Towards Qualification, Unite as a Team and Achieve Victory

In the 4th round of the Nabisco Cup qualifying league, we will face Kyoto Sanga F.C. away. In the previous league match against Kawasaki, we suffered a frustrating comeback loss, but we will not let the shock of defeat hold us back and approach this match with a fresh mindset both mentally and physically. With only 3 matches left in the qualifying league, we will have to continue playing "must-win games" in order to advance to the final tournament.

　Kyoto, on the other hand, is currently in last place with 3 losses in 3 games in the Nabisco Cup. If they lose today, their hopes of advancing to the qualifiers will be dashed, so they are sure to come out in a winning position. Above all, we must be wary of FW Paulinho and Diego's counterattacks. Although they conceded 3 goals against Kawasaki, the key will be whether they can demonstrate their stable defense from before. In addition, in the league match on May 9th, they were unable to break through Kyoto's solid defense despite taking the lead, resulting in a 0-0 draw. We will need to use a variety of tactics and strategies to break through their strong defense.

　Tokyo, Shige and Hanyu have been injured. Bruno QUADROS is suspended for the Kawasaki game and will not play in the Nabisco this round. In addition, Nagatomo and Konno are absent from the Japan national team, so the final line-up will have Sasaki and Hirayama as center backs, Tokunaga and Mukuhara as left and right fullbacks. In place of Hanyu, Tanabe will start as left midfielder. Tanabe says, "I feel more mentally prepared than I did in my first appearance against Chiba. I want to focus on moving forward and not be afraid of making mistakes, and be aggressive." And Shioda, who has been steadily improving his condition, has also made his first appearance in the team this season.

　Manager Jofuku said, "Each player has their own unique characteristics, so it is impossible for anyone to play exactly the same. Instead of being afraid of conceding goals and becoming passive, I want each player to demonstrate their strengths and professionalism, and approach the game with confidence." He expects each player to utilize their strengths and with a fresh team, create new competition to improve the team and secure victory by utilizing their individual strengths, and make a big step forward towards qualifying! The match started at 2pm in Tokyo, under the strong sun and humid conditions of Nishikyogoku.

Ishikawa scores two consecutive goals to take the lead!

　A back-and-forth battle for possession since the start. However, Tokyo calmly moves the ball and creates a rhythm, launching attacks through Ishikawa and Tanabe. Then, in the 12th minute, Tanabe attempts a dribble near the area, but is stopped by the opposing defender. However, Mukuhara connects with the loose ball and passes it to Tanabe, who runs into the area once again. From there, Ishikawa meets a right cross and scores with a well-controlled volley with his right foot! Tanabe's and Mukuhara's bold plays, along with Ishikawa's consecutive goal following the Kawasaki game, give Tokyo the lead.

　Tokyo took control of the game with this opportunity and proceeded with an advantage. In the 20th minute, a pass was made to Hirayama, who ran into the back of the DF from the left side of Tanabe and took a shot. However, the ball lacked momentum and was caught by the GK. In the 23rd minute, Kajiyama switched sides to Tokunaga on the left. Tokunaga, who had been in the front line, completely broke through with a one-two with Cabore and entered the area fiercely, but the shot was not completed and went to the left CK. From here, in the second right CK, Hirayama headed but missed the goal.

　Kyoto brought in MF Futoshi NAKAMURA in the 27th minute and changed their formation to contain Tokyo. As a result, Tokyo was unable to break through and ended up conceding a counterattack from Kyoto towards the end. In the 41st minute, Kyoto's MF Diego entered the area. He received a vertical pass and immediately turned and took a right-footed shot. The ball hit the bar and bounced back, and PAULINHO's follow-up shot went wide. Kyoto continued to attack, but Tokyo remained calm and defended well, not allowing any goals. They went into the second half with a 1-0 lead.

Unable to score additional points, we ended up with a draw by allowing points to be scored against us.

　In the second half, as the humidity rose, the players gradually lost their energy and the game became a back-and-forth battle with stretched out lines. In the 50th minute, Tanabe dribbled up the center of the opponent's half and passed to the right side, where Ishikawa made a decisive final pass to the center. However, both Hirayama in the center and Cabore on the far side were slightly off timing and couldn't touch the ball. In the 53rd minute, Kyoto FW Paulinho reacted to the final pass in the center and took a decisive shot, but Gonda made a great save to avoid danger.

　Tokyo took 59 minutes, with Hirayama sticking to the left side and passing to Cabore in front of the goal. He passed it to Ishikawa who ran to the center of the area and took a shot. However, he was closed down by the defenders and the ball was cleared. In the 63rd minute, Ishikawa broke through the right side and crossed the ball low. Hirayama acted as a decoy in the center of the goal and Cabore was left free to create a decisive opportunity, but his shot was blocked by the goalkeeper. In the 64th minute, Kyoto brought on forward Yanagisawa, while Tokyo substituted Cabore for Suzuki and then brought on Akamine for Tanabe.

　In the 68th minute, Ishikawa → Mukuhara attacked the right side with a dribble from a counter, and then took a shot. Hirayama in the left area grabbed the rebound from the GK and boldly aimed for the goal, but it was saved by the GK. However, in the 69th minute, a quick restart by Kyoto after a FK was given inside Tokyo's territory led to a goal by FW Yanagisawa who broke through the defense line. Tokyo had been defending well, mainly through Kanda, but they were caught off guard and conceded an equalizer. Despite this, they continued to calmly pass and look for chances, but were unable to convert and the match ended in a 1-1 draw. They were only able to earn 1 point away from home.

　【Player Comments】《Ishikawa》"Today, we had a plan to score one goal and win by keeping a high defensive awareness and also taking advantage of set pieces. We were prepared to defend if we took the lead... In the first half, Yone, Yohei, Sota, and Kusamin created a good rhythm in the midfield, and I think we were able to create chances by involving myself and Cabore. However, we pulled back a little too early and couldn't create opportunities from the front line. As a result, we ended up conceding a goal and facing Kyoto's counterattack. It would have been the best if we could have ended the game with a 1-0 score... As for the goal we conceded, we were very cautious about the restart, but there was a moment of miscommunication and lack of coordination. We couldn't afford to lose our focus. I was able to score in a good position. The switch between Kusamin and I on the left and right was also smooth, and Kusamin created a good rhythm for me to receive the ball. I was thinking about my third movement. (2 consecutive goals, also the top scorer in the team?) I don't really pay attention to how many goals I score in total. What's more important is to have 1 or 2 chances in every game and to score them reliably. If we can do that consistently, it will be great."《Gonda》"We conceded a goal from the restart for the second consecutive game and made the same mistake... We need to have a higher awareness as a team. We should have stopped the play at the wall and our response to FW Yanagisawa's movement was also lacking. However, even with changes in the lineup, we were able to play our own style of soccer and move the ball just like we have been doing. We were able to connect well with Hidesan and Matsusan, and we were able to create chances by passing the ball around. We knew that Kyoto would come at us in the second half, so we tried to create chances by starting from the front. I think we were able to do that by aiming for the space behind their defense and taking shots. We want to continue the good parts and do our best to win the remaining two games at home."

　[Summary of Manager Jofuku's Press Conference] "If we could get 3 points today, it would greatly benefit us in advancing from the group stage, so we really wanted to get those 3 points and that's the mindset we had going into the game. However, we didn't expect it to be an easy game and we were prepared for a close match with a one-point difference. In the extremely humid conditions, we focused on moving the ball and tiring out the opponent to create chances. Even though the lineup was quite different from the previous game, I think each player took on the challenge. In the first 15-20 minutes of the second half, our main issue of scoring a second goal became apparent. We had multiple big chances but couldn't convert them, and that's the nature of the J-League. This is also an away game, so I expected it to be a close match. If we can't score a second goal, it could have gone either way in the end. However, the players showed great determination until the end, defending and preventing shots with their bodies. A draw away is not the worst result. We want to make this result count and get solid wins in our next two home games. (We have been conceding early goals in quick restarts) I didn't see it with my own eyes because it was during a substitution, but I can confirm that the marking and passing were not clear. Of course, we were paying maximum attention to the restarts and we were aware that Kyoto has a strong weapon in their throw-ins and restarts. It's very disappointing to concede a goal as a result. We also regret not being able to score another goal, but we want to become a team that can hold on to a 1-0 lead and show our fans that we can do it."

　[Kyoto - Coach Kato's Press Conference Summary] "The result ended in a 1-1 draw, but to be honest, we wanted to take all 3 points. However, in terms of the game itself, we were able to gradually express the style of soccer we want to play, and many players, such as young players who had little playing time and Yanagisawa who had been away from the game due to injury, showed a good performance in today's match. As a team, I think we were able to end the game with a positive feeling. We had many chances to score, and we were so close to opening the door, but the goal was born from the synergy between Diego and Yanagisawa, so it was a gritty match and Yanagisawa was able to score in his comeback game. I think it was a good game where we were able to have a positive image and move in a good direction as a team. (Regarding the timing and instructions for Yanagisawa's substitution) In terms of timing, I was planning to let him play for about 30 minutes while watching the flow of the game. In that sense, there were a few chances to score before Yanagisawa came on, and it was not a bad time period in terms of the flow of the game, so I delayed it a little. I actually wanted to bring him on a little earlier, but in that situation where we couldn't score and the flow shifted to the other team, I thought it was the right time to bring him on. The movement of top players Paulinho and Toyota.S was not bad, so I substituted Yanagisawa for Tejima. In terms of tactics, it was not a substitution for the same position, and it did not disrupt the balance, but I think the game changed in terms of the flow. I instructed Yanagisawa to touch the ball once from the second row and then open up wide and move into the box, but I didn't give him too many instructions."