Facing the first cup match of the season

FC Tokyo, which caused a great sensation in the 1999 Nabisco Cup. In the tournament, which was their first participation in a J2 club, they achieved the remarkable feat of defeating "higher-ranked J1 clubs" Kobe, Ichihara, and Yokohama in succession, and advanced to the semifinals. In the semifinals, they put up a fight against Kashima that was at least on par, but ultimately lost by a narrow margin, finishing in the top 4. However, MF Yukihiko SATO was awarded the prestigious "New Hero Award", making it a tournament with many achievements.

And then came the 2000 Nabisco Cup. Tokyo, who had reached the Best 4 in the 1999 tournament and became a seeded team, faced Kyoto (who defeated J2's Niigata in the 1st round) in the 2nd round. The first match of the day will be played at the enemy's home ground, Nishikyogoku, where they have faced each other twice in the past (in 1993 and 1994 during the JFL era), both resulting in PK losses (Tokyo Gas had a record of 2 wins and 4 losses against them in the JFL from 1993 to 1995). In the 1st stage of the J1, 9th round (4/29, Kamoi Pond), which was the first match in 5 years, Tokyo won a big victory of 3-0 with TUTO's hat-trick, but there were also scenes where they were overwhelmed by Kyoto's technique, so they cannot be underestimated. In addition, after finishing last in the 1st stage and with manager Kamo being replaced, Engels, who was the head coach, took over as manager and changed the system from 3-5-2 to 4-4-2 (or 4-3-3). If they can combine the veteran players led by the absolute ace, Kazu, with the rising young players such as Atsuta and Matsui, who have shown remarkable growth, they have the potential to "transform" into a team with high technique and become a scary presence. In any case, for Tokyo, who will play 3 matches against Kyoto in July in the cup and league combined, it is important to win this match and gain momentum for the future.

Create chances from Kamiya's post play

On this day, Kyoto, who had faced Tokyo with almost the same best members as the league match, had approached with a lineup that boldly used young members. Tokyo started with Amaral instead of the good condition of Kamiya, and built their attack based on Kamiya's post play. The intention was clear, first to hit the ball to Kamiya's feet, then to expand to the side, or to break through the opponent's defense with a wall pass with TUTO, Seigo Kobayashi, and Yukihiko. Kamiya, who had just started, showed scenes of losing the ball due to not being used to the speed of the first official match, but as time passed, he regained his original sense and showed stable post play. In the 10th minute, they expanded to the right side from Kamiya's post, and Yukihiko made a chance by competing vertically, and in the 12th minute, they made a decisive chance with TUTO⇒Kamiya⇒TUTO from the counterattack on the right side, but it did not result in a goal. In the 22nd minute, TUTO broke through from the right side with the same combination, but the centering was cleared by Kyoto's defense and did not result in a goal.

TUTO's skillful goal takes the lead!

On the other hand, Kyoto has been launching a variety of attacks, with ace Kazu playing as a lone striker and making runs into the box, Hedges dribbling from the left side, Matsui using his technique to create plays in the center, and Park attempting to break through with his speed from the right side. In the midfield, Endo and Matsukawa have been aggressively defending and quickly transitioning the ball to the left side, where Hedges either takes on defenders with his dribbling or connects with Kazu or Matsui for intricate passes to break through. In the 20th, 23rd, 26th, and 28th minutes, Hedges continuously broke through the left side with his individual skills, creating clear chances. Tokyo struggled during this time, but thanks to goalkeeper Doi's fine play, they managed to prevent any goals. However, in the 29th minute, Asari was forced to leave the game due to a right calf injury, causing Tokyo's marking in the midfield to become unclear. As a result, in the 31st minute, Hedges once again broke through the center and created a scoring opportunity.

Tokyo, who withstood Kyoto's fierce attack centered around GK Doi, faced a counterattack in the 34th minute. Koike, who received the ball in his own half, passed it to Kamiya, who was positioned in the front line. Kamiya evaded the tough charge of the opponent's DF with one touch and passed it to Seigo Kobayashi in the center. Seigo Kobayashi then made a direct pass to TUTO, who was running forward, with a floating ball. TUTO controlled the ball with his chest and sped past the opponent's DF, avoiding the oncoming GK, and scored an unstoppable goal. It was a momentary event. Tokyo, who had been withstanding Kyoto's fierce attack, took advantage of the moment when Kyoto was focused on attacking and scored a valuable opening goal from a quick counterattack.

Allowed a tie goal during a dangerous time, resulting in a draw

Tokyo, who ended the first half with a 1-0 lead, allowed Kyoto to score an equalizer early in the second half. There is a theory in soccer that says "be especially careful at the beginning and end of the game," but in the 5th minute of the second half, Kazu did not miss the moment when the Tokyo defenders momentarily stopped on the left side. Kazu took advantage of that moment and powerfully shot with his right foot, hitting the goal post. The ball bounced back and was easily scored by the in-form Hejis, resulting in a disappointing equalizer for Tokyo.

With this, Kyoto regained momentum and, just like in the first half, launched a diverse attack led by Hejisu and Matsui. On the other hand, Tokyo also made a comeback by bringing in "Tokyo's King" Amaral in the 11th minute of the second half and increasing their offensive power with Maida in the 18th minute.

Fujiyama, who had been holding back in the first half, actively participated in the attack and showed a sharp overlap from a well-timed interception. In the 19th minute, he broke through the left side from a one-two with TUTO and sent in a perfect cross. In the 28th minute, TUTO dribbled past defenders and took a shot, while in the 31st minute, Amaral stopped a cross from Seigo KOBAYASHI on the right side with his chest and took a volley shot. Although there were chances, they were unable to convert them into additional points.

On the other hand, Kyoto launched a counterattack by exploiting Tokyo's attack, but DF Komine and Sandro showed outstanding strength in a 1-on-1 situation and defended with their bodies, while GK Doi also made a sharp move and decisively flew out to prevent a goal.

In the end, the game ended in a 1-1 draw, and it was decided that the final round would be played in the second game. It was a big achievement for Tokyo to be able to draw in the midst of a continued away game and fatigue. Next week's second game (7/12, Edogawa) will be held at home, and we will win and advance to the semifinal round!

[Coach's Comment]

Despite the content, they did their best during the continuous away games. However, it's unfortunate that the timing of conceding was not good. I want to use this experience in the future, including in league matches. I want to do my best to play as many games as possible in the Nabisco Cup.