Nabisco Cup 2nd Round - Settle it and advance to the Top 8!

The second round of the Nabisco Cup against Hiroshima. The first match ended in a 3-3 draw, and today's second match must be won at all costs. However, Hiroshima's scoring ability this season is a threat, as Tokyo suffered a complete defeat in the league match Sec. 7 (May 3), allowing FW Takahashi to score 3 goals away. In the first match of the Nabisco Cup held a week ago (June 13), they struggled as FW Kubo scored a hat-trick. However, in that first match, they showed resilience by coming back from a two-goal deficit in the second half, and last weekend in the league match Sec. 11 (June 16) against Yokohama FM, they secured a victory without conceding any goals, improving the team's form. They aim for a decisive victory in their first home game in a month.

Today in Tokyo, Kelly is playing as the lone forward, with Miyazawa on the left midfield just like in the first match, Kobayashi Seigo on the right, and Kagami in the attacking midfield. The defensive line consists of Komine as the right side back and Ito in the center. In contrast, Hiroshima is using an attacking 4-3-3 formation. In the humid heat close to 80 percent humidity, both teams started cautiously.

Intentional attack, and the combination of Kagami + Kelly takes the lead

Tokyo seized the pace. In the 5th minute, Asari saw space ahead and advanced with a dribble. He briefly shifted to the right side, but the opposing DF cleared the cross. Asari followed up, and Kagawa shot from the rebound, but it went just to the right of the goal. In the 7th minute, Miyazawa boldly aimed for the goal with a ball from the back. Today marked the 'rumored' Miyazawa's debut at Tokyo Stadium, and in the 9th minute, he delivered an exquisite through pass to Kobayashi, who broke through the DF line, showcasing good judgment and precise technique, raising the stadium's expectations. In the 11th minute, Ito, who had cut in from the DF line and advanced, received a pass from Kagawa in the 13th minute, and Kelly shot. Tokyo had a strong forward mentality and created several good opportunities, but the timing was slightly off. Additionally, the final pressure from Hiroshima's DF was strict, preventing them from scoring. Conversely, in the 20th minute, Hiroshima FW Kubo broke through on the right side and took a shot.

After that, Hiroshima's full-backs maintained high positions, trying to launch side attacks, but Tokyo's defense solidified the center, preventing any shots. However, passes to each other's feet were intercepted by charges, and balls played into space were cut off, resulting in a back-and-forth development. Still, Tokyo showed intent with Kelly and Kagami moving laterally in the front line to create opportunities, supported by Kobayashi and Miyazawa. In the 37th minute, Kobayashi received a ball from behind in the penalty area, made a one-touch trap, and sent a cross in front of the goal. Miyazawa, who jumped in, attempted a header but sent it over the goal. In the 41st minute, Asari broke away on a counterattack, and Miyazawa shot again from a pass sent to the left, but he couldn't make solid contact. Given Miyazawa's strong spirit and good performance on both offense and defense, the lack of finishing felt regrettable.

The match has been intense, with 4 yellow cards issued so far, but it was at the moment when Hiroshima MF Moriyasu was injured and left the pitch in the 44th minute. After Sandro's clearance, Shimohira skillfully evaded the opponent's pressure and sent a pass forward, with Kagami charging towards the goal while competing with DF Tulio. Despite being surrounded by two defenders, he sent a last pass to the center, and Kelly, who was following up, calmly confirmed the goalkeeper's position and precisely scored into the bottom right corner to take the lead. It was a thrilling fast break that felt like a guaranteed goal when Kagami made the pass, making it 1-0 as they headed into the second half.

Dominating Hiroshima, Tokyo's declining stamina, and...

Hiroshima substituted midfielder Moriyasu and attacking midfielder Yamagata with DF Okuno and FW Fujimoto in the second half. With the addition of Fujimoto, the passing improved, and they began to dominate right from the start. In the 51st minute, they used their third substitution, bringing in speedy DF Kawashima in place of Tulio.

Kawashima was placed as a right back, teaming up with Fujimoto to break through Tokyo's left side. Although Ito and Shimohira covered and prevented shots, Tokyo gradually lost their stamina and could not transition to offense. In the 62nd minute, Amaral was brought in to replace Miyazawa. However, even though they attempted a counterattack starting from Amaral, it lacked intensity. Then, in the 71st minute, amidst a series of harsh fouls, Fujimoto's free kick from the right sideline of Hiroshima sailed over the heads of the Tokyo defenders, who were concentrated in the center, and went to the left of the goal. There, Takahashi, who was waiting free, quickly scored the equalizer.

In the 74th minute, Tokyo launched a counterattack with Amaral, Kagami, and Kelly in a quick play, gaining a 3-2 advantage, but Amaral's first shot of the second half was blocked. In the 75th minute, Todah replaced Kagami, and in the 78th minute, Kinama came on for Shimohira. It seemed like they were revitalized, but both sides became rough, and the play was interrupted. In the 84th minute, Kinama's powerful middle shot just went slightly to the left of the goal. In the 86th minute, Umeda from Hiroshima fouled Fujiyama, who was trying to break into the penalty area. Umeda received his second yellow card today and was sent off, leaving Hiroshima to fight with 10 men. However, the free kick earned near the penalty arc saw Kelly's shot go over the goal. In the 88th minute, a quick attack was initiated with direct passes from Todah to Amaral to Kelly to Kobayashi, but it was a beat too late and got caught in the defense, resulting in no goal. The match went into extra time.

Amaral's shot hit the bar……

Extra time. In the 92nd minute, the DF cleared a breakthrough on the left side by Hiroshima, leading to a counterattack where Kelly delivered a cross from the left, but Todah and Amaral collided in the center and could not take a shot. Meanwhile, Hiroshima, now down to 10 men, cannot advance with a tie. In the 93rd minute, they used a substitution in extra time, bringing in FW Oki for Takahashi. They maintain their three-top formation. In the 95th minute, Oki unleashed a powerful mid-range shot. Doih cleared it, but DF Sawada was there to follow up, creating a near-miss situation, but Fujiyama did well to block the shooting lane and avert danger. In the 98th minute, Tokyo substituted Naito for Komine. Then in the 102nd minute, Tokyo had a big chance. The ball went from the post to Kelly, who had overtaken Amaral, and the shot he took was cut off by Hiroshima's DF, leaving the ball in front of the free Amaral! However, the powerful shot he took in what seemed like a big chance cruelly hit the crossbar...

Regaining composure and entering the second half of extra time, Kobayashi and Kina took shots, continuously attacking Tokyo. However, their finishing in front of the goal was lacking, and they couldn't capitalize on two corner kicks. Then, in the 110th minute, Hiroshima's Oki passed the ball to Kubo, who was positioned in front. Kubo made a direct pass to the front line. Oki, who sprinted in at top speed, took a shot. The ball was swallowed by the net, and Tokyo suffered a sudden V-goal defeat.

The Nabisco Cup for Tokyo has ended with the first V-goal loss of the season. Once again, it was a defeat in a home game, but we must not dwell on this shock and must switch our focus to the league matches starting in three days.

[VALERY's Comment] "The players did their best in a difficult situation. Comparing the first half and the second half, we couldn't show good play in the first half, but we did well in the second half. Fujimoto always works very hard when he comes on as a substitute. He played in a different position than usual, but today he showed his best performance. In the second half, Amaral came on, and Amaral plays well with Kelly, so I instructed Kawashima to go forward as much as possible and not let Amaral get close to the goal."

[Coach Okuma's Comment] "The reason for the loss was that we had so many chances but couldn't convert them. Moreover, since we had a numerical advantage, I thought that if we were to be scored on, it would likely be due to a mistake. A small error before creating (the chance that led to the goal) was the trigger. The direction we are trying to take and what I want the players to do is correct, and it's disappointing that we didn't get the results despite the players doing their best, but I want to focus on the next league match."