Approach the Nabisco Cup Final with a calm mind!

　The final round of the Nabisco Cup was held, and the kickoff was finally held at the Japan National Stadium. It has been 5 seasons since the last final stage, and it is also the culmination of this season. However, Coach Jofuku and the players all say, "We are only thinking about giving 100% of what we have built up until today," and are preparing as usual to face the big match.

　Kawasaki, on the other hand, is currently in first place in the league. In the previous round against Hiroshima, they won by a whopping 7-0, showing their excellent form. They also have the highest total score in the league with 57 points. As you may know, the attacking power of FW JUNINHO, Zheng, and Renatinho is a great threat. The pre-match predictions from the surrounding area are also higher for Kawasaki, and they have also suffered two comeback losses in their two previous matches in the league.

　Manager Jofuku also reflected, "Kawasaki is a great team that represents Japan, with each player having high quality. We were fully prepared for the league match, but unfortunately we lost in a disappointing way." However, he also stated, "There is always a reason for a defeat, and there must have been something lacking. We have taken on the challenges and continued to build upon them. Facing Kawasaki on this big stage is a great opportunity to prove our evolution and it brings us happiness."

　Unfortunately, in addition to the departure of Shigeki Moriba and Ishikawa, Nagatomo, who injured his right shoulder, also started on the bench. Mokuhara is playing as the right back, and Tokunaga is moving to the left, and they will kick off with this formation. There have been many accidents so far, but today, the focus is on how much Tokyo's soccer can do. Players, coaches, staff, and fans and supporters gather their strength and work together to grab the cup! The wind is cold, and it is cold, but the sky is clear. Under the perfect weather for a stage, the game started with Kawasaki's kickoff at 2:09 pm.

Kawasaki takes the lead with Yonemoto's bullet middle shot, without letting the flow slip away!

　In the early stages of the match, both teams showed their toughness. Tokyo tried to attack by connecting passes, but made many mistakes and were countered by Kawasaki. In the 4th minute, Hanyu passed to Akamine who hit the post, and Tokyo brought the ball into the opponent's half with their characteristic passing. In the middle of the field, Kajiyama tried to turn past the opponent's defender, but was dispossessed. However, Kawasaki also sent long balls to their front line, but their attacks often ended with a single attempt.

　At 6 minutes, Kawasaki FW Juninho -> midfielder Taniguchi aims for a middle, but Gonda catches it firmly in front. However, it was Tokyo who created the first decisive chance. At 8 minutes, Hayashi brought it in from the right throw-in, connected with a pass and developed it to the right side. Yonemoto breaks through the side and sends a cross from a deep position. This hits the DF and falls, and Hirayama in the right area volleys it, but the shot goes over the bar...

　If you miss the chance, in the 11th minute, Kawasaki MF Nakamura's vertical pass, FW Renatinho turned around and shot from the front of the area. It flew just over the crossbar, but escaped with a fine save from Gonda. In the 19th minute, Kawasaki had another chance. Tokyo DF was caught off guard by Kawasaki MF Taniguchi and was left with a 1-on-1 with the GK. However, Gonda made a brave dive and saved the shot! From there, the ball was picked up and a free shot was taken by FW Juninho in front of the goal, but it missed the target and the team escaped danger once again...

　Kawasaki was starting to gain control, but in the 22nd minute, after receiving a return from Hirayama, Kanemoto boldly took a middle shot from the left side of the opponent's midfield. The ball, with no spin, headed towards the goal and bounced off Kawasaki GK Kawashima's hand and into the net! Kanemoto's strike gave us the first goal!! Even after that, Kawasaki dominated the ball and Tokyo couldn't show their usual passing game, but they still remained focused on defense and didn't allow any free plays. They created a rhythm from their stable defense and were able to create chances towards the end of the first half through their passing game.

　At 38 minutes, Mokuhara passed the ball forward from the deep right side of their own half, and Akamine caught up with it to launch a quick attack with Taira. Akamine ran onto Taira's pass and attempted a looping shot, but it missed the goal... The first half ended with a 1-0 lead, but in this season's Tamagawa Classico, Tokyo has always taken the lead, so there are high expectations for the second half.

Additional point from a splendid counter, second crown in 5 years!!

　In the early stages of the second half, Tokyo took control. In the 46th minute, Akamine on the left side connected with Suzuki on the right side. Suzuki boldly aimed for goal from the right area, forcing a save from the GK and winning a corner kick. From this corner kick on the right by Suzuki, they persistently aimed for a chance, and in the end, Hayashi took a shot from the rebound. However, he couldn't find the target. In the 50th minute, Kajiyama switched the play to Tokunaga, who made an early cross. Akamine at the far post headed the ball, but it lacked the angle and was caught by the GK.

　However, gradually they were hit by Kawasaki's sharp counterattacks. In the 57th minute, a floating ball was sent behind Tokyo's DF, and Kawasaki's FW Zheng was left one-on-one with Gonda, but once again Gonda made a great save to avoid danger. Still, Kawasaki continued to increase their momentum in search of an equalizing goal. Tokyo was pushed back, but with Gonda leading the defense, they managed to hold on. In the 59th minute, they launched a quick attack from their own half. Suzuki sprinted down the left side from a pass by Hayashi. He timed it perfectly and sent a cross to the far post, where Hirayama headed it in for a GOAL!! A beautiful counterattack that resulted in their second goal!

　After that, Kawasaki, who launched a fierce counterattack, in the 60th minute, replaced Akamine with Nagatomo in the midfield and Suzuki as FW. In the 71st minute, Kawasaki passed the ball around after FW Juninho's dribble, and finally MF Nakamura took a precise shot, but Gonda saved it in the lower left! With this defense, Tokyo then launched a sharp counterattack. In the 74th minute, Nagatomo broke through the front line after receiving an early cross from Murohara, and faced the GK in a one-on-one situation! The GK also made a big chance by passing, but the shot was blocked by the quick returning Kawasaki DF...

　In the 74th minute, Hanyu was replaced by Hiramatsu as the right midfielder. Despite being pushed back by Kawasaki's fierce counterattack in an attempt to score a goal, the team remained calm and used player substitutions to adjust. In the 86th minute, Suzuki was replaced by Sato and the team switched to a 5-back formation to strengthen their defense. Despite facing continuous attacks from Kawasaki, the team fought hard and showed great resilience and focus.

　In the 4 minutes of stoppage time, Nagatomo made a fierce dash after receiving a pass from Kajiyama on the front line, creating another 1-on-1 scene with the goalkeeper, but was stopped by a save... Although they were unable to score a third goal, they successfully defended against Kawasaki's fierce comeback and ended the game with a clean sheet! While there were times when they couldn't play their typical style of soccer, they always responded flexibly to Kawasaki's attacks and ended the game with a perfect 2-0 score. They have won the Nabisco Cup title for the second time in 5 years with the effort of every single player!!

　In addition, the tournament MVP award was won by Yonemoto, resulting in a double award along with the New Hero award.

　【Player Comments】《Yonemoto》"The flow wasn't going well, so I wanted to take a shot and pull it back. I thought if I could score one goal, the flow might change. It was good that I took the shot in that situation, but I never thought I would score on such a big stage, so my mind went blank when it went in. In defense, I was careful not to let Kawasaki MF Nakamura make a good pass, so I could close in and not let them make a good pass. Keeping Kawasaki's strong attacking lineup from scoring gave me confidence."《Hirayama》"The goal was just a matter of receiving a great ball from Suzuki. We wanted to suppress the opponent's strengths and show our own strengths in the game. There were times when things didn't go well, but we played calmly. We had lost twice to Kawasaki in the league this season, so I'm really happy to win here. We want to work hard in practice so we can aim for titles in the league and Emperor's Cup."

　【Coach Jofuku's Press Conference Summary】"Before the match, it was said that 'Tokyo would have a hard time' based on predictions, and I think that was a fair evaluation. In terms of injuries and depth of players, Kawasaki definitely had the advantage. However, leading up to the final round, we have earned victories with the strength of every single player. The players who couldn't play today, the injured players, or the players who couldn't make it to the bench, their frustration became our strength and those who were on the pitch fought with that determination. It was truly a victory that we won together."

　Fans and supporters have been eagerly waiting for this moment. The fact that we were able to face Kawasaki head on and come out with a victory gives us confidence, and it proves that we have been continuously working on the challenges we faced with our two losses in the league. With this championship today, I strongly believe that our team can continue to step up and improve.

　Today, with the support of both teams' supporters, including Kawasaki supporters and Tokyo supporters, we were able to fight in the final round with the power of everyone. It was a joy and an honor to be able to fight with the players and staff on this stage. Thank you very much for your passionate support.

　[Kawasaki · Sekizuka coach's press conference summary] "Unfortunately, we couldn't reach the title on this big stage. I am full of regret to all the supporters. I think our weakness came out in terms of composure after losing the first goal and how we can play our soccer for 90 minutes. It would have been better to move the ball from the side more simply, but there were many forced forms and we couldn't break through in the end."

　In the first half, when we played calmly, we were able to take the ball to the shooting range. So at halftime, I instructed the team to create triangles on the sides and not just send the ball forward, but also to make effective passes that skip one player. Also, by attacking from the sides, we can increase our chances of scoring from set pieces, so I talked about capitalizing on those opportunities. We need to regroup as a team. As we have talented players, they tend to feel more pressure on big stages. We need to establish a solid team structure. I truly feel happy for Tokyo."