season, as they take on a 4-4-2 formation. How well can they compete against Juventus, who won the Scudetto? The much-anticipated match kicked off at 7 PM at the refreshing Ajinomoto Stadium.

Aggressively attacking, Todai takes the lead with a goal against the champions!

　From the start of the match in Tokyo, Konno, Fujita, Toda, Miyazawa, Ishikawa, and Omata all played freely, trying to showcase their individual strengths. Just 20 seconds into the match, Yusuke KONDO took a mid-range shot as a greeting. In the first minute, Konno picked up a loose ball from the opposing defender and aimed for the goal from mid-range, showing an attacking attitude without fear even against Juventus.

　In the 8th minute, Ishikawa made a daring breakthrough to earn a right corner kick, and at the perfect timing of Ishikawa's kick, Konno headed the ball! However, the opposing goalkeeper saved it, resulting in another corner kick. This time, Ishikawa connected with a short corner, exchanging passes with Miyazawa. Then, Miyazawa delivered a highly accurate cross. Toda, who ran into the goal area, redirected it with a back header into the net, scoring a goal! They took the lead against Juventus.

　With this momentum, Tokyo pressed towards the Juventus goal one after another, utilizing Miyazawa's cross-field pass and Ishikawa's speed. In the 11th minute, Jean dived in from the right corner kick rebound, but his shot went over the bar. In the 16th minute, Juventus MF Kapo's shot hit the post, and MF Nedved broke free in front of the goal to take a shot, but Shiota made a nice save with one foot! In the 25th minute, Konno fouled Nedved, who was attempting a central breakthrough, giving a free kick right in front of the goal. Del Piero's direct free kick was blocked by the Tokyo DF wall, resulting in a corner kick. From this corner kick, Del Piero took a shot, but it was blocked. In the 27th minute, FW Trezeguet received a pass from Parisi in front of the goal and tried to create a chance by exchanging passes with Nedved, but the Tokyo DF cut it off.

　Although they gradually allowed Juventus to control the ball, they did not concede a goal thanks to their concentrated defense. Conversely, in the 30th minute, Omata boldly advanced and got past the opposing defender, but his subsequent dribble was too heavy, and unfortunately went out of bounds. In the 32nd minute, Miyazawa made a side change and Toda made a run, but was just slightly offside. In the 41st minute, Miyazawa volleyed a clearance from Fujita's right throw-in. Then in stoppage time, they intercepted the opponent's ball at the defensive line, and Miyazawa made a big side change to the left to Kurisawa. After passing to the aggressively advancing Shigenoba, he brought the ball into the left area and made a backward pass to Yusuke KONDO in front of the goal. Yusuke KONDO took a well-controlled shot from inside the area, but the ball hit the right post... However, although they missed the chance for an additional goal, they fully showcased Tokyo's attacking football. They went into halftime with a one-goal lead.

Defeated by Juventus, who excelled in strength...

　In the second half, Tokyo substituted Yusuke KONDO for Baba at the top. They aimed to launch aggressive attacks in the remaining 45 minutes. However, in the 51st minute, Juventus, from a casual passing sequence, saw Nedved penetrate the left area and take a powerful shot. Although Shiota made a save initially, he was unable to secure the rebound, which was neatly finished by Trezeguet, allowing a goal. Even after being caught off guard for a moment and conceding the equalizer, their attacking stance did not change.

　In the 55th minute, a calm defense from Jaan initiated a counterattack, with Ishikawa sprinting down the right side. He brought the ball into the right side of the area and boldly aimed for the goal, but was thwarted by a great save from the opposing goalkeeper. In the 56th minute, Kobayashi was brought on to replace Kurizawa. In the 58th minute, a combination between Kobayashi and Omata earned a left corner kick. In the 63rd minute, they connected passes in front of the goal, with Kobayashi passing to Ishikawa on the right. The shot was blocked by the defense, resulting in a corner kick. From the rebound of the right corner kick, Fujita's shot was cut by the opposing defense. Once again, Omata picked up the loose ball and delivered a cross.

　However, as time passed, Juventus began to pick up their pace and found their rhythm, causing trouble with their fast attacks. In the 73rd minute, a quick pass from the DF line connected, and Capo penetrated the left end line, sending a backward pass in front of the goal. Trezeguet, positioned in front, let it pass, but substitute FW Skuri ran in free and took a shot. Although Shiota made a save initially, the ball spilled behind him, and he couldn't prevent it from bouncing off the post and going into the goal. They conceded the second goal. Two minutes later, Capo received a pass from the DF line, carried it deep into the left corner, and delivered a left cross. Del Piero connected with it and took a powerful shot. Tokyo's energy levels dropped, and as their marking weakened, they were consecutively scored upon in a similar manner.

　In the 77th minute, Kenji SUZUKI was substituted for Ishikawa, in the 80th minute, Asari was substituted for Miyazawa, and Ikegami was substituted for Fujita. Ikegami was placed as a defensive midfielder and Asari was positioned as a right side back to launch a counterattack, but just after that, in the 81st minute, Nedved advanced with a strong dribble and took a powerful shot from distance. Although the Tokyo defense blocked it in front of the goal, the loose ball was kicked in by DEL PIERRO, resulting in the loss of the fourth goal.

　Still trying to strike back, Omata moved to the center and took a shot in the 85th minute. In the 86th minute, Sakae was brought in to replace Moniwa. During stoppage time, Sakae advanced and assisted Kenji SUZUKI's run towards the goal, winning a corner kick. Jean connected with this right corner kick, but they were unable to take a shot and the game ended. Although the result was a heavy defeat, both teams showcased fast attacks throughout the 90 minutes. In the latter stages, the difference in strength was evident, but Tokyo also displayed their capabilities without hesitation. It can be said that it was a match where they attacked and showcased their individual strengths.

　【Player Comments】Tokyo: 《Konno》 "It was a complete defeat. The opponent probably wasn't serious in the first half, and I don't think I performed well at all. I felt a difference in the speed and decisiveness when they attacked at crucial moments. The shock of the defeat is greater than the feeling of having fought. What I aim for is to win here. I could have done more. I have no choice but to switch my mindset and do my best." 《Ishikawa》 "I tried to be proactive and take the initiative. I wanted to make the opponent serious and set that play as my standard. It was good that we took the lead and gained momentum, but... Fighting against the world is stimulating. If we don't fight, we tend to forget, but I want to make sure we don't waste the results and connect them to the next opportunity. I want to learn from this experience." Juventus: 《Del Piero》 "In the first half, FC Tokyo played well, and in the second half, we attacked and converted almost all the chances we had. (Being chosen as MVP) In Italy, I can't get a car, so I want to play in Japan again (laughs). I think we established a good connection with Japan during the 1996 Toyota Cup. Since then, I've come to Japan several times, but I didn't expect to be welcomed like this. I felt the love." 《Trezeguet》 "The first half was tough, but in the second half, we were able to show good play, and it turned out well. (FC Tokyo left a good impression, and I think they are a good team. I thought it would be impossible for them to maintain their first-half performance for 90 minutes, but in the second half, their physical condition dropped, and our form improved. For tours like this, at first, I think about enjoying it and not getting injured... but in the end, I want to win."

　[Summary of Coach Hara's Press Conference] "There is a Nabisco Cup this weekend, and we can face a good opponent, so we talked about being proactive from the start. We were able to take the lead at a good time, but I wanted to extend it a bit more. I wanted to score another goal, especially with the chance just before the end of the first half. The members, following last Saturday's Nabisco Cup, also had a satellite match on Sunday, so I considered the condition of the tired players. Among them, Omata, who started as left-back for the first time, did well. Compared to the period when our attacking rhythm was poor, we have started to play football at a good tempo... but Juventus still has finishing power. They are stronger. However, by competing against strong teams, the players are likely sensing on the field what is lacking and what works, rather than just through words. I want to utilize what everyone felt on the field in our upcoming training. As a team, we want to make good preparations for the weekend's Nabisco Cup and the league matches that will resume in July, incorporating what we have learned, including finishing power and competitiveness."

　[Summary of the press conference by Juventus coach Fabio Capello] "I think it was a very good rhythm match. In the first half, we were caught a few times on the counter, and the toughest part was the first 10 minutes. It took time to fit in as we didn't know how the opponent would move. During that time, there was a chance for Del Piero, but it was lucky that the opponent's shot hit the post just before the end of the first half. We held the ball too much in the first half, with fewer vertical passes and a slower rhythm, but in the second half, we played faster football with more vertical passes, and I think we were able to show our style of play. Tokyo was good as a team. They worked very hard and put in a lot of effort. Especially, the movements of player number 18 were good, as he penetrated our defense and made good plays. Looking back on this Asia tour, I felt that Japanese teams are at a high level. The coach is doing a good job and has proper positioning. I personally have faced Japanese teams in the past, and I remembered them as not being strong, but this time we played twice and won, leaving a good impression."