Victory is the only way to advance to the Final Round!

　The final match of the Nabisco Cup qualifiers will be an away game against JEF United Chiba. In the previous match against Kashiwa, as evidenced by the shot count of 19 to 6, the momentum from the victory against Oita after 10 matches was carried forward, and we launched a rhythmical attack to take control of the game. However, we failed to deliver the final blow, resulting in a painful draw. For Tokyo, with 5 points, to advance to the final tournament, it is necessary to finish in 2nd place in Group C. Therefore, obtaining 3 points is an absolute requirement. If Kashiwa and Oita draw or worse, 2nd place will be secured, but only the top 2 teams from the 4 groups can advance to the final tournament, so it will depend on the results of other matches. The situation remains tough as we cannot advance on our own, but as long as there is even a slight possibility, we hope to see a fight that does not give up until the end.

　Chiba is currently in 1st place with 10 points, securing a spot in the top two of Group C. With a goal difference of +6, they are in a favorable situation compared to other groups. In the last match, Bulgaria national team DF Stoyanov was absent due to World Cup qualifiers but has returned. MF Mizuno and DF Mizumoto are with the U-20 Japan national team, and FW Haas has already returned to his home country due to injury, but regardless of who plays, the strategy of all-out attack and all-out defense based on abundant physical stamina remains unchanged.

　Tokyo faced Juventus four days ago. They showcased their characteristic attacking football, leading by one goal at halftime, but in the second half, they were outmatched and lost 1-4. However, it was a match that provided some hints regarding their attack. While they have not yet resolved their lack of finishing ability, it was reaffirmed that it is important to continue their current approach and improve their precision. Kurizawa, who missed the previous match against Kashiwa due to illness, returned energetically to the starting lineup, with Miyazawa replacing Miura in the defensive midfield. Additionally, forward Akamine, who has become a specially designated player, is included in the substitute list. Coach Hara mentioned that if they can bring their own style into play, they could become an interesting presence, as he knows how to score. He also participated as a trainee during the Ishigaki Island training camp and can play without any discomfort alongside the other members.

　The more aggressively Tokyo attacks, the easier it will be for Chiba to launch counterattacks. However, Coach Hara has stated, "We will play aggressively to win by taking the ball from the front and building momentum," and I want them to fight without holding back. In any case, they have no choice but to score repeatedly and bet on advancing to the Final Round. Under the unclear cloudy sky, the match started at 4:04 PM with Chiba's kickoff.

In the first half, we took a 2-point lead with the game going as planned.

　As Coach Hara said, "We must win this match and score a lot of goals," Tokyo showed an aggressive attitude from the start of the game. Forwards Yusuke KONDO and Toda applied pressure from the front, launching quick attacks using the flanks after winning the ball. Similarly, Chiba aggressively pursued the opponent's ball from the front, not allowing them much freedom. Until the 15th minute, both teams were locked in a stalemate, unable to create decisive chances as they battled for possession. In such a situation, the match finally began to change with a set piece.

　In the 21st minute, Ishikawa made a strong breakthrough on the right side, repeatedly earning corner kicks with crosses. On the third right corner kick, Ishikawa delivered a back-pass to a free Konno, who executed a direct volley shot. The bullet-like liner pierced the net, scoring the opening goal. Tokyo, looking to build on their momentum, saw Yusuke KONDO forcefully dribble through the center in the 22nd minute. In the 25th minute, Miyazawa aimed for the goal with a free kick, but the opposing defense cut it off. In the 26th minute, after a throw-in on the left side from Toda to Kurizawa, an early cross was sent to the center, where Yusuke KONDO attempted a header from a difficult position. It was a decisive moment, but the opposing GK made a super save, preventing an additional goal.

　Chiba also launched an effective counterattack against Tokyo's goal. In the 27th minute, a quick attack from Tokyo's corner kick saw MF Hanyu shoot from the left side of the area, which crossed Shioda's hands, but Jean cleared it just in time. In the 31st minute, a through pass from left MF Sakamoto reached FW Maki in the area for a shot, but Jean blocked it, resulting in a corner kick. Even outside of counterattacks, DF Stoyanov actively moved up to the midfield, creating numerical superiority and particularly focusing on attacks from the left side. Although Tokyo was somewhat on the back foot, they managed to score an additional goal from a counterattack.

　In the 34th minute, Kurizawa kept the ball on the right side of his own half, sending a through pass to Toda, who had slipped behind the opposing defender. Toda then took a powerful shot from the right side of the area, which, like the first goal, struck the net with a bullet-like liner, extending the lead to two goals. This allowed Tokyo to completely take control of the match. In the 37th minute, Toda dribbled down the left side and delivered a low cross, which Ishikawa let pass, but Kondo's shot went straight to the GK. In the 39th minute, Kondo's breakthrough was halted by Chiba DF Yuki, resulting in a free kick. Ishikawa aimed directly for the goal, and it seemed destined for the top right corner, but the GK made a great save to deny the score. In the 42nd minute, Shigeno shot from a left corner kick rebound, hitting the net, but a foul was called in front of the goal, resulting in no goal. The first half was played as planned, effectively capitalizing on scoring opportunities and leading by two goals as they headed into the second half.

Defeated by Chiba... Did not advance past the qualifiers

　Coach Hara sent the players out at halftime saying, "We don't know what can happen at 2-0. The next goal will determine the match, so let's play carefully in the first 15 minutes." However, right after the second half began, that plan completely fell apart. In the 49th minute, Chiba earned a central free kick from Jean's foul, and MF Abe aimed directly for the goal, but the DF cleared it. MF Hanyu picked up the rebound and took a shot that hit the left post and went in, resulting in a loss of one goal. This one goal completely shifted the momentum to Chiba.

As expected, Chiba quickly moved the ball to the front line and aimed to pick up the loose balls. However, Tokyo gradually found themselves pushed back by that momentum, causing their defensive line to drop and creating a large space between them and the front line, resulting in a vicious cycle where they struggled to regain possession from Chiba. Particularly in the first half, MF Popescu, who had not been effective at all, found himself in free positions more often. In an attempt to change the negative flow, Tokyo substituted Akamine for Yusuke KONDO in the 60th minute to regain momentum, but immediately allowed a goal right after.

　In the 60th minute, DF Stoyanov took a free kick near the halfway line on the right and sent it into the goal area. Just before the goal line, FW Hayashi headed it back, and Popescu scored to equalize. Two minutes later, in the 62nd minute, Popescu scored again after running in to capitalize on a punched clearance by Shiota from a right cross, turning the game around in just 17 minutes since the start of the second half.

　Tokyo had no choice but to keep attacking. In the 69th minute, Baba was substituted for Kurizawa, and in the 76th minute, Miura was brought in for Miyazawa, but it was difficult to regain the rhythm that had been disrupted. With 15 minutes left in the second half, they finally began to create attacking opportunities against a fatigued Chiba. In the 78th minute, Konno's right cross was headed down by Akamine, and Toda made a dive, but it was offside. In the 79th minute, Konno passed to Ishikawa, who delivered a line drive right cross, but it narrowly missed Akamine. In the 88th minute, Konno won a high ball challenge and surged towards the Chiba goal, evading the opposing defender with a cutback, but his shot went wide to the right. Given that this shot was the only one in the second half, it can be said that there was no attack at all in the second half. The match ended 2-3, confirming their elimination from this season's Nabisco Cup qualifiers.

　【Player Comments】《Yusuke KONDO》"I wasn't too concerned about losing one point while we were leading. The problem came after that. I feel like I was only playing defense in the second half..." 《KONNO》"We scored early, and the first half was good. The goal from the set piece went as planned, but I had been missing those in previous matches. If I had been able to score at that moment, we would have won. It's just frustrating. Looking back at the battles so far, it's not good that we haven't won. There will be a break, so we need to make corrections and switch gears to be able to win in the league." 《TODA》"I wanted to score as many goals as possible and somehow secure three points. Even when it was 2-0, we didn't fall back into defense and approached the second half with an attacking mindset. As a result, our defense may have become lax... We had been able to correct the high number of goals conceded for a while, but we ended up conceding again. It's disappointing."

　[Summary of Coach Hara's Press Conference] "We have no choice but to win, so we talked about going for goals from the start and entered the match with a mindset to surpass JEF. We started the first half well, with Konno scoring the opening goal from a corner kick, and Toda adding the second. We had other chances from corners as well. It would have been great to score a third, but at halftime, I said, '2-0 is dangerous, so let's make sure we start the second half strong.' However, the first goal we conceded came from a free kick rebound, and the second was also from a free kick. It seems like a lack of confidence; even in situations where we shouldn't have committed fouls, we went in too hard and ended up conceding goals. I think this reflects our lack of confidence in not being able to win. If we were competing normally... we are committing fouls in situations where we shouldn't. We need to correct the unnecessary fouls that lead to goals. I used Akamine because Yusuke Kondo had been playing continuously and was tired. I think Akamine showed his potential a few times and is a player with possibilities. It was a match we had to win, and many supporters came, so it’s really frustrating. However, I don't think the performance was worse than when we were on a losing streak. But now that our defense is coming together, we have players like Lucas getting injured in attack. Still, the overall balance of the team is much better than it was at one point, and we scored goals. It's very disappointing to be eliminated from the Nabisco Cup, but I want to switch our mindset and fight back starting in July."

　【Summary of Coach Ivica OSIM's Press Conference】 "It is difficult for FC Tokyo to win 6-0, and it is also difficult for Reysol to win by such a score, so in terms of calculations, it was already determined that Jeff would advance in the qualifiers. In that sense, today's match was not a big challenge for either Jeff or Tokyo. Even in that situation, Tokyo played smart football in the first half. However, they were not playing well; they were playing smart. Everyone understands that Jeff is not a team that can win without giving 100 percent effort. In the second half, we played as we usually do or as we should, and with a bit of luck, we were able to win in this way. (In the previous match against Tokyo, we played with a four-back formation) this time it was a three-back, but we just adapted to the opponent's play. We do not have the mindset of ignoring the opposing team and only playing our own game, and I don't think we are that kind of team. We have advanced in the qualifiers this time, but we do not know what will happen next. We have only divided the league teams into four groups, so it is not something special; we just won against those teams. Cup matches often have very interesting games, which is a good thing, but it is a bit disappointing that attention is focused on the national team matches. However, the Japan national team has done a tremendous job, so no one will complain about that. I have never kicked a player to motivate them; I always use words. So far, I have been able to awaken the players' spirits with words alone, but if I can't do that, I will just be the one to lose my job. The rain in the second half made it cooler for the players and easier to run. Also, the wet pitch made the ball move faster. Jeff plays that kind of football, so in that sense, luck may have been on Jeff's side."