In pursuit of advancing to the finals, two consecutive matches against formidable opponent Kobe

　After finishing the 2nd round of the Nabisco Cup qualifying league, Group B, with 2 wins in 2 games, Tokyo is now heading into a tough back-to-back match against Kobe in the 3rd and 4th rounds. For Tokyo, who wants to secure their spot in the qualifying league as soon as possible, these consecutive matches will be a crucial key. However, Kobe, their opponent, is the only team that Tokyo has not been able to defeat since their promotion to J1. In their J2 days (1999), Tokyo managed to win with an extra-time V goal in the 1st round of the Nabisco Cup, but since then, they have always been left with a bitter taste in their mouth.

　Tokyo, who have won two consecutive games so far, are on a roll. However, with many injured players and key MF players Ishikawa and rookie MF Baba, who have supported the team's good form, missing due to U-21 Japan national team training and U-19 Japan national team camp, the situation in the kitchen has become even more difficult. The tough schedule of 6 consecutive games in 2 days will also add to the pressure, but Tokyo needed to approach this situation with a fresh team, utilizing all players in both mind and body, in order to win. On this day, 21-year-old star was brought in as a starter in place of right MF Ishikawa, and as usual, no goalkeeper was included on the bench. The team consisted of fresh young players such as 19-year-old DF Suwazono, 18-year-old rookie Maeda, and Sato, as well as experienced veterans like FW Amaral, to face the challenge.

Kelly, although controlling the midfield in Miyazawa, was unable to score the decisive goal.

　Tokyo was the first to grasp the rhythm when the first half began. Tokyo's defense, which had shut out their opponents in the previous two matches, showed stability once again on this day. They easily took the ball from the opponent's two top players and dominated the midfield with a big side change from Kelly and Miyazawa. Kobe's defensive line was shallow, and forward Fukuda and left midfielder Toda used their speed to fly into space. From there, Miyazawa sent a long pass from the back, and Kelly pulled the ball out from the side, creating numerous chances by expanding to the opposite side.

　Toda creates the base on the left side, passes through Kelly in the center, and goes to the star on the right side. There, Kaji on the right side back gets involved and we can see many crosses being raised. However, the Kobe defense is strong with the Brazilian combo of Shijikurei and Atariba in the midfield, and most of the crosses are repelled and cannot be decisive. So, in the 6th minute, when the star was knocked down on the right side and got a free kick of about 35m, Miyazawa aimed directly with his left foot and the ball shook the side net in front of him. The direct free kick scored in the previous game against Verdy had a strong impact on both the team and the outside, and now Miyazawa's free kick is a deadly weapon for Tokyo and a threat to the opposing team. In the following 12 minutes, Kelly dribbles through the center and passes a perfect through pass to Toda running into the space on the left side, and Toda rushes to the goal and shoots from a close distance. However, it was prevented by the good save of the opposing goalkeeper and unfortunately did not become a goal.

　On the other hand, in Kobe, Shijikurei, who had been active as a center back until last year, entered the position of a defensive midfielder and became the key player in both offense and defense with his abundant physical strength. Not only his high defensive ability, but also his surprising attacking ability, such as using his long reach to keep the ball and accurate long passes to become the starting point of the attack. Kobe's attack often started from Shijikurei, through Daniel as the attacking midfielder, and then spread to the sides. From there, they either aimed for the two forwards running vertically or crossed the ball, but Tokyo's stable defensive line shut them all down. With poor performance from the two forwards and no base point in the front line, Kobe's simple crosses from both sides were not a threat.

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

　In the early stages, Tokyo had momentum but gradually showed signs of fatigue from consecutive games, resulting in a stalemate. The situation was the same for Kobe, with both teams showing attacking intent but lacking sharpness in their movements. The accuracy of crosses decreased and there were scenes where dribbles were easily taken away.

　Tokyo was still aiming for a long pass to the space behind the opponent's DF with Miyazawa, but due to the headwind, the ball often drifted and they couldn't create scoring opportunities. FW Fukuda also competed for the ball with Miyazawa and actively drifted to the side to become the base, but the midfield was slightly stretched and the support from the second line was slow, so they couldn't create a strong attack.

　The first half continued with a back-and-forth battle, with no major chances and ended without any significant developments. Coach Hara's halftime instructions were as follows: "It's tough and we're tired, I understand that. Let's move the ball more. Toda and Hoshi, when you have a one-on-one situation on the side, go for it. You can say it yourself, or even do a one-two with Kelly. Instead of bringing the ball down in a good opportunity, let's take the chance and go for it. This is where we need to give it our all. Let's also try shooting from a distance. The opponent will likely come out strong in the second half, so let's focus and go all out from the start."

Shining star with fresh play!

　Shortly after the start of the second half, as instructed by coach Hara during halftime, Tokyo showed an aggressive attack. In the first minute, Fukuda and Toda took consecutive shots from Kelly's pass, but both were stopped by the opposing DF's strong play. In the following 4 minutes, Hoshi broke through on the right side and sent a sharp cross. Although the opposing DF cleared the ball, Hoshi chased after it and made a persistent chase, passing it to Shimohira who had run out to the right side. Shimohira quickly crossed the ball, but Fukuda's shot from close range missed widely. In the next 5 minutes, a pass was sent to Hoshi on the right side due to the opposing team's mistake. Hoshi charged towards the goal and took a shot, but unfortunately it missed to the left. However, Hoshi's aggressive play helped the team regain their momentum.

　On the other hand, Kobe also followed coach Kawakatsu's instructions during halftime and shook things up with a big side change that went over the center back, instead of simply crossing the ball and having it bounce off Jean. When they won the ball, Tokyo's fullback quickly kicked it with force to the space created by the advancing fullback, and from there they launched speedy attacks.

　On the other hand, the Tokyo defense line became more strict in their response in the first half, but they still did not allow any decisive moments with Jean's height and calm tactical eye, and Ito's sharp reading. On the contrary, the biggest chance of the day came in the 9th minute. Shimodaira made an exquisite through pass to the space on the right side, and Hoshi reacted to it and dribbled deep into the penalty area before passing a ground pass to the free Kelly in front of the goal. However, Kelly's shot was not on target and the ball went wide.

Intense battle ends in a scoreless draw. The decision will be made at the next match at Tokyo Stadium.

　In contrast to the first half, both teams showed a clear determination to attack and win from the start of the second half. However, many players were visibly fatigued from playing their third consecutive game, and their accuracy was lacking in the final finish. In the 20th minute of Tokyo's attack, Miyazawa carelessly dribbled the ball and was cut off by Daniel, who was left alone in the front line near the center circle. Daniel then passed the ball to FW Castle, who had run in for a long pass and took a direct shot, but the ball went over the bar. This incident, where Miyazawa was unable to defend the ball in a way he had never shown before, clearly showed the effects of fatigue from playing consecutive games.

　The intense offense and defense continued. In the 21st minute, Fujiyama intercepted sharply from the left side and immediately passed it to the star on the front line. The star boldly dribbled from the left side and was fouled, earning a free kick. When the star took the free kick, Jean headed it in front of the Kobe GK, but the ball didn't meet perfectly. In the following 30 minutes, Kelly dropped a pass from behind to the star with his chest on the left side, and the star passed it directly to Kelly who ran vertically. Kelly, who broke through with a beautiful one-two with the star, crossed the ball but it was cleared.

　Kobe also had a powerful left-footed shot from Hirano in the 37th minute, but it went over the bar. In the 40th minute, a middle shot was taken from the center and it was a CK. Kobe had many tall players, so set plays were a concern. In the end, Tokyo, who had been pushed back, also had a chance in the 43rd minute when Amaral, who came on as a substitute, crossed low from the right side and Kelly dodged the opponent and took a shot. However, this hit the opponent's DF and was caught by the GK. On the contrary, in stoppage time, Tokyo gave Kobe a FK from the left side and it was headed in front of the goal, but it narrowly missed to the right of the goal. In the second half, the game became intense on both offense and defense, but in the end, it ended in a scoreless draw after 90 minutes. With this, Tokyo maintains first place with 7 points, based on a stable defense of no goals conceded in 3 Nabisco Cup matches. The victory against Kobe after 3 years will have to wait until the next match in 3 days at Tokyo Stadium, but in the midst of this continuous tough situation, the players fought well without losing focus.

[Summary of the Original Coach's Press Conference] [With only 2 days of rest and playing our 3rd game, both teams' players were feeling heavy. Kobe only had 1 point so far, so they came out attacking from the beginning. We also wanted to win this game to make a big step towards advancing to the qualifiers. Unfortunately, we were only able to get 1 point, but it's difficult to press high up the field with our style in this schedule. We've done well to not concede any goals so far. We want to win the next 2 home games and advance (to the qualifiers). Today, we want to give credit for the 1 point we earned.]

[Coach Kawakatsu Press Conference Summary] "Despite creating numerous decisive opportunities, our finishing quality was poor and we were unable to score. Both teams were sloppy due to fatigue from consecutive matches. In the second half, I instructed the players to aim for the space behind the (Tokyo) center, which is their strength, and to take more shots from outside the box. The players showed a willingness to do so, but their accuracy was lacking and we couldn't convert our chances into goals. Hopefully, Kazu will be able to return for the next match and provide a strong attacking presence up front. We want to turn this situation around in the next game."