I want to repay the debt, Nabisco Cup Match 2

　The Nabisco Cup Sec. 2 will be a match against Yokohama F.Marinos, continuing from the previous round. The top two teams in Group B will advance to the knockout stage, so the points should be considered in the context of the entire qualifying league. However, since we narrowly lost to this opponent in Sec. 1, we want to repay that debt. This match is also crucial as we prepare for the J.League 1st Stage starting next week, and the performance will be scrutinized.

　Tokyo sees the newly joined Kanazawa starting as left back. The starting members remain unchanged from the previous match, but the substitutes include the U-20 Japan national team candidates Baba and Suzuki. In contrast, F. Marinos has Shimizu starting in place of the injured FW Kubo. The match started at the home Komazawa Stadium with a light drizzle, kicked off by F. Marinos.

Although we allowed the first goal, Jean and Abe scored to take the lead!

　At the start, F. Marinos received a pass from MF Oka, and DF Dudu moved up into the space on the left side to win a corner kick. Dudu himself took the corner kick, and MF Sato, positioned directly in front of the goal, headed the ball into the net. Tokyo's marking was insufficient, allowing an early goal just one minute into the match.

　However, Tokyo never lost heart here. They boldly went for the ball, showing a fast attack, and in the 3rd minute, Toda broke through the DF line and earned a corner kick. In the 4th minute, from a free kick directly in front of the goal, Miyazawa aimed straight for the goal. Then in the 6th minute, after earning a free kick in the left area of F. Marinos, Miyazawa's sharp ball was headed in by Jean in the center, scoring a goal! With precise play that dampened F. Marinos' morale, they quickly equalized.

　After that, Tokyo, who was dominating the match, gradually pushed the opponent back from a throw-in on the right side by Kaji. In the 14th minute, Ishikawa received the throw-in ball and kicked it to the center, where the high ball bounced in the middle. Just as it was coming down, Abe jumped in from the far side and headed it into the goal! Abe, who had hit the post with a decisive shot in the previous match, seemed like it was only a matter of time before he scored. He said, 'I was wondering if it would come. I considered the hardness of the ground and how much it would bounce, predicting that the defender might overlap.' Abe's persistence and excellent positioning shone through in this joyful first goal in J-League, allowing Tokyo to take the lead.

Tokyo creates rhythm from tough defense

　Tokyo takes control of the game, finding their rhythm from a tough press. On the other hand, F. Marinos, despite struggling, sends the ball forward, and the match progresses with both teams playing at a fast pace. In the 17th minute, Jean receives a yellow card, and in the 18th minute, F. Marinos defender Dutra also receives a yellow card, leading to intense back-and-forth action.

　In the 29th minute, F. Marinos showcased elegant passing with midfielder Endo, DF Matsuda, and Dudu involved in the Tokyo area, but Tokyo's pressure was intense, forcing F. Marinos to retreat with the ball. Conversely, Toda chased a back pass from DF to GK, prompting a mishit from the GK. In the 35th minute, a cross from the left by Oku towards the goal was saved by GK Ozawa, but FW Marquinhos jumped in on the rebound, only for Kanazawa to clear it. F. Marinos aggressively attacked from the left with Dudu, but Tokyo's DF was waiting in front of the goal, preventing any scoring.

　Conversely, in the 38th minute, Todai broke into the penalty area with a long ground through pass from Miyazawa in midfield, threatening the F. Marinos goal. In the 43rd minute, after a steal by Kaji, Abe, surrounded by defenders in the center, managed to connect the play, and Ishikawa, who followed up, boldly aimed for a dribble shot, but it went over the goal. Although they couldn't score an additional goal, they dominated the game and went into halftime leading 2-1.

Pushed back by F. Marinos' passing work...

　30 seconds into the second half, Miyazawa stole the ball from Sato of F. Marinos and took a shot aggressively, but it went straight to the goalkeeper. Immediately after, F. Marinos' forward Shimizu took a shot from the left penalty area to try to create rhythm, but Ozawa made the save. However, F. Marinos, with their sharp passing, approached the Tokyo goal in the 50th minute, connecting direct passes, and from the deep center, a through ball found MF Endo coming in from the right in front of the goal. Tokyo couldn't catch this run, allowed a free shot, and conceded the equalizing goal.

　Unlike the first half, Tokyo struggled to press against F. Marinos' fast passing game, often being pushed back by Sato's attacks from the right side. In the 64th minute, Baba was brought in to replace Toda. In the 66th minute, a cross from Kanazawa's left saw Abe jump as a decoy in front of the goal, while Ishikawa, running in from the right rear of the penalty area, attempted to connect but missed the ball. Unfortunately, they missed a great opportunity. In the 78th minute, Kajiyama was brought in to replace Asari, and in the 84th minute, Suzuki replaced Ishikawa, but they lost possession frequently and couldn't take a shot.

　With a defense centered around Ozawa, they did not allow any additional goals from F. Marinos, but in the end, the second half resulted in just one shot from Miyazawa. Despite having the advantage in the first half, they left issues to address for the second half, resulting in a disappointing draw.

[Player Comments]《Jean》"In the second half, the team's movement dropped. There were times when the defense was too deep and we were broken down, and there is still a lack of communication. I want to correct those issues and connect it to our first victory next time." 《Abe》"It was good to score my first goal. I think it creates a good image for me going forward. However, after scoring, our play from the front line became too soft."

[Summary of Coach Hara's Press Conference] "Conceding goals at that time in both the first and second halves makes it difficult. We conceded at a time we absolutely should not have, so I want to correct that first. However, after going behind today, we seemed to regroup and aggressively attacked. The ball moved, we pulled one back and scored a second. I want to play that kind of football. Speaking of today's lineup, for example, Kelly faced forward, and from there, we had Toda, Abe, and Ishikawa. I want to create as many of those situations as possible moving forward. The young players fought and scored two goals. I really wanted to win with this, but I think the team has shown growth in being able to create such situations even without Amaral. Young players like Kajiyama, Baba, and Suzuki have good qualities, but it's also true that they still have weaknesses. I just want to give them opportunities in matches and hope they can secure their positions within that. Alternatively, players who didn't play today should feel that if they show good performances in practice, they will have a chance to play in matches, which I believe will further enhance the team's strength. In the two Nabisco Cup matches, both good points and challenges have emerged, so I want to utilize that and aim for a clear victory next time."

[F. Marinos Coach Okada Press Conference Summary] "It is very disappointing that we could not win, but in terms of the match content, we were able to do what we aimed for to some extent. Especially in attack, we were able to move the ball quickly and aim for the goal, so I am satisfied with the content. However, both goals conceded in the first half were from set pieces, and particularly in the first half, we lost focus when it came to set pieces. There were situations where we relaxed, so I think that is a major point for correction. Overall, I am very satisfied with the players' attitude to aim for the goal until the very end throughout the 90 minutes."