Nabisco Cup Resumes, Achieving Revenge Against Chiba in League Match

　The Nabisco Cup resumes. We face JEF United Chiba in the qualifying league Sec. 3. In the league matches, we took control against Kyoto and Yokohama FM, keeping a clean sheet in two consecutive games. Coach Jofuku and the players also mentioned, "We want to cherish this momentum," and this match in the Nabisco Cup will be an opportunity to maintain the rhythm we've gained and aim for consecutive victories.

　However, Kajiyama, who was injured in the match against Yokohama FM, will be absent. With the departures of Cabore and Ishikawa, the team is in a difficult situation, but Coach Jofuku feels confident, stating, "Whether starting or coming off the bench, we have players who recognize their roles and can be counted on." Therefore, fresh members will be used today, with Kanazawa in the defensive midfield and Tanabe making his first professional start on the right side. Additionally, Tokunaga, who had been playing the full matches until now, twisted his ankle in practice the day before, so he will be excluded from the lineup as a precaution. As a result, Mukuhara will be included in the starting lineup and will take the field.

　Chiba, on the other hand, has only managed two draws in the Nabisco Cup and has yet to secure a victory. Although the tournament is different, we want to shake off the bitter memories of losing in comeback defeats during the two league matches and finally achieve a win this time. Coach Jofuku also expressed his determination, stating, "Whether it's the Nabisco Cup or not, in order to repay Chiba for the 'valuable lessons learned,' we must return with 'three' points."

　Chiba has a clear strategy of targeting the front line and attacking from the sides, so for Tokyo, a key point will be how well they can pick up loose balls. They want to maintain possession and extend their time playing their style of football without being overwhelmed by the atmosphere of Chiba, who are taking advantage of their home ground, and aim for victory by overcoming their mental block. The humid heat reminiscent of early summer lingers at Fukuda Denshi Arena. The match started at exactly 19:00 with Tokyo's kickoff.

Kondo scores first! The team takes control of the match starting from Hirayama.

　In the early stages, there was a fierce battle for possession, and the ball was hard to settle, but gradually Tokyo found their rhythm and took control of the match. In the 7th minute, Hirayama sent a through pass behind the opponent's defense to Kondo, who caught up and his shot grazed the goalkeeper's hand and hit the right post... Then in the 19th minute, in a similar play, Yonemoto sent a penetrating pass to Hirayama, who, while competing with an opponent, spread the play to the left. Kondo received the ball and charged into the area with a fierce dribble, cut past the opponent's defender, and unleashed a left-footed shot that went through the goalkeeper's legs and into the right side of the net. Kondo scored a spectacular goal to take the lead!

　Taking this opportunity, Tokyo completely controlled the ball, with Hirayama reliably receiving the ball in the front line and becoming the starting point, heading towards the Chiba goal one after another. In the 20th minute, from a cross by Hirayama that flowed to the right side, Kondo at the near post made a direct shot. In the 23rd minute, Hirayama carried the ball deep into the left area and made a last pass in front of the goal. However, it did not reach Tanabe at the far post and was cut off by the Chiba defense, resulting in a throw-in. There were moments when Chiba launched counterattacks, but everyone maintained a high defensive awareness, and at the final line, Konno and Bruno QUADROS consistently nipped potential crises in the bud and connected them to attacks.

　In the 38th minute, Tokyo launched a quick attack, with Tanabe bringing the ball into the right area and sending a through pass to the center between two opposing defenders, but it lacked power and did not reach Hirayama. In the 41st minute, Kondo contested for the ball at the front line, which Hirayama touched down with one touch, and Hanyu reacted to it. He broke through alone in front of the goal and, gaining speed, took a decisive shot from the left area, but it went wide... In the 44th minute, Bruno QUADROS picked up a ball cut by the defensive line and dribbled forward, sending a through pass into the space on the left front line. Kondo sent a cross to the center, and once again, Bruno QUADROS, who had moved up to the front of the goal, dropped it with his chest, but his trap was slightly too big, and he was surrounded by defenders and unable to shoot. In the end, there were mistakes due to a lack of coordination and precision, and they could not score the second goal, ending the first half.

Faced with a fierce counterattack from Chiba, but achieved a valuable victory with focused defense!

　In the second half, Tokyo maintained the pace and pressed forward. However, at the start, Bruno QUADROS made a cut that pushed the whole team forward, and a last pass from Kanazawa to Tanabe floated to the front line. Hayu made a run, but the Chiba goalkeeper cleared it a step earlier. Kondo took a direct shot from the right side after it spilled over, but it went wide. In the 50th minute, from a free kick on Chiba's left side, a forward, Maki, took a header from close range, but Gonda caught it securely.

　In the 54th minute, Nakamura was brought in for Kondo on the right midfield, aiming for an additional goal by moving Tanabe up to forward. In the 56th minute, a right cross was dropped by Tanabe in the area, trying to set up for a shot, but he was closed down by the defense and couldn't shoot. Nevertheless, they persistently regained possession and connected passes as Nakamura and Hayabusa aimed for a central breakthrough, but they couldn't create a chance. In the 61st minute, Yonemoto exploited a gap in the opposing defense and broke into the area. However, the shot lacked power and went straight to the goalkeeper.

　In the 62nd minute, Suzuki was brought in to replace Tanabe. However, Chiba never gave up, and there were moments when they fiercely clashed with each other, trying to regain their rhythm. In the 64th minute, a left cross was received by forward Maki, who dropped it with his chest, evaded Konno with a trap, and took a shot. It was a decisive opportunity, but it went wide of the goal, and they escaped unscathed.

　In the 74th minute, Yonemoto persevered and earned a free kick just beside the right corner. Suzuki took the free kick, but the opposing DF cleared it. Nakamura dropped the loose ball with his chest just outside the area and shot with a direct volley. It made one think of a repeat of the match against Yokohama FM! However, it went over the bar... In the final stages, Tokyo became unsettled and struggled to connect passes, leading to a frantic exchange of counterattacks. In the 80th minute, Nakamura, after holding the ball on the right side, cut back past the opposing DF and delivered a sharp cross calmly in front of the goal. It was a decisive ball, but it just barely missed Hayama. Chiba also launched a counterattack by throwing the ball to forward Maki at the front line, starting from side MF Fukai.

　In the 86th minute, from a free kick by Chiba, a last pass was delivered that broke through the Tokyo defense, and Chiba's MF Yonekura, who advanced from the right, took a decisive shot from inside the area, but it was saved by Gonda and resulted in a corner kick. Following that, a counterattack from a mistake allowed Chiba's MF Fukai to sprint down the left side. A last pass was sent to FW Maki in front of the goal, creating another scoring opportunity, but the timing was just slightly off, and they escaped the danger... In the long 4 minutes of stoppage time, everyone remained focused, and with Gonda at the center, they shut out the attack with a solid defense. They held on to the precious goal scored by Kondo, achieving victory with three consecutive matches without conceding a goal.

【Player Comments】《Kondo》"There was a similar opportunity at the start, but I couldn't score then. When the same chance came again, I absolutely wanted to score. The angle wasn't great, but I thought if I could just strike the ball without thinking about the pass, I could score. I'm happy that I was able to deliver results when I played. Since the end of last season, I've felt frustrated against Chiba, and I thought we couldn't lose in the same way three times. It was good that everyone fought with strong determination and we won without conceding a goal. However, I also felt the difficulty of managing the game." 《Tanabe》"I couldn't get involved in any shots. I was desperately trying to keep up, and it just felt like it ended that way... I wasn't completely without anxiety before stepping onto the pitch, but my excitement was greater. I don't think my entry into the game was bad, but I couldn't showcase my strengths at all. I could break through with my dribbling, but I got hit and couldn't fully escape. I felt the strength of the challenges, and my composure started to fade. However, realizing that nothing worked today is a good experience. It will become a greater motivation."

　【Summary of Coach Jofuku's Press Conference】 "I am truly grateful that many fans came to support us despite it being an away game on a weekday night. It was wonderful to celebrate with them here at Fukuda.A. However, the match should not have ended 1-0. Ideally, we wanted to score 2 or 3 goals. Nevertheless, I believe it was a valuable 1-0 victory. I knew that the opponent would resort to a more aggressive style of play towards the end, but the players remained focused despite various incidents. If we could have scored a second goal in this state, I believe we could have gone even further, but we managed to hold on. We have now gone three matches without conceding a goal, and I want to continue this. (Regarding debut player Tanabe) We always approach matches with the aim of respecting each other's individual strengths to achieve the greatest common multiple for our victory. When new players join, the existing players respect that and play accordingly. Therefore, it was likely easier for the debuting player to perform. (What was the reason for his selection?) Standing on the pitch comes with responsibilities. The premise is that he has been performing well enough at Kodaira to bear that responsibility. There are other players like that, but he brings creativity in the attacking third that our current team lacks, and with various stimuli, this team can reach a higher level. That was also part of the background."

　【Chiba - Coach Miller's Press Conference Summary】 "In the first half, FC Tokyo was attacking in a better shape. The reason for this was that we were not able to pass the ball properly. We were particularly dominated in the midfield. Even when we regained possession, we lost it again quickly. Regarding the goals conceded, we were caught behind the defense and conceded a poorly shaped goal from there. In the second half, our movement improved, and I think the tempo of the game and passing became very good. Still, we were unable to convert our chances. If we had scored there, we might have had a chance to equalize or even take the lead. I am pleased that the players gave their all, and they fought well even in this tough stretch of five matches over the past 14 days. (What was the reason for the improvement in the second half?) First, there was a positional issue. In the first half, when we had the ball, the back four were passing it among themselves, and the opponent was a team that applied pressure, so the first, second, and third players were further pressured, and we lost the ball. Additionally, there was little supply of the ball to the forwards. We ended up making more sideways passes, which led to pressure and losing the ball again. In the second half, players with the ball started to play facing forward, and players began to run into open spaces, allowing us to use the width of the field. I think there were points where we could take control in those areas."