The team is united in aiming for the Semifinal Round!

　The second leg of the Nabisco Cup quarterfinals was played away against Shimizu S-Pulse. Since the first leg on 9/1 at Ajinomoto Stadium ended in a 1-1 draw, a 0-0 draw today would result in elimination due to the away goals rule. Therefore, scoring is absolutely necessary. With only two days between this match and the Emperor's Cup 2nd Round on 9/5, this second leg is held amid a busy schedule. Coach Jofuku positioned today as a "big game" to advance to the final and held a closed training session the day before.Shimizu, on the other hand, will be without FW Okazaki and FW Fujimoto, who played in the Japan national team match the day before, but MF Ono and FW Edamura, who missed the first leg, return to the starting lineup. Their attacking power must be taken very seriously. As Coach Jofuku said, "Of course, the key is how to score goals while avoiding conceding. However, considering Shimizu's attacking strength, we are prepared to concede goals. Still, it is necessary to stay calm and fight throughout the 90 minutes," the team aims to assess the flow of the match and adapt their tactics accordingly.Tokyo will be without Konno and Kim Young-gun, and Shigematsu is absent due to U-19 Japan national team duties. However, Hanyu returned in the Emperor's Cup and starts today. Tokunaga and Morishige will play center back, Kajiyama and Takahashi in defensive midfield, and the two forwards will be Oguro and Ricardinho. Everything today demands results. Despite missing national team members and injured players, the team is determined to give their all in this match.In the Emperor's Cup match against Komazawa University, Tokyo turned their aggressive style into goals with the participation of Hanyu and Tokunaga. Building on that success and accumulated confidence, the team will unite to fight tenaciously and aim to advance to the Semifinal Round. The match started exactly at 7 PM at Outsourcing Stadium Nihondaira, with Shimizu kicking off, under humid conditions where the rain stopped as if the typhoon's impact was a lie.

Both teams are playing solidly, heading into the second half with a scoreless tie.

　Against Shimizu, who played defensively from the start of the match, Tokyo seized opportunities. At 2 minutes, Ricardinho was fouled and earned a free kick near the opponent's goal. Nakamura aimed directly, and when the opposing goalkeeper parried, Suzuki closed in but missed the target. At 6 minutes, Takahashi took a middle-range shot from a ball that spilled to the center, but it went over the bar. At 9 minutes, from Kajiyama's side change, Ricardinho held possession inside the left area. Finally, Suzuki took a shot but couldn't connect properly.However, gradually Shimizu gained rhythm, controlled the midfield, and pressed Tokyo. At 16 minutes, Hyodo passed to Ota on the left side, who crossed. The ball spilled in front of the goal, but Gonda caught it. At 18 minutes, Jonsen connected to Hyodo near their own goal, and a shot was taken but went off target. Even as Shimizu continued passing and Tokyo spent more time defending, they remained calm and patient, withstanding Shimizu's attacks and began creating chances by exploiting openings.At 35 minutes, Hanyu sent a vertical pass to Oguro. Turning around, he swung his left foot, but it hit the opposing DF and resulted in a corner kick. From this right corner, Takahashi to Nakamura took a shot, but the opposing DF blocked it. Near the end of the first half at 43 minutes, from Kajiyama's play, Mukuhara attacked behind the opposing DF on the right side and sent a low cross in front of the goal. Suzuki connected and took a direct shot. The ball hit the left post and went out. They continued to fight tenaciously, and the first half ended 0-0. The outcome was left to the second half.

Despite creating several scoring opportunities, we couldn't score... It ended in a frustrating scoreless draw.

　From the start of the second half, Shimizu came forward with momentum but were tightly defended and not allowed freedom. Both teams exchanged set plays for a while. However, Tokyo also showed an attacking stance toward the goal, and in the 63rd minute, Ricardinho made a final pass after breaking behind the right-side defender from Mukuhara. From there, Hanyu took a precise shot, but it was stopped by the goalkeeper's excellent save. In the 65th minute, again from Mukuhara's cross, Ohguro made a header shot near post, but it hit the bar...After that, Ishikawa, Matsushita, and Hirayama were brought in. With Hirayama at the front line, Matsushita and Kajiyama in the second line, and Isao TAKAHASHI as the lone defensive midfielder, they went for goals in a 4-1-2-3 formation. This strategy paid off, and they launched a fierce attack in the final stages. In the 84th minute, Hirayama cut in from the right side and took a left-footed shot. In the 85th minute, Kajiyama shot from Matsushita's right cross, and in the 90th minute, Ricardinho attempted a diving header from Ishikawa's cross, but all were stopped by the goalkeeper's excellent saves. During a right corner kick in stoppage time, Gonda also pushed forward, maintaining pressure toward the goal until the end.However, Ishikawa's volley from Matsushita's cross was blocked by the opposing defender. The rebound was connected to Hirayama inside the area, who took a decisive shot but was blocked by a covering defender... Then from Tokunaga's cutback, Hirayama made a high-point header shot, continuing a breathless battle, but this too was caught by the goalkeeper. They fought a fierce match well but could not shake the net, and the game ended scoreless. They were tied with Shimizu in points and goal difference, but due to away goals, they could not advance to the Semifinal Round.【Player Comments】《Hirayama》"I think the first half was a tight game. I came on in a situation where we absolutely had to score one goal, and I think I showed an attacking attitude. (You had a decisive header and a left-footed shot?) Not only me, but throughout the match, it's rare to have so many shots hit the post or be saved by the goalkeeper... Still, finishing is my job. It's the most important thing, and I have a strong desire to shake the net."《Tokunaga》"It was a match we could have won. But since the result can't be changed, I want to switch to the league matches immediately. It was my first time partnering with Morige as center backs, but Morige communicated well, so I could play without panic. In the first half, rather than rushing to score one goal, we really didn't want to concede. Even so, we created chances as planned. In the second half, the opponent dropped back, and we changed our formation and switched on. Of course, it might be because Shimizu didn't take risks or attack aggressively, but I think we played offensively. I wasn't anxious throughout the match, but Shimizu's goalkeeper was excellent. In that sense, it was unlucky, but it's important to connect this battle to the next."【Coach Jofuku's Press Conference Summary】"We really wanted to advance to the next round, but it's disappointing that we couldn't fulfill that wish. I wanted to celebrate with the fans who came in such weather today. I have no words. However, I want the players to hold their heads up. We prepared as much as we could, and the players on the pitch did what they could. If something was lacking, it might be my problem.(Which was bigger, conceding one goal at home or not scoring today?) The one goal from that corner kick over 180 minutes. From the perspective of the football we aim for, I think this scene showed the difficulty we have this year in not being able to get the ball over the goal line at the end. Of course, we shouldn't have conceded that goal, and if we hadn't, we could have played extra time. First in the priority of regrets, I want this team to realize their current efforts and thoughts about the area beyond the penalty box, or rather beyond the goal area."【Shimizu Coach Hasegawa's Press Conference Summary】"First, when the match ended, I think defender Iwashita had back pain, but I sincerely apologize to FC Tokyo players, staff, related parties, and supporters for not lining up and bowing. I spoke strictly to him, and I believe he is reflecting on it. I want to take this opportunity to apologize. Regarding the match, we expected it to be very difficult. Although we had the advantage of an away goal with a 1-1 away draw, it was almost negligible and, conversely, that became an advantage, making the game very difficult.Overall, I think we controlled the game, but the last 10 minutes were difficult when the opponent committed more players to attack. However, since it was home, I didn't want to just defend and finish 0-0 as a matter of principle. We substituted attacking players and tried to create chances, but I really think goalkeeper Seibu saved us. He made body blocks on several dangerous situations, which led to this result. I am truly grateful, and I think without his performance, we wouldn't have advanced to the Semifinal Round. We have a match against Omiya in two days, so we will switch our mindset and prepare for the next game. I am very grateful to the many passionate supporters who cheered until the end despite it being a weekday. Thank you very much."