Restart of the Nabisco Cup, stop Verdy's momentum and achieve victory!

　The Nabisco Cup resumes. In the qualifying league Sec. 4, we will face Verdy at home. Currently, Tokyo is in 2nd place in Group B with 4 points. With 1 point, Verdy is in 4th place and still has a chance to advance to the Final Round, making this a match that cannot be lost.

　During this period, Nagatomo, Konno, and Kajiyama are absent due to national team activities. Additionally, Akamine will miss the match due to a knee issue. Therefore, in this match, Bruno QUADROS will play as a defensive midfielder, and Mukuhara will make his first start of the season as the right side back, with Tokunaga moving to the left side back position. Furthermore, Hirayama, who showcased his good form in a practice match earlier in the week, and Emerson, who came on as a substitute in the previous league match against Jubilo Iwata, will both start. This marks the first time that all three foreign players will be on the field together. Additionally, Gonda has made the squad for the first time this season.

　Verdy, despite suffering defeats in the early stages of both the league and Nabisco, has achieved 4 wins, 1 draw, and 1 loss in the last 6 league matches, improving their ranking. Coach Jofuku also heightened his caution, stating, "FW Hulk and Leandro, along with MF Diego, lead the attack, while the remaining 7 players maintain balance. Not only is the attacking line strong, but each player's role is clear, making it difficult for the defense to collapse."

　In this match, the first point is to stop Verdy's forward, Hulk, and the attacking line centered around him. It is essential to thoroughly maintain the coordination of one player initiating the attack while another provides cover. In terms of offense, Verdy's quick attacks are powerful, so it will be difficult if it turns into a counterattack exchange. We want to calmly connect passes, use the sides as a starting point, and break down the defense that creates Verdy's block.

　Although the rain stopped before the match, the humidity was high at Ajinomoto. The "Tokyo Showdown," which cannot be lost even in the Nabisco Cup, started with Verdy's kickoff at 15:04.

Bruno QUADROS scores a stunning long-range goal to take the lead early!

　The match started with action. In the 2nd minute, midfielder Bruno QUADROS passed to Asari, who carried the ball into the opponent's territory. Bruno QUADROS advanced, received a pass from Hanyu on the left, dribbled up to just before the penalty arc, and boldly struck with his right foot. The powerful shot pierced the upper right corner of the net, scoring a goal! Bruno QUADROS scored his first goal of the season, taking an early lead.

　After that, driven by Bruno QUADROS's aggressive attitude, the team approached the Verdy goal with dynamic play. In the 4th minute, a quick pass was sent to Cabore at the front, and Cabore broke through the center with a dribble. Surrounded by two opposing DF players just outside the area, he was not easily dispossessed, and Hanyu, who followed up on the loose ball, took a shot from inside the right area. In the 6th minute, this time Cabore sent a lob pass to the front. Bruno QUADROS ran into the area to meet it and shot after stealing the loose ball from the opposing DF who tried to take it away. However, both attempts went just slightly wide of the target.

　Verdy aims to create chances primarily through set plays. In the 10th minute, a foul stops FW Leandro's dribble, resulting in a free kick from the right side of midfield. FW Hulk directly aimed for this free kick, but the Tokyo DF wall blocked it. In the 13th minute, there was a free kick from the left side for Verdy. MF Ohno sent a ball to the front line, and DF Hattori took a shot from the rebound, but it went well over the goal. In the 23rd minute, DF Tsuchiya shot after clearing a left corner kick from Verdy's MF Ohno, and the ball landed at the feet of DF Nasu just in front of the goal. DF Nasu quickly turned to shoot at the goal, but Shiota caught it. In the 28th minute, Shiota deflected another free kick from Verdy, escaping to a corner kick, and from DF Hattori's right corner kick, MF Fukunishi headed the ball, but it went over the bar.

　After overcoming Verdy's set play, in the 29th minute, Fujiyama's feed was connected by Hirayama, and Hanyu passed to Cabore, who cut in from the left side and delivered a last pass between the opposing DF and GK. Bruno QUADROS jumped in but was thwarted by a great one-handed save from Verdy GK Doi... Immediately after, from Emerson's right cross to Maku Hara, Hirayama made a decisive header but hit the bar... With a quick transition attack, Cabore and Emerson created a chance for an additional goal, but they were unable to convert the decisive moment.

　In the 39th minute, Verdy targeted the back of Tokyo's defense, and midfielder Sugawara delivered a through pass behind Sahara. Forward Leandro broke free in front of the goal and took a decisive shot, but it narrowly missed to the right, avoiding a crisis, and they ended the first half with a one-goal lead.

Withstood Verdy's counterattack, Sahara and Kondo also scored their first goals in a resounding victory

　In the second half, Tokyo took control and pressed forward. In the 53rd minute, Mukuahara advanced to the goal line and delivered a right cross. Hanyu, in the left area, dropped it to Emerson in the center, creating a decisive opportunity, but Emerson's shot went over the bar. In the 61st minute, after Fujiyama's interception, Cabore connected with a long pass to the front line. Hirayama received it and dribbled into the area, but was brought down by a tough check from the defender and couldn't finish. Verdy also attempted to seize the rhythm by boldly shooting from a distance, and amidst the tense back-and-forth, Kondo was brought in to replace Hirayama in the 65th minute.

　In the 66th minute, immediately after, they launched a counterattack, and Emerson dribbled in from the right to the center, passing to Tokunaga, who was free on the left side. Tokunaga brought the ball into the left area and sent a floating pass in front of the goal, where Kondo rushed in for a header! They created a decisive opportunity, but the ball went over the goal, missing a big chance... In the 73rd minute, Verdy's left back Hattori overlapped and tried to cross, but this was cut off by Miku. However, the subsequent pass went back to DF Hattori. They seemed to be creating a chance again, but Emerson dashed back, sandwiching Miku and regaining possession.

　Tokyo had a high defensive awareness and worked together to defend, but as time passed, their energy levels began to drop, allowing Verdy to take control. Nevertheless, in the 76th minute, Kanazawa was brought in as a direct replacement for Bruno QUADROS in the holding midfield position. They fought hard, especially around the defensive line, and with their tough defense, they hardly allowed Verdy to create any decisive chances. In the 79th minute, they fouled Verdy MF Fukunishi, giving away a free kick just in front of the right area. This was the spot where FW Hulk scored in the league match. Today, FW Hulk aimed again, but the shot was firmly saved by Shiota.

　In the 80th minute, this time Cabore was fouled on the left front line, and Tokyo earned a free kick. When Tokunaga took the free kick, Sahara scored with a perfect header! This was Sahara's first goal in J1, finally adding another point. In the 84th minute, Ishikawa was brought on for Hanyu. Regaining momentum, in the 88th minute, they earned a free kick on the left side of their own half, and Tokunaga passed to Cabore along the left sideline in the opponent's half, where Emerson made a through pass to the front. Kondo timed his run perfectly, breaking into the goal area and facing the opposing defender while going one-on-one with the goalkeeper. He then scored with a left-footed shot that went through the legs of the opposing goalkeeper Doi, securing the third goal.

　In the end, the number of shots was 11 for Tokyo and 17 for Verdy, but Muku Hara, Sahara, Fujiyama, and Tokunaga fulfilled their defensive roles perfectly, not allowing any freedom during the flow of the game. Bruno QUADROS, Sahara, and Kondo all scored their first goals of the season, while keeping the opponent's score to 0, achieving a resounding victory in the Nabisco Cup home match against Tokyo.

　【Player Comments】《Bruno QUADROS》"I wanted to make the most of the opportunity to play, both as an individual and as a team. I think we had good plays and a good game. When I received the pass from Hanyu, I looked ahead and saw that there was space. I struck decisively and was able to score, which was great. Playing as a defensive midfielder means I have to pay attention not only to the front but also to the back, and I need to keep passing forward. Today, the three players in front of Verdy were strong, and I respect them. Therefore, while being conscious of defense, I tried to exploit the space when it was available. I think when one of the three midfielders moved up, the other two were able to cover.《Sahara》"I didn't want to hear people say, 'Of course we lost,' when the representative players were absent. Against Verdy's attacking line, I was conscious of defending not alone but in coordination with 2-3 players. (Regarding my first goal in J1) I received a good ball from Tokunaga. We had chances for set plays before that, so I was aiming for it."

　【Summary of Coach Jofuku's Press Conference】 "With three players from each representative absent, a new competition has begun within the team. I wanted to turn that into a positive, so I made bold changes to the lineup. The players who participated today had prepared well in Kodaira. I could feel their sense of depletion painfully, and I hoped that would turn into energy, which is why I used them. They responded to my expectations very well. However, if we had scored one more goal in the first half, it might have been a bit easier. In the latter part of the first half and the beginning of the second half, we had less time with the ball, and fatigue set in. We need to create time to rest while possessing the ball, by deciding where to settle the ball, repositioning, and changing sides. Creating time to lower our heart rates is a challenge. Bruno QUADROS is a player who knows when to make his move. He excels at sensing when the opportunity arises. If he maintains his stamina and his technique doesn't waver, he can perform at that level. I would have liked him to score one more goal, but the opposing goalkeeper made a good save, and we couldn't convert. Still, he can sense the smell of such opportunities. (Do you consider the roles of players who sweat a lot and those who do creative work separately?) The key to my selections is focusing on combinations. Of course, if the quality of the anchor-type players is high, we can play a different style of football from the base of midfield. In that sense, the quality on the ball and the skill to change decisions at the last moment are also important. Such players who possess both qualities, maintain balance, defend, and control space are quite rare in Japan... Therefore, I am considering combinations of players who can control space, cut passing lanes, and distribute the ball. Muku Hara is characterized by his defensive ability. Of course, he still has challenges, but he understood well the meaning of his selection. Before the match, I told him, 'Thank Hulk. You can play today because he is here.' That means to showcase his strengths and not to fear the challenges on the offensive side. I believe he bravely challenged that. Each player has their strengths, but they also have challenges. If each of them can elevate themselves to clear those challenges, the team can level up even more."

　【Verdy Coach Hashiratani's Press Conference Summary】 "We couldn't switch from last week's J-League. The motivation didn't rise. At the start of the first half, there was confusion about who would mark Bruno QUADROS. We conceded a goal from a single chance, which disrupted our game plan. I think we fell into a bad pattern of attacking unnecessarily and getting countered. We need to find more balance between the three forwards and the other seven players. The forwards need to drop back, and the midfielders need to push up. In the second half, we were able to settle down and attack with the midfield in the box, but ultimately, the one goal conceded in the first half weighed heavily on us."