Get your revenge in the Nabisco Cup!

On July 12th, at the Edogawa Athletics Stadium, Tokyo lost 0-1 to Kyoto in the 2nd round of the Nabisco Cup 2nd round, and with the combined score of 1-2 from the 1st round (1-1), they were defeated. As a result, they were eliminated in the 2nd round of the same tournament that they reached the best 4 last year.

The 5th round of the 2nd stage, which will be held on this day, will be the 4th match against Kyoto this season. So far, the three matches have been completely even with 1 win, 1 draw, and 1 loss. In today's match, the left side attacker, Hejis, who was troubled in the Nabisco Cup, will not be able to play due to accumulated warnings, which is the best condition for Tokyo. However, Kyoto has many young talented players, and they will also defend tightly with a 3-man midfield centered around Endo, just like in the Nabisco Cup. Therefore, even with Tokyo's strong 2-top, it is expected to be a difficult battle to score. Furthermore, on this day, the record-breaking heat will also add to the tough match conditions, but there is no doubt that we must return the debt from the Nabisco Cup in the league match, and in order to extend our current winning streak, we must win today! We will approach this match with a winning mindset!

Super Offensive Formation

The starting members of Tokyo on this day were a lineup that could be called super attacking. In place of Seigo Kobayashi, who had been starting so far, Masamitsu Masuda took the left offensive half, and in place of Koike, Kina entered the defensive midfield, transforming the lineup into a more attacking one. In particular, Kina's starting position was a first attempt this season, and it was thought that Kina, who is an extremely attacking defensive midfielder, would be the key to determining the outcome of the match. Also, it was the first time for both Yuki (right) and Masuda (left) to start as side attackers, and their combination and performance were of great interest.

The kickoff whistle blew at 7:04 PM, but despite the sun being completely set, the temperature was over 32℃, creating a harsh environment similar to a midsummer daytime match. Right from the start, Tokyo's Rene made a sharp dribble from the left side, and Fujiyama showed a great combination with a well-timed overlap. Rene and Fujiyama are the same age and have a relationship where they recognize each other's talents, and even though they have only been playing together for a short time, they have already shown a very high level of combination. In addition, Rene himself has steadily adapted to the team, showing not only sharp dribbling but also a big side change using outside kicks, revealing a glimpse of his deep talent.

Despite pushing, no points were scored in the first half.

In the early stages, Kyoto created a rhythm by spreading the ball left and right from midfielder Endo and building attacks around Kazu's post play. Midfielders Park and Atsuta picked up the ball dropped by Kazu and played through balls for speedy forward Tomita to run onto, or utilized the attacking runs of right back Satoichi and left back Nakamura to repeatedly attack Tokyo's goal from the sides. In the 25th minute, Park played a direct pass to Kazu, who then played a first-time pass to the right side where Satoichi made a run and cut inside to take a powerful left-footed shot. Fortunately, it did not result in a goal, but the side attacks led by Kazu were dangerous.

On the other hand, Tokyo struggled to find their rhythm in the early stages of the game, as they struggled to create chances with their midfield combination. However, in the 20th minute, Masuda made a run from the right side and played a perfect through pass to TUTO, who was able to shake off the defenders and send in a cross. From this point on, Tokyo's "ultra-attacking formation" began to show its strength. In the 22nd minute, TUTO once again made a run into the space on the right side. He used a sharp feint to get past the defenders and sent in a strong cross, creating a chance that almost resulted in a goal. In the 30th minute, Sandro's header from a corner hit the crossbar, and in the 35th minute, TUTO launched a powerful straight shot from outside the penalty area on the left side, about 25 meters from the goal. In the 36th minute, Kina moved up to the front line and used his amazing technique to dribble past a defender and send in a soft cross, which TUTO headed into the goal. Even after that, Tokyo continued to dominate the game, with Amaral hitting the post, Masuda and Yukihiro taking powerful shots, and Kina creating plays from a deeper position. Despite not scoring, Tokyo completely controlled the game. TUTO's speed, Amaral's post play, Masuda's technique and agility, and Kina's playmaking from a lower position all came together in a natural and intuitive way, breaking through Kyoto's defensive system.

Tokyo defended well, with Mamma Marker Kominato barely giving Kazu any work and Sandro clearing all dangerous balls with his long legs and astonishing height, shutting out Kyoto's attacks. In the first half, it was a situation where Tokyo could have scored at any time, but it ended 0-0.

Will Komine's overlap create a priceless opening goal?

In the second half, FW Amaral was replaced by FW Robert, who was not in good shape. Tokyo took a more aggressive approach with a 3-top formation. Robert was placed at the forefront, with Amaral, TUTO, and Masuda moving freely around him. In the 5th minute of the second half, Fujiyama, who had been making sharp attacking runs since the first half, dribbled past the left side and sent a low cross, which was met by a sliding shot from Robert! It was one of Robert's favorite shooting patterns, but unfortunately it missed the target. On the other hand, in the 9th minute, Kyoto's Atsuta ran up the right side from a counter attack and sent a perfect cross, which was met by a powerful header from Kazu. For a moment, it was a close call, but the ball hit the bar and did not go in. Once again, it was the momentary lapse of concentration that proved to be fatal in J1, and it was none other than the dangerous man, "King Kazu".

The opening goal that couldn't be taken no matter how we attacked was surprisingly created in an unexpected way. In the 16th minute of the second half, Komine, who intercepted the opponent's pass in his own half, entrusted the ball to Kamiya on the front line and unusually overlapped on the left side! It is a theory to use when the DF goes up, so Kamiya dribbles a little and then passes to Komine on the left side. Komine, upon receiving the ball, not only looks for a pass, but also tries to break through himself. When he entered the penalty area, he put in a "Kazu-like feint" twice or three times, and the opponent's DF couldn't help but foul! Komine falls down and gets a priceless PK! TUTO calmly scores it, and Tokyo finally takes the lead.

In the end, it was TUTO and Amaral who decided it!

Kyoto, who unexpectedly conceded the first goal, brought in the talented young hope, Matsui. Matsui, along with Hejis, has been a thorn in Tokyo's side with his high technique in the Nabisco Cup. As soon as he entered the pitch, Kyoto began to grasp the rhythm of their attack, repeatedly breaking through the left side. However, Kyoto's attack was not a bad thing for Tokyo. On the contrary, Kyoto's willingness to come out and score allowed Tokyo to create a perfect opportunity for a counterattack by disrupting their defensive balance.

In the 30th minute of the second half, Asari joined the attack from a pass cut and broke through with a one-two with Kamiya, but unfortunately it was offside. In the following 34th minute, Fujiyama also broke through the left side with a one-two with Kamiya, and finally aimed for a shot with a curve with his right foot, but it went over the bar. Then in the 38th minute of the second half, when the ball came out to the space on the right side from Amaral, he dodged the opponent DF who came to respond with a sharp turn and rushed towards the goal. The GK who rushed out in a panic was easily dodged with a one-fake, and he easily scored the second goal into the unguarded goal.

In the final moments of stoppage time, substitute Koike ran up the left side and crossed to the center, where Kamiya jumped and chested the ball down. Amaral then ran in and struck a powerful volley, symbolizing Tokyo's current "strength" as they pulled away from Kyoto.

The team has now won 5 consecutive games since the 2nd opening. And with TUTO scoring 14 points and Amaral scoring 12 points, the powerful top two are within reach of the top scorer. Tokyo's momentum is unstoppable.

[Coach Okuma's Comment]

Kyoto defended as expected. After scoring the first goal, Kyoto's defensive balance was disrupted, allowing us to play the football we wanted. However, even if we are firmly defended and pulled back like in the first half, we want to be able to break through. In that sense, especially in the first half, there were many mistakes, and there were unsatisfactory parts.

I think that Kina's performance was really good, as he played close to 90 minutes for the first time in a while and also served as a link between offense and defense. He also had a strong defensive awareness and showed a good performance.