Nabisco Cup Sec. 4, Seize the Chance!

　Following last weekend, the Nabisco Cup will also be held this week. In the 4th round, we will face Vissel Kobe at our home, Japan National Stadium. Japan national team players Doi and Kaji will be absent, as well as injured Kelly, Ishikawa, and Lucas who will also be suspended. However, U-23 national team players Shigeta, Konno, and Tokunaga will start just like in the previous round. Yusuke Kondo, who has been performing well in recent practices, will make his first starting appearance of the season as a forward. With his rise and the team's new battle, we have high expectations.

　In today's earlier match, Kashiwa defeated Kashima, who were in first place in Group D, so even a draw would put them in first place. We want to take advantage of this opportunity and move forward with an advantage in future battles. The match started with clear skies and still some light remaining at the Japan National Stadium, with Baba and Yusuke KONDO standing at the center circle, and Tokyo kicking off.

Create a goal from an excellent combination!

　Tokyo, which has been aggressive in pressing from the start, took control of the pace and created chances one after another. In the 50th second, Baba connected a right throw-in and Tokunaga crossed it, with Yusuke KONDO heading it to win a corner kick. From this corner kick, Shigetaka MOBATA took a header shot, but it went over the goal. In the 2nd minute, Toda pressed the ball from Kobe's side change and ran up to the left area, crossing it. Although they couldn't connect in the middle, they created a close scene.

　Kobe took the lead in the 5th minute as FW Koijima connected with MF Fujimoto's cross and won a corner kick. In the 8th minute, DF Park launched a quick attack from the right side on a counter, but the cross did not reach FW Hato. In the 12th minute, Tokyo had a chance. Toda fiercely chased after the pass play by Kobe's DF line. After stealing the ball, he sprinted towards the goal, but couldn't finish in the area. However, he showed persistence and connected with MF Baba, who took a well-aimed shot. The shot was blocked by the GK and resulted in a corner kick, but in the 13th minute, Inoue's header from Baba's left corner kick found the back of the net! Inoue's strength in crucial moments was evident, as he also scored 2 goals in the 1st stage match against Kobe. However, Toda and Baba's plays leading up to the goal were also key, as they each utilized their strengths to create the opening goal.

Suzuki impressively showed off! Valuable additional point with a super goal

　At 17 minutes, Asari cuts Kobe DF's clearance and immediately sends a through pass to the front line, but Toda is offside. However, Tokyo is quick to start, stealing the ball and scattering it from Baba's keep, Yusuke Kondo's post, and approaching the Kobe goal with a fast-paced development. At 23 minutes, Yusuke Kondo receives a pass from Baba and is fouled, earning a free kick. The position was slightly to the left of the goal and the distance was close to 30 meters. However, when Suzuki swung his left foot as a decoy for Jean, the ball that ran across the wall pierced the right side of the goal and went in!! The stands were also in an uproar at this powerful kick. Even after the scoring scene, the murmurs continued for a while and spread to the stands.

　Tokyo took a 2-point lead with Suzuki's first J-League goal. They continued to dominate the field with lively play. In the 26th minute, Bamba took a long right FK and Inokoshi headed it towards the far side, but the GK caught it. In the 27th minute, Inokoshi received a feed from Bamba on the front line and ran up the left side to cross. He picked up the loose ball and launched a wave attack. In the 28th minute, Tokunaga took a middle shot.

　After 30 minutes, there were scenes where Kobe was given a chance, but in the 39th minute, a pass to Hado who came out of the area was cut off by Shioda's bold move, preventing a pinch. Towards the end of the first half, a left cross → Kondo's post → Baba aimed for a goal, but Toda, who followed up on the loose ball, was offside and the goal was not scored. Although they couldn't score an additional point, they went into the second half with a 2-point lead.

Despite conceding one point, they stand at the top of the group with three consecutive wins in the qualifying league.

　The halftime instructions from former coach were "2-0 is not a complete lead. Let's create opportunities from the sides and build up. Let's move the ball easily and attack with a good rhythm." However, Baba was substituted for Miura Fumitake in the 50th minute due to an ankle injury in the latter part of the first half, and the doctor judged that it would be difficult for him to play in the second half. In response, Kobe substituted FW Miura Tomo for midfielder Sugawara in the second half and prepared for a counterattack.

　Kobe has been caught up in the rhythm. In the 45th minute, Fujimoto took the first shot of the second half from the middle range. In the 46th minute, Tsuchiya headed the ball from a right corner kick. In the 51st minute, Fujimoto entered the left area from a quick attack and took a powerful shot, but Shioda made a nice save. In the 58th minute, Tokyo took a corner kick from the left side and picked up the loose ball to launch an attack. In the end, Miura tried to score from Inomoto's cross from the right, but narrowly missed.

　However, in the 61st minute, Yusuke Kondo received his second warning of the day and was sent off. With about 30 minutes remaining, Tokyo was forced to fight with 10 men. In the 64th minute, Abe was substituted for Suzuki. However, in the 67th minute, Toda jumped out to the area to meet a free kick and was about to shoot, but the Kobe DF cut it off just before. In the 70th minute, Abe, who received a long feed from Shigeno, was brought down and Jean aimed for the goal from a free kick, but the opponent's GK saved it. Missing the chance, in the 76th minute, Kobe's Fujimoto made a sharp early cross to Hato and Miura, who jumped into the goal area. The timing was off and the goal was not allowed, but in the 77th minute, a pass was connected from the DF line and Fujimoto made a long through pass from the left side to the front line. When this reached Hato in the area, Shigeno initially leaned his body, but the loose ball was picked up and Hato scored. The defense of Tokyo had held up well until now, but they finally conceded a goal.

　However, despite Kobe's efforts to catch up with the tie, Hato received a second warning and was sent off in the 85th minute. The final battle between 10 players on each side was a stalemate until the end. Tokyo achieved victory with a score of 2-1, taking the top spot in Group D.

【Player Comments】《Yusuke KONDO》"I was nervous, but I calmed down after the first play. However, I think I should have scored there. I was careful to drop the ball that Yuta kept without making any mistakes, and I think our combination was good in the first half. The red card was a shock. However, I want to prepare myself to keep playing without losing motivation."《Suzuki》"I felt like if I hit the free kick low, it would go in, so I talked to Jean and said, 'I want to take it. I want you to be a decoy with a feint.' It was the first time I scored in a game, even though I couldn't score in practice. I don't have confidence, but I want to keep shooting whenever I have a chance. But other than scoring, I'm completely useless. I want to be able to make an impact in the flow of the game."

[Summary of Manager Hara's Press Conference] "The start was as planned, pressing from the front and creating opportunities from the sides or through the center. We were able to score from a corner kick, with Inokoshi scoring the second goal from Baba's kick and Suzuki scoring from a free kick. We had a few chances to score another goal in the first half, but couldn't convert. In the second half, Kobe brought in Kazu and Kojima dropped back to the midfield, making their attack more aggressive. We tried to calm the game down by substituting Miura for the injured Baba, but then Kondo was sent off and things got chaotic. However, we managed to hold on and only conceded one goal. With Kashima losing to Kashiwa, getting 3 points here was crucial. Lucas was suspended, and I was planning to use Abe in a crucial moment. Kondo Yusuke, who started for the first time this season, didn't score but had good chemistry with the team. His red card was unnecessary, but he can also play as a post player and has a strong physique. Suzuki is still rough around the edges, but he has a powerful left foot. We practiced free kicks all day yesterday, but I told him to just aim for the frame because when he puts too much power, it goes off target. I also told him that he needs to become a kicker who can make the stands erupt with just a run-up, like Roberto Carlos, but I think it's hard to find a player in Japan who can kick like that. On the right side, I want him to be able to break through more smoothly and not ruin chances with handballs. He's a completely different type of player from Ishikawa, and I have high expectations for his strength and dynamism. The back line is becoming more stable. The balance between Inokoshi and Asari is also improving. We need to focus on how to score more goals and switch our mindset for the upcoming league matches." (On Inokoshi's attacking involvement) "Initially, I thought he would be a player who covers in front of the center backs, but his strength is going forward and winning the ball in high positions rather than waiting for loose balls. I wanted to pair him with Asari, who is solid defensively, and utilize Inokoshi's strengths in the front. Recently, I've been telling him to pick up the ball and go for another shot, and I think he's starting to enjoy scoring goals. He also started to move forward on corner kicks. I think he showed his attacking abilities throughout the game today. I hope he continues to grow."

[Kobe HASEK Coach's Press Conference Summary] "Today was not a bad game. I want you to have confidence. The chance of advancing to the Nabisco Cup Final Round may be small, but we still want to do our best until the end. The first goal was from a corner kick, so it was a mistake. The second goal was from a free kick, so there was nothing we could do about it."