Important match to break the bad streak of losing in the first round of the Emperor's Cup

　In the 25th round of the league, we will face Shimizu S-Pulse away. In the Emperor's Cup on 9/9, we suffered a defeat in the first match. Of course, we need to reflect on that, but we must not lose our confidence here. Ishikawa said, "We know what we need to do and our direction is not wavering," emphasizing the importance of using the defeat as a stepping stone for the future. This round, we must secure 3 points to break the bad streak.

　Shimizu, on the other hand, is currently in 7th place with 37 points. As you may know, FW Takagi was injured in the first leg of the Nabisco Cup quarterfinals. However, in the Emperor's Cup, they have been able to achieve results by using young and fresh members such as FW Ishige and FW Shirasaki. This round, Australian representative FW Alex will be returning. "Being young means having the most potential. If they are able to gain momentum, we will struggle," warned coach Popovic.

　Tokyo, with Takahashi and Gonda returning energetically after being away from the team during the World Cup qualifiers. Although Hasegawa will be suspended due to accumulated warnings, the midfield will consist of Takahashi and Yonemoto, with Lucas at the top and Tanabe and Ishikawa on the left and right sides. The defensive line will consist of Maruyama and Tokunaga as left and right fullbacks, respectively, in a 4-back formation. The key to victory will be connecting chances from aggressive attacks on the sides, and which team can take control with their tenacious defense and quick transitions.

　Coach Popovich said, "We always have the desire to grow. That's why we want to show an evolved form and always approach with new energy and motivation." Tokyo will also aggressively go for victory with a fresh fight. The match started at 19:04 with Shimizu's kickoff at the Outsourcing Stadium Nihondaira.　

Conceded the first goal and turned around the first half in front of Shimizu's tough press

　The game started with both teams fighting for the ball. Gradually, Shimizu gained control and launched strong attacks. In the 8th minute, Shimizu's FW Erik took a powerful shot from the left side, grazing Tokyo's DF and resulting in a left corner kick. In the 13th minute, Tokyo tried to move forward from their own half but lost the ball to Shimizu, who then took a shot from the area with FW Erik, but it lacked power and was caught by Gonda. However, Tokyo remained calm and defended, quickly sending the ball to the front line to Ishikawa, waiting for a chance.

　Then, in the 21st minute, Tokunaga made a sharp vertical pass from the right side. Lucas dropped it directly to the right area in the center area, and Ishikawa, who had timed his run perfectly, took a shot! However, it skimmed the DF and the bar and flowed to the opposite side... In the 27th minute, Ishikawa broke through the right front line. He tenaciously passed the opponent DF on the goal line and brought it inside, and made a minus last pass in front of the goal. Lucas made a direct shot, but it flew well above the frame.

　As the exchange between offense and defense intensifies, in the latter part of the first half, Shimizu is pushed back and there are scenes where the DF line finally clears. In the 41st minute, Kaga clears Shimizu's cross, and Yonemoto tries to bring it out, but Shimizu FW Omae presses and takes it away, and then brings it out in front. And the powerful shot from just outside the area, which was released with all his might, grazes Kaga and goes into the goal... Giving up the first goal during a difficult period. In the end, they allowed the lead and went into the second half.

Although they caught up to a tie, they were unable to take the lead and the game ended in a draw.

　In the second half, the exchange of offense and defense was quick, and the intense attack and defense continued. In the 51st minute, Nemanja VUCICEVIC was substituted for Tanabe and the flow gradually shifted towards Tokyo. In the 56th minute, VUCICEVIC dribbled and took a shot from outside the box. It missed the target, but in the following 59th minute, VUCICEVIC connected with Takahashi from a short corner and received a return pass, entering the left area. From there, he took a precise shot that found the net on the opposite side, equalizing the score.

　After that, Tokyo continued to control the ball and not miss any opportunities from the opponent, connecting to chances with certainty. In the 65th minute, they took advantage of Shizuoka's pass mistake and countered. Kajiyama → Yonemoto took a middle shot but it was off target. In the 76th minute, Hayashi replaced Ishikawa. In the 80th minute, Yonemoto stole the ball from the opponent's midfielder in the midfield and quickly attacked. From Lucas' dribble, Yonemoto ran to the left area and passed to VUCICEVIC, who had moved inside, and took a shot, but couldn't find the angle and missed the goal.

　In the end, the game became drawn out and Tokyo calmly connected passes, trying to break through. Then, in stoppage time, chances continued to come one after another. Lucas, who had cut inside from the left side, aimed from just outside the box but it curved to the left. Furthermore, substitute Watanabe headed a cross from Vucicevic, but it went straight to the goalkeeper. In the end, the game ended in a 1-1 draw. It was a frustrating result as there were many chances to take the lead.

　【Player Comments】《Nemanja VUCICEVIC》"I am happy to have scored a goal. I may have contributed a little to the team, but today's game was about winning. I am not satisfied with the result. Substitute players have the role of changing the flow and regaining the rhythm. In that sense, I think both Chima and Hayato did their job well. And I believe we all played the way we should and made the plays we should. It was a very high-tension game. That's why I have great respect for the players who stood on the pitch for 90 minutes."

　《Ishikawa》"The start of the game was not bad... I don't think it was because of that, but we made mistakes and couldn't switch at that moment, and it seemed like we were dragging it... Even though we weren't being pushed that far, there was a negative atmosphere. We were the first to concede a goal, but it was really a waste... (Did you have a close shot in the first half?) Yuhei, a good pass from Lukon, and I aimed for the near post... The third movement was something we had been doing since practice. In the second half, the whole team was able to create rhythm from anywhere, but in the first half, we were trying to create chances by exploiting the space between the opponent's CB and SB."

　[Coach Popovich's press conference summary] "I think it was a high-tempo game and I believe it was an enjoyable match for everyone. As expected, the opponent put early pressure from a high position. We have been training every day to handle that early press with few touches and quick decision-making, and if we could do that, we should have been able to control the game advantageously. Unfortunately, our decision-making was slow in the first half and we held onto the ball for too long, which made us vulnerable to being dispossessed. Despite that, we created two clear chances in the first half, but we lacked accuracy in our final pass and finish, which prevented us from scoring."

　In the second half, we firmly took the lead and I think we were able to control the game. We didn't give them any decisive chances and we were able to continue attacking in their half for 45 minutes. We also had several chances to turn the game around after equalizing. I think we had a satisfying game in the second half. We had many fans and supporters come to Shizuoka, and I think we were able to show them a good game. I don't think we can be completely satisfied with the result, but in the next game, we want to play a game where we are satisfied with both the result and the performance."

　【Post-match Interview with Shimizu and Afshin GHOTBI】"The first and second half were completely different games. In the first half, we were able to control the game and I think it was not strange for us to score 2 or 3 goals. We were able to talk about what we needed to do for the second half during halftime, but I think the bad things piled up in the second half. We lost our concentration and organization. We conceded from a set piece and some players were not even looking at the ball. After the game was tied, both teams became emotional and I think there were chances for both teams to win."

　I am disappointed with the performance and result of the second half. I think we need to continue to grow in order to win titles in the future. (What was the reason for losing pace in the second half?) I think it is something that not only happens within our team, but also in other J-League teams. When we make mistakes, we enter a zone and disappear from the game. Mental aspect is important, and our players must have strong mental strength whether they succeed or fail. We have many young players, so when they make mistakes, they tend to get down."