No meaningless matches, the final match challenge

　In the previous match, FC Tokyo secured their spot in the Final Round as the top team in Group B. The final match of the qualifying league, Matchday 6, is against Shimizu S-Pulse. Similarly, Shimizu also confirmed their advancement in second place in the previous match, and the outcome of today's match will not affect their rankings. However, Shimizu is highly motivated as Japan national team candidate DF Morioka is playing his second match after returning from injury, and MF Ito is also making his comeback in today's game.

　Tokyo also stated after the last match that Coach Hara said, "I want to give opportunities to players who are working hard even if they don't get a chance to play. However, there is no 'second team' in the current Tokyo. The motivation of the substitute players and those who are not even in the substitutes is very high. We will continue to fight firmly," indicating that they do not intend to treat the remaining matches as mere formalities. They aim to win and remain undefeated in the qualifying league.

　The starting lineup includes DF from the right: Maeda, Komine, Yamao, and Minoru KOBAYASHI. The double pivot consists of Miyazawa and Marcelo, with MF on the right being Hoshi and on the left being Toda. The attacking midfielder is Go, and Fukuda is the lone striker. The substitutes include GK Kondo, MF Suwazono, Sato, FW Amaral, and Matsuda, ready for kickoff.

Despite fighting with determination, they conceded the first goal due to a penalty kick.

　The defensive line is a new combination, but it started with good coordination, catching Shimizu's attack offside early on. Fukuda, Toda, and Wu applied intense pressure from the front, and the match progressed at a high pace.

　In the 1st minute, Marcelo was fouled around the middle of the opponent's field, and Miyazawa aimed directly for this free kick, but the shot was saved brilliantly by the opposing goalkeeper. Shimizu also responded with quick passing and tough challenges. In the 6th minute, left midfielder Ota dribbled into the center, and with a quick decision from Ito, passed to the right side. Baron headed the cross, but the ball was caught by Doi.

　In the 11th minute, Tokyo had a big chance. Komine passed the ball from the DF line to the space on the left side of the front line, where Miyazawa caught up and delivered a cross from near the goal line. Hoshi, waiting in the center, took a shot, but it was unfortunately saved by the GK. However, an incident occurred for Tokyo shortly after. In the 14th minute, Wu, who had made a run behind the DF to meet a long pass from Maeda, collided with GK Sanada. He hit his head and momentarily fell into a "concussion" state. Wu quickly returned to the field, but Coach Hara reflected after the match that "Wu was unable to get involved with the ball" from that point on.

　After that, Tokyo struggled against the passes developed by Shimizu's midfielder Ito. In the 17th minute, Ito's pass was met by Koga, who broke through on the left side, but this was calmly cut off by Maeda. In the 18th minute, Koga attempted to break through again with a dribble, but Marcelo cleared the ball. Tokyo pushed their spirit forward and defended well.

　However, in the 22nd minute, Koga from Shimizu once again dribbled into the center from the left side of the penalty area, and Yamau, who tried to stop him with his body, was called for a foul, conceding a penalty kick. This was converted by FW Kubo, allowing the first goal.

Shimizu, showcasing a variety of attacks, conceded an additional goal...

　Shimizu, full of enthusiasm, saw the dribbling skills of MF Hiramatsu and Ota shine, gradually making Tokyo's press ineffective. From a free kick earned due to a fierce foul by the opponent in midfield, Marcelo aimed for the goal in the 28th minute, and Hoshi in the 30th minute, but neither could shake the net.

　Conversely, in the 32nd minute, Baron became the relay point for a long pass from the back, heading the ball towards the goal, where Kuboyama made a run. DF Komine fought hard for it, but the loop shot taken just a moment earlier found the back of the net, touching GK Doi's hand. With this additional goal, based on Baron's header, Shimizu scored in their familiar attacking style, going into the second half with a two-goal deficit.

　Tokyo made substitutions at the start of the second half, bringing in Amaral for Wu and Suwaen for Hoshi. They set up a two-top formation with Fukuda and Amaral to prepare for a counterattack. With Amaral as a focal point in the front line, the ball settled down, and while both full-backs were unable to advance in the first half, they actively participated in the attack in the second half. In the 51st minute, Maeda advanced to the goal line from a pass by Miyazawa and delivered a cross. In front of the goal, the ball was cleared by the defense between Toda and Amaral, but it showed a good shape.

　However, Shimizu also displayed a variety of attacks, connecting quick passes, initiating dribbles, and launching long balls straight to the front line, threatening the Tokyo goal. In the 53rd minute, Kuboyama passed to Ota on the right side, who made a cross and ran free into the goal area, creating a near decisive moment. The trap was too big, and the shot did not materialize, allowing Tokyo to be saved by the mistake.

Fukuda's goal struck back, yielding gains despite the defeat!

　In the 59th minute, Shimizu replaced Ito with MF Suzuki. Tokyo brought in Sato for Toda in the 60th minute. Desperate to score, Tokyo saw that Shimizu and Morioka's solid defense was tough to break, and in the 65th minute, Maeda took a long-range shot. In the 66th minute, Miyazawa won the ball with tenacious defense in midfield and made a switch pass to the right. Sato received it, dribbled forward, and delivered a cross, but Amaral's powerful header went just over the goal.

　However, they struggled during a difficult period, dealing with passes that effectively utilized Shimizu's space and the speedy dribblers Suzuki, Hiramatsu, and Ota. In the 74th minute, from a left corner kick, Miyazawa made a perfectly timed run to attack a loose ball in front of the goal, but was thwarted by a fine play from goalkeeper Sanada.

　In the 83rd minute, Shimizu substituted DF Petzel for FW Shiozawa, who once again showcased his dribbling skills, leading to an even more intense back-and-forth battle. It became a counterattack exchange where possession was lost and regained, but in the 84th minute, after an aerial duel in front of the Shimizu goal, the ball was sent to the right side, where Sato delivered a ground pass back. This found Fukuda, who was waiting at the near side, and he calmly kicked it into the goal! The combination of Sato and Fukuda shone with their relentless play and their eager pursuit of the goal.

　Tokyo, desperately trying to score another goal, showed their determination, but in the 88th minute, Komine received a second yellow card and was sent off. Despite their efforts to counterattack, the match ended with a one-goal deficit. They suffered their first defeat in the qualifying league.

　The fast-paced game continued, keeping it exciting, and the Tokyo players showed both fighting spirit and intent. However, there are still many challenges, such as the ability to capitalize on opportunities, the precision of play, and the amount of movement.

　With this, the official matches before the World Cup have concluded, but with each challenge and harvest in mind, it became a defeat that we want to take as a step towards the challenge.

[Summary of Coach Hara's Press Conference] "In the last match, we secured first place, and I decided to replace Jean, Kelly, and Ito, who had been struggling with injuries, with Marcelo and Go, betting on the energy of younger players. However, Go had an accident and couldn't get involved much in the first half. He has incredible ability, so I thought he could do a bit more if he recovered. But by halftime, it became difficult, so I brought in Amaral to try to score a goal. It's true that the entire backline changed, but I think the players who usually don't get to play did well. There are unavoidable things like lacking match experience, but we didn't lose due to carelessness; even so, we managed to score a goal, and the presence of Fukuda and Amaral is increasing. Sato also made an assist in this situation, and I believe each player grasped what they were lacking during the match."

[Summary of Coach Zenmovich's Press Conference] "Today's result does not directly affect our ranking, but it was a very important match that we approached with seriousness and a competitive spirit. From before the match, I had asked the players to engage aggressively and combatively. As a result, I think it was a good match. In the first half, we were able to create good actions multiple times and scored two goals. In the second half, we created many chances but couldn't capitalize on them, and we conceded one goal. However, I believe it was a good experience for the young players. With the absence of national team players, the young and veteran players worked hard together and fought hand in hand. After suffering a 0-3 defeat in the first match against Tokyo, there was a tendency to feel down, but the mid-level players pulled the young ones up and transformed that into positive energy. There were such gains."