How to compete in the Nabisco Cup without the representative players...

　The Nabisco Cup is being held for the first time since April 29. Today is the qualifying league Sec. 3, challenging Kashiwa Reysol away. After two matches, Tokyo is in second place in Group D with 3 points, following Kobe (4 points) and tied with Kashima. The qualifying league will continue until Sec. 6, and we want to accumulate points aiming for a top two finish to advance to the Final Round.

　However, during this period, Dohi and Kaji were absent due to activities with the Japan national team, and U-19 Japan national team members Masushima and Kajiyama were also unavailable. Additionally, Kelly and Ishikawa were out due to injuries. Nevertheless, Moniwa, Konno, and Tokunaga, who are preparing for the U-23 Japan national team match against Turkey on May 26 and the match against Mali on June 1, maintained their condition despite the tough schedule and were named in the starting lineup. The formation included defenders Tokunaga, Jean, Moniwa, and Kanazawa. In the double pivot were Konno and Asari. On the left midfield was Toda, and on the right midfield was Suzuki, who was entering this position for the first time. Baba played as an attacking midfielder, with Lucas positioned at the forefront.

　On the other hand, Kashiwa is at the bottom of the league, but they still have a good chance of advancing to the knockout stage in the Nabisco Cup. This could be an opportunity for a rapid rise, making today's match important. Although Japan national team forward Tamada and midfielder Tanizawa are suspended and will miss the match, Coach Hara commented on the fact that they have been competing with only Japanese players, saying, "Just like in the 1st stage match against Shimizu, there is a fear in how solidly they can defend and come together as one," and the focus will be on how Tokyo can break through that defense. The temperature before the match rose, and under the sweaty weather, the match started with Kashiwa's kickoff.

Taking control, Jean scores the opening goal from a free kick

　At the start, both teams pressed each other, creating no chances, and the match continued evenly. However, in the 5th minute, Suzuki made a bold dribble breakthrough on the right side, resulting in a warning for the opponent's left back, Kondo. In the 6th minute, Lucas received a pass from Baba at the post, shifted to the right, and entered a shooting position after receiving a return from Suzuki. The opponent's defender was blocked, but Tokyo gradually began to seize the pace. In the 7th minute, Konno advanced and took the first shot of the day after receiving a pass from Suzuki.

　In the 12th minute, Todai broke through from the left behind the defense with Baba's exquisite through pass, creating a decisive scene. The shot had no angle and was saved by the opposing goalkeeper, but they showed great teamwork. In the 15th minute, Tokunaga took a powerful long shot that just went over the goal. Tokyo, picking up the loose ball well, created rhythm from Baba's pass, with Lucas holding up play in the front line, involving Todai and Suzuki, showcasing a smooth flow of play. In the 20th minute, a free kick was awarded to Kashiwa on the left side of the penalty area, targeting MF Kato for a goal, but Shiota made the save. As a result, Kashiwa's shots were limited to just this one in the first half.

　Then, in the 24th minute, Lucas was fouled on the left in front of the goal, earning a free kick. Using Suzuki as a decoy, Baba took a fast, low kick, and Jean, who was waiting free in front of the goal, headed the ball! The ball changed direction and was sucked into the net!! They scored the long-awaited opening goal.

Baba creates the rhythm, and Toda adds another goal aggressively

　Tokyo, completely in control, saw Lucas and Toda exchange quick passes in front of the goal at the 25-minute mark, and Yuta BABA, who had moved up to support, took a bold shot from just outside the penalty area. It narrowly missed above the target, but as Coach Hara said, "I instructed Yuta to aim for the goal as if he were in a two-top formation," his aggressive attitude towards the goal shone through.

　Then, in the 27th minute, Suzuki received a vertical pass from Tokunaga and fiercely advanced into the right penalty area, battling with the opposing defender and showing persistence. The ball was temporarily taken away, but the clearance went to Baba in front of the goal. Without hesitation, Baba took a low shot that deflected off the goalkeeper's hand, and Toda followed up to kick it into the goal! Although it was a goal that involved a mistake from the opponent, Suzuki, Baba, and Toda each fulfilled their roles perfectly and scored an additional goal as intended.

　Kashiwa's attack saw Asari and Konno in midfield, while Jean and Shigeno concentrated on cutting off plays in the front line, preventing any real chances from being created. They also connected wide attacks from the defensive line. In the 35th minute, Baba's through pass found Toda in the center, who directed it to the right. From the right penalty area, Lucas took a sharp shot, but unfortunately it went just over the goal. In the 43rd minute, Baba, seeing he was free in midfield, took a surprising long shot. It was saved by the opposing goalkeeper, but it was a well-placed shot that continued to threaten the Kashiwa goal, leading to a 2-goal advantage at halftime.

Each player showcased their strengths and achieved a convincing victory with a shutout

　In the second half, Kashiwa brought in MF Hirayama, who had been out of the team for a long time due to injury. They tried to create chances starting from the left side, but Tokyo's offensive pressure remained unchanged. Right after the start, Lucas made a through pass from a hold-up play to the front line. Suzuki got behind the defensive line but was just slightly offside. In the 50th minute, Toda received a pass from Baba in the left space, cut inside, and took a powerful shot. The goalkeeper blocked it, but Konno picked up the loose ball on the right side and crossed it into the center. Baba aimed for the goal with an overhead kick. In the 51st minute, Suzuki, who broke into the right space, won a corner kick, and from this corner, Konno made a header shot. They picked up the loose ball and continued the attack, progressing through the match without any trouble.

　In the 60th minute, Baba, surrounded by defenders, maintained possession and passed to Toda on the left side. Toda's shot struck the goalkeeper directly, but Baba's dominating performance overwhelmed Kashiwa. In the 64th minute, after chasing down the ball in the front line, Toda stole it, and Kanazawa followed up with a cross. Once again, nobody was able to connect with Toda's final pass in front of the goal, but the attack continued to be invigorated as if inspired by Baba's play.

　Kashiwa substituted DF Watanabe for DF Komine in the 72nd minute, switching to a three-back formation to launch a counterattack. In the 75th minute, Hirayama delivered a precise early cross that FW Yamashita headed down, but Kato's follow-up was caught quickly by Shiota. Tokyo substituted Wu for Suzuki in the 68th minute and Abe for Lucas in the 76th minute. Just after that, in the 77th minute, Kashiwa regained possession high up the pitch, and Baba made a brilliant last pass that floated perfectly to Abe, who exploited the space behind the advancing opponent's DF. Abe, with a quick one-touch, took a well-aimed looping shot while keeping an eye on the pursuing DF, but unfortunately, it was blocked by the post.

　In the 81st minute, the ball was taken away due to a defensive lapse on the right midfield, drawing the defenders to the center of the goal, and Hirayama, who was free in the left penalty area, took a shot. However, Shioda made a nice save to escape the danger. In the 84th minute, Miura came on for Baba, who was being cautious. After tightening up the game, in the 89th minute, a wide play was created from Konno's side change: Abe on the left → Wu in the center → Toda in front of the goal. Immediately after, Jean dropped Miura's corner kick, and Toda followed up, but it did not result in a goal. In the end, despite creating chance after chance, no additional goals were scored before time was up. However, they kept a clean sheet against Kashiwa's somewhat lackluster attack, achieving a comfortable victory with each player demonstrating their strengths. Since Kashima won against Kobe by a 3-goal margin, both teams surpassed Kobe with 6 points, but due to goal difference, they were one point behind Kashima and did not rise to first place.

【Player Comments】<Baba> "In the last league match against Kashima, I played as a forward, but today I played as an attacking midfielder and I think I was able to produce good results. However, I still wanted to score myself. Regarding the set pieces, I had been thinking about delivering fast balls during practice, so I was able to kick as I intended. For the second goal, I aimed to shoot with a low ball into the frame. I want to keep increasing the pace and keep attacking like this." <Suzuki> "It was my first time playing on the right side, but I thought I should show my characteristic of 'forward, forward' and play by targeting behind the defense. Early on, I forced a warning from the opponent during a dribble breakthrough, and I thought I could take control with that, but there are still areas to improve. Since they read my left side, I wish I could have broken through vertically more. (I was the starting point for the second goal,) but I won’t be satisfied with this and want to challenge myself to be able to play in any position."

[Summary of Manager Hara's Press Conference] "Our current challenge is to score goals. Our defense has become stable, but the forwards, especially the FW line, have not been scoring. Of course, the lineup has changed, but today Kelly, Baba, Suzuki, and Lucas, who came in replacing Ishikawa, performed well. Until now, our attacks took too much time, so we talked about actively taking shots and pressing for rebounds. If the shot doesn't go in, we would pick up the rebound, connect passes, and then deliver crosses from the outside. We were able to score exactly as planned and earned 3 points. Baba and Toda's aggressive attitude is commendable, and with Lucas involved, the tempo of the play was good. Until now, we used Kelly and Kajiyama in the central position, but Baba must have had the confidence that he could do it. Today, he showed one-trap turns and passes out to Toda on the outside, which are skills that can't be taught. He can also pass well, so although in the previous league match against Kashima he often did not take shots himself, he actually has shooting ability and I want him to score more goals. If he plays like today, we can count on him as a key player. Suzuki is also rising with the momentum to take Ishikawa's position, and this kind of competition raises the overall team strength. Moniwa, Konno, and Tokunaga were focused, and Kure and Abe showed their strengths. Shiota has not been able to play many matches behind Doi, but he kept a clean sheet and must have gained confidence. We expect growth from him. And the most effective player right now is Asari. He dedicated himself to a supporting role and held firm in every situation. I believe his work supports the team. Next, we return home, so we want to score goals and aim for 3 points."

[Summary of Coach Iketani's Press Conference] "In the current team situation, conceding the first goal is very damaging. We are struggling to score, and this is the best we can do. I want to find a way to win next time, but the players have lost their confidence, so I want to help them regain it. Hirayama is making his return after about six months, and while he is not in his best condition, we have a plan to use him from the start next time. His return is a plus."