Nabisco Cup Semifinal Round, First Match at Home

　The league matches are temporarily suspended, and the Yamazaki Nabisco Cup resumes. In the Semifinal Round, we will face Shimizu S-Pulse, with the first match being held at home. After achieving consecutive victories, we will face the Nabisco Cup just three days later. Following this, the Emperor's Cup will continue, leading to consecutive matches, but the team, as always, is focused on the upcoming match, with the mindset of treating it as the Final Round (Coach Ranko POPOVIC) and giving their all.

　Nevertheless, it is a fact that this is the cup competition closest to the title (Hasegawa). Since the matches up to the Semifinal Round will be played in a home-and-away format, this first match at home will hold greater significance. Additionally, this week, Japan national team members Takahashi and Gonda have left the team, and preparations will proceed with a short time and fewer members, but they will indeed strive to secure victory with all their might.

　Shimizu, on the other hand, passed through the qualifying B group in first place in this Nabisco Cup. Although they allowed Nagoya to win the first match in the quarterfinals, they scored four goals in the second match and have advanced this far. In the league match = Sec. 8 (April 28), despite Shimizu having two players sent off, Tokyo succumbed to FW Takagi's "one shot." I have personally felt Shimizu's tenacity and strength in crucial moments, and this is also a match where I want to achieve revenge.

　Tokyo has appointed Maruyama as a defender, marking his first start as a professional. The goalkeeper is Shiota, with Morishige in the center of a three-back formation, and Maruyama and Kaga on the left and right. In the humid Ajinomoto, the match started at 19:04 with Tokyo's kickoff.

Although they allowed the first goal, they regrouped and equalized with a beautiful goal from Kajiyama!

　In the early stages, Shimizu launched a speedy attack, putting pressure on us. After 10 minutes, Ishikawa received a pass from the back, turned forward, and aimed for a long shot, but it went wide. At the same time, Shimizu FW Takagi was injured and had to leave the pitch. He was forced to be substituted by FW Nabeta in the 14th minute. Nevertheless, Shimizu's momentum did not wane, and Tokyo struggled.

　In the 16th minute, after a pass exchange between Ishikawa and Masaru HASEGAWA, Lucas broke through on the left flank to meet Ishikawa's through ball and took a shot, but it went wide. In the 23rd minute, a free kick was awarded to Shimizu in the central area of the Tokyo defense. A kick sent forward by Shimizu's defender Lee was returned by forward Kan in the right area, and a ball that Tokunaga tried to clear ended up in the net... We conceded the opening goal from an own goal during a set piece...

　After that, Tokyo, unable to take control, changed their formation to 4-2-3-1. In the 32nd minute, Tanabe was brought in as left MF in place of Mukuhara, with Maruyama taking on the role of left side back, preparing for a counterattack. This marked the beginning of gradually regaining their pace.

　In the 35th minute, defender Kaga passed to Tokunaga, who was on the right sideline of the midfield. Tokunaga skillfully assessed the offside line and connected with Ishikawa, who had moved from the center to the right forward position. Ishikawa advanced with a dribble and delivered a cross. In front of the goal, Lucas attracted the attention of the opposing defenders, allowing Kajiyama, who made a run from behind, to strike a beautifully curved shot into the top left corner! They equalized with a beautiful goal from a well-coordinated play.

　In the 41st minute, Kajiyama was fouled just outside the area, and Maruyama aimed for a sharp kick from the resulting free kick, but it only grazed the opponent and resulted in a corner kick. From the second right corner kick, Morishige headed the ball, but it went wide of the goal. In stoppage time, Kajiyama and Lucas executed a good tempo of passing, with Yonemoto moving forward to connect, and the play was spread to Ishikawa on the right. However, this was blocked by the opposing defense, but they attempted to regroup with a change in formation and ended the first half.

Maruyama's proactive attitude shines through, and Lucas's penalty kick turns the game around! A first victory achieved.

　In the second half, they aggressively attacked from the start. In the 47th minute, Hasegawa on the left side passed behind the opposing defense. In a switch with Tanabe, Maruyama advanced to the goal line and delivered a low cross. In the 51st minute, from a flowing sequence of passes from Kaga to Tanabe to Kajiwara, Tanabe exploited the space behind the defense and spread the play to the side. Ishikawa, who was wide, cut inside and sent a sharp ground cross, but it just missed Lucas at the far post.

　In the 59th minute, from Kajiyama's through pass, Tanabe ran behind the opposing DF and made a negative pass from a high position in the right area. Kajiyama in the right area took a shot at the perfect timing, but it was blocked by the GK's save. In the 60th minute, Lucas broke through the opposing DF and charged towards the goal. However, the shot was saved by the GK. Ishikawa fought for the loose ball on the right side and managed to take a shot, but it was also saved by the GK. From the rebound, Aria ran in and connected with a well-aimed half-volley, but again it was blocked by the GK. They created decisive chances, but could not break through the excellent saves of the Shimizu GK.

　Still, they tried to connect passes without panicking and aimed for an additional goal, but Shimizu also made aggressive substitutions to aim for the lead. In the 68th minute, Tokyo brought in Nemanja VUCICEVIC, but despite their attacks, they lost the ball and faced a counterattack. In the 76th minute, Shimizu forward Omae utilized his speed to break through to the front line and took a shot, but it missed the target, allowing Tokyo to escape the danger.

　In a rapidly changing game with frequent transitions between offense and defense, in the 78th minute, VUCICEVIC sent a vertical pass to Kajiyama, who was slightly to the left in front of the central area, and it went directly into the left area. Here, Maruyama, who advanced, was fouled by the opposing defender and earned a penalty kick. In the 80th minute, Lucas successfully converted this penalty kick to take the lead!

　In the 84th minute, Hanyu was brought on. While trying to prevent conceding a goal, they aimed to exploit the opponent's weaknesses. In the 89th minute, Hasegawa maintained possession in the opponent's half, timing his play, and from the side, Vucicevic burst into the goal area. A pass was made to him, creating a decisive chance, but he was blocked by the Shimizu defender at his feet... They couldn't secure the third goal, but they achieved victory in the first match with a comeback.

　[Player Comments] {Maruyama} "It was my first start and I played for 90 minutes, and there were parts I enjoyed. However, I lacked match awareness and ended up cramping at the end. I was conscious of marking the opponent and passing during the three-back formation, but after conceding a goal and switching to a four-back, I think my role became clearer. After becoming a side back, I tried to take a high position and actively engage in both offense and defense. In the penalty situation, Kajiyama-san passed the ball to a good position, which ultimately led to the penalty. I want to keep working hard to consistently deliver good performances and make my presence felt."

　"In the early stages, there were few moments when the team tried to receive the ball, and the passes were not connecting or were off. There was also a feeling of not being able to get into the defense. I think we were able to regain our momentum with Tanabe's participation. (The goal) was preceded by a good cross from Ishikawa. In that moment, I ran to the front of the goal thinking a return pass would come, and I was glad I could finish it properly. I believe we were able to create chances not only in the scoring scene but also by connecting passes and developing plays, using the sides as a starting point. I think we gained some momentum as well."

　[Summary of Coach Ranko POPOVIC's Press Conference] "I think we were able to dominate the game for the most part, but the way we started the first half was not the way to approach a match leading to the Final Round. We entered the match as if it were a training match, and during the times when we lacked the fighting spirit, focus, and the ability to play as we usually do, we conceded a goal. However, after that, we did what we needed to do and turned it around. That is commendable, and I am satisfied with the content, attitude, and fighting spirit. We were able to show our attacking football, and I hope everyone enjoyed it."

　I want to express my gratitude for so many of you coming out on a weekday, and it was great to show those people an exciting game of soccer. Regarding the results, we created big chances where it wouldn't have been surprising to score 2 or 3 more goals, so I wanted to convert a few more. Maruyama played his first full match in an official game today, and I think he performed really well. He showed high-quality play that could earn him a spot in the starting lineup. However, it's important that this doesn't end with just one match today; continuing to showcase his abilities and make an impression is crucial.

　[Summary of Coach Gotoh's Press Conference] "It was a very difficult match. I felt that way even before the match, and there was also the unfortunate injury to FW Takagi, but we started well. And we were able to score a wonderful goal. We have been trying to play this kind of football throughout the season, but the players may have been hesitant. However, I am happy that the players made that attempt and a goal came from it. But we immediately conceded a goal, which was the worst kind. From my perspective, it seemed like an offside."

　From there, the match became difficult. However, I thought we could bounce back and score the final goal in the second half. Was the second goal a penalty or a simulation...? It was hard to see from my angle, so I want to check the video. Nevertheless, the decision doesn't matter. We lost 1 to 2. Still, the away goal we scored will be valuable. I have confidence that we can fight well in the second leg.