Nabisco Cup Qualifying Round 2, Get Revenge on Kashima

　After about two weeks since the 6th round of the 1st stage on April 17th, today we will face Kashima Antlers in the 2nd round of the Nabisco Cup qualifying league. The four teams (Group D) of Tokyo, Kashima, Kashiwa, and Kobe will compete in a home and away qualifying league. Of course, we aim to finish in 2nd place or higher to advance to the final tournament, but since we lost 1-2 to Kashima at home in the 1st round, we definitely want to take revenge.

　During the interval, the Japan national team's overseas expedition was taking place, so Tsuchi, Kaji were absent. After returning to Japan, U-23 national team's Shigeta, Konno, Ishikawa were unable to participate due to their condition. In addition, Kelly, who was injured during the previous day's practice, was absent, and Mashima, Kurisawa made their first start. Coach Hara said before the match, "With the current condition, this is the best lineup. (Even with key players absent) it doesn't mean we can afford to lose. We want to win with this lineup," showing his determination.

　Kashima, on the other hand, is not in perfect condition as they are missing Japan national team's Motomura and have injured players such as Aoki and Narahashi. However, they have placed MF Arai as a defensive midfielder and the average age of the starting members is 24.36 years old. This is lower than Tokyo's 24.82 years old, and they have approached the game with a fresh team. The match started at Kashima Stadium, which felt a little chilly, with Kashima's kickoff.

But once again, we are scored on in the opening minutes...

　In the first match of the qualifying league, we conceded a goal in the first minute, which was a heavy blow. In the previous match against Iwata, we also conceded a goal in the 5th minute, so we should have been paying close attention during the early stages of the game. However, in the 1st minute, we gave away a free kick in our own midfield, which was cleared by Kashima's MF Lucas. Kashima then picked up the loose ball and connected it to MF Fernando, who was left free in the corner of the right area. DF Oiwa, who had made a run from the far side, then struck a powerful header. This first shot, which took advantage of a gap in our marking, found the back of the net, and once again, Tokyo found themselves behind in the game in just 2 minutes.

　Despite being forced into a defensive position, Tokyo still had plenty of time. In the 6th and 8th minutes, they launched counterattacks and earned corner kicks. In the 12th minute, Kajiyama received a through pass from Kurisawa and took a shot that was deflected by the opposing defender. Lucas picked up the loose ball and took another shot, earning another corner kick. On the other hand, Kashima, who had taken the lead, continued to use their speedy two-striker attack and long balls on the counter. In the 14th minute, forward Fukai made a sharp turn and entered the box, but Mashiage stretched out his leg and made a crucial interception. In the 17th minute, Ogasawara passed to Oiwa, who had pushed up from the midfield. Oiwa then passed to Fukai on the left side of the box. Fukai's shot hit the crossbar, but it was ruled a foul and Tokyo was awarded the ball.

　Kajiyama, Miyazawa led a wide attack repeatedly, but failed to finish, and the game became a back and forth battle. In the 22nd minute, Kanazawa's early cross was headed by Kurisawa in front of the goal. However, it narrowly missed Toda. In the 29th minute, Miyazawa → Kurisawa connected from Fujiyama's overlap, and Kanazawa shot after clearing the cross. In the 30th minute, Jean shot from a right corner kick. In the 32nd minute, Toda stole the opponent's ball and launched a quick attack, passing to Miura who advanced into the left area. From there, the ball went to Kajiyama in front of the goal, who took a shot. In the 36th minute, a quick restart opened up the right side, and Toda took a shot while turning around after the cross. However, none of these shots found the target. From around the 30th minute, they took control and created numerous chances, but were unable to shake the net of Kashima's goal. In the 44th minute, Kashima's Ogasawara dribbled up and took a looping shot, but it was saved by Shioda and went out for a corner kick, ending the first half with a score of 0-1.

30 seconds into the second half, Kurisawa, Lucas, and Toda's combination brings the game to a tie!

　In the second half, Tokyo connected the kickoff ball. Kurisawa dribbled through the center, but was blocked by the opposing DF. He fell, but still managed to pass the ball to the front line. Lucas reacted to this and sprinted at full speed to the right side, reaching the goal line. He sent a strong shot towards the goal. As a result, Toda and the opposing DF got tangled up in front of the goal, and the opposing DF couldn't clear it, resulting in an own goal! With the fast combination play of Kurisawa, Lucas, and Toda, they equalized in less than 30 seconds into the second half!

　At 47 minutes, Kajiyama → Kurisawa's cross was headed by Toda. The ball hit the bar and bounced back, and Lucas took a shot but it went over the goal. They missed the chance to score another point, but the press became more intense after the tie, and a fast-paced attack and defense was repeated. At 60 minutes, Abe was substituted for Toda, and they went for another point. At 61 minutes, Kanazawa went up from Lucas' keep and passed to Abe in the left area. Abe cut through the defenders and took a shot, winning a corner kick. At 64 minutes, Abe once again entered the left area, and Miyazawa received a last pass and took a shot from near the penalty arc, but it went over the goal.

　At 66 minutes, Asari was substituted for Miyazawa. He did not become defensive, but balanced and attacked more aggressively. At 68 minutes, Lucas was fouled on the left side, earning a free kick. Masushima headed it, but it went just right of the goal. At 69 minutes, Kurizawa caught up to a pass from Asari on the right side and crossed it. Abe jumped in from the center, but the defender cleared it with his body.

Kajiyama's spectacular comeback goal secures Kashima's first away victory against Kashima!

　In the 70th minute, Kashima's long pass from a counter attack was cleared by Masushima. In the 74th minute, Kashima's Ogasawara's shot was cut by Jean, and Fujiyama boldly intercepted to prevent a pinch. In the 61st minute, Kashima substituted MF Nozawa for Masuda, and in the 76th minute, substituted FW Nakajima for FW Hirase. Using the substitution slots, they tried to turn the situation around in a pressing battle. However, in the 78th minute, Kurizawa was robbed of the ball in the opponent's territory, just as Kashima was trying to counterattack. Miura snatched the ball from a fierce charge and rushed towards the Kashima goal. The shot from just outside the penalty area was cut by the opponent's DF, but Lucas, who had moved up to support, neatly picked up the loose ball and passed it back with one touch. Kajiyama ran in and took a powerful shot!! The ball pierced the net above the goal with a wake-up call trajectory!

　Tokyo, who turned the game around with a spirited goal by Kajiyama, his first professional goal. They focused on playing until the end, holding off Kashima's counterattacks and attacking without panicking. In the 87th minute, Suzuki was substituted for Kurisawa, who had been playing brilliantly up until then. In the 88th minute, Shioda's clearance ball was passed to Kashima's Nozawa, who took a volley shot, but Mashima cleared it. In stoppage time, Shioda jumped out to intercept a pass in front of the goal, but Asari calmly connected it to the left side. Then, substitute Suzuki sprinted with the ball, taking a powerful shot from the left area despite being surrounded by defenders. It was saved by the goalkeeper, but he showed off his skills and the game ended. Each player played their role diligently, and they finally achieved their first victory against Kashima away from home since 1999, when they first faced each other in the J2 era Nabisco Cup semifinals.

【Player Comments】《Kajiyama》"The goal scene was a good ball dropped from Lucas, so I kicked it without floating. In the first half, we were able to create chances, so I only thought about scoring goals. I wanted to score firmly because we had momentum after scoring one point. In the end, I made some mistakes and my foot cramped for the first time. However, being able to play for 90 minutes gives me confidence. I'm happy to win the game with my first professional goal."《Shioda》"I'm not satisfied with my own play, but I'm glad we won. The first goal we conceded was a situation where we wanted to raise the line, but there wasn't enough communication. However, I think we were able to defend well after that by communicating with each other and saying that one goal at this time is still okay. There were some moments where I panicked, but I want to fix things like the feeling of the game and focus on winning as a team. We haven't won in the last three games, but we want to head towards the league in a good flow."

[Summary of Manager Hara's Press Conference] "We conceded a goal from a set piece that we were careful about at the start, and it felt bad. But we recovered well. We had a good shape in the first half, but we couldn't score and there were no decisive moments. We are playing the football we want, so at halftime, I talked about breaking through from the side without taking too much time. In the second half, Kurisawa started the first goal and Miura's effort led to the second goal, which we were able to score. Kajiyama has the shooting power, but he doesn't shoot enough, so I always tell him to "shoot", but he scored well. Today, I made the decision to rest the U-23 national team players, but the remaining players were highly motivated. Kurisawa, who was suddenly put in the starting lineup due to Kelly's injury, and Kajiyama, who moved to Kelly's position, created many chances. Mashima still makes mistakes, but he has shown his sense and has become a valuable player. And Miura, Fujiyama, and Asari have been pulling the young players with their bodies. Their efforts will make the team even stronger. I knew that we had never won an away game against Kashima (even before I became the manager), but we have to change history. So I told the players that we have to win once first. We didn't dominate everything against Kashima, but it was a big deal to win, especially away, without the national team players. We want to carry this momentum into the upcoming league games."

[Kashima Cerezo coach's press conference summary] "It was a completely different game in the first and second half. The league's Niigata game was also the same pattern, winning in the first half, and despite having several chances to decide the game afterwards, we couldn't score and ended up being defeated. In the second half, the concentration, feelings, and consciousness of each individual were not unified, and the team did not function as a whole. In the important Nabisco game...there are several games in the qualifying round of the league, but we talked about winning each game and making it easier for us to play in the future. However, after halftime, we conceded a goal in just 30 seconds from a 1-0 lead. I think it was a lack of care and concentration that should not have happened for a team aiming for the title. In the first half, there were players who were able to calmly pass and be aware of the tempo, but in the second half, there was none of that. We should have kept it simple in the half-line zone, but we were taken advantage of by easy mistakes and let the opponent take control. Some players played with injuries, and Arai was playing as a defensive midfielder in an unfamiliar position, but there were still some positives. Iwamasa and Masuda made their first starts, but they faithfully fulfilled their roles. Even though FC Tokyo was missing their national team players, they were able to maintain their level with young players. Similarly, Kashima is also trying to develop young players, but it takes time and patience. We can't expect them to replace players like Narahashi and Motomura right away. They have the ability to carry Kashima in the future. If they can get results, it will give them confidence. The biggest concern is the reaction power after conceding a goal."