We can't afford to lose any more, let's defeat the Nabisco Cup champions!

　Sec. 31 will be a battle against JEF United Chiba at home. This season, this matchup will be the fourth encounter, including the Nabisco Cup qualifying league, and we have lost all three previous matches. Because of this, the players showed considerable determination, stating, "We cannot afford to lose all four matches." Coach Hara also reflected on the past encounters, saying, "All three matches were close, and we lost by just one goal. The performance was not bad at all, and only a slight difference determined the outcome." He added, "Chiba had stability, but given our current condition, we are not losing in terms of work rate, reaction to loose balls, or the speed of switching between offense and defense."

　Chiba, who won the title in the recent Nabisco Cup, is currently in 5th place in the league. They are 7 points behind the leaders G Osaka and will likely aim for victory even away, hoping for a turnaround. In this match, DF Stoyanov, who plays in the center of the three-back formation, is suspended, and Nakajima will be used in the DF line. "We will defend firmly in a man-to-man style, and when we attack, the DF line will also push forward. If we fall back, we will be played as Chiba wants," said Coach Hara.

　Chiba's characteristic is breaking down the opponent's defense with combinations from the front, while making high positional advances from the sides. In the league, since Sec. 23 on September 10, Tokyo has been undefeated with 4 wins and 4 draws, while Chiba has also been nearly equal in numbers with 5 wins and 5 draws since Sec. 21 on August 27. To counter this, it will be necessary to apply pressure from the front more than ever and to switch quickly from defense to attack. Coach Hara continues, "We must not just defend against the Nabisco Cup champions, but fight with a challenging spirit." Launching speedy attacks and breaking Chiba's stability are the conditions for victory. Fight aggressively and aim for victory at home!

In the previous match against Kashima, Moniwa and Kaji suffered ankle injuries. They continued to adjust with a different menu during the first half of this week, but today they appeared in good spirits and were named in the starting lineup. The match started at 14:04 with Chiba's kickoff at Ajinomoto Stadium, which felt the arrival of true winter.

F.C. TOKYO Tackle The Nabisco Champs

Jef United Chiba was the visitor for the 31st game of the season. The two clubs had met three times previously this year, twice in the Nabisco Cup, and Jef had won all three matches. The players and manager Hara were determined not to allow a clean sweep: "We didn't play badly at all and lost the games by only a single goal each time," he commented, "there really isn't much difference between the two teams." He continued, "Chiba are a very solid team but in terms of running, picking up the loose balls and switching from defense to attack we're second to none right now."
Nabisco Cup winners Chiba lay in 5th place in the league at kick-off, seven points behind leaders Gamba. A faint hope of a first league title remained and the team could be expected to go all out for a win. Central defender Stoyanov was suspended and Nakajima took his place in the three-man backline. "We have to tightly mark up man-to-man and get defenders forward to join the attack," commented manager Hara, "If we play too deeply then they will be all over us."
The principal features of Chiba's game are late runs from deep positions, wing players pushing high upfield and sharp interplay between the forwards. Like TOKYO, the club was unbeaten in the previous 8 games. To stand a chance of victory TOKYO would need to aggressively throw Chiba off their stride and attack at high speed.
Following a rapid recovery from an ankle injury sustained in the Antlers game and a week of training separately from the rest of the squad, Moniwa was named to the starting eleven. Winter had finally arrived in Tokyo and Chiba kicked off shortly after 2pm on a sunny but chill afternoon.

Both teams play speedy football, but fail to capitalize on scoring opportunities.

　From the start, both teams played a speedy style of football. Tokyo applied pressure from the front, picked up second balls effectively, and created many shooting opportunities. In the 3rd minute, Noriyuki Suzuki connected with a loose ball from a cross, and Fujiyama, who advanced from the side, took a shot. In the 5th minute, Jean cut a right cross from Chiba. Noriyuki Suzuki dribbled forward, and in the end, Kajiyama, who advanced from the right, took a shot, but it was caught by the goalkeeper. In the 9th minute, Lucas broke out on the right side, evaded the opposing DF, and passed to the center. Kajiyama, who received the pass, was slightly off-timing and couldn't shoot, passing it back to Lucas. The shot he took was blocked by the opposing DF.

　On the other hand, Chiba launched a fast counterattack, closing in on the Tokyo goal. In the 12th minute, a pass from right MF Sakamoto reached FW Maki in the right area, leading to a shot. The Tokyo defense blocked it, resulting in a corner kick. From this corner, MF Abe connected with a looping shot from the center. Doihy saved it just off the crossbar, escaping to another corner kick. The offense and defense switched rapidly, and in the 17th minute, Tokyo had a decisive moment. From a quick attack, Kaji's right cross found Norio SUZUKI, who was free at the far post, but his direct shot missed the target, missing the chance to take the lead.

　In the 18th minute, Chiba's FW Haas cut into the left area, passed to MF Yamagishi, and FW Maki shot from inside the right area. In the 26th minute, a counter-attack led to a decisive shot from FW Maki, but Doi made a nice save! After surviving the crisis, in the 29th minute, Lucas dropped a right cross, and Yoshiro ABE, who ran into the center, shot but was blocked by the defense. In the 35th minute, they stole the opponent's ball in their own half, and immediately Lucas made a big switch to the right front line. Yoshiro ABE caught up, cut back against the opponent's DF on the right side of the area, and shot, but it went over the bar. In the 37th minute, they earned their first direct free kick of the day, and from about 25m left of the goal, Norio SUZUKI aimed directly but was blocked by the opponent's wall.

　It was a back-and-forth match where either team could have scored, with both sides running well and executing cohesive offensive and defensive plays. The exciting exchanges continued, and as a result, the number of shots in the first half was 11 for Tokyo and 8 for Chiba, but neither team was able to capitalize on their scoring opportunities, leaving the outcome to be decided in the second half.

High Tempo First Half Yields No Goals

The match began at a frantic pace. TOKYO seized the early initiative with some hard pressing from the front that created possession and chances. In the third minute Fujiyama latched onto a loose ball following Suzuki's run and cross but failed to hit the target. Jean cut out a cross from the right in the 5th minute then set Suzuki away down the wing; Suzuki centered to Kajiyama but Kushino, in the Jef goal, held his effort comfortably. In the 9th minute Lucas evaded the Chiba defense down the right and rolled a pass forward to Kajiyama in a central position. Kajiyama failed to control the ball cleanly and it rebounded to Lucas who struck his shot against a defender.
Chiba threatened on typically fast counter attacks. In the 12th minute midfielder Sakamoto slid a pass into the path of Maki inside the area. The TOKYO defense blocked Maki's shot out for a corner that was cleared but only as far as Abe just outside the area. Abe produced a dipping lob that Doi tipped over the bar diving backwards at full stretch. The end to end nature of the game continued and TOKYO produced a clear chance in the 17th minute. Kaji steamed down the right flank before crossing to Suzuki, completely unmarked, racing into the Chiba penalty area. Suzuki took the ball first time on the run but directed his shot wide of the post.
Haas and Yamagishi combined neatly to set up Maki in the 18th minute before Doi produced a stunning save to deny Maki the opening goal in the 26th minute. Abe lashed Lucas' knock down against a defender in the 29th minute and then fired over the bar in the 35th minute after cutting inside a defender on the right wing. TOKYO earned the first direct free kick of the proceedings in the 37th minute, around 25 meters from the Chiba goal, but Suzuki smashed it into the wall.
The thrilling, open football continued and although both sides looked capable of scoring at any moment neither did and the first period ended 0-0. TOKYO had mustered 11 shots while Chiba managed 8 over the course of a highly entertaining 45 minutes.

Kajiyama and Yoshiro ABE's goals secure a thrilling contest of offense and defense!!

　Tokyo applied pressure from the start, and the back line consistently displayed stable play. In the 46th minute, a pass from Chiba's right side found MF Mizuno breaking into the area, but Shigeno closed in tightly, and Doih saved the shot. In the 48th minute, a pass from right-side FW Haas went to DF Nakajima, who advanced into the area. Nakajima drew in the Tokyo DF and passed to the left. MF Yamagishi's decisive shot, taken while free, went over the bar, avoiding danger.

　However, thanks to the stability of the defense, both midfielders Konno and Kajiyama were actively involved in the attack, creating chances for Tokyo. In the 51st minute, Konno intercepted a throw-in from Chiba on the left side and headed the ball to Lucas in the center. Lucas quickly sent a floating pass to the front line. Konno persistently chased after it again, shaking off the opposing defender in the area and delivering a backward pass in front of the goal. Kajiyama, who ran in, connected with it directly and scored! Konno's persistence and aggressive play assisted the goal, and Kajiyama finished it off perfectly to take the lead!

　Taking this opportunity, the pace of the match slowed down a bit. However, in the 64th minute, Chiba launched a quick attack. From a fast restart, MF Sakamoto passed to MF Yamagishi in the right area, who then set up the free FW Haas for a goal. The defense was caught off guard for a moment, allowing Haas to score the equalizer. However, Tokyo calmly aimed for an additional goal. In the 69th minute, Dohi saved a corner kick from Chiba. This led to a quick counterattack, with Yoshiro ABE moving to the left front. Noriyuki SUZUKI, who had caught up, made a dribble, evaded the opposing defender, and took a shot from a tight angle! Unfortunately, the ball hit the crossbar and bounced back.

　Chiba brought in FW Hayashi and MF Hanyu consecutively in the 74th and 75th minutes, challenging with a three-top formation. Tokyo also substituted Kurizawa for Baba in the 74th minute and Sasa for Norio Suzuki in the 79th minute. Both teams chased the ball well and connected to finish. In the 83rd minute, Kajiwara picked up a loose ball outside the right area, feigned a shot, evaded the opposing defender, and then shot. It was a skillful play, but it just went over the bar.

　And finally, the aggressive attitude leads to a go-ahead goal. In the 84th minute, Kajiyama's middle shot is cleared by the opposing defender. Kurizawa connects with a header to Yoshiro ABE on the left side of the area. ABE evades the opposing defender and swiftly strikes with his right foot! This goal secures the lead. For the next 10 minutes, they maintain a calm game strategy, pulling away from Chiba, and the time is up! With passionate play and an offensive stance, they achieve a resounding victory at home. At the same time, they accumulate 42 points, confirming their battle in the J1 stage next season.

　【Player Comments】《Kajiwara》"More than anything, I'm happy that we won. We couldn't afford to lose in the fourth match against JEF. I believed that the ball would come from the good cut made by Konno-san, so I just ran to that spot. We created chances from the first half, but finishing was an issue. I took a lot of shots myself, but I want to improve my accuracy to score two or three goals. In the remaining three matches, I want to keep aiming for goals to score more." 《Yoshiro ABE》"The moment I shot, I knew it was going in. Kuri connected, and the timing was right when I received the ball. I thought about shooting there, but there was no angle, and I didn't feel it would go in. So, I carried it inside. The opposing goalkeeper was also blind to it, and 45 degrees is my favorite angle. I was able to bring it to my strong point. Today, the opponent was also running, so I didn't want to lose in that aspect. Instead of defending, we wanted to attack and not let JEF play their football... that tactic worked well. In the remaining three matches, I want to play our football and extend our winning streak."

　【Summary of Coach Hara's Press Conference】 "JEF is the champion of this season's Nabisco Cup. We approached the match determined not to lose as the champions from last season. JEF has a quick transition between offense and defense, and they have a lot of stamina, so we focused on not losing in that aspect. I watched JEF's recent matches, and they have changed compared to before. While they still defend man-to-man, they have many players moving forward from ball possession, which makes it difficult to keep track of them. Therefore, if we retreat out of fear, it will play into their pace. For example, even if MF Sakamoto is marking Yoshiro ABE, when it comes to offense, he releases the mark and moves forward. I instructed that ABE should not retreat out of fear, and even if the defense is in a man-to-man situation, we should go for the ball from the front. Chiba will be missing DF Stoyanov, but they are a team that gains rhythm by connecting the ball. Even if they kick long balls, we are not afraid. We talked about going forward, determining which team has momentum, who can recover the ball more, and fighting with confidence. Since both teams will press from the front, we are aware that if we lose the ball poorly, it could lead to a counterattack, but we decided to take the risk. By placing ABE and Norio SUZUKI on the sides, we considered that two of JEF's three back defenders would have to come out to the sides, or space would open up on the sides, so we initially chose a three-top formation. Today, Konno and Kajiwara worked hard, repeatedly picking up the ball and assisting by breaking forward. This season has been a tough battle, but the young players have held their ground, and breaking through that gives us confidence and connects to their future. Until last year, we had drawn all four matches against Coach OSIM. This season, we faced them when Tokyo was not in good form, and we lost in both the league and Nabisco. Excluding that Nabisco match, we have had four draws and one loss in the league so far, and I thought we had to win at least once against Coach OSIM. JEF really comes to fight without fear, so we were able to play a good match as intended without fear. After scoring one goal, if we had shown even a little fear, we would have conceded. Therefore, I brought in Kurizawa and Sasa to send the message to go without fear. We also had the support of many fans who came to the venue."

　【Summary of Coach Ivica OSIM's Press Conference】 "Today the pitch was also bad. It was a match where both sides fought aggressively, but Jeff made the same mistake again. Jeff is not learning anything at the moment. Today, Tokyo had a better performance. It is easy to explain to the players how the goals were conceded, but there are some players in Jeff who cannot grow because when I demand more from them, it becomes a source of stress. Of course, the current Jeff has expectations from the audience and many people. However, there are players who cannot withstand or respond to those high expectations. The question is what to do about that. I wouldn't say they lack vision. Everyone has ambition. However, even if they have it, they must show it outwardly. Jeff has been making the same mistakes for the last 4 to 5 matches. A person who aims to achieve something does not make the same mistake. It should be enough to make it once. Yet it is being repeated two or three times. That is the problem."

Kajiyama, Abe On Target In Thriller

TOKYO maintained their solid defence and continued to harry Chiba from the front as the second half began. In the 46th minute, Moniwa smoothly dealt with Mizuno's encroachment into the area to chase a long ball and Doi cleaned up the danger. Chiba midfielder Yamagishi blazed over the bar when he should have put his side ahead in the 48th minute after defender Nakajima had pulled the TOKYO defence towards him on the edge of the area before slipping the ball out to the left. Twin defensive midfielders Konno and Kajiyama were proving highly effective for TOKYO, finding space to join the attack. In the 51st minute, Konno stole in front of the receiver at a Chiba throw-in and nodded the ball on to Lucas; Lucas clipped a floated pass forward and Konno gave chase. Displaying his strength and technique, Konno won the ball back from a defender, raced to the byline and cut it back for the onrushing Kajiyama to drive it first time inside the near post. Konno's remarkable tenacity and Kajiyama's assured strike had given TOKYO the lead.
The frenetic pace began to slowly flag until a momentary lapse allowed Jef a foothold in the game. A quick restart down the TOKYO right saw Sakamoto play the ball into the area and the unmarked Haas drove it high into the net for the equaliser. TOKYO responded to the setback in style with Suzuki haring down the wing and turning a defender inside out before hammering the ball against the bar from a seemingly impossible angle.
Chiba sent on Hanyu and Hayashi and moved to a three striker formation as the match entered the final 15 minutes. TOKYO responded by replacing Baba with Kurisawa and Suzuki with Sasa. Both sides strove mightily to find the goal that would surely decide the contest. Kajiyama twisted and turned to make room for a shot on the edge of the area in the 83rd minute but fired high. TOKYO's commitment finally paid off a minute later. A Jef defender blocked Kajiyama's shot but Kurisawa leapt to head the ball forward towards Abe on the edge of the area. Abe jinked in front of a defender before unleashing a drive that beat Kushino at his far post.
TOKYO comfortably retained possession and ran down the ten minutes or so that remained. A spirited display had earned a highly satisfactory win and guaranteed J1 football for the following season.


Players' comments 
Kajiyama 
"Above all else I'm pleased with the win today. We weren't going to lose to Jef four times in one year. For the goal Konno made a great interception and I was convinced the ball would come my way. I just ran into the position. We made several chances in the first half but the finishing remains a problem. I could have had two or three myself today. In the three games left I'm going to do my best to improve my goal tally". 

Abe
"I knew it was going in as soon as I hit it. Kurisawa got a nice touch on the ball but I didn't have a clear sight of goal so I moved it along. Their goalkeeper's view was obstructed and that 45 degree angle is my favourite. We knew they would run hard today and we were determined not to lose out on work rate. Our tactics of not playing too deeply and not allowing them to play their game worked out well. We just want to play our own game in the remaining matches and win them all".


TOKYO manager Hara
"Jef are this year's Nabisco Cup champions but as last year's winners we were determined not to lose today. Their style has changed slightly; they now get men forward in greater numbers and try to swamp the opposition. If you play too deeply they can overwhelm you but if you don't then markers can be lost and space appears in their defence. Both sides like to attack and we felt that if we accepted the possibility of losing the ball in dangerous positions then it was worth the risk to push forward. Konno and Kajiyama played very well today and this result will be another great confidence boost for the younger players. Up until last year we had played 4 draws with Osim's Jef United; they caught us at a bad time earlier this year and beat us three times. Now we can say we have pulled one back on them. After we took the lead we became a little fearful and that allowed them to get back into the game. So we sent on Kurisawa and Sasa to reinforce the aggressive forward momentum. The crowd also played their part in the win".

Jef United manager Osim
"The pitch was in poor condition today. Both sides played aggressively but Jef made the same mistakes over and over again. The team is just not learning anything at the moment. TOKYO played better today. When we explain what we want from the team some players suffer stress and can't respond to it. Our fans have high expectations of the team but unfortunately some players can't live up to those expectations. They can't deal with it. In the last four or five games the same mistakes have been made over and over again. This is a major problem".