A two-match series against the tough opponent, Kobe, to secure qualification

　After finishing Sec. 2 of the Nabisco Cup qualifying league, Tokyo is leading with 2 wins in 2 matches and will enter a challenging back-to-back match against the tough opponent, Kobe, in Sec. 3 and Sec. 4. For Tokyo, which wants to secure advancement in the qualifying league early, this back-to-back match is a significant key, but the opponent Kobe is the only team that Tokyo has not won against since their promotion to J1. Three years ago during the J2 era (1999), after winning the 1st Round 2nd match with a golden goal in extra time, they have always faced bitter defeats since then.

　Tokyo, riding a wave of two consecutive victories so far, faces a tough situation with many injuries. Additionally, with four matches remaining in the qualifying league, new MF Ishikawa and rookie MF Baba will be absent due to their respective U-21 Japan national team expedition and U-19 Japan national team training camp, making the situation even more challenging. The demanding schedule of six matches in a row with only two days in between adds to the difficulty, but Tokyo needs to utilize fresh players both physically and mentally to succeed in this situation with a collective team effort. On this day, in place of right MF Ishikawa, 21-year-old Hoshi was deployed as a starter, and once again, no goalkeeper was included among the substitutes. The lineup mixed fresh young talents like 19-year-old Suwazono, 18-year-old rookie Maeda, and Sato with experienced veterans, including FW Amaral.

Kelly dominated the midfield against Miyazawa but couldn't deliver the decisive blow

　As the first half began, it was Tokyo that first found their rhythm. Tokyo's defense, which had kept two clean sheets in the previous matches, showed stability again on this day, easily stealing the ball from the opponent's two forwards. With significant side changes from Kelly and Miyazawa, they dominated the midfield. Kobe's defensive line was shallow, and forward Fukuda and left midfielder Toda utilized their speed to burst into space. A long pass from the back by Miyazawa sent the ball forward, creating a base on the side, and then Kelly drew the ball out, expanding it significantly to the opposite side, creating chances repeatedly.

　Especially on the left side, Toda created the base, passing through Kelly in the center to Hoshi on the right side. Right side back Kaji got involved there, and the team repeatedly delivered crosses. However, Kobe's defenders, along with the Brazilian duo of defensive midfielders Shijikurei and Atariba, were strong, repelling most attacks and preventing decisive shots. Then, at the 6th minute, after Hoshi was fouled on the right side and earned a free kick from about 35 meters, Miyazawa aimed directly with his left foot, but the ball unfortunately hit the near side net. The free kick Miyazawa scored directly in the previous match against Verdy made a strong impact both inside and outside the team, and now Miyazawa's free kicks have become Tokyo's deadly weapon and a threat to opposing teams. At the 12th minute, Kelly dribbled through the center and delivered a perfect through pass to Toda running into space on the left side. Toda charged straight to the goal and took a shot from close range, but the opposing goalkeeper made a great save, and it was narrowly prevented from becoming a goal.

　On the other hand, Kobe had Shijukurei, who had been active as a center-back until last year, move into the defensive midfielder position, becoming a key player in both offense and defense with his abundant stamina. While his defensive abilities were expected, his ability to maintain possession with his long reach and accurate long passes surprised many as he became a starting point for attacks. Kobe's offense often developed from Shijukurei to Daniel, who played just behind the forwards, and then spread to the sides. From there, they either aimed for the two forwards in the vertical space or delivered crosses, but Tokyo's stable defensive line shut them down completely. With the two forwards not performing well and Kobe unable to establish a base in the front line, they posed no threat by simply delivering crosses from both sides.

Both sides made many mistakes due to fatigue from consecutive matches.

　In the early stages, Tokyo showed momentum, but gradually the fatigue from consecutive matches began to show, and the game entered a stalemate. Kobe was in the same situation, and while both teams displayed an attacking attitude, their movements lacked sharpness, the accuracy of crosses decreased, and there were noticeable scenes where they were easily dispossessed while dribbling.

　Tokyo was still aiming for long passes behind the opposing defense with Miyazawa, but often the ball drifted due to the wind, preventing them from creating scoring opportunities. Forward Fukuda also competed fiercely for the ball from Miyazawa, actively drifting to the sides to become a focal point, but the midfield was somewhat stretched, and the support from the second line was slow, resulting in a lack of a robust attack.

　The first half continued with back-and-forth play, ending without any significant scoring opportunities. Coach Hara's instructions at halftime were as follows: 'I know it's tough and you're tired. Let's move the ball more. Toda and Hoshi, when you find yourselves in one-on-one situations on the sides, take on the challenge. You can go on your own or do a one-two with Kelly. Instead of pulling the ball back during a good opportunity, let's take on the challenge. This is where we need to push ourselves. Let's also take shots from distance. The opponent will come at us strongly at the start of the second half, so we need to focus and go for it right from the beginning.'

A star that shone with fresh play!

　Shortly after the start of the second half, following the instructions of Coach Hara during halftime, Tokyo displayed aggressive attacking play. In the first minute, Kelly's pass led to consecutive shots from Fukuda and Toda, but both were blocked by the opponent's determined defense. Then, in the fourth minute, Hoshi broke through on the right side and sent a sharp cross. This was also cleared by the opponent's defense, but Hoshi chased after the ball and cut it with persistent chasing, passing it to Shimohira who had burst forward on the right side. Shimohira quickly delivered a cross, and Fukuda took a shot at the near post but missed widely. In the following fifth minute, after a mistake by the opponent, a pass reached Hoshi who was positioned on the right side, and Hoshi charged towards the goal and shot. Unfortunately, it went just left, but Hoshi's aggressive play helped the team regain momentum.

　On the other hand, following Coach Kawakatsu's instructions at halftime, Kobe simply crossed the ball, but Jean was deflected by Ito, so they shook things up with a large switch that went over the center backs. Once they regained possession, Shijikurei quickly made a powerful switch into the space created by Tokyo's advancing fullbacks, launching a fast-paced attack from there.

　In response, Tokyo's defense line became stricter in the second half, but even so, Jean's height and calm tactical vision, along with Ito's sharp reading, prevented any decisive moments. Conversely, the biggest chance of the day came in the 9th minute. Shimodaira delivered a superb through pass into the space on the right side, and Hoshi, reacting to it, cut deep into the penalty area before passing a ground ball to a free Kelly in front of the goal. However, Kelly's shot did not connect properly, and the ball went wide of the target.

The intense battle ended in a scoreless draw. The conclusion will be at the next match at Tokyo Stadium.

　Unlike the first half, both teams clearly showed their intention to attack and win from the start of the second half. However, many players who were in their third consecutive match showed signs of fatigue, and they lacked precision in the final finish. During the 20 minutes when Tokyo was on the attack, Miyazawa's careless dribble was cut off by Daniel, who then passed the ball to forward Jo, who was the only one left in the front line near the center circle. Jo took a direct shot while running onto the long pass, but the ball went over the bar. The way Miyazawa lost the ball, which he had never shown before, also reflected the fatigue from the consecutive matches.

　The intense back-and-forth continued. In the 21st minute, Fujiyama intercepted sharply on the left side and immediately passed to Hoshi up front. Hoshi boldly dribbled down the left side and was fouled, earning a free kick. Hoshi took the free kick, and Jean headed it in front of the Kobe goalkeeper, but the ball was not perfectly struck. In the following 30th minute, Kelly received a pass from the back on the left side, dropping it to Hoshi with his chest, and Hoshi played it directly to Kelly, who was making a run forward. After a beautiful one-two with Hoshi, Kelly delivered a cross, but it was cleared.

　Kobe's Hirano fired a powerful left-footed shot in the 37th minute, but it went over the bar. In the 40th minute, a middle-range shot from the center led to a corner kick. Kobe has many tall players, so set pieces were a major threat. In the final stages, Tokyo, who had been under pressure, saw Amaral come on and deliver a low cross from the right side in the 43rd minute. Kelly evaded a defender in front of the goal and took a shot, but it hit an opposing defender and was caught by the goalkeeper. Conversely, in stoppage time, Kobe earned a free kick on the left side, and a header in front of the goal narrowly missed to the right. The second half was an intense battle both offensively and defensively, but after 90 minutes, the match ended in a scoreless draw. Tokyo maintained their solid defense with no goals conceded in three Nabisco Cup matches and kept first place with 7 points. The first victory against Kobe in three years would have to wait until the next home game at Tokyo Stadium three days later. Despite the tough schedule and difficult conditions, the players stayed focused and fought well throughout the match.

[Manager Hara's Press Conference Summary] 'With just two days between matches and the third game, both teams' players were heavy. Kobe had only earned 1 point, so they came out attacking from the start, and we wanted to win this match as it would significantly advance us in the qualifiers. In the end, we could only earn 1 point, but given this schedule, it is difficult to apply our style of pressing from the front, and we have done well to keep a clean sheet so far. We want to win the next two home games and advance out of the qualifiers. Today, I want to appreciate the 1 point we earned.'

【Kawakatsu Coach Press Conference Summary】 'While we created decisive moments multiple times, our finishing quality was poor, and we couldn't score. Both teams showed sloppy play due to fatigue from consecutive matches. In the second half, I instructed the players to target the space behind (Tokyo's) strong center and to actively take shots from the middle, and the players showed a willingness to do that. However, our accuracy was poor, and it didn't lead to goals. Next, it seems that Kazu will be able to return, so I believe we can have a strong attack with Kazu as a focal point in the front line. I want to somehow break this situation in the next match.'