Aim for the Title! Nabisco Cup Semifinal Round

　The Nabisco Cup Semifinal, postponed from October 9 due to the typhoon's impact, will see Verdy face off against their opponents in a home game at Ajinomoto Stadium. This match not only determines advancement to the Final Round but also represents a rivalry between clubs based in Tokyo, with both sides highly motivated, including their supporters. In this season's league matches, Verdy has won both encounters, but this is a cup match, and anything can happen in a single-elimination game. Above all, victory is absolutely non-negotiable—this will be a crucial match where results are demanded.

　Tokyo is missing Dohi and Kaji from the Japan national team, who are competing in the World Cup first qualifying round in Oman. Additionally, during this postponement period, Toda suffered an injury to his right foot. Fujiyama will serve as the right side back, and Ishikawa will start as the right midfielder for the first time since July 17 (Nabisco Cup match against Kobe). In contrast, Verdy will deploy a 3-5-2 formation. The match started under a cold, cloudy sky with a temperature of 19 degrees, kicked off by Tokyo.

Overwhelming Verdy with bold soccer

　The first shot was taken by Verdy. In the 1st minute, MF Soma entered the left area and won a corner kick, from which DF Yoneyama headed the ball. In the 3rd minute, Ishikawa advanced centrally for Tokyo and won a corner kick from Baba's right cross. Lucas contested the header from this corner, and Ishikawa, picking up the loose ball, evaded the defender with a cutback and shot. In the 4th minute, Shiota came out to punch away a right cross from Verdy. MF Yamada of Verdy took a mid-range shot, aiming for Shiota as he was returning.

　Although the match started with a back-and-forth struggle, it was Tokyo that first seized the opportunity. In the 5th minute, Kelly broke through the defense to receive a through pass from Konno and won a corner kick. Although it was initially cleared by the defense, after winning another corner kick, Lucas headed back a kick taken by Baba at the far side, and Jean pushed it in with his head for a goal! They scored the opening goal in the early 6th minute.

　After taking the lead, Tokyo started to move and excelled in ball contests, stealing the ball from aggressive pressing and launching quick attacks to push Verdy back. Then, in the 14th minute, Fujiyama intercepted the opponent's ball in his own half and passed it to Ishikawa. Ishikawa dribbled solo over a long distance. Cutting in from the right side towards the center, he feigned a shot from near the penalty arc, then delivered a perfect through pass to Lucas in front of the goal! Lucas struck with his right foot directly, sending the ball into the net. The combination of Ishikawa and Lucas quickly secured the second goal!

　The incident for Verdy occurred in the 22nd minute. MF Hayashi received a second yellow card and was sent off. For Tokyo, having a 2-goal lead and the opponent down to 10 men is an advantage, but in the past, they have often struggled against teams that were reduced to 10 men, becoming somewhat passive. This is certainly not a situation to be taken lightly. It will be interesting to see what kind of game plan they will employ for the remaining 65 minutes. In the 29th minute, Verdy's MF Yoshiyuki KOBAYASHI cut into the right area and took a shot from close range, but Shiota bravely came out to make the save. The loose ball was cleared by Shigeno, who put his body on the line. In the 35th minute, Verdy's Soma took a shot in the center after a right cross, but once again, Shiota firmly caught it.

　Tokyo focused on switching between offense and defense and fought with concentration. In the 37th minute, Fujiyama's cross was cleared by the opposing defender. Baba picked up the loose ball and made a final pass to Miura, who ran into the goal area. However, Miura's decisive shot floated over the bar. In the 39th minute, Konno, who lost the ball, fiercely fought to regain it and launched a counterattack. After connecting with Ishikawa, Baba, who received a cross-field pass, aimed for a middle shot but hit the crossbar. No goal was scored. However, in the 42nd minute, the advancing Fujiyama passed to Ishikawa on the right side, and Ishikawa attempted to break through vertically, crossing from near the end line. Lucas headed the ball into the goal! With the second connection of the day between Fujiyama, Ishikawa, and Lucas, they secured an additional point. The feelings dedicated to this match were perfectly expressed, leading by three goals as they headed into the second half.

In a turn of events, the lead of 3 points was caught up...

　The instructions from Coach Hara at halftime were, "Do not show any gaps. Be cautious of counterattacks from the opponent's right side. Apply pressure from the front and launch a quick attack." In contrast, Coach Aldirles of Verdy instructed, "Let's go all out from the start of the second half. If we score one goal, the situation will change dramatically. If you think it's a chance, take risks and go for it." And the situation unfolded exactly as Coach Aldirles had said.

　Two minutes into the second half, in the 47th minute, Verdy's forward Hiramoto competes for a long cross from the left with his head. In response, midfielder Yamada, who advanced freely from the right side to the center, scored with a header, making it a two-goal difference at 3-1. Nevertheless, Tokyo quickly launched a counterattack immediately after, with Miura receiving Ishikawa's grounded cross right in front of the goal and shooting perfectly, but it was thwarted by a nice save from the opposing GK Takagi. From the resulting corner kick, Baba's header was also saved by the GK. Following that, the opposing defender's handling of the ball was ruled as a back pass, leading to an indirect free kick opportunity from the goal area. However, Jean's shot was blocked by the wall, missing the goal.

　Verdy sent a long ball to the front line and began to gradually find their rhythm by picking up the second ball. In response, Tokyo substituted Miura for Miyazawa in the 56th minute. However, Verdy also brought in MF Hugo to replace DF Togawa, challenging with two defenders for a counterattack. In the 61st minute, Tokyo launched a quick attack with Baba delivering a ground cross. Ishikawa's shot from the right area was blocked by the opposing DF. In the 65th minute, they were continuously attacked in front of the goal, leading to a prolonged period of danger.

　In the 74th minute, Abe was brought on to replace Ishikawa. However, the rhythm that was lost was difficult to regain. Then in the 78th minute, Verdy connected from a throw-in to a long pass to Yamada on the right front, and Hiramoto challenged with a header in front of the goal. This went to Hirano just outside the area, and midfielder Kobayashi Da received a short pass and took a shot. Although Jaan initially saved it, Hiramoto kicked in the rebound, resulting in a goal. With the score narrowed to a one-point difference, just one minute later, Kobayashi Da connected a pass from the center to Hiramoto on the right, and receiving a pinpoint last pass inside the area, Kobayashi Da took a direct shot. Verdy, not showing any signs of being outnumbered, was struck by two consecutive goals, bringing the match back to square one.

Lucas's V-goal leads us to our first final!

　Finally waking up to an unbelievable turn of events, Tokyo had a big chance in the 80th minute. Baba chased a ball that came into the space on the right from Kelly, and found himself one-on-one with the GK, but was thwarted by a quick step from the defender. They earned three corner kicks from this, but couldn't score. In the 87th minute, Suzuki was brought on to replace Baba. In the 89th minute, Jean's header from a left cross by Kanazawa was saved by the GK. Lucas's follow-up shot also went off target. Tokyo pressed hard during the long five minutes of stoppage time, but instead, Verdy launched a counterattack just before the end of the second half, with Hiramoto breaking free in front of the goal from an early cross. His shot, taken after one touch, hit the post! The follow-up shot from Yoneyama went over the bar. Tokyo was lucky to escape. In the end, the tense battle saw neither side give an inch, and the match was finally taken to extra time under the V-goal rule.

　However, the clash of wills between the two resulted in an unexpectedly abrupt ending. Connecting the ball at the kickoff of the first half of extra time, Abe dribbled towards the goal and won a corner kick. Lucas met the left corner kick taken by Miyazawa with a powerful header at the far post, scoring a goal!! Just 40 seconds into extra time, Lucas's hat trick delivered a tearful, joyous goal that dealt the final blow to Verdy! This not only put an end to the grueling battle but also secured the team's first-ever spot in the Nabisco Cup final. It was an emotional moment where the coach, players, and many supporters who cheered in the stadium all exploded with joy.

　【Player Comments】<Lucas> "In the first half, we were able to play our football with good momentum. In the second half, maybe we became hesitant, but more than that, Verdy lifted their spirits and we struggled against their momentum. Being caught up with 3 goals is the responsibility of all 11 players, including myself. Frustration and the desire to win mixed together, and I was irritated before entering extra time. However, I calmed down there, and I think the team regaining focus and facing the game led to our victory. The V-goal was my first experience and it was moving." <Kanazawa> "We were careful about how we started the second half, but we ended up conceding to Verdy's efforts and couldn't pick up the second balls. We tried to endure and attack quickly, but even when we won the ball, our movements and spacing were off, and we couldn't form an attacking shape. I want to reflect and move forward." <Miura> "Since it was a cup match, rather than being cautious, we tried to apply pressure continuously. It was good that we created our rhythm in the first half... but we showed weakness at the start of the second half, conceded a goal, and gave Verdy momentum. This goal and failing to score the fourth goal to finish off the opponent when they took risks to attack were key points. However, winning was the most important thing, so I'm happy we ultimately won. I think holding back the losing pattern and the dangerous atmosphere is proof that our team strength has improved."

[Summary of Coach Hara's Press Conference] "It was 3-0 in the first half, and the opponent was down to 10 men. In the 1st stage match against Ichihara, we were caught up from a similar situation, so at halftime I told the team to stay focused. However, Verdy started the second half by quickly sending long balls forward. Especially targeting Yamada, they played to capitalize on the rebounds, and we struggled to respond. Although we ultimately won, Verdy was excellent. Until now, Verdy had an image of connecting short passes, but they abandoned that and showed a real desire to score, surpassing us. We tried to cope with substitutions and various strategies, but we couldn't contain them. Including their fighting spirit, Verdy's attack was truly impressive. Before extra time, Lucas was frustrated, but I told the players that we hadn't lost yet, and that being angry wouldn't bring back lost goals, so they needed to switch their mindset. I also told Lucas to focus only on scoring from now on, and that's exactly what happened. Ideally, if Ishikawa or Baba had scored when it was 3-0 or 3-1, it might have been easier to win, but advancing to the Final Round is never easy. Today, even players not on the field naturally gathered, and the whole team formed a circle before the match. I'm happy that the entire team created that kind of atmosphere, and many Tokyo supporters came as well. I think everyone's desire to reach the Final Round helped prevent Hiramoto's decisive shot near the end of the second half and led to Lucas's V-goal. There will be a break before the Final Round, but I thought only Tokyo could beat Urawa, so we want to win. However, for now, we will switch our focus to the next league match and aim to play like we did in the first half today."

　[Summary of the press conference by Tokyo V's coach Aldiries] "First of all, I think it was a wonderful match. It became one of the most intense matches of my life. I feel sad because we lost, but I am proud of the players. Unfortunately, we had a player sent off, and we had to fight with 10 men. Soccer is a competition, so losing is part of it. However, it is very frustrating to lose due to such decisions. FC Tokyo capitalized on their chances and advanced to the Final Round. I want to congratulate them on reaching the Final Round. Although I have lingering regrets, I want to use this experience for future matches. In soccer, you must always learn."