The 2003 season begins with the Nabisco Cup

　The J-League official season will kick off from the Yamazaki Nabisco Cup. Tokyo, which is in Group B of the qualifying league, will face Yokohama F.Marinos / Sendai / Kashiwa, and the top two teams will advance to the final tournament. This qualifying league will be held until July with an interval, but the first and second rounds can be considered as a prelude to the league. It has an important meaning not only as the first step of the new season, but also to enter the league in a good shape.

　Tokyo's formation is 4-4-2 on the team sheet, but on the pitch it's 4-5-1. Miyazawa and Asari form a double pivot, while Toda pushes up from the left side, a familiar system for the team. Amaral, who is still not in top condition, and Kanazawa, who is suspended for the preseason match against Shimizu, are both missing, but there is also hope for fresh players like starter Abe and substitutes Wu and Kajiyama.

　F.Marinos, who will face them, is a team that has attracted the most attention with new manager Takeshi OKADA, new signings FW Kubo and Marquinhos, etc. MF Sato, who has been transferred from Tokyo on a deadline, also showed a lively appearance, and the highly anticipated opening match kicked off at the away Yokohama International Stadium.

Aggressively attacking, but missing opportunities

　In the pre-season practice matches, there have been no wins recently and there were some lingering concerns, but today Tokyo showed an aggressive attitude from the start. In the 6th minute, F. Marinos MF Oku made a through pass and DF Dutra tried to score, but GK Ozawa made a brave dive and caught the ball firmly. They defended by taking the ball from coordinated pressing and turned it into an attack.

　At 11 minutes, Kelly received a pass from Ishikawa and crossed it, but it was cleared by the DF just before it could reach the goal due to strong winds. However, they were able to win a corner kick. At 15 minutes, Miyazawa sent a sharp pass to the front line after intercepting a pass, and Toda broke through the DF and passed it to Kelly. Kelly then made a direct pass to the left, and Abe received it and took a shot from inside the left penalty area. They showed a sharp attack from a counter, but unfortunately the ball hit the left post and they missed a big chance.

　Immediately after, F. Marinos counterattacked, and Kubo headed from Sato's cross, but Ozawa made a superb save with his left hand. The game continues with both teams sending quick passes to the front line. However, they struggle to finish and the stands call out "Shoot!" In response, Asari sends a strong pass to the front of the goal and Toda lets it go through, and Kelly attempts an overhead shot. In the 26th minute, Miyazawa picks up a clearance ball from Kaji's cross and takes a middle shot. In the 28th minute, Abe sticks with the post play and Kelly shoots from the center, but the GK blocks it. In the 34th minute, Kelly takes a free shot from the center of the penalty area, but it is stopped by the opposing GK Enomoto's great save.

Just before the end of the first half, an unexpected turn of events led to a goal being conceded.

　On the other hand, F.Marinos, who couldn't create any chances, had a chance in the 42nd minute when Kubo took a powerful shot from an angle inside the left penalty area. The ball crossed over the bar, but it showed a moment of fear. In the 43rd minute, Tokyo's Toda jumped into the goal and took a header shot from a counter, but it went over the goal.

　At the 44th minute, it seemed like the first half would end scoreless, but then the display of "1 minute of stoppage time" appeared. From the F. Marinos' defense, a long ball was sent to the front line. Shigetaka Mori tried to keep the ball in play, but F. Marinos' Sato chased after it and slid it back into the middle. F. Marinos' Marquinhos ran in and shot the ball just before GK Ozawa could reach it, hitting the left post and going into the opposite side of the net for a goal. Right before the end of the first half, Tokyo conceded a goal in a disappointing manner, putting them behind by one point.

　In the second half, F. Marinos showed sharp movements. In the 48th minute, Kubo met a cross and made a diving header. The ball grazed the post and seemed to go in, but GK Ozawa managed to clear it and prevent a goal. F. Marinos also missed a chance to score, and gradually both teams started to attack sporadically.

　In the 53rd minute, Miyazawa took a middle shot. In the 55th minute, Fujiyama received a cross from the right and cut inside to take a shot. In the 59th minute, Sato dribbled and took a shot for F. Marinos. In the 64th minute, Kubo headed a shot from a left corner kick, but neither were able to score a goal.

Despite bringing in fresh players, they lacked the finishing touch.

　At 65 minutes, Abe jumped into the cross from Ishikawa's left, but the opposing GK caught it one step ahead. Tokyo regained their rhythm and the game continued in the F. Marinos' territory, but they lacked the finishing touch.

　Substitutions were made in the 68th minute, with Toda being replaced by Wu and in the 75th minute, Asari being replaced by Kajiyama. They tried to break the situation, but the defense of F. Marinos was strong and they couldn't make it to the shot.

　F. Marinos also substituted MF Ueno for Marquinhos in the 76th minute and Anno for Kubo in the 85th minute. Tokyo pushed Jean up front and tried to score a goal, but GK saved Abe's shot in the 84th minute. On the other hand, F. Marinos' center back Matsuda also made an attacking run and brought it to a finish in the 87th minute, but Ozawa saved it. Neither team could create a decisive scene, and the game ended.

　Tokyo suffered a frustrating defeat with a disappointing single goal, and they want to take revenge at home in Komazawa Stadium in the next match.

【Player Comments】《Miyazawa》"(In the preseason practice games, I also played on the left side of the midfield) I still feel comfortable playing in the same system as before. There are still challenges such as switching sides, but there is still a long way to go. I want to improve my play with my teammates, including the side back."

"Abe" "I regret hitting the post with my first half shot and changing the good flow. I want to calm down and keep the ball, and aim clearly for shots after Toda player competes and pick up loose balls to score."

[Summary of the Head Coach's Press Conference] "We wanted to win the first game of the season, but we were caught off guard and conceded a goal from a mistake. However, as a team, we didn't play poorly. We couldn't convert our chances, but I don't think the flow of the game was bad. In the absence of Amaral, I want to develop a Japanese striker. Abe also got injured in the practice match against Yamagata and wasn't at 100%, but I felt that he had enough strength to play in J1. It's uncertain whether Amaral will be able to play in the next match, but I want to move the ball around with Miyazawa at the center and score the final finish. In today's match, we were only down 1-0 in the first half. We want to come back and win in the second half at Komazawa Stadium in the next match."

[F. Marinos Okada Press Conference Summary] "The players' condition was bad and their bodies were heavy. Regarding defense, we were able to respond well to Tokyo's attacks, which were fast and came from the top. However, we should have been able to do more on the offensive side. (In previous matches against Tokyo), we were countered while trying to connect passes. There were times when we couldn't break through even when we took our time to build up from the back, so I have always emphasized the importance of having a goal-oriented mindset. We should have been able to dominate the ball and attack more. It was good that we were able to beat Tokyo, who is said to be our weakness."