First National event of the season. Aiming for consecutive wins in the Nabisco Cup

　The Nabisco Cup Sec. 4 will be held at Japan National Stadium, facing Júbilo Iwata. Currently, Tokyo is in 3rd place in this qualifying league. Following the previous match against Oita, they aim for consecutive victories and want to rise by defeating 4th place Iwata. At the same time, they want to move to National and achieve a victory at home with renewed determination. However, this match will see Inoha suspended after being sent off in the league Sec. 5 match against Niigata. Additionally, Ikegami has left the team due to health issues. Therefore, the defensive line will be arranged with Konno as center-back and Tokunaga as right-back.

　Coach Hara analyzed, "Recently, the balance in the midfield has been poor. Despite having numbers in attack, we lost possession and were countered. There was a gaping space in front of the center-backs, allowing the opponent to face forward and gain momentum." At the same time, due to the makeshift combination of the defensive line, he stated, "I want Asari to be solidly positioned in front of the final line," and decided to start Asari for the first time this season. He will pair with Fukunishi as a double pivot. Up front will be Lucas, with Baba in the attacking midfield, Kurizawa on the left, and Ishikawa on the right, approaching the match with a fresh lineup.

　Yokohama has been plagued by injuries, led by DF Tanaka. However, in the match against Urawa in Sec. 5 held on the 8th, they allowed a late comeback but countered with midfield passing and sharp movements centered around MF Fabricio. They are still winless in the Nabisco Cup, so they will be aiming for 3 points to secure a spot in the Final Round. However, Tokyo cannot afford to lose in their third matchup of the season. Coach Hara stated, "We gained momentum after going down to 10 men in the Niigata match. There is a hint there. Even with fewer players, we can create decisive chances, so while adjusting our balance, we want to attack without fear," aiming for victory with a return to Tokyo's roots in their style of play!

Seized the rhythm and took the lead with Fukunishi's goal in first half stoppage time

　The cold rain that started falling in the evening gradually lightened. However, at the Japan National Stadium, where the chill could be felt, the match kicked off at 19:04 in Tokyo. From the beginning, Lucas and Baba became the focal points in the front line, with Ishikawa and Kurizawa moving well, drawing out the attacking runs of the full-backs from their fluid positioning, and finding their rhythm. In the 8th minute, Ishikawa, who drifted to the left, delivered a cross from near the goal line. It was initially blocked by the opposing defender, but Kanazawa regained possession and made a forward pass. However, it did not connect with Kurizawa, who had made a run from the right. In the 9th minute, Baba boldly aimed from mid-range. In the 10th minute, from a left throw-in, Lucas exchanged a one-two with Baba, cut inside, and took a sharp shot. However, it went wide of the target.

　In the 12th minute, Iwata's right back Inuzuka delivered a strong and fast cross. Although it didn't reach FW Karen Robert, just a minute later in the 13th minute, a long through pass was sent from the left side to the front line. FW Karen Robert quickly broke free and shot from inside the left area. The ball slipped past Shiota towards the goal, but Fujiyama cleared it just in time, escaping the danger. In the 21st minute, Lucas passed to Tokunaga on the right and sprinted towards the goal. When he became free just before the area, Tokunaga sent a floating pass, and Lucas controlled it with his chest and shot, but it went over the bar. He missed a great opportunity.

　Tokyo often picks up second balls and transitions to attack, but lacks creativity in finishing, while Iwata counters with a solid defense. In the 28th minute, a through pass to Iwata's forward is intercepted by MF Kikuchi. This is skillfully cut off by Asari with a sliding tackle. However, Iwata's FW Karen Robert then makes a run into the left area and unleashes a powerful shot. Nevertheless, the Tokyo defense remains focused and successfully defends.

　While holding the initiative and unable to score, in the 44th minute, Lucas passed to Baba, who became the pivot, and received a return pass from Lucas, who moved inside. They created a chance with a flowing combination play. Lucas's shot to the upper right of the goal was blocked by a great save from the opposing goalkeeper, but this resulted in a right corner kick. Ishikawa's kick was connected by Lucas, who played a decoy in the center, and Fukunishi quickly reacted at the far post, kicking it in cleanly for a goal! They seized the long-awaited opening goal in stoppage time, leading by one point as they headed into the second half.

Lucas adds another goal! Keeping Iwata's counterattack to just one point, achieving the first home victory

　Leading Tokyo aggressively attacked from the start of the second half. In the 45th minute, Ishikawa received a pass from the back, turned, and shot. In the 48th minute, Fukunishi broke through on the left flank, connecting with Baba in the center, and Ishikawa on the right, while Tokunaga made a grounded cross from outside. It was cleared by the opposing defense, but they initiated an attack from a wide play. In the 52nd minute, Asari, who advanced after keeping possession on the left side, took a well-controlled shot from mid-range. However, it went wide to the right.

　As time passed, both teams gradually stretched their lines, leading to a back-and-forth development. In the 58th minute, a pass was intercepted on Tokyo's left side, and it quickly connected to Iwata MF Naraoka, who rushed into the goal area. MF Naraoka's sharp shot was brilliantly saved by Shiota at the top right of the goal! After that, Tokyo also refrained from pressing recklessly from the front, organizing their formation in their own half to defend and look for chances. In the 66th minute, Lucas fiercely chased after a loose pass from Iwata DF in front of the opponent's goal. He was brought down by the opposing GK Matsui in the area, earning a penalty kick. Lucas himself converted this penalty kick with a powerful kick, scoring an additional goal at a great time!

　Yokohama, now forced to attack, launches a fierce counterattack from here. In the 71st minute, a right cross finds forward Karen Robert, who holds off defenders and takes a shot in front of the goal. In the 76th minute, a free kick was awarded to Yokohama just left of the penalty arc, but midfielder Fabricio's kick was blocked by the wall. In the final stages, it became a back-and-forth counterattack, and in the 82nd minute, Yokohama made two quick substitutions. With this change, left back Ueda moved up to play as an attacking midfielder.

　In the 83rd minute, from the right side of Iwata, right MF Ota cut in and took a shot. This danger was avoided thanks to a mistake by the opponent, but in the 85th minute, Iwata MF Ueda and FW Nakayama executed a one-two pass, allowing them to enter the penalty area. Tokyo was broken down by exploiting a gap in their marking, and finally conceded a goal. Although they continued to be pressed after this, they countered with a united defense, leading to the end of the match. They scored goals from a corner kick and a penalty kick, achieving consecutive victories in the Nabisco Cup and securing their first win of the season at home!

　【Player Comments】《Asari》"We all approached the match with the mindset of 'let's regain our momentum,' and today we had attacking momentum. My role is clear, so I was able to defend while Fukunishi pushed forward. On top of that, they covered for me well when I went forward. Being used in the match means that a balancing role is necessary. We conceded a goal at the end, but overall I think I fulfilled my role. Until now, there have been times when small things disrupted our flow, but I believed that if we fought with our feelings, we could achieve results. This time it was at National, but in the next home game at Ajinomoto, I want to play good soccer and share joy with everyone." 《Baba》"I haven't had many chances to play in matches until now, but I was prepared to step in whenever needed. I'm most happy that I got the chance in this way and that we won as a result. Today, I aimed to receive the ball as high up the pitch as possible and to play simply. I was instructed to receive the ball upfront without fear and to clearly differentiate between shooting and passing. If I don't shoot, the opposing defenders won't come forward, so I aimed to shoot more. Since it was a rainy pitch, I tried to aim for lower shots, but... Ultimately, I didn't score or assist, so next time I want to aim for both. I will prepare to get in shape and win."

　[Summary of Coach Hara's Press Conference] "Until now, we have not been able to win at home, and I think everyone was focused. Although it is the Japan National Stadium, we were able to win today, so from now on we must show our true strength. With Inoha suspended, I thought about how to handle the final line, but I decided to have Konno focus as a stopper and moved Tokunaga back to his original right position. There were options to use Yoshimoto and Ikegami, but winning or losing today's Nabisco Cup makes a huge difference. I decided on this formation to absolutely win. Also, since the final line changed, I used Asari in front of it, and the balance was good. First, we aimed to defend firmly and then attack quickly. Baba received the ball well, and Ishikawa made good runs. Kurizawa also maintained good balance. Despite the rain on a weekday, 10,000 fans came today. To respond to the fans who have supported us even though we haven't won, we talked about playing a game with heart. I believe everyone did that. Today, we did not use Olympic representatives like Inoha, Hirayama, and Kajiyama, but I thought it was important to win without them, so we deliberately kept the same formation until the end. They will do their best in the match against Syria, and the remaining players will work hard in the league. I believe this will further enhance our team strength. However, we cannot be too happy. The league matches are coming up soon, so we must switch our mindset immediately. Based on this kind of battle, we must also prepare for the next match against Oita."

　[Summary of Coach ADILSON's Press Conference] "From the start, the players of Iwata seemed to be still asleep, entering the pitch in a state lacking motivation, and we conceded a goal during the first half's stoppage time. At halftime, I inspired the players to bring out their fighting spirit. Also, since the opponent was leading, they would come out on the counter, so we discussed strategies for that, and I told them to spread the ball and deliver crosses from the outside, aiming to score from there. However, the opponent scored another goal, and although we had several good chances, unfortunately, we could only score one goal. Advancing past the Nabisco Cup qualifiers has become quite difficult, but since we have the league, we want to switch our focus."