Opening of the 2003 season from the Nabisco Cup

　This season's J.League official matches will kick off with the Yamazaki Nabisco Cup. Tokyo, which is in Group B of the qualifying league, will face Yokohama F.Marinos, Sendai, and Kashiwa, with the top two teams advancing to the knockout stage. This qualifying league will be held until July with intervals, but Sec. 1 and Sec. 2 can be considered as preliminary matches for the league. They hold significant importance not only as the first step of the new season but also for entering the league competition in a good shape.

　Tokyo's formation is 4-4-2 on the roster, but 4-5-1 on the pitch. Miyazawa and Asari form a double pivot, while Toda advances from the left side to the front line, a system they are accustomed to. Although Amaral, who is still not in good condition, and Kanazawa, who is absent due to suspension in the preseason match against Shimizu, are missing, there are high hopes for fresh talents like Abe in the starting lineup and Kō and Kajiyama on the bench.

　In contrast, Yokohama F.Marinos welcomes new manager Takeshi OKADA and has gathered attention with new forwards Kubo and Marquinhos. Midfielder Sato, who is on loan from Tokyo, also showed a lively performance, and the highly anticipated opening match kicked off at the away Yokohama International Stadium.

Aggressively attacking, but missing chances

　In the pre-season practice match, there had been no victories recently, leaving some lingering anxiety, but today Tokyo showed an aggressive attitude from the start. In the 6th minute, DF Dutra attempted to connect with a through pass from F. Marinos MF Oku, but GK Ozawa made a brave dive and caught the ball securely. Defensively, they won the ball back through coordinated pressing and transitioned to attack.

　In the 11th minute, Kaji received a pass from Ishikawa and crossed the ball, which was cleared by the DF just before it could have been a goal due to the strong wind, resulting in a corner kick. In the 15th minute, after cutting off a pass, Miyazawa sent a sharp pass to the front line, and Toda broke free, evading the DF to pass to Kelly. He connected directly to the left, and Abe, receiving the ball, took a shot from inside the left penalty area. They showed a sharp counterattack, but the ball unfortunately hit the left post, missing a big chance.

　Immediately after, F. Marinos launched a counterattack, and Sato's cross was met by Kubo's header, but Ozawa made a superb save with his left hand. The match progressed with both teams sending quick passes forward. However, they struggled to finish, and the stands called out, "Shoot!" In response, in the 22nd minute, Asari sent a strong pass in front of the goal, which Toda let go, and Kelly executed an overhead shot. In the 26th minute, Miyazawa picked up a cleared ball from Kaji's cross and took a mid-range shot. In the 28th minute, Abe held off with a post play, and Kelly shot from the center, but it was right in front of the GK. In the 34th minute, Kelly had a free shot from the penalty arc, but was thwarted by a great save from the opposing GK Enomoto.

A goal conceded unexpectedly just before the end of the first half

　On the other hand, while Yokohama F.Marinos couldn't create any real chances, in the 42nd minute, Kubo took a powerful shot from an angle inside the left penalty area. The ball crossed over the bar, showing a moment of danger. In the 43rd minute, Tokyo launched a counterattack, and Toda dove in front of the goal to make a header, but it went over the goal.

　Just when it seemed that the first half would end scoreless, in the 44th minute, the display showed "1 minute of stoppage time." A long ball was sent forward from the F. Marinos' half. Although Moniwa positioned himself to keep the ball that seemed about to cross the goal line, Sato from F. Marinos chased after it, rounded him, and slid the ball back into the center. The F. Marinos player, Marquinhos, who ran in, was met by goalkeeper Ozawa, who also rushed out sharply, but just a moment too late, the shot was taken, and the ball hit the left post and went into the net on the opposite side. Just before the end of the first half, Tokyo conceded a goal in a surprising manner, falling behind by one point.

　In the second half, it was F. Marinos who showed sharp movements. In the 48th minute, Kubo dove to head a cross. Just before it could graze the post and go in, goalkeeper Ozawa cleared it, preventing an additional goal. After F. Marinos missed their goal chance, both teams gradually began to attack sporadically.

　In the 53rd minute, Miyazawa took a long-range shot. In the 55th minute, Fujiyama received a cross from the right, cut inside, and shot. F. Marinos had Sato take a dribbling shot in the 59th minute. In the 64th minute, Kubo attempted a header from a left corner kick, but none of these attempts resulted in a goal.

Fresh talent has been introduced, but lacks a decisive factor

　In the 65th minute, Abe jumped in from Ishikawa's cross from the left, but the opposing GK caught it a step earlier. Tokyo regained their rhythm, and the match progressed in the F. Marinos' territory, but they lacked the finishing touch.

　In the 68th minute, Toda was substituted for Kure, and in the 75th minute, Asari was substituted for Kajiyama. They attempted to break the deadlock, but F. Marinos' defense was solid, making it difficult to get a shot off.

　F. Marinos substituted Ueno for Marquinhos in the 76th minute and Anenaga for Kubo in the 85th minute. Tokyo pushed Jean forward, desperately aiming for a goal to score one point, but Abe's shot in the 84th minute was saved by the goalkeeper. Conversely, F. Marinos saw center-back Matsuda make an attacking run, and in the 87th minute, he brought the play to a finish, but Ozawa made the save. Neither team could create decisive chances, and the match ended.

　A disappointing loss for Tokyo with a quick goal conceded. We want to achieve revenge in the next match at home at Komazawa Stadium.

[Player Comments] {Miyazawa} "(In the preseason friendly matches, I sometimes played on the left side of the midfield, but I feel comfortable with the system as it has been. There are challenges like switching sides, but there is still a long way to go. I want to improve my teamwork with my teammates, starting with the full-backs.)"

Abe: "I regret hitting the post with a shot in the first half, which changed the good flow of the game. I want to focus on keeping calm, picking up the loose balls after Todai competes, and clearly aiming to score goals."

[Head Coach's Press Conference Summary] "I 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 badly. We couldn't convert our chances, but I believe the flow of the game was not bad at all. Without Amaral, I want to develop Japanese strikers. Abe was not at 100% due to an injury from the practice match against Yamagata, but he showed enough strength to feel that he can perform in J1. Whether Amaral can play in the next match is uncertain, but I want to move the ball around with Miyazawa at the center and ensure we can finish our chances. I believe today's match is just the first half, and we are only trailing 1-0. In the second half, I want to turn it around at Komazawa Stadium in the next match."

[F. Marinos Coach Okada Press Conference Summary] "The players' condition was poor and they felt heavy. In terms of defense, they responded well to Tokyo's attacks, which often involved fast balls to the top. However, we should be able to do more in attack. (In previous matches against Tokyo) we were connecting passes and getting countered. There were times when we couldn't break through even when taking our time to build from the back, so I have always emphasized the importance of being aware of the goal, but we should be able to control the ball more and attack. It was good to win against Tokyo, which is said to be our weak point."