The beginning of a battle that cannot be lost in pursuit of the Nabisco Cup title

　It was spring, during the J-League break in the Golden Week, when the 2002 Yamazaki Nabisco Cup qualifying league took place. Tokyo, placed in Group B along with Shimizu, Verdy, and Kobe, achieved an impressive record of 4 wins, 1 loss, and 1 draw, successfully passing in first place. Today, four months later, they will face Gamba Osaka, who finished second in Group C, in the Quarterfinal Round. With three matches left to secure the title, a battle where losing is not an option has begun.

　Gamba Osaka currently boasts the top scorer in the J1 League, forward Maguron, and is in 4th place in the 1st stage. Additionally, they recently achieved a significant victory against Yokohama F.Marinos, winning 4-1 in Sec. 1 of the 2nd stage, maintaining their good form. Although they are a strong opponent, this match is important to repay the debt of the heavy defeat suffered in Sec. 6 of the 1st stage. Coach Hara also expressed a greedy attitude towards victory, stating, "No matter the form, what matters is to win."

Tokyo shows aggressive momentum

　With the whistle for kickoff, Miyazawa delivered a long ball into the left side space of the opponent's territory, putting pressure on Gamba. In the 2nd minute, Gamba forward Yoshihara boldly aimed for the goal, and in the 3rd minute, Amaral headed a shot from a corner kick, showcasing both teams' spirited play from the start. In the 5th minute, Amaral advanced solo and took a shot. In the 10th minute, Gamba responded with a header shot from Maguron off a corner kick, but the ball went just slightly to the left.

　Today in Tokyo, the positions of the left and right midfielders were changed. Toda was placed on the right and Ishikawa on the left, aiming to create space with quick passing. In the 12th minute, Ishikawa received a pass from Kelly on the left side and charged towards the goal to shoot. In the 14th minute, Miyazawa took a surprising long-range shot immediately after intercepting the ball. However, Gamba also made a move, with Yoshihara cleverly breaking through the defensive line after a pass connected from a goal kick. Doih kept the looping shot under control, averting danger.

　After that, Tokyo dominated the game with quick direct passes. In the 15th minute, Kelly received a pass from Ishikawa and shot from outside the penalty area to the lower left corner of the goal, but the opposing goalkeeper made a save. However, Gamba's attacking intentions were clear, with plays developing from the sides and Yoshihara making runs to target the space behind the DF with through passes. In the 24th minute, a through pass from defensive midfielder Fabinho was sent to Yoshihara, but Doih caught it with a brave charge. Conversely, in the 26th minute, Miyazawa passed to Toda, who was trying to break through behind the DF. The ball was cut off by the DF, but Amaral shot from the rebound, and the match progressed at a fast pace with many shooting scenes in the back-and-forth action.

Ishikawa persevered, and with the collaboration of Kelly and Toda, they shaped their aim and took the lead.

　Toda and Ishikawa utilized their speed and work rate to push down the sides for Tokyo. Finally, in the 28th minute, a long ball was played from the backline into the space on the left side, where Ishikawa caught up, dribbling along the end line while being pursued by the opposing defender, and crossed it back into the middle. Kelly, who had followed up into the center, laid it back, and Toda, who had made a run in from the right side, connected and pushed it in for a goal! They turned their intended play into a goal.

　Gamba launched a counterattack in the 39th minute, with midfielder Endo advancing and passing to the right side. MF Morioka made a run, and the cleared cross that came back to Endo resulted in a direct volley shot. It missed over the goal, but during this period, Tokyo continued to face danger. In the 40th minute, Maguron headed the free-kick ball, aiming for the bottom left of the goal, but it was barely saved by Doih's excellent play. In the 41st minute, from Yoshihara's hold-up play, MF Nikawa took a shot just outside the penalty area. This was blocked by a defender, resulting in a corner kick, preventing a goal.

　The game progressed at a fast pace, and without any stoppage time, Tokyo went into the second half with a one-point lead.

However, the cursed second half... allowed a comeback and suffered a complete defeat

　In the first half, Tokyo took the lead with aggressive and targeted football. The problem started from there. Gamba brought in forward Matsunami to replace Morioka in the second half. They switched to an attacking formation with three forwards: Magron in the center, Yoshihara on the right, and Matsunami on the left. Early in the second half, Yoshihara made a move on the right side and earned a corner kick, from which Magron headed the ball. It was a high shot, but Doih showed excellent reflexes to make the save. Following that, from the corner kick, Yoshihara took a shot, showing their threat.

　In the 48th minute, Tokyo launched a quick counterattack with a 3-on-3 situation after cutting the ball in midfield, but Miyazawa's shot went over the goal. In the 49th minute, Ishikawa cut in from the left side, evaded the defending DF, and took a strong shot, but it hit the DF in front of the goal and did not result in a goal. In the 51st minute, Gamba's Yoshihara dribbled down the right side, carried the ball close to the end line, and delivered a low cross that Nikawa connected with in the goal area, cutting back on the DF to shoot. It was a decisive moment, but Dohi once again made a stop, showcasing a brilliant save with determination.

　However, it was two minutes later. In a frantic exchange where the ball was going back and forth, after a pass was intercepted in midfield, Yoshihara once again charged down the right side. From around the corner of the penalty area, he delivered an early cross, and Endo dove in with perfect timing for a header. Even Doi couldn't stop it, and they were equalized.

　Gamba, gaining momentum, saw Yoshihara repeatedly challenge from the right side, while Tokyo fell further behind. Ishikawa fought hard but could not get a shot off. Then, in the 62nd minute, Gamba connected the ball from a free kick in midfield, with Endo advancing to the right of the penalty area to send in a cross. Arai-ba, who entered freely near the penalty arc from the left side, connected with a direct shot, scoring a powerful goal. In the blink of an eye, they conceded another goal.

　In the 70th minute, Baba was brought in to replace Toda, but they couldn't find a way to counterattack. Just as they were about to substitute Fukuda for Shimohira, in the 76th minute, the newly substituted forward Oikuro scored a goal, just barely on the offside line, from a free kick. The Tokyo players could only watch helplessly.

　In the end, we conceded additional goals approximately every 10 minutes and lost the second half 1 to 3. It was a hollow comeback defeat, and our path to the Nabisco Cup semifinals was abruptly cut off.

[Summary of Coach Hara's Press Conference] "It ended up being the same shape as the defeat in the 1st stage. In the first half, we thought that if we could exploit the space behind Arai on the left side of Gamba, it would create opportunities for us, so we tried to match him up with Toda to exploit that space. I believe we were able to execute our plan well by attacking behind Arai and using Ishikawa on the opposite side. As we headed into the second half, we discussed the need to focus for the first 15 minutes, especially since the opponent was going to switch to a three-top formation. However, we dropped too deep in the midfield, and we weren't clear on how to mark Endo and the players behind him. In that situation, Jean intercepted the ball and connected with Miyazawa, but when we tried to attack, we lost the ball due to a misplaced pass and conceded a goal. The problem was that after that, we suddenly lost our energy, and our adjustments during the game were delayed. During that time, we conceded a second goal, and ultimately, we couldn't adapt to their changes. I have a strong desire to aim for the title, and I am very disappointed. However, we cannot continue to lose like this. We need to switch our mindset to the league and somehow make adjustments over the next two days to repay our debts."

[Gamba Osaka Coach Nishino's Press Conference Summary] "The game changed dramatically between the first and second halves. We were behind in the first half, so in the second half, it became clear what we needed to do to win. We switched to a three-forward system, and I talked to the players about being more aggressive, encouraging Miyamoto to move into the midfield and connect more. We aimed to finish our plays. Clearly communicating these points and making adjustments at halftime was crucial. Additionally, having come through tough and challenging games in the group stage, the players likely had the confidence to turn things around. I want to commend the second half. We will prepare again for the next match in three days and aim to play like we did in the second half."