Overcome the high wall of the Semifinal Round with strong determination

The first match of the Nabisco Cup Semifinal Round will be against Shimizu S-Pulse away. In the league match against Oita held on 8/30, we played tenaciously and executed our style of football, achieving a victory for the first time in about a month and a half since 7/18. With only three days between that match and the Semifinal Round, which will be played in a home-and-away format, we will have three matches in one week. However, we want to approach it with the positive image from the victory against Oita and connect it favorably to the second match.

　Shimizu faced Urawa in the quarter-finals of the Nabisco Cup. Although they lost away, they achieved a big victory at home, advancing through a comeback. In the league, after losing to Tokyo (National) in Sec. 15 on June 17, they have gone unbeaten for two and a half months = 9 matches and are currently in 4th place. In the last match against Kawasaki, they were equalized just before the end, but it can be said that they have had a great summer. Additionally, this season, their only loss at IAI Stadium Nihondaira was on May 20 against Yamagata in the Nabisco Cup, highlighting their strength at home.

Tokyo is without Nagatomo and Konno, who have been selected for the Japan national team. Instead, the formation includes Moniwa as center-back, Mukuhara on the right side, and Tokunaga on the left. Coach Jofuku expresses concern, stating, "Shimizu is currently the most stable and formidable team. The quality of both individual players and the team as a whole is quite high, making it difficult to find weaknesses. Their awareness is more unified than when we last faced them, and there are no gaps in their offense and defense." Above all, we must be cautious of FW Jönsson's height, which is utilized in their side attacks. It is essential not only to prevent them from playing easily with tight marking but also to win battles in the side play. Additionally, how quickly we can win second balls and launch fast counterattacks will be key.

　In the event that the total points from the two matches in the Nabisco Cup are tied, the number of away goals will also come into play, so we want to somehow secure a goal. Breaking through Shimizu's solid defense is not easy, but we want to create chances by repeatedly making 'a little twist' centered around the well-performing Ishikawa. This season, Tokyo has faced Shimizu twice and won both times, so Shimizu must have a strong desire for revenge. We will pull victory closer with an even stronger determination! The match started at 19:00 with Shimizu's kickoff at IAI Stadium Nihondaira.

Yamamoto, with Cabore's goal, takes a one-point lead into halftime.

　In the 2nd minute, Tokyo faced an immediate crisis. Shimizu's right midfielder Hiyoshi delivered an early cross. Forward Jönsson made a decisive header, but Gonda reacted quickly to catch it. Following this shot, Tokyo attempted to calmly connect passes and launch an attack against Shimizu's aggressive offense from the start. In the 10th minute, Yonemoto passed to Hirayama, who took a shot from just outside the right area, but the ball barely missed the target, wasting a big chance. In the 13th minute, Hirayama received a pass from Tokunaga on the left side, took a touch, and shot, but it went to the right of the goal.

　Gradually, Shimizu's momentum increased, and Tokyo was forced to defend, struggling to move the ball forward. They faced a crisis with a shot from Shimizu's MF Edamura, but led by Gonda, the defense showed no signs of weakness. And it was Tokyo that capitalized on the opportunity first. In the 33rd minute, a clearance from Ishikawa's cross fell in front of Yonemoto at the edge of the area. Yonemoto's right-footed shot lacked power but rolled into the goal, giving him his second consecutive goal and putting Tokyo in the lead!

　However, immediately after that, from Shimizu's right corner kick, FW Jönsson scored with a high header, resulting in a goal conceded... The match returned to square one. After that, the offense and defense exchanged rapidly, continuing a tense battle. In the 39th minute, Ishikawa launched a counterattack, speeding down the right side for a shot. However, it went straight to the goalkeeper. Then, in the 42nd minute, Hirayama passed to Cabore, who entered the right area, feinted twice or three times to cut back past the opposing defender, and shot. The ball was absorbed into the net on the opposite side, taking the lead and heading into the second half.

Despite having a numerical advantage, they could not secure a win and ended in a draw.

　Immediately after the start of the second half, in the 45th minute, Shimizu DF Iwashita received a red card for a foul on Hirayama and was sent off. Shimizu was forced to play with 10 men. In the 51st minute, Hirayama advanced from the left corner of the area and took a shot. The ball was saved by the GK and spilled to the far side, but no one was there to follow up. In the 52nd minute, Ishikawa dribbled up from near the center line and took a left-footed shot, but this was also saved well by the opposing GK, resulting in a corner kick. Tokyo, having a numerical advantage, increased their ball possession, but could not break through Shimizu's defensive block.

　In the 61st minute, a quick attack was launched, and Cabore delivered a left cross. Mukuahara, who ran up to just in front of the right area, aimed for the goal from a trap but just missed over the bar... In the 67th minute, Yonemoto sent a long feed to Hirayama, who broke behind the opponent's DF, creating a great chance, but it was taken away by the opponent's DF, and they couldn't get a shot off. Then, in the 69th minute, Shimizu, who came on as a substitute, was broken through on the left side by DF Hiraoka, and when it connected to FW Jönsson, they couldn't catch up with MF Edamura's advance and conceded a goal... They were equalized.

　After that, due to mistakes, there were times when they were on the defensive against Shimizu's sharp counterattacks. Tokyo brought in Suzuki and Kondo to replace Cabore and Ishikawa to launch a counterattack. In the 81st minute, Mukuara made a big switch to the side and took a shot, but it went over the goal. In the 82nd minute, Hirayama headed a cross from Mukuara, but it went wide. Conversely, in stoppage time, they were countered by Shimizu and awarded a direct free kick in front. Shimizu's midfielder Yamamoto aimed directly but missed the target. In the end, they could not secure a win against the 10-man opponent, and the first match of the Semifinal Round ended in a draw.

　【Player Comment】<Yonemoto> "(About the goal) I tried to pick up the second ball, but the ball rolled in front of me, so I just decided to shoot and finish it. Since the ball bounced, I focused on keeping it on target without lifting it. The goal was just by chance. I don't think it was a very good shot. However, it was good to score an away goal. Today, we had a player sent off while we were leading, and I think it was a match we could win. Maybe we needed a stronger determination to go for another goal at that point. It feels like a missed opportunity. Forward Jonsen is Shimizu's weapon, targeting him. We tried to pick up the second ball and develop from there, and I think we handled it well in the first half. But it was painful to be immediately equalized after scoring first. Still, I don't want to think negatively about this; since we scored two goals, I want to see it as a favorable situation for us at home next. If we just defend, the ball will be lost while passing and lead to counterattacks like today, so we want to press from the front. If we score one goal that way, we can make the opponent nervous. We want to stay calm, play a good match, and advance to the Final Round."

　"Gonda: We were always ahead, leading 2-1, but we got caught up. It's very frustrating not to secure the win. However, calmly thinking about it, scoring 2 goals away and drawing is not bad. Today, the defensive lineup changed, so we made sure to confirm their coordination properly, and in attack, we practiced how to break down Shimizu's solid defensive block. I think the fact that Yone and Cabore scored those shots is a result of our practice. The attackers worked hard to score 2 goals, but the defense couldn't hold firm and conceded 2 goals, which is an issue. (There were many moments saved by Gonda's great saves, right?) If we had kept a clean sheet, we could be proud, but since we conceded 2 goals... However, I also think the defense fought well to limit it to 2 goals. (How was the approach after Shimizu was down to 10 players?) We tried to increase our ball possession time, but even though we had one more player, there were moments when we kicked the ball away too easily. After being caught up to a draw, even though a draw was acceptable, we rushed to get a third goal, and I made a risky pass that was intercepted, giving the opponent a set-piece chance. That is also a major point of reflection. Participating in and contributing to the team's strategy of "linking play" is also a future challenge."

　[Summary of Coach Shirofuku's Press Conference] "Looking only at the 2-2 score away from home, I want to take it positively. However, judging from the flow of the game, I think it was a match that exposed our immaturity, and I believe we absolutely had to win today. Players who came on during the match were broken through and conceded goals; a team where substitute players cannot run 1.5 times harder simply cannot move to the next step. In that sense, we must strongly reflect on this. We need to seriously consider why they cannot start as starters, take this opportunity to accept it, and make use of it going forward. I strongly hope they will contribute to the team's level-up quickly. As for the game itself, I expected Shimizu to kick aggressively at first to some extent, so we responded properly and connected passes calmly when the situation settled, which I think went according to plan. After the opponent was reduced to 10 men, we tried to score a third goal but failed, then conceded one goal and ended up with a dangerous set-piece situation at the end. This is a major problem the team faces, and I think we can only clear it little by little. (How did you approach the first away match?) We have always trained and prepared with the image of winning both matches. Of course, in terms of how the game ended, we must look at the total 180 minutes and be aware of away goals, but that is only a situation at the end of the game. To be conscious of that and not give 100% effort would be counterproductive. We approached the game with that kind of mindset."

　[Summary of Coach Masaru HASEGAWA's Press Conference at Shimizu] "Thank you very much for your passionate support until the very end. I think the players did their best for the full 90 minutes. I believe today was the peak of their fatigue. With only two days between matches and playing consecutive games in the summer heat, the players have been pushing themselves both mentally and physically to close the points gap with higher-ranked teams in the league. Of course, as this was the Semifinal Round, I think each player fought hard, but seeing Aoyama develop a fever before the match and unable to play, I believe the core of their bodies was extremely fatigued. In that sense, although the lineup changed slightly, I feel it was somewhat inevitable that the first half lacked aggressiveness. However, after being reduced to 10 players, they finally woke up, each increased their work rate, and their play from that point on was wonderful. Had we lost 2-1 at home like that, it would have been very difficult to advance to the next round, but managing to draw here is a result that keeps the possibility alive. I spoke to the players a lot at halftime, and I think they were able to reset their minds and fight. Fighting with 10 players to catch up and bring the score to 2-2 is a result we want to leverage in the next away game, and no matter what, we want to prepare thoroughly so that we can reach the Final Round for the second consecutive year."