2007 Nabisco Cup Opening!

　The 2007 Yamazaki Nabisco Cup has begun. Tokyo will face Yokohama FC, Jubilo Iwata, and Oita in the qualifying league Group C in home and away matches. In the final tournament, the top team from each of the four groups A to D, along with the top two second-place teams, will advance (as well as Urawa and Kawasaki who have already qualified). Although it will be a match against the same opponent just two days after the previous league match, Coach Hara and the players are determined, stating, "We cannot afford to lose to the same opponent again." This first match is also an important one to gain momentum for the subsequent series of matches.

　On the other hand, as you know, Iwata will be missing MF Fabricio due to suspension and FW Nishi due to injury. However, as shown in the previous match, the team has unified its will regardless of the situation and rarely shows any cracks. It is expected that Iwata will come out aggressively at home, but for Tokyo, it is important to score the first goal and take control of the match. To achieve this, as Kurizawa mentioned, "we need to be creative in our attack," it is necessary to create openings for Iwata through coordinated plays in the front line. Above all, converting chances into goals will be the key to victory.

　Tokyo's defense will see Kanazawa, who had been on a separate training regimen until the day before, left out of the squad as a precaution. Therefore, Noriyuki Suzuki will take his place as left back. Goalkeeper Shiota will also come in, stating, "I have been preparing to be ready whenever called upon. I want to communicate and lead the defense during the match." Additionally, in the attack, Wanchope and Lucas, who are making their first starts in J-League, will form a two-top, with Kurizawa on the left and Kawaguchi on the right, bringing in a fresh lineup as they aim for an aggressive battle.

　The match started at Yamaha Stadium, where the warmth of the daytime had faded, with Iwata's kickoff at exactly 19:00.

Leading with Wanchope's first goal in J League, ending the first half

　Since the start of the match, there has been a struggle for the ball, leading to a back-and-forth development. In the 6th minute, Konno cleared a right corner kick from Iwata. Ishikawa, who flowed to the left, initiated a counterattack but was unable to shoot. In the 11th minute, starting from Lucas, Wanchope in the center received a direct pass to Konno in the right area. He broke free in front of the goal but was just slightly offside. Gradually starting to take control, they launched an attack with good momentum. Then, in the 14th minute, Fujiyama picked up a cleared ball and fed it forward. Fukunishi, who had moved up from the back, reacted and dropped it to Konno, who ran directly into the area, trapping it with his chest and shooting. This pierced the top left of the goal, taking the lead.

　Tokyo continued their offensive efforts. In the 21st minute, Wanchope started a dribble down the left side from a counterattack. Although a defender came to take the ball, he knocked the opponent down and advanced into the area, passing it back to the center, where Lucas ran in and took a left-footed shot. It was a decisive moment, but it missed and was caught by the opposing GK. In the 24th minute, Ishikawa dribbled up the right side, and an early cross reached Wanchope as he entered the area. He was brought down by the opposing DF but continued to play. In the 25th minute, Konno intercepted the ball and dribbled forward, taking a bold shot that went straight to the GK.

　The entire team organized a compact defensive shape, coordinated to win the ball from the opponent, and launched quick attacks once they regained possession, although they allowed Iwata to keep the ball without creating many chances. In the 28th minute, from a free kick, Wanchope broke free in front of the goal and took a well-aimed lob shot, but the opposing GK saved it with one hand. In the 37th minute, from a right corner kick, Ishikawa's kick was met by Konno's header, but the shot went straight to the GK. It was a frustrating development as they struggled to score a second goal, but in the 43rd minute, they conceded a penalty after fouling MF Naraoka in the area during an Iwata counterattack. This was converted accurately, allowing the opponent to equalize.

　It was a frustrating turn of events, but just after that, in the 44th minute, a mistake by Iwata GK Kawaguchi allowed the ball to reach Lucas, who calmly drew in the advancing GK Kawaguchi and passed it to Wanchope in front. Wanchope then calmly slotted it into the empty goal for an additional point. The match ended the first half with this being Wanchope's first goal in J-League, leading by one point.

Allowed a tying goal due to Iwata's persistence, resulting in only 1 point earned.

　As the second half began, Iwata increased their movement in midfield, raising their ball possession and launching an attack. However, Tokyo, like in the first half, maintained concentrated defense and did not allow any shots, instead looking for chances through counterattacks. In the 58th minute, Kajiyama was brought in to replace the injured Kurisawa. In the 62nd minute, Konno intercepted the ball in their own half, and Lucas spread it to the right. Ishikawa's early cross found Wanchope in the center, while Fukunishi made a run to the far post, but they could not convert it into a shot. In the 66th minute, Hirayama was brought in to replace Wanchope in search of a breakthrough.

　However, in the 72nd minute, an incident occurs. Inohara on the right side crosses the ball, which flows all the way to the opposite side where Hirayama keeps it. From there, Kajiyama lifts the ball into the center of the goal, and Ishikawa dives in but collides with the opposing DF. He briefly gets up but is unable to continue the play. Meanwhile, Iwata launches a fierce attack and earns a left corner kick. Kawaguchi is brought in to replace Ishikawa, but in the 78th minute, Iwata's MF Murai picks up the clearance from that corner kick and delivers an early cross. DF Tanaka, who remained in the right area, heads the ball in, scoring over Shiota's head and equalizing the match.

　Tokyo switches its mindset to aim for a comeback. In the 83rd minute, Kajiyama is fouled on the left side, leading to a free kick from which Hirayama and Kawaguchi create a chance, but they cannot take a shot. This allows a counterattack from Iwata, and a shot is taken right in front of the goal, but Shiota catches it. In the 85th minute, Inoha's right cross leads to a header shot from Hirayama, but it misses and the goalkeeper catches it. After that, both teams engage in counterattacks to score, resulting in intense back-and-forth action with no moment to relax. In the 89th minute, Tokunaga receives a second warning and is sent off. Ultimately, the match ends in a draw.

　【Player Comments】<Wanchope> "The second half became a very difficult game. I also felt a bit tired. However, I think there were more chances to score. The goal was very good and it gave me confidence for the future. I came here to play for FC Tokyo, so being in the starting lineup is very pleasing. Coming on as a substitute is difficult for any player. Sometimes you can't get into the rhythm of the game, feel isolated, or lose yourself. My mindset is exactly the same as the past 10 years. I just thought about working hard and contributing to the team. In terms of play, I focused on being the first defender and scoring goals. (There were moments when you easily got past the opposing DF?) I didn’t think it was easy, but if it didn’t work once, I tried two or three times. (Did it take long to score your first goal since coming to Japan?) I don’t think it was long. Some people can score immediately, but I believe every striker must be patient. The next game will be completely different, but we play to win and prepare to improve." <Shioda> "We fought well in the first half. We were also good defensively, so it’s very disappointing to have drawn. I thought Iwata would attack from the start at home. So we entered the game cautiously, deciding whether to press forward or hold back a bit. I was told about the starting lineup today, but I have always been prepared not only for cup matches but also for regular games. So I was able to play with a normal mindset. We played good soccer and I want to think positively about earning points away, but I regret moments like the second goal conceded, which I think I could have prevented myself. To win, we need to fill in the small gaps and make corrections to win. My feeling is to play with all my effort and never lose the fighting spirit."

　[Summary of Manager Hara's Press Conference] "In the previous match, we lost against a 10-man Iwata team, so today everyone was determined to fight with the mindset of 'this is the day.' Today's trial was to start Wanchope and Shiota. Wanchope had not been in good form and was unable to show his true ability even in practice matches, but I have had various talks with him. Since he has gradually started to show his true self since last week, we decided to use him today. As expected, even in scoring situations, he did not panic inside the penalty area. Watching today, he still has his unique rhythm, and I think it is important for the team to use him well. Hirayama from the Olympic group could not be used fully, so we brought him on midway. It was very disappointing to concede the second goal from the penalty kick scene and the broken set piece, but unlike the previous match where we created chances but could not score, today we managed to score, which was good. In the next match, the Olympic group and Tokunaga will not be able to play, so we have to make use of Wanchope while managing the team. (What was the cause of being pressed in the second half?) The opponent was losing and gained momentum in the second half. We failed to connect well on the right side with Ishikawa and Inoha, and it felt like we destroyed ourselves with our own mistakes. It would have been better to defend compactly and use Fukunishi well in transitions between offense and defense. In the second half, Lucas and Wanchope got tired, and we lost the ability to create opportunities and connect plays. Kurisawa was injured, but we brought on Kajiyama to try to connect plays a bit more. We need to improve the accuracy of passes during transitions in the future to maintain connection. (Will Wanchope continue to start?) It's still uncertain. He has mostly come on as a substitute until now, and I think he has little experience coming on as a substitute. I talked with him, and he said he will perform in the real matches, and today he showed his unique rhythm. It depends on him, but we want to use him well."

　【Summary of Coach ADILSON's Press Conference】 "In the last match, we fought fully even with one player less, and I think the fatigue from that was significant. Our legs felt heavy, our movements were sluggish, and our defensive checks were slow. Additionally, there were issues with positioning, as we gave too much space on the right to the opponent, so I replaced Funatani with Murai to correct that. We improved in the second half, but we should have moved quicker when the ball reached Marquinhos and Yamamoto. In the end, I was glad we were able to equalize with Tanaka's goal, but I want to recover the 2 points we missed today in the next away match."