Nabisco Cup Quarterfinals, tenaciously winning the first away game

　The Nabisco Cup final tournament is being held. In the quarterfinals, the first match will be played away against Yokohama F.Marinos. The semifinals will be played home and away, and the winner will be determined by the total of two matches (points won → goal difference → goals scored → away goals scored. In case of a tie, there will be extra time → penalty shootout). This is Tokyo's first time reaching the final tournament in three years, and the players are highly motivated. Konno and Inobu will be absent due to their participation in the Japan national team's Asian Cup, but the team will continue to fight for the title together as one.

　Yokohama FM, on the other hand, has been in good form with no losses in the last 6 league matches. Although they will be missing Japan national team's DF Nakazawa in the Nabisco Cup, DF Matsuda will return from the 16th round of the league. Their defense has been solid, keeping 3 clean sheets in a row since that match. They also press high up the field like Tokyo and quickly hit the ball to their forwards, Oshima and Sakata. In response, it is important for Tokyo to win the second ball. With coordinated defense, they want to contain Yokohama FM's MF Yamase and Yamase Yuki, who are the source of their passes, and launch quick counterattacks. If Suzuki Norio and Rychely can dominate on the wings, they should be able to create chances.

　A fierce battle is expected to take place, and in some cases, the number of away goals will affect the advancement. However, Manager Hara declared, "We won't calculate, we'll go for the win with confidence even away!" They want to keep a clean sheet in the first half and bring it to their strong second half. If they can show the same tenacity as they did in the Kashima game, they should have a chance to win.

　Today, Shigetaka Mori is starting as center back, and Asari is starting as defensive midfielder. In addition, Nagatomo (currently studying at Meiji University) who is a special designated player by JFA and J-League, is also eager and in good form, making his first appearance on the bench. On the other hand, Yokohama FM's formation is 4-1-3-2 with DF Matsuda and Kuribara as center backs, and MF Kawai as the lone defensive midfielder. The match started at exactly 7:00 PM in Tokyo, at the humid Mitsuzawa Park Stadium.

Launch a counterattack from a solid defense, leading to the desired outcome.

　In the early stages, Yokohama F.Marinos took the lead. They pressed from the front, took the ball and dominated the midfield with their passing. However, Tokyo defended with concentration and did not allow them to finish. If they won the ball, they launched counter attacks and created chances from the sides. In the 8th minute, Norio Suzuki received Kajiyama's pass and dribbled up to take a shot, but was closed down by the DF. In the 12th minute, Lucas attacked from the right side and crossed. Fukunishi attempted a direct volley from a distance, but it went far to the right. In the 15th minute, Kajiyama intercepted and dribbled past two opposing DFs on the left side, keeping the ball. There, Kanazawa overlapped aggressively and entered the area with a skillful trap, winning a corner kick.

　At 26 minutes, an indirect free kick from Doi bounced over the heads of Yokohama DF and Norio Suzuki jumped out, but he was challenged by Yokohama FM's DF Tanaka Hayato and couldn't make a shot. At 28 minutes, a long ball was sent behind Tokyo DF and Yokohama FM's FW Sakata jumped out, but Fujiyama pushed him away and escaped with a corner kick. At 30 minutes, Norio Suzuki jumped out to receive a long feed to Kanazawa's front line. The opponent's GK also jumped out and collided, but Norio Suzuki's intended kick was blocked by Yokohama DF and resulted in a corner kick. At 33 minutes, Rychely and Norio Suzuki's wide attack led to a shot by Lucas. Then, Kajiyama's cross from the left was picked up by Fukunishi, who made a precise shot, but unfortunately it went to the right.

　Yokohama FM's crosses were defended by Shigetaka MOBATA, Fujiyama, and others. In the latter half of the first half, they were given consecutive corners and free kicks, but they did not allow any goals with their focused defense. In the 44th minute, Yokohama FM's MF Koji YAMASE dribbled up and passed to FW Sakata who was running alongside him from the left. Sakata took a powerful shot from inside the left area, but Tsuchi was able to save it! They defended the corner and made it through. In terms of shots, Yokohama FM had 4 while Tokyo had only 2, but the number of chances was almost equal. As planned, the first half ended with a score of 0-0 and they headed into the second half.

Norio Suzuki scores 4 consecutive goals! Keeps Yokohama FM scoreless and wins away

　The game started moving in the second half. After 30 seconds, Fukunishi → Lucas became a wedge and returned to Fukunishi. From here, a pass is sent to Norio Suzuki, who attacks the left front line. Norio Suzuki advances with a dribble and flashes his left foot as he enters the left corner of the area! His favorite angle shot hits the post on the opposite side and is sucked into the net, giving Norio Suzuki his fourth consecutive goal and taking the lead.

　From here, the offense and defense rapidly change, with intense counterattacks. In the 53rd minute, Yokohama FM's left MF Koji YAMASE advances into the left area. He sends a floating pass to the front of the goal. FW Sakata was waiting free, but Shigetaka MOBATA clears it and FUKUNISHI starts a counterattack. From this quick attack, Rychely evades two opposing DFs and advances to the front of the goal area. The ball is blocked by a DF, but KAJIYAMA follows up with a shot. However, it goes straight to the GK. In the 56th minute, Tokyo DF clears Yokohama FM's left cross. MF Koji YAMASE tries to close in with a fierce dash, but ASARI cuts it off and turns it into a counterattack. However, both teams lack precision in their final plays and cannot create any decisive chances.

　In the 64th minute, Robert was substituted for Kanazawa due to poor physical condition, and rookie Nagatomo made his professional debut. Yokohama FM brought on FW Marques in the 57th minute and MF Kano in the 70th minute. They increased their numbers in attack and tried to score a goal. In the 71st minute, Tokyo DF blocked Yokohama FM's shot. Yokohama FM's midfielder Kawai followed up on the rebound and advanced into the area, but Tokyo DF blocked it again. Fujiyama dribbled up and launched a counterattack. In the 73rd minute, Yokohama FM's left SB Komiyama's sharp cross was headed by FW Sakata, but it narrowly missed the bar and they escaped danger.

　Tokyo made a substitution, replacing Rychely with Ishikawa in the 73rd minute. In the 77th minute, Kajiyama had to leave the pitch due to cramps. During that time, Nagatomo took a free kick from the left side. However, no one was able to connect with the ball that bounced in front of the goal. In the 79th minute, Yokohama FM brought on DF Nasu as a right back and pushed MF Tanaka Hayato forward to put pressure on Tokyo's goal. In the 80th minute, Tokyo made another substitution, with Kajiyama returning to the pitch and replacing Baba. They continued to fight without losing focus, bouncing back Yokohama FM's attacks with solid defense and launching quick attacks whenever they saw an opportunity.

　In the 84th minute, Baba crossed to the left from Ishikawa's flow and went to the left CK. From Baba's kick, Asari volleyed a shot, but the GK caught it. In the 87th minute, Yokohama FM's midfielder Kawai received his second warning and was sent off in this match. After that, they did not give Yokohama FM, who became 10 men including 5 minutes of stoppage time, a chance. They won the first game of the quarterfinals with no goals conceded and took 3 points away.

　【Player Comments】《Shige Taira》"I was able to play my own game at key moments. It was good that I regained my confidence and we were able to keep a clean sheet. When Tokyo is struggling, there is a lot of space for Yota and Inoha. They also have a lot of responsibility, so today we focused on raising our defensive line and filling in those spaces together. I always saw controlling the line as my role. In the beginning, I was a bit overwhelmed, but we were able to communicate and keep our focus for the full 90 minutes. It was tough in a stalemate situation where one goal could decide the game, but we were able to give each other instructions through eye contact and gestures, and our determination never wavered. Next, we will have a lot of fans at home and there may be times when our voices don't reach each other. But I want to keep pushing forward while looking at my teammates' expressions."《Yuto Nagatomo》"(Playing) was not awkward since we have been practicing together. But I was definitely nervous. The coach told me to defend well and I played with the mindset of not allowing any goals while we were winning. I felt confident in physical contact, but my accuracy in the final play is something I need to work on. I am happy to have played in the game and I am grateful to those around me. It was also great to have support from the fans. If I have the chance to play in the future, I will do my best for FC Tokyo, so please continue to support us."

　[Summary of Manager Hara's Press Conference] "Yokohama FM has been conceding few goals lately, and in the last 3 league matches, they have not conceded any goals. Today, we were playing at home against their strong points, their two top players and attacking players who come at us aggressively. We thought they would come at us from the front, so we planned to use players with speed like Rychely and Norio Suzuki to follow them from behind when we took the ball. In the beginning, even when we took the ball, we only passed it around close by, and they would get involved in our defense, and we would panic and clear it, only for them to pick it up again. After 20 minutes, Norio Suzuki started making runs and the ball started going to Rychely, and we were able to create some good opportunities. The most concerning thing was their restarts. They have many tall players, and in the previous league match against Oita, they scored from a restart. We instructed the team at halftime to not panic and commit fouls, and to stay focused on marking during restarts. After that, we decided to keep it simple and use the wings, or pass to Lucas and Fukunishi's feet once, and then spread out to the wings after drawing the opponent in. We were able to score a goal right after the second half started with that strategy. Kanazawa was feeling uneasy at halftime. We were considering using Nagatomo if things didn't go well. We also had the option of Ikegami, but we decided to bet on Nagatomo's strong mentality. If it didn't work out, we could have substituted Norio Suzuki and moved Rychely to the left and Nagatomo to the right. We knew Nagatomo had strength, but he did well under pressure. Ishikawa and Baba, who came on as substitutes, also stayed focused and did well. The unexpected thing this week was not just Konno, but also Inonami being away on national team duty. We have been building our rhythm with Kajiyama and Inonami up until now. With one of them gone, we thought Asari would be the best choice to maintain balance and make use of Kajiyama's attacking abilities. At first, things were a bit chaotic, but his defense was effective from the middle of the match. That also helped Morinaga. And today's result was Morinaga. We believe that this team cannot become stronger without him. His abilities are not yet at their peak, but keeping a clean sheet will give him confidence. However, it's only been one match, and Yokohama FM is not a team that will end like this. We are not just thinking about protecting this one goal. We want to prepare for a week to win at Ajinomoto Stadium."

　[Yokohama FM・Manager Hayano's Press Conference Summary] "Scoring 0 goals means that we didn't function well. Our accuracy in crosses and our ability to beat opponents one-on-one were lacking. FC Tokyo had a more focused defense and their pressing was also quick. In the first half, we were able to make side attacks, but we couldn't take many shots. There were many situations where we could have taken a shot, but we didn't. As for conceding goals, it was a momentary lapse. It can also be said that it was due to a miscommunication between center backs and not properly covering. The first match ended with the worst result, but if we can score the first goal in the second match, it will be even. It's an away game, but we will prepare to score that one goal."