Bravely challenge even away, and achieve the first victory in the Nabisco!

　In the Nabisco Cup qualifying league Sec. 2, we will face Júbilo Iwata away. In the previous match against Shimizu, we connected passes and attacked the opponent's goal, but it did not lead to a score. Conversely, we suffered defeat due to the opponent's skillful game management and decisive power at crucial moments. As Coach Jofuku mentioned, "I want to make this a team that does not suffer consecutive losses, including in the league. In that sense, we will approach the away game with a stronger mindset," we aim to challenge boldly and achieve our first victory in the Nabisco Cup at all costs.

　Yokohama FC faced Iwata, who lost their opening match but has won their last two games convincingly. Under the guidance of coach Atsushi UCHIYAMA, the team's concept and individual roles have become well established, continuing from last season. In the previous match, they secured victory with a quick attack. We need to pay close attention to the speed of the newly joined forward Bandai and midfielder Nishi. Additionally, against Iwata's 3-5-2 formation, we want to exploit the spaces on the sides, but coach Jofuku warned, "It would be nice if they easily left spaces, but Iwata has strengths that led them to adopt the 3-5-2 formation."

　Tokyo has changed its starting lineup since the Shimizu match. Notably, Ohtake will make his first start in place of Ishikawa, who injured his foot. Ohtake expressed, "There are players like Yamamoto from Iwata, as well as rookies who are playing in matches, so it wouldn't be surprising if I started. However, as a starter, I must prioritize getting the team's rhythm. I want to play simply where it should be simple and aim to give my all from the beginning." Coach Jofuku stated, "Players who have been given opportunities and produced results are emerging, and everyone's motivation, including the substitutes, is high." We hope to see the rise of new members.

　Iwata is as skillful as Shimizu in terms of game management, but they want to take their time and extend "their time" without rushing. On top of that, they aim to achieve victory by making proactive challenges to break down their strengths, which are a strong midfield and solid defense. The match will start at Yamaha Stadium(Iwata) at exactly 14:00 with a kickoff in Tokyo.

Both teams created scoring opportunities, but the first half ended with no goals.

　The match progressed with a fast-paced exchange of offense and defense from the start. Both teams quickly moved the ball forward from concentrated defense, fiercely contesting possession, and neither created any decisive chances. However, as time passed, Tokyo launched side attacks that exploited the space in the Iwata DF, finding their rhythm. In the 21st minute, Cabore dropped a cross from Tokunaga on the right side, and Akamine was in shooting position but was offside. In the 24th minute, Kajiyama passed to Cabore, who surged up the left side. He got past the opposing DF and delivered a cross, but it didn't connect with Akamine, who had jumped in from the far side. The ball then slipped to the opposite side, where Kajiyama picked it up and delivered another cross, but the opposing DF cleared it.

　In the 27th minute, Kanazawa on the left side sent a long ball to the front line, which reached Akamine who skillfully got behind the opposing defense, and he took a direct shot. However, he could not hit the target. In the 33rd minute, on the right side of the opponent's half, Cabore dropped the ball, and Otake dribbled before sending a through pass to Cabore who ran into the area again. Cabore stretched out to receive the pass from behind, moved forward, and shot. It was a decisive chance, but it was thwarted by a great save from the opposing goalkeeper.

　In the 38th minute, after a quick transition from the opponent's corner kick, Tokunaga sprinted from his own half to the front of the Iwata goal with a dribble. He boldly aimed for the goal from just outside the area, but was thwarted by the goalkeeper. Conversely, in the 44th minute, Iwata launched a quick attack where MF Ota drew the Tokyo defense in front of the goal, passing to FW Bandai who came up from the right. FW Bandai took a decisive shot, but Shioda made a great save to avert the crisis. Throughout the match, there was a captivating back-and-forth battle, with both sides holding firm, and the teams went into halftime scoreless.

With Akamine's two goals, we pulled ahead and achieved our first victory away against Iwata.

　The second half saw a rapid exchange of offense and defense, but the momentum shifted to Tokyo. In the 52nd minute, Akamine passed to Cabore, who then passed to Otake, charging into the right area. They boldly attempted a shot, but the goalkeeper made a save. Then, in the 53rd minute, from Emerson's pass, Otake dribbled into the right area and delivered a sharp ground cross in front of the goal. It went past Cabore but reached Akamine on the left. Although he couldn't shoot directly at his feet, he didn't give up, repositioned, and kicked it into the goal to take the lead.

　In the 59th minute, Kawaguchi was brought on to replace Emerson. As Iwata aimed for a fierce counterattack while trailing by one goal, Kawaguchi engaged with the ball on both offense and defense with his abundant stamina. In the 65th minute, he fought to win the ball from the opponent, dribbled forward, and took a shot. Although it narrowly missed above the goal, it brought momentum to the team. Then, in the 66th minute, he stole the ball on the left side, advanced, and delivered a cross in front of the goal, where Otake headed it down to Cabore on the opposite side. Although Cabore couldn't take a shot, he persistently stretched out his foot to keep the play alive while being surrounded and losing his balance. This allowed Akamine to react and kick the ball into the empty net, scoring the second goal.

　Iwata also began to counterattack. In the 74th minute, FW Nakayama and MF Nanami were brought on simultaneously. FW Nakayama moved energetically in the front line, while MF Nanami calmed the ball in midfield and distributed effective passes to the left and right, leading the attack. With the addition of these two veterans, the momentum began to shift towards Iwata. However, Tokyo also substituted Cabore and Akamine, who showed signs of fatigue, with Nagatomo and Hirayama. They maintained their attacking stance until the end. In the closing stages, Iwata threw the ball into the goal area to score, but the team united and focused to suppress the counterattack, winning 2-0! They achieved their first victory in the Nabisco Cup and earned their first three points at Yamaha Stadium(Iwata).

　【Player Comments】<Akamine> "We lost the first match, so a losing streak would have been tough. I really wanted to win. It was my first start, and it was good to score a goal and get a result as a team. For the first goal, I thought the pass was too close to my feet, so I couldn't shoot directly... I don't really remember (laughs). The second goal came from a good rebound, and since there were no players from Iwata nearby, I just had to finish it. (Did you hear Coach Shirofuku's instructions during the match?) He told me to mark the defensive midfielder because the opponent was playing a three-back formation. That area had become loose. (You have been in good form in the Nabisco Cup again this season?) That’s just by chance. But I think getting chances and responding with goals will lead to the future. My legs cramped at the end." <Otake> "It was my first start, so I was nervous and felt out of breath early on, and my body didn’t move well. But I gradually got used to it and felt more relaxed. Today, I thought Iwata was playing a three-back, so there was space on the sides, and since our forwards are good at breaking behind the defense, I focused on passing into the space behind when I had the ball and also making runs behind myself. For the first goal, Emerson gave me a good pass. In the previous play, I had shot with my right foot, so the opponent probably expected me to shoot again... but I didn’t shoot and saw Shingo inside, so I crossed. In the second half, I was able to play calmly and see around better. I also started thinking about how to move to annoy the opponent. (You won the ball without losing physical battles at times?) The opponent probably thinks I’m weak because I’m small. I thought if I went into the challenge boldly, I could win. I don’t think about pacing myself over 90 minutes. My legs started cramping in the second half, and I thought I might be substituted, but I kept going until the end. The longer I play, the more I can do what I want, so that made me happy. However, I still lack stamina, and at the start and end of the match, I couldn’t get involved with the ball. I think I need to get more involved and create rhythm."

　[Summary of Coach Shirofuku's Press Conference] "We approached the match with caution against Iwata's passing football and quick movements, aiming to prevent them from showing their strengths while bringing out our own. At first, we were a bit tense and I think we kicked the ball too much. However, since our team usually doesn't start matches well, we tried to play it safe, which led to that situation. The game settled down midway, and I think the first half was an even match. In the second half, the opponent may have had slightly better possession in midfield, but I believe we improved the speed when approaching the goal, reflecting on the previous match. I felt there was a chance if we could carry the ball into the attacking third. It was good that we scored from such a development. In the second half, when the ball was lumped into our area, it became a bit dangerous, but until then, we weren't broken down much and played a solid, grounded game. (How do you evaluate starting player Otake?) Among the several players making their first start today, I think he showed considerable ability. When selecting players who perform well in daily practice, he did about the same as he does in training. (This is your first victory at Yamaha Stadium, right?) I just learned that now. Anyway, I sent the players out with a strong will to become a team that does not lose consecutive matches. I think the players fought with strong determination. I was not aware it was our first victory."

　[Summary of the press conference by Atsushi UCHIYAMA, manager of Iwata] "From the start, if we had been able to properly create time around the defensive midfielders, the game would have settled down, but we couldn't, and ended up playing back-and-forth soccer. Even so, it would have been good to score the first goal, but in the end, we conceded in that way. At the end, when Naminami came in and distributed the ball from the defensive midfield position, we were able to create time, the back line pushed up, and we played compact soccer. I felt many things, and this game brought up issues for the future. Looking at the opponent's formation, we quickly realized that we had three players in midfield while they had two, and if we had calmly created time, it would have been better. If we moved a little more and kept possession, the defense would push up, the whole team would become compact, and we could attack. However, the receivers did not start moving, and there were mistakes, so the opponent took the ball. There were many situations where we were caught behind on the sides, but before that, the way we lost the ball was poor. Because of the poor way of losing the ball and lack of compactness, we couldn't push up easily, and the opponent targeted the space behind our three-back defense. In terms of integrating offense and defense, we couldn't properly create time in midfield during attacks, and because we weren't compact, it affected our defense. If we move properly by 2 or 3 meters and get involved with the ball, it moves faster. We need that kind of soccer and people who embody it. When Naminami and Nakayama came in, we were able to do that, but rather than relying on them forever, to bring back a strong Jubilo, we have to address these issues. Today, we felt those things, and it was a good game for reflection. If we can properly create time in midfield, even if the opponent pulls back, we can draw them out and break them down, but including the defensive midfielders and the sides, we must improve the composition of the midfield and build the game."