I want to finish the first half of the season in a good way as we head towards the resumption of the league matches!

　The final match of the Nabisco Cup qualifiers, Day 6, is an away game against Avispa Fukuoka. In the previous match against Urawa, we played a game full of determination on both offense and defense, maintaining control throughout and outperforming the opponent in terms of content, but we couldn't find the decisive blow, ending in a scoreless draw. However, Kanazawa and Ozawa, who made their first starts of the season, showcased their strengths well, providing bright prospects for the future. In the last encounter (Day 4), we lost after failing to withstand Fukuoka's counterattacks, so this is a match where we want to achieve revenge.

　Tokyo will be without Lucas due to accumulated warnings. In his place, Kajiyama will return to the starting lineup, and Ozawa will be positioned in the second line. Coach Garo expressed his expectations, stating, "Kajiyama and Lucas are different types of players, but their roles remain the same. I hope for an aggressive approach in attack, aiming to penetrate into the area." Kajiyama himself also mentioned, "The way we start the match is important. From the beginning, I want to play simply by targeting behind the defense and connecting passes easily, establishing my rhythm with clear plays."

　Fukuoka, despite taking the lead in the match against Yokohama FM on the 5th day, ended up drawing and only earned 1 point. However, today, backed by home support, they are expected to come out aggressively aiming for 3 points. There are no significant tactical changes, and for Tokyo, stopping Fukuoka's sharp counterattacks is key to victory. In that sense, the play of Konno and Inoha can be seen as one of the highlights. They want to prevent crises with their solid defense and become the starting point for attacks, utilizing the speed of forwards Toda and Kawaguchi.

　Of course, winning the final game before the break is important, but we also want to dominate in terms of content with the soccer we've been playing, which focuses on increasing ball possession and attacking from the sides, leading into the league matches starting in July! The match kicked off at 3:00 PM in the hot and humid Hakata no Mori Stadium, with strong sunlight on the pitch.

Creating chances, but unable to take the shot

　Right after the match started, perhaps due to the heat, both teams moved sluggishly and passes were not connecting. In the 2nd minute, from a drop by Fukuoka's FW Kawashima in the front line, the ball was connected, and FW Yabuta took a shot from inside the area. Shiota made a save and it resulted in a corner kick. Conversely, from this corner kick, Tokyo launched a quick counterattack. Kajiyama connected the play, and finally, Kanazawa, who came up from the left, took a shot. Toda was also closing in, but the ball went to the left. After the 10th minute, Tokyo began to circulate the ball and seized opportunities. In the 11th minute, there was a left free kick, and in the 12th minute, from a right corner kick, Ozawa kicked the ball in front of the goal, but the opposing defender cleared it.

　In the 14th minute, Kanazawa broke down the left side to Kawaguchi, who advanced to the end line and delivered a cross. Kawaguchi and Toda jumped in, but it was cleared by the opposing defender, resulting in a left corner kick. The kicker Ozawa's ball was punched away by the goalkeeper, but Kawaguchi, who was at the far post, shot, sending it outside the side netting. After that, they spread the play from the center to the side, easily creating attacking shapes with direct and one-two touch passes. In the 19th minute, Tokyo connected short passes on the right side, and finally, Kawaguchi delivered a cross. It was sent to the far post, but no one was there to follow up. In the 23rd minute, Tokunaga connected to Kajiyama, and from the passes of Konno and Kawaguchi, who moved up on the right, they won a right corner kick. However, they couldn't convert it into a finish.

　In the 28th minute, Tokunaga passed to Ozawa in the center, who directed it to Konno on the right side of the area. Although he sent a floating last pass, it was blocked by the opposing defender and did not reach Kawaguchi. Fukuoka also attempted several counters, taking advantage of Tokyo's mistakes, but could not bring it to a finish. In the 34th minute, Tokyo had a great opportunity. The ball was passed from Kanazawa on the left to Ozawa, then to Konno, who sent a strong cross from the right side of the area towards the goal. Toda headed it back from the far post, and Kawaguchi rushed in to push it in with his head, but was saved by the opposing goalkeeper just inches away.

　In the 40th minute, struggling against Fukuoka's pressure in the opponent's territory, Kanazawa, Konno, and Inoha persistently regained the ball and connected it to the attack. In the end, Toda picked up the loose pass from Kawaguchi and earned a left corner kick. As the match progressed, Konno and Inoha began to establish balance at the bottom of the midfield, outpacing the opponent in both defense and offense. Kajiyama easily distributed the ball, creating the rhythm for the attack, generating chances repeatedly from the sides. Ultimately, the first half ended scoreless, and they turned to the second half.

A goal is far away... Unable to break through Fukuoka's goal until the end

　One minute into the second half, Kawaguchi received a left cross in the right area and bravely shot despite being challenged by the opposing DF. He was blocked by the opposing GK. In the following two minutes, Toda sprinted up the left side, evaded the opposing DF, and delivered a cross. Kajiyama picked up the loose ball and took a mid-range shot, but it was offside as it reached Kawaguchi at the front line. In the 49th minute, Kawaguchi's cross from the right earned a right corner kick. Kajiyama's kick was cleared by the opposing DF. In the 51st minute, from a right throw-in, Kajiyama passed to Kanazawa on the left, who delivered a cross leading to a corner kick. The corner kick was connected, and two crosses were sent in front of the goal, but were blocked by Fukuoka's tall DF.　

　In the 54th minute, Fukuoka cut off Inoha's pass and launched a counterattack. FW Miyazaki headed the cross from left MF Koga, but Shiota caught it. It was a moment of concern. In the 59th minute, Akamine was brought in to replace Ozawa. With Toda on the right and Kawaguchi on the left, it resembled a three-top formation. In the 67th minute, they initiated a wave of attacks. On the right side, Inoha delivered a cross, and Jean competed with the opposing DF in the center, but it was cleared. Kawaguchi picked up the loose ball on the left side, evaded the DF, and sent a cross to the far post, but it was again deflected by the opposing DF.

　Tokyo continues to attack. In the 72nd minute, Kajiyama passed to Tokunaga, who cut inside and crossed. The ball hit an opponent's hand in the area, but no foul was called. In the 73rd minute, Tokunaga's right cross was contested by Toda and Kawaguchi in front of the goal, and Kanazawa rushed in to shoot from the scramble, but it went over the goal. In the 76th minute, Konno headed a left corner kick from Kajiyama, but he missed the ball and it went wide of the target.

　Tokyo goes for it. In the 77th minute, Abe comes on for Kawaguchi and Suzuki comes on for Toda. Akamine moves to center forward, with Abe on the right and Suzuki on the left, forming a three-man front line to score. In the 81st minute, Tokunaga sends a cross from the right corner of the area, and Akamine, running in from the left, takes a volley but misses the target. In the 83rd minute, Abe on the right dribbles inside, receiving a pass from Akamine, and Kajiyama delivers the final pass. Suzuki, who is free, takes a shot that the goalkeeper saves, but the rebound heads towards the goal, only for the opposing defender to clear it just in time.

　In the 84th minute, Kajiwara received Abe's vertical pass on the right, evaded the opposing DF, cut inside, and took a shot! The opposing DF blocked it, and Akamine tried to head in the high ball, but the shot hit the crossbar... The goal just wouldn't break. With less than 5 minutes remaining, both teams exchanged attacks and defenses rapidly, but the match ended in a scoreless draw. Tokyo made substitutions to add momentum from the front line and went all out to score "1 goal," but they couldn't convert in crucial moments. They left issues with their finishing as they entered the break.

　【Player Comments】《Moniwa》"It was incredibly hot, and I was physically and mentally exhausted. However, in the past, even when I managed to keep a clean sheet, I often made mistakes. It felt like 'that's just me' (bitter smile). Still, today, even in this situation, I was able to push through and I don't think I made any mistakes. I feel like I've grown. Fans and those around me say I should aim for the next national team, but I can't think that far ahead yet. However, both Kaz and Shunsuke have overcome such hardships. Next, it's my turn to overcome!" 《Konno》"The balance wasn't bad, but I might have been too focused on keeping my own ball. It was necessary to be more aggressive and take shots. I think I needed a strong mindset of 'I'll take it myself, I'll score even if it's just me.' Connecting passes is for the purpose of shooting. I want to practice with shooting as the primary goal. I thought I had injured my left knee during the game, but I gradually got used to it. I'm fine now."

　[Summary of Coach Garo's Press Conference] "I think we played a good game. Overall, we connected our passes, seized the flow, and were able to control the match, but we couldn't convert the big chances we had in the first half. In the second half, the flow improved even more, and we created more chances, but we lacked the technique to finish. Regarding the referee's judgment, there was a play using hands in the area. Using hands is a foul whether it is inside or outside the area, and if it is inside the area, it results in a penalty kick. There were moments that I couldn't understand. (What was the intention behind bringing in Suzuki and Abe to form a three-top?) Before that, I also brought in Akamine, but of course, it was to be more aggressive. There were already players in the opposing defense who had received yellow cards, so we aimed to actively challenge one-on-one."

　[Summary of Coach Matsuda's Press Conference in Fukuoka] "Today, the fact that we did not concede any goals was a positive. However, the overall performance was lacking. Certainly, the heat was a factor, but that is not an excuse. There were many instances of playing defensively instead of going for the win at crucial moments. This applies not only to those who hesitated to take risks but also to those around them who did not encourage them to take action. Instead of saving energy and playing half-heartedly, we should have made a commitment to face the heat with the mindset of 'we will do this.' In the second half, I replaced the forward Yabuta, who was struggling physically, with FW Grausio, and since we were being pushed back due to a lack of power up front, I brought in FW Tanaka. We had to win, so I opted for one defensive midfielder to adopt a more aggressive approach. We are entering a break, but we will not change anything in particular. First, we will refresh ourselves, but it is important to reflect on what we have done and what we have not been able to achieve. We are not a newly promoted team, so just having good content is not enough. It is crucial to have a winning mindset and to play with the mentality of a winner."