Victory to break through the Nabisco qualifying league by breaking down Kyoto's solid defense!

　On the 6th, the Nabisco Qualifiers Sec. 6 were held on Sunday, facing Kyoto Sanga F.C. at Ajinomoto Stadium. In Sec. 5 against Sendai, the team suffered a goalless defeat and dropped to 2nd place in the group standings. Considering the results of other matches this round, securing 3 points is essential to advance to the final tournament. Coach Shirofuku and the players said, "Even a draw doesn't mean everything is over, but from here on, we see it as a tournament situation. We will fight with a focus on getting 3 points," showing strong determination to win.During the 10-day interval since the last match, the team focused on addressing the current issue of insufficient scoring ability and tried various approaches. During this period, Ishikawa adjusted separately due to migraines, and Ricardinho also trained separately considering his leg condition. Ricardinho will miss this match as Coach Shirofuku said, "We want to prepare him for the Cerezo match." Ishikawa, though not at 100%, is in good condition and will start. The formation starts offensively with Akamine and Suzuki as two forwards, Morishige and Kim Young-gun as center backs, Nakamura at left back, and Matsushita on the right.Kyoto has already played 5 matches and currently leads the group with 11 points. Although Korean national team defender Kak Tae-hee is absent, the defensive line is a three-back with Masushima in the center, Morishita and Mizumoto on the sides. The formation is a 3-4-3 with two defensive midfielders, forward Yanagisawa up front, and Diego and Dutra in the second line. Against this, the plan is to quickly switch between offense and defense and, if possible, exploit the side spaces before the opponent’s formation is set. However, Kyoto can secure a top-two finish with a draw or better this round, so they may defend deeply. The key will be whether the team can launch attacks that shake Kyoto’s defenders.That said, given the current scoring issues, conceding first must be avoided. Coach Shirofuku said, "Allowing Kyoto’s counterattack means our attacking quality is poor. We expect them to defend deeply, but we want to add sharpness to how we finish attacks and challenge to break through." He hopes to create rhythm from defense, maintain control for longer periods, and make this game a turning point to overcome the challenges. Under the pleasantly warm weather at Ajinomoto Stadium, the match kicked off exactly at 3 PM in Tokyo.

Controlling the ball and creating chances, but Kyoto counters with a counterattack

　They connected passes and launched attacks from the early stages. Hanyu and Kajiyama delivered one-touch passes in front of the goal, while fullbacks Nakamura and Matsushita made well-timed overlaps. Suzuki, Ishikawa, and Akamine were involved in creating chances. In the 7th minute, Ishikawa received a pass from Tokunaga → Kajiyama, dribbled past the opposing DF, moved to the center, and took a mid-range shot. Meanwhile, Kyoto launched sharp counters from intense ball recoveries in midfield. In the 11th minute, from a long pass from Kyoto’s midfield, forward FW Yanagisawa connected with a direct volley and shot. At the 12th minute, Tokyo created a good chance: left-side Hanyu passed to Akamine ahead and received a return, then passed to Suzuki, who had shaken off his marker in the central area of the penalty box. Suzuki, receiving the ball with his back to the goal, turned and shot, but it lacked power and went straight to the GK. At the 13th minute, Akamine and Suzuki rushed into the center for an early cross from Matsushita but just missed connecting. At the 22nd minute, Kyoto MF Dutra dribbled past Tokyo’s DFs one after another and advanced to shoot, but Gonda caught it. After the 24th minute, Suzuki approached Kyoto’s goal with a strong attack, but Kyoto’s DFs blocked firmly and defended successfully. At the 33rd minute, Ishikawa cut inside and took a powerful mid-range shot, but it grazed a DF and resulted only in a corner kick. At the 35th minute, Suzuki passed to Matsushita, who overlapped on the right outside; Matsushita ran in and crossed from a high position, but the GK caught it. At the 37th minute, Kyoto sent a long ball into space on the right front line, where right MF Watanabe rushed out, but Tokyo’s DFs responded firmly and cleared it to a corner kick. Tokyo showed high defensive awareness and concentrated to withstand Kyoto’s sharp attacks. Meanwhile, despite controlling the ball and advancing the game advantageously, they could not break the deadlock and ended the first half scoreless.

Kim Yong-gun strikes with his left foot! He marks a powerful first goal and secures the victory!

　Tokyo continued to dominate possession in the second half, while Kyoto maintained their approach of tough defense and counterattacks. In the 52nd minute, Ishikawa dribbled up the right side and sent an early cross. Hanyu, running on the opposite side, appeared to be fouled inside the area, but no foul was called on Kyoto, and the ball went out of bounds. Immediately after, Tokyo launched another attack, and Akamine was fouled in the central opponent's half, earning a free kick. Although the distance was about 26 to 27 meters, at the 53rd minute, Young Gwon KIM took the free kick directly with his left foot! The powerful shot grazed the left lower post, bounced off the goalkeeper, and went into the net! Taking advantage of the set-piece opportunity, Young Gwon KIM scored his first goal, securing the long-awaited opening goal. However, Tokyo did not retreat into defense; at the 58th minute, Otake was brought on for Suzuki. While guarding against Kyoto's counterattacks, they aimed for an additional goal. Shortly after, Nakamura surged up the left side and crossed from an advanced position. Otake headed the ball in the right area but directed it straight at the goalkeeper. In the 63rd minute, Kajiyama aimed a mid-range shot after Otake's left corner kick was cleared. Although blocked by a defender, Hanyu picked up the second ball and connected it, with Otake and Akamine launching a wave of attacks, but Kyoto's defense held firm. At the 66th minute, Shigematsu replaced Ishikawa, and at the 77th minute, Mukuhara came on for Hanyu at side back, with Matsushita moving forward. Kyoto did not give up and used substitutions to chase a goal, leading to intense battles. Both teams maintained tough defense, preventing the other from gaining freedom. In the 86th minute, from Shigematsu's side change, Akamine delivered a final pass inside the area. Otake ran in and created an excellent chance but lost balance in front of Kyoto's goalkeeper's quick rush and could not complete the shot. Kyoto also pressed forward, centered on substitute midfielder Suzuki. However, in stoppage time, Suzuki's precise free kick was well saved by Gonda. Following a series of counterattacks, Kyoto forward Miyayoshi took a decisive shot, but a mistake helped Tokyo, and the match ended. Although they could not score during open play, Tokyo secured 3 points by effectively capitalizing on set-piece chances, keeping their hopes alive for advancing to the Final Round. 【Player Comments】《Young Gwon KIM》“I took the free kick with the desire to score and win the match. It was my first goal, so I was very happy. When I kicked, I looked at the wall’s position and talked with other players before taking the shot. Since the wall was close, I didn’t focus on making it spinless but aimed straight for the course. I kicked with confidence, and I’m glad I could show the results of practice. Scoring my first goal is an indescribable joy. In the first half, I was a bit unfocused and made some passing mistakes. I refocused in the second half. As a defender, I’m glad we kept a clean sheet and won.” 《Suzuki》“We couldn’t score during open play, but I felt good about the match. Today, not only the balance between offense and defense but also individuals showing their strengths and contributing to the team, and the team balancing individual skills, worked well. If everyone’s vectors align a bit more, chances to approach the goal will increase. I want to unify intentions not only among the forwards but also among three to four players. While contributing to the team, I also want to personally achieve results by sheer force. I want to move more, not only aiming behind the defense but also drawing out the ball and always looking up to try.” 【Coach Shirofuku’s Press Conference Summary】“We had to win today to advance from the group stage on our own. Even considering that Kyoto would advance with a draw, I thought it would be a very difficult match. We created some good chances in the first half but couldn’t finish them. The defense did well to keep a clean sheet. I think we executed our plan quite well in the first half, but not scoring remains an issue. However, despite the challenges, winning 1-0 was thanks to the substitutes and everyone fulfilling their roles, covering and bringing out the best in each other. Everyone always has a strong desire to win, but today especially, there were many plays where players were aware of each other. I think the parts that were poor in the previous Sendai match improved. It was really good to celebrate with the fans at Ajinomoto Stadium after a long time.” 【Kyoto Coach Kato’s Press Conference Summary】“Today’s match was one where a draw would secure advancement to the Final Round. But if I said before the game that a draw was fine, naturally the players would become defensive. That mindset would lose aggressiveness, so I told them, ‘Let’s finish the group stage with 14 points.’ Regarding how to play against the opponent, FC Tokyo had to attack. But I think they played more cautiously than expected. I thought they would apply pressure from the front, but they retreated and defended carefully against our counterattacks and offense. We were okay with them having the ball, but we focused on not allowing easy balls into the area or easy shots, and we managed that fairly well in the first half. We may have retreated a bit too much, but otherwise, we closed spaces well and moved the ball as a team, so it wasn’t a bad performance. However, today, FC Tokyo’s concentration when defending was excellent. The free kick that led to the goal was blind to the ball’s origin, but the shot itself was wonderful. It was unlucky that it hit the goalkeeper’s back and went in. The players showed their desire to score today. It’s unfortunate we couldn’t get points, but overall, I don’t have a bad impression of the game. We finished the group stage, but others still have one match left, so we can only wait. We want to prepare well and wait for the results.”