Restart of the Nabisco Cup, maintaining tension, and winning through further challenges

　The Nabisco Cup resumes, and in the qualifying league Sec. 3, we will face Júbilo Iwata at home. In the previous match, we triumphed in a tense Tokyo showdown, and the team's atmosphere is very good. This match is one where we want to maintain that tension and momentum as we move forward into the upcoming league matches.

　However, Coach Jofuku stated, "After a derby, which comes with a sense of responsibility and high tension, it becomes a difficult situation. It is not easy to maintain that level of tension, but we will send players who have been preparing all along onto the pitch. There are players who were inspired by watching the Verdy match, and their enthusiasm is considerable. I hope this new challenge will have a positive impact on the team." He mentioned this intention and decided to make five changes from the starting lineup of the previous match.

　Once again, Hanyu has injured his ankle and will miss the match for precautionary reasons. In this match, the two top players will be Cabore and Taira SHIGE, Kurizawa will enter the midfield, and the three players in the holding midfield will be Konno, Kajiyama, and Kanazawa, who showed their skills in the final stages of the match against Verdy. The center backs will be Shimonia, who has recovered from a shoulder injury, and Bruno QUADROS.

　In contrast, Jubilo Iwata is currently in 3rd place in the group with the same 3 points as Tokyo in the Nabisco Cup. They seem to be slightly out of form with two consecutive losses in the league, but they lost to both Urawa and Sapporo by narrow margins. As shown in the away match on March 23, their attacking play from quick passing is still intact. Additionally, Japan national team goalkeeper Kawaguchi and MF Komano have also been getting into shape, so attention is needed for their accurate crosses and the jumps from MF Nishi and others.

　First, we want to compete without losing at the ball, and suppress Iwata's speedy attacks. It is especially important to be cautious at the start of both halves and not get caught up in Iwata's rhythm. The key is how long we can maintain control of the game. We will exploit Iwata's spaces with coordinated movements in both offense and defense, aiming for victory! The match started at 19:34 with Iwata's kickoff under the cloudy sky at Ajinomoto.

Gradually taking the initiative from a cautious battle...

　In the early stages, both teams tried to showcase their strengths, but they played cautiously and the match became a safe affair. In the 5th minute, Iwata's MF Nishi drifted to the left and delivered a cross. Left MF Naraoka, who had moved into the box, dropped the ball for Ueda, who made a run from behind and took a shot, but Shiota made the save. In the 6th and 8th minutes, Tokyo earned corner kicks, but they couldn't take a shot. In the 13th minute, Kanazawa's pass found Nagatomo breaking through on the left flank, cutting between two opposing defenders to attack inside, and took a shot from the left of the penalty arc. This was Tokyo's first shot, but it went straight to the goalkeeper.

　However, as time passed, Tokyo gradually found their rhythm and began to advance the game into the opponent's territory. In the 17th minute, Kurizawa stole the ball from the opposing defender on the left side of the opponent's area and dribbled inside. He boldly took a shot from distance, but it grazed the post and went outside the goal. In the 19th minute, Kajiyama took a shot from distance. After that, they frequently earned corner kicks and free kicks, focusing on set plays to threaten the goal of Iwata.

　In the 32nd minute, a big chance arises. Persistently passing the ball in the opponent's half, Kanazawa receives a pass from Cabore on the right and touches it to Hirayama at the front line, who breaks into the goal area. Despite being pressured by the opposing DF, Hirayama tenaciously returns the ball to Kanazawa. Kanazawa, having broken free, feints past the opposing DF and creates a decisive one-on-one situation with the GK. However, the shot is blocked by the GK, and from the rebound, Hirayama takes another shot, but this too goes straight to the GK...

　In the 39th minute, an incident occurred where Cabore injured his right thigh, leading to an immediate substitution with Akamine. Shortly after, from an early cross by Iwata's right midfielder Komano, forward Nakayama had a header shot in front of the goal, but the ball went wide. In the 41st minute, Akamine broke free from a pass by Hirayama and controlled the ball with his chest as he entered the right area. He took a shot just before the goal area, but it narrowly went to the left... After that, the match continued to move with Akamine's quick movements, and in the 44th minute, Konno boldly took a long-range shot. However, while Tokyo took 10 shots against Iwata's 3, none were able to break through Iwata's defense. The first half ended scoreless.

Akamine scores a clever goal to take the lead, but they are equalized just before the end.

　In the second half, Iwata tried to proceed with caution in the match, while we launched an offensive. In the 51st minute, from Tokunaga's right throw-in in Iwata's territory, Hirayama was initially dispossessed of the ball, but a pass that Iwata attempted to connect with spilled in front of Kanazawa. Kanazawa made a direct floating pass to the front line. Taking advantage of this, Akamine broke free, controlled the ball with a trap, slipped past the defender, and scored! With a quick transition and Akamine's skillful goal, we took the lead.

　After taking the lead, they maintained possession of the ball but lacked decisiveness in finishing, and time passed without being able to score an additional goal. In the 62nd minute, Ohtake was brought in to replace Kurizawa, aiming for a second goal by changing the rhythm. In the 65th minute, Hirayama pressed the Iwata defense to win the ball and passed it to Akamine nearby. Akamine took a sharp shot from distance, but it was blocked by a great save from the GK, resulting in a corner kick.

　Iwata, trailing by one goal, brought on forward Bandai in the 62nd minute and midfielder Inuzuka in the 66th minute, opting for a strategy of launching long balls into the front line. Tokyo also made a substitution in the 70th minute, bringing on Ikegami for Kanazawa, marking his first appearance of the season, and placing him directly in the left defensive midfield position. In the 72nd minute, Hirayama applied pressure on the opposing goalkeeper, forcing a mistake that led to a corner kick. Otake's kick was connected by the far-side Konno, and Ikegami, Kajiyama, and Akamine passed the ball around to attack, but they were unable to finish with a shot.

　In the 75th minute, a ball was dropped by right-sided FW Nakayama to the front line of Iwata, and FW Bandai, who moved centrally to interchange with Nakayama from the right, had a free shot. It went over the bar, avoiding danger, but Iwata launched long balls and early crosses, attacking through FW Bandai and substitute MF Nanami, causing a loss of composure... In the 85th minute, a powerful shot from Iwata MF Inuzuka hit the front line MF Nishi, changing its course and shaking the net. However, this was ruled out for offside by MF Nishi, and it seemed they had escaped the crisis.

　In the 89th minute, Iwata MF Nishi received a second warning and was sent off, leaving Iwata with 10 players. It seemed they could hold on for the win, but then came the 4 minutes of stoppage time. The left side was breached by DF Kaga, but Bruno QUADROS managed to defend stubbornly at first. However, immediately after that, Iwata MF Nanami passed to DF Kaga again, who cut in from the left side and crossed. Although Shiota managed to punch it clear initially, the loose ball was struck by the free MF Komano just in front of the area, resulting in a goal... Still not giving up, shortly after, Otake advanced up the right side and crossed. Hirayama headed it down, but it went to the right, and time was up... They were equalized just before the end, resulting in a painful draw at home.

　【Player Comments】<Akamine> "It was a match where we could have taken 3 points, but we lost 2 points. Very frustrating. (With a sudden substitution) Since there was little time in the first half, I thought that if I had a chance, I would boldly take a shot. It was difficult to get into the flow, but I tried to focus on the first 5 minutes. The goal in the second half came because Jo gave a good pass, so I was able to time my shot well after the trap. Although I scored, the team still couldn't win. Personally, it might have been a bit of an appeal, but if the team wins, it will be even more positive. I want to score and contribute to the victory." <KANAZAWA> "We endured and started the match without conceding. We took the lead as planned, but after scoring, we might have fallen behind. That led to the final conceded goal. As a defensive midfielder, I had many opportunities to touch the ball. I thought about various roles and tried to enjoy playing. Specifically, I focused on watching the overall balance and carefully managing the handoff with the fullback against the opponent's wing-back. Also, since I have more chances to go near the goal, I was conscious of scoring. (About Akamine's goal) The ball happened to spill in front of me, and I saw Akamine's movement, so although it was a difficult position, I passed immediately. He had been making good moves all along, so I tried to keep an eye on him. (About the decisive chance in the first half) I thought I had beaten the opponent with a cutback, but the next shot went straight to the GK. If we couldn't score that, I felt that we really couldn't win..."

　[Summary of Coach Shirofuku's Press Conference] "It ended as a game where we lost 2 points. Until about the 30th minute of the second half, we were able to play our football, and I don't think our defense collapsed. However, when Iwata brought in forward Bandai and clearly started long feeds, we began to falter ourselves. Competing firmly, picking up second balls, and when we do pick them up, not giving the ball away easily to the opponent who then receives another long feed—if any of these three break down, we continue to receive long feeds and then get a bit flustered. In the end, the opponent's shot was wonderful, and even with 10 men, their mentality to keep attacking is something we must learn from. However, the players who appeared today did well. Kurisawa was often involved with the ball and contributed greatly both offensively and defensively. Becoming somewhat exhausted midway was inevitable given how much he moved in the first half. He played with great enthusiasm. Regarding Kanazawa, he maintained balance well, and the pass he gave to forward Akamine was characteristic of him. We substituted him because the left side was a bit tired, but he fulfilled his role."

　[Iwata Coach Uchiyama's Press Conference Summary] "In the end, the players did well to hold on for the last 10 minutes. Their movements became quicker, and the support on the ball side was good. I want them to continue that for an entire match. I believe that is our football. From the first half, the left side hardly functioned in attack, and in defense, we couldn't apply strict checks in the holding midfield area. Also, when it came to loose ball contests in the midfield, only MF Nishi was able to win them. In those aspects, we need to play a bit tougher and harder, or else the opponent will move us around. We were forced to cover long distances, and MF Naraoka was also pulled around. We need to play a style of football that can dominate the midfield more effectively, or it will be tough."