Approaching the Nabisco Cup Final with a calm mind!

　The Nabisco Cup Final Round is being held, and it is finally time for kickoff at the Japan National Stadium. It is the stage for the Final Round for the first time in five seasons, and it is a crucial match that represents the culmination of this season so far. However, Coach Jofuku and the players all express that they are only thinking about giving 100 percent of what they have built up until today, and they are preparing with the same mindset as always.

　Kawasaki, on the other hand, is currently at the top of the league. In the previous league match against Hiroshima, they won decisively with a score of 7 to 0, indicating they are in excellent form. Additionally, their total goals in the league stand at 57, which is far ahead of any other team. As you may know, the attacking power of forwards JUNINHO, Jeong, and Renatinho is a significant threat. Leading up to the Final Round, the surrounding expectations are higher for Kawasaki, and at the same time, they are the opponents against whom they suffered two comeback losses in this league season.

　Coach Jofuku reflected, "Kawasaki is a wonderful team with high individual quality, representing Japan. We prepared thoroughly for the league match, but it was a frustrating loss." However, he added, "There is always a reason for defeat, and there must have been something lacking. Based on that, we have faced the challenges and aimed for further improvement. Competing against Kawasaki on this grand stage is a privilege and a perfect opportunity to prove our evolution."

　Unfortunately, in addition to the absence of Moniwa and Ishikawa, Nagatomo, who injured his right shoulder, will also start on the bench. Mukuhara will serve as the right back, and Tokunaga will move to the left side as the team prepares for kickoff. There have been many incidents up to this point, but today, the focus is solely on how well Tokyo can play. We will gather the strength of the players, the coaching staff, and all the fans and supporters to unite and seize the cup! The wind is cold and there is some chill, but the sky is clear. Under perfect weather for a grand stage, the match started at 14:09 with Kawasaki's kickoff.

Kawasaki couldn't seize the momentum, and Yonemoto scored the opener with a bullet shot from distance!

　In the early stages of the match, both teams showed some stiffness. Tokyo tried to attack by connecting passes, but there were many mistakes, leading to counterattacks from Kawasaki. In the 4th minute, Hanyu passed to Akamine, and with typical Tokyo-style passing, they moved the ball into the opponent's territory. Kajiyama attempted to turn past the opposing defender in midfield but lost the ball there. However, Kawasaki also sent long balls to the front line, and many of their attacks ended up being isolated plays.

　In the 6th minute, Kawasaki FW JUNINHO passed to the defensive midfielder Taniguchi, who aimed for a long shot, but Gonda caught it firmly in front. Among them, it was Tokyo that created the first decisive chance. In the 8th minute, from a right throw-in, Hanyu brought the ball inside, connected passes, and spread it to the right side. Yonemoto broke through the side and sent a cross from a deep position. This hit the defender and spilled, and Hirayama in the right area attempted a half-volley, but the shot went over the bar...

　When a chance was missed, in the 11th minute, Kawasaki MF Nakamura's vertical pass found FW Renachinho just outside the area, who turned and shot. The ball flew just barely over the crossbar, but it was saved by Gonda's fine save, resulting in a corner kick. In the 19th minute, Kawasaki created another scoring opportunity. Kawasaki MF Taniguchi broke through behind Tokyo DF and faced the GK one-on-one. However, Gonda's brave rush resulted in a save! From there, the loose ball was picked up by FW JUNINHO, who was free in front of the goal, but he shot wide, escaping another crisis...

　Although they were starting to lose control to Kawasaki, in the 22nd minute, Yonemoto received a return pass from Hirayama and boldly took a shot from the left side of the opponent's midfield. The ball, traveling without spin, deflected off Kawasaki's goalkeeper Kawashima and into the net! With Yonemoto's strike, they took the lead!! After that, they were dominated by Kawasaki in possession, and it was difficult to showcase their typical Tokyo-style passing, but they remained focused in defense and did not allow free play. They created rhythm from stable defense and connected their passing to create chances towards the end of the first half.

　In the 38th minute, they defended tenaciously deep on the right side of their own half, and Mukuara passed the ball forward. Here, Akamine caught up and launched a quick attack in coordination with Hirayama. Akamine ran onto a pass sent forward by Hirayama and aimed for the goal with a looping shot, but... it went wide of the target. They ended the first half with a one-goal lead, but since Tokyo has scored first in all the Tamagawa Classics this season, there are high expectations for their performance in the second half.

A brilliant counterattack adds another goal, crowned champions for the second time in 5 years!!

　In the early stages of the second half, Tokyo took control of the pace. In the 46th minute, they connected from their own half, with Akamine switching to Suzuki on the right. Suzuki boldly aimed for the goal from the right area, winning a corner kick after a save by the GK. From this right corner kick by Suzuki, they persistently sought a chance, and in the end, Hanyu pounced on the loose ball for a shot from the middle. However, he could not hit the target. In the 50th minute, from a side switch by Kajiyama, Tokunaga delivered an early cross. Akamine, just barely at the far post, headed the ball but it lacked the angle and was caught by the GK.

　However, they gradually began to suffer from Kawasaki's sharp counterattacks. In the 57th minute, a floated ball was sent behind Tokyo's DF, and Kawasaki's forward Jeong found himself one-on-one with Gonda, but once again, Gonda made a great save to avert the crisis. Still, Kawasaki increased their momentum in search of the equalizing goal. Tokyo found themselves under pressure, but with a concentrated defense centered around Gonda, they launched a quick counterattack in the 59th minute. From Hanyu's pass, Suzuki sprinted down the left side. Judging the timing and the opposing DF well, he sent a cross to the far post, and Hirayama scored with a header!! They brilliantly seized their second goal with a magnificent counterattack!

　After that, in response to a fierce counterattack from Kawasaki, in the 60th minute, Nagatomo was brought into the midfield in place of Akamine, with Suzuki moving to FW. In the 71st minute, Kawasaki passed the ball starting from a dribble by FW JUNINHO, and finally, MF Nakamura took a precise long-range shot, but Gonda saved it in the bottom left! After holding on to this, Tokyo launched a sharp counterattack. In the 74th minute, Nagatomo broke free in the front line to meet Mukuara's early cross, going one-on-one with the GK! He managed to get past the GK to create a big chance, but his shot was blocked by the quickly returning Kawasaki DF...

　In the 74th minute, Hanyu was replaced by Hiramatsu, who was brought in as a right midfielder. Although they were pushed back by Kawasaki's fierce counterattack in an attempt to score a goal, they calmly responded by utilizing player substitutions. In the 86th minute, Sahara was brought in for Suzuki to form a five-back defense and strengthen their defense. Despite being subjected to Kawasaki's relentless attacks for a while, everyone fought hard, demonstrating resilience and high concentration.

　In the 4 minutes of stoppage time, Nagatomo made a sprint to match Kajiya's pass to the front line, creating another one-on-one situation with the goalkeeper, but was thwarted by a save... Although they couldn't score the third goal, they held off Kawasaki's fierce counterattack with a strong defensive awareness, finishing the match without conceding a goal! There were moments when they couldn't play the kind of football typical of Tokyo, but they responded flexibly to Kawasaki's counterattacks, and in terms of game management, it ended perfectly at 2-0. They claimed the Nabisco Cup title for the second time in five years with everyone's effort!!

　In addition, the tournament MVP award was won by Yonemoto, who received a double award along with the New Hero Award.

　【Player Comments】《Yonehira》"The flow was bad, so I wanted to take a shot to change it. I thought if I took one shot, the momentum might shift. It was good that I shot in that moment, but I never expected to score on such a stage, so when it happened, my mind went blank. In defense, I had to be careful to close in on Nakamura from Kawasaki, who delivers good passes, to prevent him from making good plays. Keeping Kawasaki's amazing attacking line to zero goals gives me confidence." 《Hirayama》"The goal came from a really good ball from Suzuki, and I just had to connect with it. I wanted to suppress the opponent's strengths and instead showcase our own. There were times when things didn't go well, but we fought calmly. We had lost twice to Kawasaki in the league this season, so I'm really happy to win here. I want to work hard in practice so we can aim for titles in the league and the Emperor's Cup."

　[Summary of Coach Jofuku's Press Conference] "It was a fair assessment to say that 'Tokyo would struggle' based on pre-match predictions. In terms of injury situations and the depth of the player roster, there is no doubt that Kawasaki had the advantage. However, leading up to the Final Round, we have accumulated victories through the strength of all our players. The frustration of those who couldn't stand on the pitch today, the injured players, or those who couldn't make it to the bench became our strength, and those who took the field fought carrying that sentiment. It was truly a victory earned by everyone together.

　The fans and supporters have surely been eagerly waiting for this moment. The fact that we faced Kawasaki head-on without hesitation and achieved victory is a great confidence booster, and it proves that we have been addressing the challenges we faced after two losses in the league. I strongly believe that this championship today should serve as a stepping stone for the team to further improve, and we must make that happen.

　Today, with the support of both teams' supporters, including the Kawasaki supporters and the Tokyo supporters, we were able to compete in the Final Round in a wonderful atmosphere. I was happy about that and proud to have fought alongside the players and staff on this stage. Thank you very much for your passionate support.

　[Kawasaki Coach Sekizuka's Press Conference Summary] "I am disappointed that we could not reach for the title on this grand stage. I feel deeply sorry for many of our supporters. After conceding the first goal, we lost our composure, and I think our weakness showed in how we could maintain our style of play for the full 90 minutes. We should have moved the ball more simply from the sides, but we became too forceful and could not break through in the end."

　In the first half, when we played calmly, we were able to get into shooting range. So at halftime, I instructed the team to create triangles on the sides and to focus on effective passes that skip one instead of simply sending the ball forward. Additionally, by cutting in from the sides, we can increase our chances for set plays, and I discussed how we should aim to convert those into goals. We need to reorganize as a team in that regard. Given that we have capable players, this psychological state tends to arise on a big stage. We must solidify our shape as a team. I truly feel congratulations to Tokyo.