"KOKURITSU" is filled!

The second leg of the Nabisco Cup semifinal, welcoming the J1 powerhouse Kashima Antlers to their home ground, was held at the Japan National Stadium, packed with a crowd of 40,885 people. Even in recent J1 league matches, has there been a game where "KOKURITSU" was filled to this extent? In addition, the number of media personnel was extraordinary. Although there are no exact numbers, it is no exaggeration to say that almost all media personnel, including TV, radio, newspapers, magazines, etc., gathered together. The number of cameras surrounding the field and TV cameras was also amazing. Naturally, the excitement in the venue was on a completely different level than usual. The "Blue and Red Army" of Tokyo, who usually occupy the goal end, took their place in the center of the back stand for the first time this season, and as they raised their voices with high tension before the match, applause erupted from the entire venue except for the Antlers area. The Antlers supporters who came to the away game were also few in number, but they were not losing. They repeated their fierce support in their familiar unique style. The stage is set for the final showdown!

Defensive Antlers

In order for Tokyo, who lost the first match 0-2 on 9/29, to advance to the Final Round, they needed to win by a goal difference of 3 or more in this game. Tokyo needed to score the first goal no matter what. If they scored first, the goal difference in the total score would be 1, giving them a chance to tie or even turn the game around. On the other hand, if they were scored on first, the goal difference would widen to 3, making it very difficult for them. Therefore, on this day, they had to play a style of soccer where they prioritize scoring goals, but also make sure not to get scored on.

The game quickly turned into a fast-paced and speedy exchange of offense and defense. Tokyo, who wanted to score the first goal, started with Wada instead of Okamoto for his speed. Wada started in the quarterfinals against F. Marinos (7/20) and showed an impressive performance, contributing to a major upset. With this, Tokyo lined up three speedy players, Yukihiko on the right, Kabuki in the center, and Wada on the left, under Amaral as the lone striker, and waited for the chance to counterattack after withstanding Antlers' fierce attacks. However, Antlers were cunning on this day. Having highly estimated Tokyo's strength and tactics in the first game, Antlers chose to make the most of their two-goal "savings". They focused on defense and refrained from attacking with their strong side backs. In particular, it seems that they learned their lesson from the first game where Fujiyama caused trouble on the same side and had their attacking right side back, Yoshirahashi, focus on defense. In attack, they passed the ball around the midfield with Bismarck and Abe at the center, and aimed for the goal by crossing to Hasegawa, who is strong in heading, when the opportunity arose. There were also dangerous situations where Bismarck's accurate free kicks were combined with Hasegawa from set pieces, but Sandro and Yamao covered well with high concentration and did not let them score. On the other hand, Tokyo showed the same great fighting spirit as in the first game, and collected the ball to Almir, who controlled the team both offensively and defensively, and expanded to the left and right from there. Wada was unable to demonstrate his strengths on the left side, but on the right side, Yukihiko showed aggressive breakthroughs multiple times and created chances. Also, because Yukihiko was able to keep the ball well, right side back Umayama was able to make aggressive attacking runs, creating a thick offensive. Kabuki and Amaral also showed their strengths and moved freely in the front line. In the 26th minute, Kabuki broke through the chaos and faced the goalkeeper one-on-one, but was stopped by a fine save. Amaral was marked by Japan national team's stopper, Akita, but showed stable post play and took shots with Almir. The game was truly an even match, and the first half ended with a score of 0-0.

Kagamiki scores the long-awaited opening goal! However, Tokyo continued to dominate the pace afterwards...

Even if they cry or laugh, Tokyo will have no chance of reaching the final if they don't score two or more goals in the remaining 45 minutes. In the second half, Tokyo became more aggressive in their attacks. Following the coach's instructions, they strengthened their attacks from the right side, with Yukihiko, who was in good form, as the starting point. Yukihiko, who had the ball on the right side, boldly tried to take on the Japanese national team's left back, Soma, in a one-on-one battle. With his speed, Yukihiro mostly won the battle and provided a sharp cross in front of the goal. Perhaps it was his star quality, but Yukihiro was the most passionate and shining player on the field, out of both teams and in front of the large crowd. In the 9th minute of the second half, Amaral was fouled in the persistent attacks on the right side and won a free kick. Almir sent the ball to the front of the goal, and Amaral scored with an overhead kick. Kaburagi, who was following up, scored the long-awaited opening goal with his right foot! With this, Tokyo caught up to a one-point difference in the total score and gained even more momentum. Despite occasionally facing decisive shots, goalkeeper Suzuki made a series of super fine saves and did not allow any goals. Tokyo, who wanted one more goal, had another chance in the 20th minute of the second half, when Yukihiro once again dribbled past his opponent on the right side and crossed to the center. Almir received the ball freely and took a shot from close range! However, it was blocked by the opponent's fine play. In the following 25 minutes, Almir dribbled up from his own half and made a through pass to Kaburagi, who had perfectly timed his run. Kaburagi was fouled as he tried to receive the ball, and Tokyo won a free kick in a perfect position in front of the goal. Almir, who had scored consecutive free kicks in J2 on 9/25 and 10/3, aimed for the goal, but it was blocked by the wall. After that, Tokyo continued to create chances from the right with Yukihiro and from the left with Kaburagi, but they couldn't score an additional goal. In the 36th minute of the second half, they were instead scored on by Akita, who was left free from a corner kick, and once again fell behind by two points. With no time left, Tokyo pushed forward with a "super attacking formation," bringing defender Sandro to the front line and midfielder Naru also joining in. However, they couldn't score an additional goal and the cruel time was up. The game ended in a 1-1 draw, and they lost with a total score of 1-3. Tokyo, who participated in the Nabisco Cup for the first time, defeated three J1 teams in a row and put up a great fight against last year's J League champions, Antlers, until the very end, but they were unable to reach the final.

Coach's Comment

<ZICO Antlers General Manager's Comment>

It was a good game worthy of the semi-finals. Both teams had a good balance of attack and defense, and it was an impressive and well-matched game. Tokyo is a team that has beaten three J1 teams, so it's no surprise. I thought they would tire out more in the second half, but I was surprised by their strong physicality. I think they can compete well in J1 next season.

<Coach Okuma's Comment>

The players did well. They had a game three days ago, and being able to play soccer today in such a tough schedule, I think it confirms their potential and gives them confidence. Both individually and as a team, they were able to grasp something. The speed of switching between offense and defense was equal, but the difference was made in the accuracy of crosses and the focus in crucial moments. We want to quickly switch our mindset and prepare for the next game (vs. Tosu on the 11th).