Achieve Revenge!

Tokyo, who crushed J2's Ventforet Kofu in the Nabisco Cup 1st Round, advanced to the 2nd Round. Their opponent in the 2nd Round is Sanfrecce Hiroshima, who defeated J2's Albirex Niigata in the 1st Round. Tokyo faced Hiroshima on May 3rd this season in the J1 League Sec. 7 and suffered a heavy 0-3 defeat, which resulted in the club falling to the bottom of the standings for the first time in its history. In the previous match (Sec. 6, April 29), they also lost 0-3 to Ichihara. After the match against Hiroshima, Tokyo abandoned their long-standing 4(DF)-4(MF)-2(FW) formation with the usual two forwards Amaral and Róbson, and switched to a new 4-5-1 system, removing Róbson and placing Amaral as the lone forward. Three days after the crushing defeat to Hiroshima, Tokyo played the Sapporo match (Sec. 8, May 6) with this "do-or-die" formation, showing signs of revival with their characteristic solid defense and quick counterattacks, stopping their losing streak. Then, in the following match against the strong Kashiwa (Sec. 9, May 12), they delivered their best performance of the season with a commanding victory, achieving their first consecutive wins of the season and somewhat recovering their team form. Whether for better or worse, the match against Hiroshima was undoubtedly a turning point.

Although this is a cup match and not a league match, the goal is singular: to achieve revenge. Additionally, to connect to the league match that will resume in three days and the second match next week in Tokyo (the Nabisco Cup uses a home-and-away format until the Semifinal Round, so the outcome is determined by the total goal difference of the first and second matches), a result with substance is required.

Rookie Miyazawa starts

This season's promising rookie, Miyazawa, started in the 1st Round match against Kofu and also in the 2nd Round 1st match. He played on the left side, and attention was drawn to his genius kicks from his left foot.

Tokyo maintains the 4-5-1 system, but with Kelly as the lone striker, KAGAMI, who has also returned to play since the match against Kofu, in the attacking midfielder position, Seigo KOBAYASHI on the right side, and MIYAZAWA on the left side, the attacking lineup has adopted a new formation unlike any seen before. Coach Okuma instructed everyone in the pre-match meeting to be aware of MIYAZAWA's precise crosses from the left and large switches of play, emphasizing that even if mistakes occur, they should continue to aim for these plays. Coach Okuma's expectations for MIYAZAWA were clearly conveyed.

Overwhelmed Hiroshima with a furious attack, took the lead

When the match started, Kelly made bold moves to appear in the spaces on both sides and became the focal point. KAGAMI then got involved with the ball dropped by Kelly, spreading the play to both flanks. Because the ground was wet and the ball moved quickly, Tokyo's passing, which frequently used direct passes, overwhelmed Hiroshima, who couldn’t get their engine running. From the right, Masamitsu KOBAYASHI aggressively challenged with his specialty dribbling. Although there were many mistakes, by trying repeatedly, they pushed back Hiroshima’s defense. Then, right back Naito actively joined the attack, developing a thick offensive presence. Meanwhile, on the left side, Miyazawa cut inside sharply with his crisp dribbling, and left back Fujiyama overlapped into the space opened on that side to launch a sharp attack. The highly anticipated Miyazawa received the ball deep on the left side of his own half at the 16th minute after an opponent’s pass mistake, and immediately delivered an accurate long pass of about 50 meters into the wide-open space on the opposite side. Then, in the 17th minute, he made a sharp dribble down the left side, breaking through vertically and delivering a low pinpoint cross in front of the goal to create a chance. Playing confidently without hesitation against a J1 team they faced for the first time, he proved his high level.

In the 23rd minute, Miyazawa received the ball in the center from a careless pass mistake by Hiroshima. He quickly assessed that the opponent's defensive line was shallow and immediately sent a through pass behind the opposing defenders. Seigo KOBAYASHI, who broke free, dribbled past the advancing goalkeeper and kicked the ball into the empty net to score the long-awaited opening goal. While Seigo KOBAYASHI's sharp run and technique to easily evade the opposing goalkeeper at top speed created the goal, we must not forget Miyazawa's "pinpoint pass" to Seigo KOBAYASHI before that. It was a wonderful through pass that could become a "new weapon for Tokyo" that has not existed before.

Unable to score additional points, the game quickly shifted to Hiroshima's pace after conceding a goal...

Even after taking the lead, Tokyo did not ease up on their attack. In the 29th minute, Kelly broke free through a brilliant passing sequence in the center, creating a decisive one-on-one chance with the goalkeeper. At the 30th minute, Kelly also unleashed a powerful shot in front of the goal, and the pace was completely in Tokyo's favor. On the other hand, Hiroshima, led by the Japan national team forward ace Kubo, seemed unable to find their rhythm against the national team gap, repeatedly making passing errors and failing to function at all, unable to establish a foothold in the front line. Occasionally, chance maker Fujimoto would deliver dangerous passes from dribbling, but no one responded, and the entire team was in the worst state of lacking concentration. Everyone imagined Tokyo scoring additional goals or a large number of goals, but the slight lack of finishing against this very "sleeping" Hiroshima would have a major impact later. As was the case in the J1 League Sec. 10 match against Fukuoka (May 19), no matter how fierce the attack, if additional goals are not scored, it is natural to gradually give confidence to the opponent.

The bad feeling would soon come true. In the 40th minute, as the end of the first half approached, a careless pass mistake by Fujiyama led to a play on the side, and a cross was easily sent into the goal area from the left. Until then, Hiroshima's ace, Kubo, who had been dormant, shook the Tokyo goal net with a powerful header, equalizing the score. Just one mistake woke Hiroshima from its slumber.

Unable to withstand Hiroshima's fierce attack, conceded 2 goals

The second half started completely in Hiroshima's pace. In the second half, Hiroshima brought in Japan national team DF Uemura, who had been rested due to national team fatigue. Awakening from slumber, Hiroshima relentlessly attacked as if to repay for the first half. In the 5th minute, Fujimoto broke through on the left side during a counterattack and took a powerful shot from close range, but Doi made a desperate save to deflect it. In the following 6th minute, Kubo broke through from the center, and with Doi rushing out, he attempted a lob shot, but Sandro, who had returned desperately, cleared it just in time at the goal line. Furthermore, in the 11th minute, Fujimoto unleashed a powerful long-range shot from the center, and in the 14th minute, Fujimoto's through pass from the center allowed the ace Kubo to break through, creating a decisive moment, but Doi quickly rushed out to clear it just in time.

In the second half, Tokyo's Miyazawa and Seigo KOBAYASHI saw a significant drop in their activity levels, which rendered the aggressive attacks from the sides and the pressing from the front during defense ineffective, allowing the opponent to freely attack without being contained. In this situation, Tokyo brought in Amaral in the 12th minute to try to turn things around. The defense of Hiroshima, bolstered by Japan national team defender Uemura, was solid, making it difficult to create decisive chances. However, Amaral's presence in the front line was substantial, and based on his stable hold-up play, they gradually began to look for counterattack opportunities.

However, in the 17th minute, Tokyo was easily broken through on the left side and a cross was sent in, allowing Kubo to head the ball into the net again, finally allowing the opponent to take the lead. They conceded a goal in exactly the same manner as the first, and lacking concentration, Tokyo was easily penetrated through the center just a minute later. A ball sent to the left side was crossed back, and Kubo, who ran in, scored powerfully with his left foot for the third goal. Kubo's speed and power were indeed reminiscent of a 'national team' player, but there was no time to be impressed, as Tokyo found themselves in a difficult situation, trailing by two goals in no time.

Seigo KOBAYASHI bounces back from a two-goal deficit, Kelly's determined goal

Tokyo, now in a situation where they cannot afford to concede any more goals, immediately begins to counterattack. Two minutes later, in the 20th minute of the second half, Seigo KOBAYASHI intercepted a careless back pass from the Hiroshima defender and charged straight towards the goal, evading the goalkeeper to shoot. Following his opening goal, KOBAYASHI calmly shook the Hiroshima net once again.

Tokyo, closing the gap to one point, brought in Tetsuya ITO and Kina. They repeatedly attacked centered around Amaral and Kelly, getting closer to the Hiroshima goal, but Hiroshima also launched sharp counterattacks centered around Fujimoto and Kubo. The back-and-forth battle kept fans on the edge of their seats, and with less than 10 minutes remaining, the defensive linchpin Sandro joined the attack, launching desperate assaults. In the 44th minute, Fujimoto broke free on a counter and took a decisive shot that went past Doi, but Tetsuya ITO, standing in front of the goal, managed to clear it just in time. They overcame the biggest crisis. Then came stoppage time (30 seconds remaining!), where Kina took a free kick from the right side, and Kelly, who jumped in, scored a last-minute equalizer with a header.

In joyous Tokyo, Kelly, Amaral, Sandro, and others dove onto the field one after another, exploding with joy. In contrast, the Hiroshima players, who thought they had almost secured victory at home, had some collapsing onto the field. The match ultimately ended shortly after this moment, resulting in a dramatic finale that was equivalent to a victory for Tokyo away.

In terms of content, there were still issues such as the lack of intensity in both defense and offense on the flanks in the second half, and the inability to secure additional goals, but there were also many positives, such as the 'Tokyo-like' soccer that showed clear intent in the first half and the concentration in the latter part of the second half. Above all, the dramatic draw, which felt like a victory, should have a positive impact on the upcoming J1 restart match in three days and the second match against Hiroshima at home next week. It is undoubtedly a match that will lead to the next step.

[Coach Okuma's Comments]

In the long-awaited official match, both good and bad aspects were clearly shown. Our team's movement on the sides is a key point, so it was painful that the activity levels of Miyazawa and Seigo KOBAYASHI dropped in the second half. I want to analyze today's results and carry them over to the next match.

I think Miyazawa did a good job with specific tasks in the first half. In the second half, I considered substituting him due to fatigue, but I wanted him to break through the 'wall,' so I kept him on. Moving forward, he may not be an immediate asset, but he has proven that he can be expected as a new option.

Additionally, regarding Kagami, it was his first official match after recovering from injury, and he performed well in the first half. He can be considered as an option for the future.