Nabisco Cup Quarterfinal Round, tenaciously securing the away first match

　The Nabisco Cup knockout tournament is being held. In the first match of the quarterfinals, we will face Yokohama F.Marinos away. Up to the Semifinal Round, matches will be played home and away, and advancement will be determined by the total of the two matches (points → goal difference → goals → away goals in that order). If all are equal, it will go to extra time and then a penalty shootout. For Tokyo, this marks a return to the knockout stage of the Nabisco Cup after three years, and the players are highly motivated. Although Konno and Inoha will be absent for the Japan national team due to the Asian Cup, the team's approach to the game remains unchanged, and everyone is united in their effort to seize the title.

　Yokohama FM, on the other hand, is in good form, remaining unbeaten in the last six league matches. In the Nabisco Cup, they will be missing Japan national team DF Nakazawa, but DF Matsuda has returned since Sec. 16 of the league. They have kept three consecutive clean sheets since that match, showing a solid defense. Like Tokyo, they apply pressure from the front and quickly pass the ball to forwards Oshima and Sakata when they regain possession. In response, it is crucial for Tokyo to win the battles for second balls. With coordinated defense, they want to suppress Yokohama FM's MF Koji Yamase and others who are the source of their passes, and launch quick counterattacks. If Noriyuki Suzuki and Rychely can gain an advantage on the flanks, they should be able to create chances.

　A fierce battle is expected, and the number of away goals may also affect advancement, but Coach Hara declared, "We won't calculate, we will boldly compete and aim for victory even away!" They want to keep a clean sheet in the first half and bring the game into their strong second half. If they can show the tenacity they displayed in the match against Kashima, there should be a chance for victory.

　Today, Shigenobu starts as center back, and Asari starts as a defensive midfielder. Additionally, Nagatomo, a special designated player from JFA/J.League (currently attending Meiji University), also showcased his eagerness and good form, making his first appearance on the bench. On the other hand, Yokohama FM pairs DF Matsuda and Kurihara as center backs, with MF Kawai serving as the lone defensive midfielder in a 4-1-3-2 formation. The match started at exactly 19:00 at Mitsuzawa.A, in the lingering humidity.

Launching a counterattack from solid defense, leading to the desired development

　In the early stages, Yokohama F.Marinos took control. They pressed from the front, regained possession, and connected passes to dominate the midfield. However, Tokyo maintained a concentrated defense, preventing any finishing opportunities. Once they regained the ball, they launched counterattacks and created chances from the flanks. In the 8th minute, Kajiwara received a pass from Suzuki Norio, advanced with a dribble, and got into shooting position, but was closed down by the DF and couldn't take the shot. In the 12th minute, Lucas attacked up the right side and delivered a cross. From a distance, Fukunishi aimed for a direct volley, but it went wide to the right. In the 15th minute, Kajiwara intercepted the ball, evaded two opposing DFs, and surged down the left side, maintaining possession. There, Kanazawa made a fierce overlapping run, skillfully trapped the ball, entered the area, and won a corner kick.

　In the 26th minute, an indirect free kick from Doi bounced high over the heads of the Yokohama defenders. Here, Noriyuki Suzuki made a run, but was challenged by Yokohama FM defender Hayate Tanaka and could not get a shot off. In the 28th minute, a long ball was played behind the Tokyo defense, and Yokohama FM forward Sakata made a run, but Fujiyama closed in and forced a corner kick. In the 30th minute, a long feed to the front line from Kanazawa saw Noriyuki Suzuki make a run. The opposing goalkeeper also came out, resulting in a collision, but Noriyuki Suzuki's attempted kick was blocked by the Yokohama defense, leading to a corner kick. In the 33rd minute, Rychely shot after a wide attack from Noriyuki Suzuki, with the rebound falling to Lucas who took a shot. Following that, a left cross from Kajiyama to Noriyuki Suzuki led to a well-aimed shot from Fukunishi, but unfortunately it went just to the right.

　Yokohama FM's crosses were defended by Shigeno and Fujiyama, who managed to escape to a corner kick. Towards the end of the first half, they were awarded consecutive corner kicks and free kicks, but with concentrated defense, they did not allow any goals. In the 44th minute, Yokohama FM's MF Koji YAMASE made a fierce dribble and passed to FW Sakata, who was running alongside him from the left. A powerful shot was taken from inside the left area, but Dohi made a save! They escaped to a corner kick and held their ground. In the first half, Yokohama FM had 4 shots compared to Tokyo's 2, which was fewer, but the number of chances was almost equal. The game unfolded as intended, and they went into the second half with a score of 0-0.

Noriyuki SUZUKI scores in four consecutive matches! Secured a clean sheet against Yokohama FM and won away.

　The match changed at the start of the second half. Just 30 seconds in, Fukunishi passed to Lucas, who played it back to Fukunishi. From there, Fukunishi sent a pass to Norio SUZUKI, who advanced with a dribble and, as he entered the left corner of the area, unleashed a powerful left-footed shot! The shot from his favorite angle hit the far post and went into the net, giving Norio SUZUKI his fourth consecutive goal and taking the lead.

　From here, the offense and defense switched rapidly, leading to intense counterattacks. In the 53rd minute, Yokohama FM's left MF Koji YAMASE entered the left area and sent a floating pass in front of the goal. FW Sakata was waiting free, but Moniwa cleared it, and Fukunishi launched a counterattack. From this quick attack, Rychely evaded two opposing DF players and advanced right in front of the goal area. The ball was blocked by the DF, but Kajiyama rushed in for a shot on the rebound. However, it went straight to the goalkeeper. In the 56th minute, Tokyo DF cleared a left cross from Yokohama FM. MF Koji YAMASE tried to rush in on the rebound, but Asari cut it off and turned to counterattack. However, both sides lacked precision in their last plays, and no decisive chances were created.

　In the 64th minute, Nagatomo, making his professional debut, was brought on to replace Kanazawa, who was taken off due to health issues. Yokohama FM brought on FW Marques in the 57th minute and MF Kano in the 70th minute. They increased their attacking numbers to try to score a goal. In the 71st minute, a shot from Yokohama FM was blocked by Tokyo DF. Here, the holding midfielder Kawai rushed in to attack up to the area, but this was also blocked by Tokyo DF. Fujiyama advanced with a dribble for a counterattack. In the 73rd minute, a sharp cross from Yokohama FM's left back Komiyama was met by FW Sakata with a header, but it just missed above the bar, avoiding a crisis.

　Tokyo substituted Ishikawa for Rychely in the 73rd minute. In the 77th minute, Kajiyama cramped up and left the pitch. 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 in DF Nasu as a right back, moving DF Hayato TANAKA forward to threaten Tokyo's goal. Tokyo also made a substitution in the 80th minute, with Kajiyama, who had returned to the pitch, being replaced by Baba. They fought without losing focus, including during substitutions, repelling Yokohama FM's attacks with solid defense and launching quick counterattacks when opportunities arose.

　In the 84th minute, Baba was substituted, and from Ishikawa's cross that flowed to the left, a corner kick was awarded. From Baba's kick, Asari took a volley shot, but the goalkeeper caught it. In the 87th minute, Yokohama FM's midfielder Kawai received a second warning in this match and was sent off. After that, including 5 minutes of stoppage time, they did not give any chances to the now 10-man Yokohama FM. They won the first leg of the quarterfinals without conceding a goal, securing 3 points away.

　【Player Comments】<Taira SHIGE> "I have started to show my own style of play at crucial moments. My confidence has returned, and it was good that we kept a clean sheet. When Tokyo is not playing well, there is a large space around Yohei and Inoha. Since they bear a heavy burden, today we raised the line and focused on everyone filling that space. I thought line control was a role expected of me. At the start, I was fully focused on doing my part, but from the middle of the game, everyone communicated vocally, and I think it was good that we didn’t lose shape throughout the 90 minutes. In this tense situation, it was tough to create a 'one-shot scoring chance,' but we gave each other instructions through eye contact and gestures, so our spirit never broke. Next time, many fans will come to the home game, and it might be hard to hear each other’s voices. I want to keep doing my best while watching my teammates’ expressions." <Nagatomo> "(Playing) felt natural since I had been practicing with the team all along. But of course, I was nervous. Coach Hara told me to 'defend firmly,' and coming on during a winning situation, I played with the determination to not let any goals in. I felt confident that I wouldn’t lose in physical contact, but my challenge is the accuracy of the final play. I think it’s important to overcome that challenge through daily practice. I’m happy to have played in the match and grateful to those around me. I was also glad to receive support from the fans. If I get to play again, I will do my best for FC Tokyo, so please keep supporting us."

　[Summary of Coach Hara's Press Conference] "Yokohama FM has recently conceded very few goals, keeping clean sheets in their last three league matches. Today, at home, I expected them to come at us aggressively from the front with their characteristic two forwards and attacking players. If we had retreated, we would have been overwhelmed by their momentum. When we gained possession, we aimed to use speedy players like Rychely and Norio SUZUKI to exploit the space behind their defense. In the early stages, even when we won the ball, we mostly played sideways passes nearby, which allowed their defense to close in, forcing us to clear hastily and lose possession again. After the 20th minute, the ball started reaching Noriyuki SUZUKI’s runs and Rychely, creating several good opportunities. The biggest threat was their restarts. They have many tall players, and in the previous league match against Oita, they scored from a restart. At halftime, I instructed the team not to commit fouls in panic and to stay focused on marking during restarts to avoid losing position. Then, we decided to simply use the flanks or play once to Lucas and Fukunishi at their feet to draw the opponents inward before switching the play outside. From that pattern, we scored just after the start of the second half. Kanazawa said he felt unwell at halftime. We planned to use Nagatomo if he couldn’t continue. Ikegami was also an option, but we bet on Nagatomo’s strong mentality. If it didn’t work out, we could have substituted Noriyuki SUZUKI, moved Rychely to the left, and Nagatomo to the right. We knew Nagatomo had strength, and he did well under tough conditions. Ishikawa and Tadashi BABA, who came on as substitutes, also stayed focused. The unexpected issue this week was not only Konno but also Inoha being away for the national team. Until now, Kajiyama and Inoha had been controlling the rhythm together. Losing one of them meant that to maximize Kajiyama’s attacking ability, we needed someone to balance the team well, and that was Asari. Although the start was a bit chaotic, his defense was effective from midway through the match, which also helped Mino. Above all, today’s success was Mino. I believe this team won’t get stronger unless he returns. His ability is still not at its peak, but finishing with zero goals conceded must have boosted his confidence. However, only one match has ended, and Yokohama FM is not a team that will stop here. We are not thinking of just protecting this one goal. We want to prepare for a week to win at Ajinomoto."

　[Yokohama FM Coach Hayano's Press Conference Summary] "Scoring 0 means we didn't function well. This includes the accuracy of crosses and the ability to evade opponents in one-on-one situations. FC Tokyo had a more focused defense and pressed quickly. In the first half, we were able to attack from the sides, but we hardly took any shots. There were many situations where we could have shot but didn't. Regarding the goals conceded, it felt like we were caught off guard for a moment. It can also be said that it was due to a lack of proper competition and coverage because of a miscommunication among the center-backs. The result of the first match was the worst possible outcome, but if we score first in the second match, it will be even. Although it's an away game, we want to prepare to score that one goal."