Facing the final showdown for a spot in the Nabisco Cup Final Round!

　The second match of the Nabisco Cup Semifinal Round will be held, facing Shimizu S-Pulse at Ajinomoto Stadium. In the first match, goals from Yonemoto and Cabore put us in a leading position, but in the second half, we couldn't stop Shimizu's momentum, which didn't show their numerical disadvantage. The match ended in a 2-2 draw. However, since we scored two away goals, a 1-1 draw in the second match will still secure our advancement after 90 minutes. We can say we are entering the home match in a favorable situation.

　However, it is clear that Shimizu must take risks and go on the offensive. Tokyo is also aiming for victory, but there is the fact that if the match ends in a 0-0 draw, they can advance to the Final Round. In that situation, head coach Jofuku spoke about the difficulty of balancing the harsh reality they face, stating that it is not easy. Therefore, the key point will depend on how thoroughly they can establish a common awareness. In the first match, Shimizu left challenges after a player was sent off, but it will be necessary to express that common awareness on the pitch.

　At the same time, in the first match, we gained confidence that if we could play our football, we could break through Shimizu's solid defense. In the second match, we want to connect passes without rushing, attack from the sides, and secure the first goal. With a strong focus on scoring, we aim for victory with a one-match, one-win mentality in this crucial game. Shimizu will be missing DF Iwashita due to a red card in the first match. On the other hand, DF Aoyama and FW Nagai will be in the starting lineup. Tokyo will approach the match with the same lineup as in the first match.

　The match started at exactly 18:00 with Shimizu's kickoff at the well-lit Ajinomoto.

Launching a soccer style typical of Tokyo, with Hirayama's powerful header taking the lead!

　From the start, both teams played with determination, resulting in a fierce exchange of attacks and defenses. In the 6th minute, after a cut from their own half, they launched a counterattack, with Ishikawa advancing with a dribble, and Bruno QUADROS, who moved up the center, took a shot, but it lacked power and was caught by the goalkeeper. In the 13th minute, Shimizu's left midfielder Edamura dribbled in and took a shot from inside the central area, but it went wide of the goal.

　In a heated back-and-forth match, in the 16th minute, Yonemoto passed to Hanyu, who advanced on the left flank. Hanyu cut inside past the opposing DF, switched to his right foot, and sent a sharp left cross in front of the goal. Hirayama, timing his run perfectly, broke free from the opposing DF and dove in at the near post, heading the ball straight into the goal. Goal! They capitalized on the chance created from the side and scored the long-awaited opening goal.

　Taking this opportunity, Tokyo seized the rhythm and connected passes to initiate a style of soccer characteristic of Tokyo. In the 19th minute, Cabore cut in from the left side → Hirayama in the center spread it to the right. Ishikawa brought it inside and aimed with his left foot, but it hit the goalkeeper straight on. In the 21st minute, Mukuara dribbled up the right side and crossed. Cabore in the center dropped it, and Hirayama behind shot, but it was blocked... In the 25th minute, after clearing the opponent's corner kick, they launched a counterattack, with Ishikawa breaking through and Hanyu sending a through pass into the right area. Here, Hirayama became free, but they couldn't create a scoring opportunity.

　After that, Tokunaga and Mukuara aggressively pushed forward, and Ishikawa and Hirayama switched on to create chances, but in the 37th minute, Tokunaga made a fierce dribble deep into the left front line, sent a cross parallel to the line, and Hirayama managed to get a foot on it, but couldn't hit the target. In the 40th minute, Yonemoto's shot from distance hit a defender and resulted in a corner kick. In the end, they couldn't score an additional goal. They went into halftime leading by one goal.

With tenacious defense, we snuffed out the seeds of danger and achieved victory, heading to the Final Round!

　Shimizu made a substitution in the 42nd minute of the first half, bringing on MF Fujimoto for FW Nagai in an attempt to change the flow of the game. However, it was Tokyo that found their rhythm at the start of the second half. In the 46th minute, Cabore on the left sent a through ball to Ishikawa, who moved into the center and delivered it to the left area. Hayu made a run but was blocked by a defender just before the ball reached him, allowing the goalkeeper to catch it. In the 50th minute, a right cross saw Cabore and Shimizu's defender contesting in front of the goal, and the ball spilled to the left area where Ishikawa was waiting. He struck with his right foot, aiming for a volley, but was thwarted by the goalkeeper's save... Cabore also couldn't capitalize on the loose ball, missing the chance to score.

　In the 53rd minute, Ishikawa broke free on the right flank to meet a pass from the back, but he was unable to take a shot. In this play, Shimizu DF Aoyama collided with Ishikawa and was injured, leaving the pitch. In the 56th minute, he was forced to substitute for DF Hiraoka. Nevertheless, trailing by one goal, Shimizu launched a fierce attack. However, Tokyo maintained their concentration and defended tenaciously, launching counterattacks. In the 59th minute, Shimizu delivered a left cross, but FW Jönsson could not make contact in front of the goal. Right SB Ichikawa attempted to send the ball forward from just outside the right area to MF Hyodo, but Tokyo DF blocked it with his body.

　In the 62nd minute, Shimizu's right cross was dropped by FW Jönsen in the left area, and MF Ito in the center took a shot, but Yonemoto blocked it with his body. In the 65th minute, Cabore broke into the area, feinted to cut back past the opposing DF, and took a decisive shot while free, but it was thwarted by a save. Shimizu brought in tall FW Nagasawa in the 70th minute, going for a power play. However, Tokyo also substituted Suzuki for Hanyu in the 72nd minute and Sagara for Hirayama in the 80th minute. Bruno QUADROS positioned himself in the center of the defense, with Sagara on the right and Shigeno on the left, adopting a somewhat five-back defensive formation, but never dropped the line, fiercely contested, and effectively snuffed out threats by putting their bodies on the line at crucial moments.

　In the 86th minute, Hiramatsu was brought in as a right midfielder in place of Ishikawa. In the 89th minute, as planned, he cleared Shimizu's throw-in, and Hiramatsu made a timely pass to Cabore, who was trying to break through to the front line. The opposing goalkeeper also rushed out, leaving the goal open, but Cabore's shot just missed the target... Although they couldn't score an additional goal, they effectively utilized player substitutions and shut down Shimizu's counterattacks. They maintained a clean sheet and protected the single goal scored by Hiyama, securing their place in the finals! On November 3rd, they will face Kawasaki Frontale on the pitch of the National Stadium for the first time since 2004.

　【Player Comments】《Hirayama》"I am happy to advance to the final round for the first time since turning professional. Today, we talked about not settling for a draw but winning to reach the final round. I am glad about my goal, but the defense also kept a clean sheet, so I think this final round was earned by everyone. The goal was a shape we practiced. I was aiming for the near side. Since I got a good ball from Hanyu, I thought if I could start moving quickly, I could get there before the opponent. Throughout my soccer career, you don't get to stand on the final round stage many times. I absolutely want to win." 《Hanyu》"For crosses, from practice, we considered speed, position, timing, and patterns, especially focusing strongly on speed. We also promised that one person would always cover the near side. Since we communicated during practice, that paid off. Regarding Shimizu, we were especially cautious about FW Jonsen's height. Even after scoring one goal, we didn't just fall back to defend but pushed forward aggressively, which I think was good. At the end, there were some moments of chaos, but since we were conscious of both counterattacks and possession, overall I think it was a good performance. In the final round, I want to repay the league match loss. First, I feel happy to be able to stand on the final round pitch and want to fight with confidence."

　[Summary of Coach Shirofuku's Press Conference] "We have made thorough preparations without regrets to become finalists, which was the heartfelt wish of our fans, supporters, and club staff, and the entire team fulfilled their roles to advance to the Final Round. This is extremely gratifying, and it was truly wonderful to celebrate together with the fans. Today, the way the match ended—the last 10 to 15 minutes—could have unfolded in various scenarios. We anticipated extreme developments that are not seen in league matches. However, if we started with that mindset, we would not be able to show our greatest common denominator. First, we focused on maximizing the team's shared understanding. We entered the game concentrating on delivering our usual fight and strength at 100%. A 0-0 score was acceptable, and even if we conceded the first goal, we believed that by playing our style of football, we could definitely score at least one goal. So, we fought aggressively without hesitation. The 1-0 result is pleasing for today, but looking calmly, I think we could have scored a second and third goal. However, it would be harsh to say that today, and by reaching the Final Round, we now have time to work on those issues. I was also moved by the players' efforts. This game once again made me feel that every player is essential to this team. The Final Round is a stage the players earned themselves. It is also the result of the fans eagerly awaiting the final held in Tokyo. We want to face it without fear, give our all, and have a match without regrets. Being able to fight strongly against the formidable Shimizu in two consecutive Nabisco Cup matches also boosts our confidence. The league matches will start soon as well, and we want to build on this, focus on winning each game, and prepare to compete for higher positions in the autumn."

　[Summary of the press conference by Shimizu and Coach HASEGAWA] "We had as many as 3,000 supporters come, and despite their support, I feel sorry that we couldn't deliver a good result. However, the players worked very hard. I also want to sincerely congratulate FC Tokyo and hope they achieve a good result in the Final Round. Today's second match was a situation where a 1-1 or 0-0 draw would have been acceptable for FC Tokyo. I felt that if the score remained the same in the second half, it would become difficult for us. So, with the aim of taking the initiative from the first half, we started FW Nagai. However, there were many mistakes in the first half, and we couldn't create the attacking form we wanted. Also, over these two matches, conceding first was painful. After conceding first, we couldn't establish our rhythm or form. In the second half, the ball started circulating and we created chances, but in the end, we couldn't score a goal, which is very disappointing. But the Nabisco Cup is over now. The league matches will resume soon, and considering our current position, we are in a place where we can reach the ACL. We want to switch our mindset and work hard towards the league and the Emperor's Cup."