Jack up the best domestic stadium!?

"Yokohama International Stadium", which was decided as the venue for the 2002 World Cup final. With a capacity of 70,000 people, this enormous structure not only had an overwhelming size, but also showcased cutting-edge technology, creating an atmosphere befitting of representing Japan. The first leg of the Nabisco Cup quarterfinals against Yokohama F.Marinos was held at this top-class stadium. It wasn't just the players who were excited about this amazing situation. The approximately 1,000 strong cheering squad stationed in Tokyo's "goal end" showed their excitement from before the start of the match. With only 1,000 people in a stadium of 70,000, and of course being outnumbered by the home team supporters, they fought back with their sense and ideas. They sang unique songs and chants, overwhelming the opponents and taking over the venue.

Secret plan? Or unconventional strategy?

Yokohama F.Marinos, who had been considered as one of the top contenders for the J1 championship this season, boasts a large number of Japan national team players and is known as one of the top "talent groups" in the country. Just by looking at the starting lineup for this match, we can see star players like GK Kawaguchi, DF Ihara, MF Miura, FW Jo, MF Nakamura who participated in the recent South American Championship, and MF Yoo from the Korean national team. On the other hand, Tokyo faced a difficult situation with key players MF Yukihiro and DF Furukawa-Umayama out due to injuries, and they countered with a bold lineup that could be seen as a secret weapon. In the attacking MF position, Wada made his first start of the season, Kobayashi made his first start in 10 games since May 9th, and Kagami made his first start in 9 games since May 16th. In the defensive MF position, Almir returned from injury and made his first start in 8 games since May 23rd, and in the DF position, Yamao was given his first start of the season in the center... These were all bold player selections that could be seen as unconventional strategies.

What? No way! 2 goals in the first 3 minutes of the game!?

Who could have predicted such a development, the game started moving early. Tokyo rhythmically passed the ball in the midfield, then Amaral dribbled and passed to Kobayashi on the left. Kobayashi was about to enter his favorite dribble, but was knocked down by a fierce charge. However, in the next moment, while the Marinos DF was struggling, Kobayashi passed to Kaburaki in front with a superb pass. Kaburaki powerfully volleyed and scored, taking the lead in the shortest time of the season, just one minute after the start. There is also a difference in "game sense" between Marinos, who have been away from the main event, and Tokyo, who have just completed the main event three days ago, but Kobayashi's judgment was superior to that of J1 players. Tokyo's momentum did not end there. After that, Tokyo continued to overwhelm Marinos with their passing work, and in the third minute, they connected with Almir and Amaral, and a decisive pass was made to Wada, who had run to the right side just on the offside line. Wada explosively sprinted towards the goal and took a strong shot. Marinos GK Kawaguchi barely deflected the ball, and Kobayashi, who had run in, powerfully kicked it in, taking the lead with two goals in no time.

"Impenetrable defense" shines!

"There's no way Marinos will end like this..." Everyone expected a fierce comeback from Marinos. The game then regained its composure and a high-level offensive and defensive battle unfolded.

Marinos creates a midfield with Miura and Nakamura, trying to use rhythm to control the castle. Occasionally, they are broken by accurate passes to Yanagi or Ueno, who jump out from Nakamura to the back of the Tokyo DF, but the shots are prevented by GK Suzuki's fine saves. Against ace Castle, Yamao, who started for the first time, charged fiercely. The hard defense that hardly allowed Castle to face forward proved the strength of a man who used to be in Nagoya and was the central player of Kofu until last year. In the midfield defense, Asari and Almir responded with abundant movement. They crushed the dangerous areas where Nakamura and Yanagi entered. In addition, on the left side, Miura, who is good at breakthroughs, was responded by right-back Komine. Even in a one-on-one situation with Miura, who boasts international speed, Komine did not lose in leg strength and did not allow him to do his job. In attack, Marinos dominates the midfield with passing centered around Almir and Amaral, and from the sides, Kagami and Wada make aggressive plays at their best this season. Their speed proves that they can compete with J1 and they have made crosses that lead to goal chances.

Deciding the game with Kagamiki's final goal!

32 minutes, Tokyo, which was under attack, passed the ball to Almir, who remained on the front line on the left side after cutting the ball. Almir skillfully evaded the marking player with a heel kick and made a perfect through pass to Kagami, who had timed his run into the center. Kagami calmly avoided the goalkeeper and scored the third goal to seal the deal. In the second half, the back and forth battle continued. Marinos gathered the ball to FW Valmir, who came on in the second half, and created chances. However, Tokyo also put their bodies on the line and prevented shots. In attack, Fujiyama, who had been making sharp dribbles since the first half, showed even sharper movements in the second half and created numerous chances. In particular, his speedy attacks after intercepting passes caused confusion in the Marinos defense. In the final stages, Marinos continued to push Tokyo back, but everyone defended with a high level of awareness and in the end, the game ended with Tokyo holding on to the lead, winning the first leg of the quarterfinals by a larger margin than expected. Next up is Marinos on the 24th (Sat) at 19:00 at Edogawa. <Coach Okuma's comments> In terms of attack, we were able to take advantage of the space behind the opponent as planned, which led to the result. Also, keeping a clean sheet will benefit us in future league matches, so I am satisfied. On the 24th, I want us to play a game that will lead to the future.