Aim for the Title! Nabisco Cup Semifinal Round

　The semifinal round of the Nabisco Cup, which was postponed from October 9 due to the influence of a typhoon. Tokyo Verdy 1969 will face off against each other as a home game at Ajinomoto Stadium. This battle is not only for advancing to the final round, but also a match between clubs based in Tokyo, and the enthusiasm of both sides, including supporters, is high. In the league this season, there have been 2 wins in 2 games, but this is a cup match, and anything can happen in a one-shot game. In any case, victory cannot be given up――this will be an important match where results are required.

　Tokyo, where Japan national team's Tsuchi and Kaji are absent from the World Cup preliminary round in Oman. In addition, during this postponement period, Toda injured his right foot. Fujiyama serves as the right side back, and Ishikawa started for the first time since July 17th (Nabisco Cup Kobe match) as the right MF. On the other hand, Verdy deploys a 3-5-2 formation. The match started with Tokyo's kickoff under a cold cloudy sky with a temperature of 19 degrees.

Overwhelming Verdy with bold soccer

　Verdy was the first to take a shot. In the first minute, MF Soma entered the left area and took a CK, and DF Yoneyama headed the ball from the left CK. In the third minute, Tokyo also attacked through Ishikawa in the center, and he took a CK from Baba's right cross. Lucas contested for this CK with a header, and Ishikawa picked up the loose ball and dribbled past a DF to take a shot. In the fourth minute, Verdy's right cross was punched out by Shioda. Verdy's MF Yamada then took a middle shot, aiming for the rebound from Shioda's punch.

　Tokyo was the first to seize the chance in the back and forth battle in the beginning. In the 5th minute, Kelly broke through the front line and won a corner kick, following Inakano's through pass. Although it was initially cleared by the defense, they won another corner kick and Lucas headed the ball back to Jean who scored with a header on the far side! They took the lead in just 6 minutes.

　After taking the lead, Tokyo started to move and dominate the ball, stealing it from Verdy with aggressive pressing and launching quick attacks one after another. Then, in the 14th minute, Fujiyama intercepted the opponent's ball in his own half and passed it to Ishikawa. Ishikawa dribbled a long distance, cutting inside from the right side and faking a shot from near the penalty arc... before perfectly threading a through pass to Lucas in front of the goal! Lucas took a direct shot with his right foot, sending the ball into the net. The combination of Ishikawa and Lucas already earned the second goal!

　An accident happened to Verdy in the 22nd minute. MF Hayashi received his second warning and was sent off. For Tokyo, it can be said that they have an advantage with a 2-point lead and one less player on the opposing team, but they have been troubled many times by opponents who have become 10 players in the past. It is not a situation where they can let their guard down. It also became a highlight to see how they will fight for the remaining 65 minutes. In the 29th minute, Verdy's MF Yoshiyuki KOBAYASHI cut in from the right area and took a shot from close range, but Shioda bravely came out and saved it. The loose ball was cleared by Shigetaka MOBATA. In the 35th minute, Soma VERDY took a shot in the center from a right cross, but once again Shioda made a solid catch.

　Tokyo, who is focused on switching between offense and defense, fought with concentration. In the 37th minute, the opponent's defender cleared Fujiyama's cross. Baba picked up the loose ball and made a last pass to Miura, who ran into the center of the goal. However, Miura's decisive shot floated above the bar. In the 39th minute, Imakawa, who had his pass stolen, fiercely fought back and regained possession. He passed to Ishikawa, who received a pass for a side change, but his middle shot hit the crossbar. The goal was not scored. However, in the 42nd minute, Fujiyama, who had advanced forward, passed to Ishikawa on the right side, and Ishikawa attempted to break through vertically and crossed from the end line. Lucas then headed the ball into the goal! With the second hot line of the day from Fujiyama-Ishikawa-Lucas, they scored an additional point. They took a 3-point lead in the second half, expressing their feelings for this game and turning it around.

In a sudden turn of events, the game is tied with a 3-point difference...

　At halftime, coach Hara's instructions were "Don't show any gaps. Be careful of the counterattack from the opponent's right side. Let's press from the front line and launch a fast attack." On the other hand, Verdy coach Ardiles' instructions were "Let's go all out from the start of the second half. If we score one goal, the situation will completely change. If you see a chance, take the risk and go for it." And the situation turned out exactly as coach Ardiles had predicted.

　In the 47th minute, 2 minutes after the start of the second half, Verdy's FW Hiramoto competes for a long cross from the left. In response, MF Yamada, who had advanced from the right side, scores a header to make it 3-1. However, Tokyo also immediately launches a counterattack, with Miura receiving a ground cross from Ishikawa and taking a well-timed shot, but it is saved by the opposing GK Takagi. From the resulting corner kick, Baba's header is also saved by the GK. Then, the opposing DF receives a back pass from the GK, resulting in an indirect free kick from the goal area. However, Jean's shot is blocked by the wall, missing the goal.

　Verdy sends a long ball to the front line and gradually begins to pick up the second ball to get a rhythm. In response to this, Tokyo substitutes Miyazawa for Miura in the 56th minute. However, Verdy also brings in MF Hugo to replace DF Togawa. They have changed their DF to two players and are now trying to counterattack. In the 61st minute, Tokyo's Baba crosses from a quick attack. Ishikawa's shot from the right area is blocked by the opponent's DF. In the 65th minute, they continue to attack the goal and create a dangerous situation.

　In the 74th minute, Jean was substituted for Ishikawa. However, they were unable to regain their rhythm. Then in the 78th minute, Verdy connected a long pass from a throw-in, with Yamada on the right side of the front line competing for the ball with Hiramoto in front of the goal. The ball was passed to Hirano just outside the area, who then received a short pass from MF Kobayashi and took a shot. Jean initially blocked it, but the ball was kicked in by Hiramoto, resulting in a goal. With the score now only one point apart, in the following minute, Kobayashi in the center passed to Hiramoto on the right, who then received a pinpoint pass in the area and took a direct shot. Verdy, who did not seem to be behind in numbers, quickly scored two goals in succession, and the game was back to square one.

Lucas's V goal leads the team to their first final!

　Finally, in the unbelievable turn of events, Tokyo had a big chance in the 80th minute. Kelly sent a ball into the space on the right area, and Baba caught up to it, but his one-on-one with the GK was stopped by a quick start. From here, they took three CKs, but couldn't score. In the 87th minute, Suzuki was substituted for Baba. In the 89th minute, Jean's header from Kanazawa's left cross was saved by the GK. Lucas picked up the rebound, but his shot missed the frame. Tokyo pushed for a goal in the long 5 minutes of stoppage time, but in the end, Verdy countered and Hiramoto broke through in front of the goal from an early cross. He took one touch and shot, hitting the post! Yamayama's shot from the rebound went over the bar. Tokyo narrowly escaped. In the end, the intense battle ended without either side giving an inch, and the match was finally taken to extra time with the V goal system.

　However, the battle between the two sides ended surprisingly quickly. In the first half of extra time, Abe dribbled the ball and won a corner kick. Miyazawa took the left corner kick and Lucas headed it in with a high impact, scoring a hat-trick and securing the victory for Verdy in just 40 seconds into extra time. With this, they ended a tough battle and advanced to the team's first Nabisco Cup final. The coach, players, and the many supporters who cheered at the stadium all exploded with joy and emotion in this touching moment.

　【Player Comments】《Lucas》"We were able to play our soccer in a good flow in the first half. In the second half, we became weak and struggled against Verdy's strong momentum. The responsibility for conceding three goals lies with all eleven of us, including myself. I was frustrated before entering extra time, with a mix of disappointment and a strong desire to win. However, we were able to stay calm and regain our focus as a team, which I believe led to our victory. The V goal was a moving experience for me."《Kanazawa》"We were aware of the importance of our start in the second half, but we ended up being overwhelmed by Verdy's efforts and were unable to win second balls. We tried to withstand their attacks and counter quickly, but our movements after winning the ball and our distance from each other were not in sync, making it difficult to create attacking opportunities. We need to reflect on this and move forward."《Miura》"Since this was a cup match, we wanted to put pressure on our opponents rather than being cautious. It was good that we were able to establish our rhythm in the first half, but... We were too lax at the start of the second half and conceded a goal, giving Verdy momentum. Not being able to score a fourth goal when the opponent took risks and attacked was a crucial point. However, the most important thing was to win, so I am happy that we were able to do that. I think the fact that we were able to hold off the feeling of losing and being in a dangerous situation shows the strength of our team."

[Summary of Manager Hara's Press Conference] "We were up 3-0 in the first half, and the opponent was also down one player. In the first stage match against Ichihara, we were caught up in a similar situation, so at halftime I talked to the team about staying focused. However, Verdy started the second half by throwing in long balls early on. In particular, they aimed for Yamada's position and we struggled to defend against their strategy of going for loose balls. In the end, we won, but Verdy was amazing. Up until now, Verdy has had an image of playing with precise passes, but they threw that away and showed a strong desire to score, surpassing us. We tried to make substitutions and come up with different strategies, but we couldn't contain them. I think Verdy's attack was amazing, including their passion. Before going into extra time, Lucas was getting frustrated, but I told the players that we haven't lost yet and even if we're angry, we can't get back the goals we've lost, so we need to switch our mindset. When I told Lucas to focus on scoring, that's exactly what happened. If we had scored another goal, like 3-0 or 3-1, with Ishikawa or Baba's shots, we might have won more easily, but it's not easy to advance to the final. Today, even the players who didn't play in the match naturally gathered together and formed a circle, and we all approached the game together. I'm happy that the whole team was able to create that kind of atmosphere, and many Tokyo supporters came to watch. I think it was everyone's desire to go to the final that prevented Hiramoto's decisive shot at the end of the second half and led to Lucas's winning goal. There's a gap until the final, but I thought Tokyo was the only team that could beat Urawa, so I want to win. However, for now, we need to switch our mindset to the next league match and play like we did in the first half today."

　[Tokyo V · Aldires coach's press conference summary] "First of all, I think it was a great game. It was one of the most intense games in my life. I am sad because we lost, but I am proud of my players. Unfortunately, we had a player sent off and we had to play with 10 men. Soccer is a game of winning and losing. However, it is very frustrating to lose in such a decision. FC Tokyo took advantage of their chances and advanced to the final. Congratulations on reaching the final. I am disappointed, but I want to use this experience in future games. In soccer, we must always learn."