Visco quarterfinals, Oita breaks through the goal and wins with 2 or more points

　The Nabisco Cup quarterfinals will be played away against Oita Trinita. In the first match held at home at Ajinomoto, we lost 1-2, so we have no choice but to win with two or more goals to advance to the semifinals. We have a league match in three days, but first we want to focus on this game and fight with all our might. If the score is 2-1, it will go into extra time (⇒PK shootout), so the way we play will also change depending on the situation. It will be a crucial match where we cannot overlook the tactics of both benches.

　Oita, on the other hand, has been in good form with no losses in the last 6 league matches. Especially at home, they have 7 wins, 1 draw, and 1 loss in the league, and 2 wins and 1 draw in the Nabisco Cup. Since their defeat in the 8th round on April 26th, they have shown overwhelming strength. In order to fill the void left by injured FW Takamatsu, FW Morishima joined the team in July. MF Takahashi has also fully recovered and is aiming to increase their scoring power. On the other hand, their strong defense based on a solid 3-back formation remains intact.

　Tokyo will use Shigenoba and Fujiyama as center backs, with Kanazawa on the left side. Coach Jofuku listed three points: "To score more than two goals against Oita's solid defense, we need to move the ball in the midfield, have a common understanding in the attacking area, and also have the grit to push through with our bodies." Against the opponent's three-back formation, we want to create opportunities through fluid positioning from Emerson and Hayashi in the midfield, and utilize Cabore's speed and Akamine's runs.

　Furthermore, due to the statement "Even if we lose 1-2, the result is the same (Coach Shirofuku)", we may have to take risks and make moves. It is crucial to unify everyone's will and aggressively make moves in order to achieve victory. We want to bravely challenge our tough opponents and make it the start of "August of Counterattacks". The match started at 19:00 at the Kyushu Oil Dome in Oita, with no wind and high humidity.

Cabore scores the first goal, but is caught up and the first half ends.

　Tokyo seizes the chance out of nowhere. In the 3rd minute, from a cross by Hayu that flowed to the right side, Emerson sends a high pass aiming for the back of the opponent's DF. This grazes the opponent's DF and falls in front, where Cabore runs in with his speed and takes a shot. The bouncing ball goes over the opponent's GK and into the net for a goal. They take the lead in the beginning.

　Without panicking, they continue to maintain a balance between offense and defense and aim for a second goal. In the 16th minute, Tokunaga dribbles and sends a through pass into the area, but it doesn't reach Cabore. In the 19th minute, Emerson, who has been playing defensively in the midfield, sends a through pass to the center of the front line. Akamine runs in from the right, but the ball is slightly too long and doesn't reach him. In the 23rd minute, they earn a free kick just outside the left area, but Tokunaga's kick is blocked by the wall. They create chances, but their final connections and accuracy are lacking, and they continue to struggle to finish.

　Then, in the 40th minute, Oita's left MF Suzuki's sharp early cross was met by MF Edmilson, who rose up in front of the goal and headed it in, resulting in a goal. The defense had been holding up well until then, but they were caught off guard and allowed the equalizer. Tokyo continued to attack without giving up. In stoppage time, they launched a counter and Emerson ran up the right side and crossed it. Akamine was blocked with a smile, and it went to Hayashi who was free in the left area. It was a decisive moment, but his jumping volley didn't connect and was caught by the goalkeeper. In the end, the first half ended with a 1-1 tie.

Despite launching a fierce attack, we were unable to break through the opponent's defense and were eliminated in the quarterfinals.

　Tokyo aggressively attacks from the start of the second half. In the 55th minute, Emerson is fouled and earns a free kick from the right area, but the cross is cleared by the last line of defense. In the 56th minute, Cabore breaks through and earns a corner kick from the right, but Akamine's header from the short corner goes wide. In the 58th minute, Hayashi plays a long through pass into the right area. Tokunaga runs a long distance to catch up, but the cross is intercepted and results in a corner kick from the right. Emerson takes the corner kick towards the far post, but no one is able to connect.

　In the 63rd minute, Kanazawa replaced Hirayama and placed Inoue at left back and Hanyu in the center. In the 67th minute, Oita received a wave of attacks in front of the area, but they defended tenaciously and escaped the danger, then countered. Cabore picked up the ball near the halfway line, accelerated and ran up the left side, brought the ball into the area and took a shot, but the opponent's goalkeeper saved it and it became a corner kick. Oita also launched a sharp shot from midfielder Kanazaki on the counter, but Shioda saved it and prevented a goal. In the 73rd and 78th minutes, Tokyo took a gamble by replacing Cabore and Asari with Kawaguchi and Ishikawa.

　Despite connecting passes and launching fierce attacks multiple times, they were unable to break through Oita's strong defense. All of their shooting chances were thwarted by set plays. In the 84th minute, a quick throw-in from Ishikawa was connected by Nakao in the center, and the ball was passed to Akamine in the left area. His shot hit the post after a turn... Hirayama tried to follow up on the rebound but missed the timing. In the final minutes, they were able to earn several set plays and all players, including Shioda, pushed forward, but shots from Mobata and Hirayama went wide. Unable to capitalize on their chances, they ended up with a draw and were eliminated in the quarterfinals based on the total points from the two matches.

　【Player Comments】《Shioda》"The result of a 1-1 draw after giving it our all. I think we were able to show our forward-looking attitude. We were able to take the lead early on, but then we were caught up and it became a tough mood. However, even if we conceded one goal, we should have been able to make it 2-1. In defense, we had a lot of players going forward, so our backline was thin, but we were doing our best to mark them... The heat also played a part, and I think our attacks were a bit delayed. I think we could have been more creative with our set pieces. I was told before the game that I could go up for corners if we were in a situation where we really needed a goal, so I went up with a strong determination. It would have been great if I could have calmly scored, but unfortunately I couldn't. Of course, we wanted to advance to the semifinal, but the league starts soon. In these tough situations, the team's unity is even more important. We have to prepare to take 3 points in the upcoming matches against top teams."《Kanazawa》"Today, I was trying to balance things out as a fullback. I wanted to drop back a bit and draw the opponent in, so that we could switch the play to the other side. I had some opportunities to have the ball, but finishing is still an issue. The opponent also closed down the middle, so it was difficult... There was almost no gain from today. We couldn't clear the conditions that were set for us. It all comes down to the result. But there's no point in just looking down. We have to take this feeling into the league matches."

　[Summary of Manager Jofuku's Press Conference] "First of all, I would like to praise Oita for their advancement. It was a game full of spirit that was worthy of our first appearance in the Best 4, and we would like to accept that. In today's game, we had to score two goals regardless of conceding, so we focused on defending by quickly taking the ball from the opponent. The scene of conceding was due to a short time of ball possession and we ended up kicking it. However, I want to commend the players for their consciousness to go for the second goal in the second half and for not giving up until the end by attacking. (Is it only two days until the Nagoya game?) I told the players to have the best cool down for Saturday. Our Nabisco Cup is over, so we need to focus on the league now. Our defense was not bad today and our attack was good. We want to maintain this form and head towards the league."

　[Oita - CHAMUSCA's press conference summary] "In terms of today's game result, we did not win, but we were able to advance to the best four by drawing, which I think is deserving of a victory. I am proud of the work of all the players. Today's opponent was not an easy one. We conceded a goal right at the beginning, but we were able to bring it to a draw in such a difficult situation. We were able to concentrate until the end and have a valuable fight for us. (What was the game plan for the second half?) Cabore made a move behind the defense, so I told the players to mark that area firmly. Also, there were situations where we were too close to the opponent's movements in the penalty area, so by having FW Maeda mark the opponent's defensive midfielder, our defensive midfielder does not have to go out and catch the opponent's defensive midfielder. By doing so, we can fill that space and our defense can settle down. (How do you evaluate the defense that only conceded one goal?) We were able to handle the opponent's diverse movements by marking them firmly. When Hirayama came in, there were a lot of crosses from the left side, but MF Takahashi was marking Hirayama. He is also strong in heading and contributed to our defense. Also, I think we were able to have some luck today. In this short-term decisive battle, I think the team that has luck on their side will come out on top. In fact, from the energy that comes from our unity, when (Akamine's) shot hit the post and bounced out, I was convinced of that."