Aiming to break the losing streak with an aggressive play

　On the third day of the Nabisco Cup, we will face Yokohama F. Marinos at home. The team has suffered three consecutive losses since the Nabisco Cup second day match against Yokohama on April 12, and is in a difficult situation. However, in the league's ninth round match against G Osaka on the 22nd, they showed momentum towards the end despite being pushed back. It will be a crucial match where we aim to turn things around by continuing to play aggressively and break the losing streak.

　Yokohama FM, on the other hand, is also on a 4-game losing streak in the league, with only 1 draw (April 1st Tokyo match) in between. They have many injured players, including MF Dutra who has left the team due to injury. However, on the other hand, MF Maguron and MF Oku have returned, and young players such as MF Karino and DF Amano have emerged. In the midst of this, the only match this season without a goal was the previous league match against Kofu in the 9th round, and no matter who plays, they have a strong defense and a fast attacking style with power.

　Yokohama has changed their lineup significantly, with only two days of rest since their match against Kofu. DF Nakazawa is absent and FW Kubo starts on the bench. MF Karino and Shiokawa make their first start of the season. On the other hand, Tokyo's key to victory will be to press harder and not allow their opponents to play freely. If they can also capitalize on their chances, they should have a good chance of winning. This will be the third match between Yokohama and Tokyo this season, but instead of focusing on their opponent's tactics, they should focus on their own and take risks without fear in order to aim for 3 points.

　Tokyo's Lucas will play as the top forward, with Inonami as the right fullback, and Kawaguchi and Akamine as the starting forwards. Due to injuries, Kurisawa and Tokunaga will not be playing today. The match started at 7pm at the chilly Ajinomoto Stadium, which is unexpected for spring weather.

Although they aggressively attacked, Yokohama was able to score one chance.

　Early in the game, Tokyo creates a big chance. In the 3rd minute, Jean cuts off the opponent's invasion towards the goal. Lucas passes to Kajiyama, who then sprints down the left side and passes to Akamine on the front line. Inano drops the cross from Akamine with his head, and Lucas is free in front of the goal! However, his trap is too heavy and he misses the chance. Nevertheless, they continue to attack and find their rhythm by connecting the ball well.

　At 10 minutes, Akamine dropped Suzuki's early cross and Lucas took a shot. At 14 minutes, Inoba broke through the middle with a one-two with Akamine on the right side. He sent a fast ground pass from a deep position to the front of the goal. The opponent's defender cut it off with a sliding tackle, but Kajiyama, Miyazawa's passing, Inoba's effective attacks, and Akamine's reliable post play created attacking opportunities one after another.

　However, in the 21st minute, Tokyo's cross was caught by the Yokohama GK and the ball went to the opponent. Yokohama FM initially passed the ball around with their DF line, but then suddenly increased their speed. Left MF Shiozawa ran up the left side with a one-two with FW Oshima. Tokyo was unable to prevent this and a cross was made in front of the goal. Yokohama FW Yoshida received the ball in front and attracted the attention of Tokyo DF, then made a last pass to MF Hayato TANAKA who ran in from behind. TANAKA's shot was initially saved by Doi, but then the rebound was put in, breaking the goal.

　The team had a good chance, but they didn't lose their momentum. In the 24th minute, Kajiyama intercepted the ball in the opponent's half and quickly passed it to Kawaguchi who was running diagonally towards the goal from the left. However, the opponent's defender cleared the ball before Kawaguchi could take a shot. From the resulting corner kick, Akamine took a volley shot in front of the goal, but the opponent's GK made a good save. Kawaguchi then took another shot from the left, but the GK once again made a great save. In the 36th minute, Miyazawa received a clearance from a corner kick and passed it to Kajiyama who then took a shot, but they were unable to score. They went into the second half trailing by one goal.

One step short...Nabisco Cup 3 consecutive losses

　In the second half, we took control of the pace from the start and aggressively attacked. In the 46th minute, Kawaguchi's cross to the left found Akamine in front of the goal. Although he was challenged by the opponent's defender and couldn't take the shot, Inonami picked up the loose ball and crossed it to the right. Kajiyama ran in at the far goal line and headed it in for a goal! We equalized with a persistent wave attack!

　Afterwards, Yokohama FM continued to play the game and created chances. In the 52nd minute, the opponent committed a handball foul, giving a free kick just outside the left area. However, Miyazawa's kick was cleared by the opponent's DF. In the 54th minute, Kawaguchi was fouled on the right side and Suzuki took a direct shot on goal from the free kick, but was blocked by the opponent's DF. In the 59th minute, Akamine received a feed from Inaba and took on the challenge on the right side, resulting in a corner kick. From here, Jean took a shot but missed the target. Despite having the advantage, crosses and free kicks were all blocked by Yokohama's tall DFs...

　In the 64th minute, Kawaguchi, who received Inaba's pass in front of the goal, was surrounded by the opposing DF and lost the ball. From here, Yokohama DF Matsuda dribbles up. Tokyo couldn't stop this. And then, a looping shot that took advantage of the unexpected was scored over Doi's head... Tokyo was once again chasing from behind. In the 65th minute, Sasa was brought on and they switched to a 3-man attack.

　However, Yokohama also gained momentum and the game continued with back and forth action. In the end, in the 89th minute, Suzuki made a breakthrough in the center and launched a wave attack, but Kawaguchi's shot hit the top of the bar. In stoppage time, Sasa's header was also blocked by the opponent's goalkeeper and the time was up. The accuracy and ingenuity of the finish fell just short, resulting in a 1-2 defeat. This marks the third consecutive loss in the Nabisco Cup. They have yet to earn any points and the situation for advancing to the final round is now difficult.

　【Player Comments】《Kajiyama》"The goal came from a good ball from Inonami, so I was determined to score. It was my first time scoring with a header, but all I had to do was hit it. In the beginning of the second half, we were pushing forward and had a good flow, but... In the first half, Miyazawa and Konno were balancing behind me, so I was able to play freely in front. I think our performance was good, but... If we finish properly, the results will come. I want to think positively and switch to the next game."《Akamine》"It's a shame we couldn't score. I tried to play my own game as instructed by the coach, but the opponent was able to score their chances. We had chances, but lacked finishing. If we don't score when we have the chance, this is the result. We want to combine our strengths and win the next game for sure."

　[Summary of Manager Garo's Press Conference] "Unfortunately, we didn't get the results we wanted, but in the first half, I think there was only one chance for Yokohama FM to score. We had several chances in the first half. In the second half, we also had decisive chances and we were able to equalize once, but Yokohama DF Matsuda scored a wonderful, beautiful goal for their second point. However, I also think we were able to play our own game. The players were all motivated and gave their all. I am proud of the players' performance today. We may not be getting the results we want right now, but I believe it will lead to results in the future. We always want to play good games, but we have many young players and it's not always easy. However, we are always striving to reach a high level. It may take some time for our style of play to become ingrained, but I believe we are on the right track. I have been playing soccer for a long time and I know that the team is not on the wrong path."

　[Yokohama FM Okada Press Conference Summary] "We had many players with poor physical condition and injuries, so we used players who don't usually play, but they fought really well. They followed our game plan thoroughly. Also, the back three, led by Matsuda, didn't lose focus until the end. We dropped back a little too much in the end, but we were lucky and managed to win. I am satisfied that the players fought until the end. (Matsuda's goal) No matter who scores, a goal is a goal. Matsuda now knows that even if he scores, he won't get carried away. He is leading the team, so I am glad he was able to score. Nakanishi, who made his first appearance this season, hasn't played in a game-like situation, so it was a sudden debut. Maguron's physical condition wasn't good and his stamina was decreasing, so I thought it was more important to have players who could run rather than players with skill, and I decided to use him. As expected of a veteran, he did the minimum."