Without being passive, we aim to advance to the final round for the first time in 3 years with our own soccer.

　The second leg of the Nabisco Cup semifinal will be played away against Shimizu S-Pulse. In the previous league match against Kashima, we suffered a big defeat. We have taken that result seriously and reviewed it, focusing on the scenes where we conceded goals. Now, we feel refreshed and want to confirm our style of football once again. We want to approach this big match with a strong mentality and use our accumulated strength to achieve a good result.

　Shimizu, on the other hand, has defeated Sendai and Iwata, who are ranked high in the league, and has risen to 4th place. It can be said that their form is improving. In addition, in the 3rd round of the Emperor's Cup against Verdy on the 10th, they will use even more young players and it can be said that there will be no impact on their condition due to the schedule. Today, DF Li and MF Kawai will be suspended due to accumulated warnings, but left back DF Yoshida will return from injury. In addition, in the same way as the Emperor's Cup, MF Ishige will be placed as a right back.

　Tokyo will be without Gonda and Takahashi for the activities of the Japan national team. In addition, Tanabe, who received a warning, and Hayu, who was injured in the league match against Kashima, will both be absent. The starting lineup will consist of Tokunaga at center back, with Mukuhara and Maruyama on either side, and a double pivot of Yonemoto and Hasegawa. Furthermore, Hirayama, who has improved his condition, will make a comeback to the team after about six months, and the team's atmosphere is also on the rise.

　In the first semifinal round, Tokyo won 2-1, so if they draw or win today, they will advance to the final. (If they lose within 90 minutes, they will go to extra time if the score is 1-2. If Tokyo scores 2 or more goals and loses by 1, they will advance based on away goals). Tokyo may have an advantage, but they will need to maintain an aggressive attitude against Shizuoka, who will be attacking with momentum at home, in order to secure their first final appearance in 3 years.

　The match started at 2pm with a Tokyo kickoff at IAI Stadium Nihondaira.

Unable to take advantage of scoring opportunities, we are down by one point at the end of the first half.

　In a unique atmosphere, both teams quickly switched from intense defense to fast-paced attacks. In the 9th minute, a play was created on the right side, and Yonemoto in the back made a big side change. Although Shimizu was able to take the ball away, Hasegawa in the center was able to steal it and pass it to Lucas. Lucas then aimed for the space behind the opponent's defensive line and made a decisive play with a through pass to Edmilson, who had just barely escaped the offside line. However, Edmilson's shot was contested by the opponent and narrowly missed the goal.

　Shimizu sends a long ball to the front line and tries to break through, but Tokyo concentrates and holds it back, also attacking by connecting passes. In defense, they use a pressing strategy and also compactly form a block, showing calm decision-making. However, in the 26th minute, Shimizu's FK is connected and MF Sugiyama takes a middle shot. Once again, this block is picked up and Shimizu FW Takagi breaks through on the right front line, crossing to the right. This is headed in by FW Omae at the far post, and they end up conceding the first goal.

　But here, without panicking, calmly take control and aim for the equalizer. In the 30th minute, Hasegawa presses and steals, and from there, Kajiyama → Ishikawa enters the right area and takes a good shot, but it goes over the bar. In the 35th minute, from a left throw-in, Kajiyama drops it directly to the center, and Hasegawa's focused shot from the attack goes over the frame. Just before the end of the first half, Kajiyama, near the right area, skillfully controls the ball and Hasegawa, who entered the area, breaks through and gets into a shooting position, but is saved by Shimizu's quick dive. In the end, the first half ends with a one-point deficit.

Despite attacking until the end, they fell short due to goal difference. They did not advance to the Final Round.

　Tokyo created chances from the start of the second half. In the 46th minute, Kajiyama → Edmilson went up the left front line and sent a cross that passed through Shizuoka DF and reached Ishikawa in the right area. From here, a last pass was sent to the center, and Kajiyama and Hasegawa took turns aiming for the goal from close range, but their shots were blocked and Lucas' shot was also blocked by the DF, resulting in a corner kick. From the flow of this right corner kick, Morishige from the left area took a volley shot, but it was blocked by Shizuoka DF and resulted in a left corner kick. In the 49th minute, Kajiyama dribbled past the opposing DF and took a shot, but the GK couldn't hold onto it and it was not followed up.

　58 minutes, Tokyo substitutes Edmilson for Nemanja VUCICEVIC, further strengthening their attacking stance. However, in the 63rd minute, they are caught off guard and a big side change leads to the ball being passed to Shimizu FW Omae on the right side. It becomes a 1-on-1 situation with Maruyama, but he is able to dribble and score, giving Shimizu a 2-point lead. Tokyo, desperate to score a point, substitutes Hirayama in for Yonemoto in the 69th minute, making his first appearance since the 4/28 league match against Shimizu. Kajiyama changes positions to become a defensive midfielder.

　Tokyo utilized Kajiyama's ball control in the midfield and attempted overlapping runs from both left and right fullbacks to join the attack, but were unable to break through Shizuoka's defense. They struggled to create shooting opportunities. In the 83rd minute, Maruyama's low cross was met by Lucas, but the opposing defender cut it out and won a corner kick. Nemanja's ball was deemed a foul in the opponent's box.

　In stoppage time, Hasegawa from near the right corner kick by Nemanja jumps in with his whole body, but Shimizu GK reacts and the ball is spilled. From here, Nemanja pushes again, but couldn't get a shot in the center. Then in the 6th minute of stoppage time, Morishige tangled with the opponent in the area and was judged to have committed a foul, resulting in a penalty kick. He received a red card and was sent off, and the third goal was scored from this penalty kick. As a result, despite having the same number of wins and losses, they were eliminated in the semifinal round due to goal difference.

　【Player Comments】《Shioda》"I don't feel like we lost by three points. There were various factors that led to our defeat. Overall, our defense was organized and we were able to switch quickly. However, for Shimizu's opening goal, we initially cleared Daichi's free kick, but then the ball bounced back and he was able to take a shot from outside, leaving him unmarked. Our communication was lacking against their second and third attacks. The second goal was scored with just one long ball, but our combination play between me and Maru was not good while we were pressing forward."

　However, we also fought tenaciously, but Shimizu was also tenacious. It would have been good if we could have scored one point, but maybe we became too nervous about winning and scoring. Of course, it is important not to concede, but even if we did, we couldn't play in a way that calmly progressed the game and ended up scoring one point. Maybe we lacked composure in front of the goal. We have no choice but to face forward and fight more aggressively and confidently.

　《Mukuhara》"Even if we conceded first, we didn't panic. Even at 0-1 or 0-2, everyone on the pitch was thinking 'if we score one goal, everything will change'. So even after conceding two goals, we were encouraging each other to 'stay calm and keep going'. I don't think there were many scenes where Shimizu broke us down, so then what was the biggest difference...I think it's still about whether we can score when it matters or not..."

　Furthermore, we kept making easy mistakes in the midfield and repeating the cycle of losing and trying to regain possession, which may have resulted in us using too much energy overall. We were defeated in the Emperor's Cup and our performance in the league has not been improving, so I understand how much everyone was counting on us for the Nabisco Cup. I feel sorry and disappointed that we couldn't deliver. However, I believe that our progress so far is a testament to our abilities, and our inability to move forward is also a reflection of our abilities."

　[Summary of Coach Popovich's Press Conference] "It's difficult to say anything after a game like this... We tried to do what we needed to do, but the other team was one step ahead. We created decisive chances, but couldn't finish them. On the other hand, the other team finished them solidly. There was a difference in finishing ability. I am disappointed with this result. However, in order to continue growing, we must go through these difficult times and use them as fuel to keep improving. We still have league matches left, so we want to use this loss today to fight and move forward."

　It's really disappointing that we couldn't advance to the final round. We were hoping to see a lot of fans and supporters gather at the National Stadium. We want to repay our fans and supporters for this defeat in the league matches. We believe that our true value is tested in difficult times and our true strength is being challenged. We will come together as a team here and turn this defeat into strength and overcome it."

　[Summary of Shimizu Afshin Ghotbi's press conference] "I am very impressed, not only for the fans of S-Pulse, but also for the great result. I think it was a great performance as professionals. And I am happy to be able to face the final round. (Did you expect the opponent to press aggressively?) First of all, I think it was a very difficult game to enter. I think it became a very tactical game. Of course, we cannot concede any goals. As the game progressed, it got better. Especially in the second half."

　Normally, the opponent would try to score early. So, I think they were trying to put high pressure on us. If it were me, I would have done the same thing. (What was the turning point of today's match?) I think there were various points in this match. First, the opening goal. It was scored from a free kick, but FW Thales entered the area from a deep position and scored. And both the first and second goals were connected by FW Thales and FW Takagi. Among the two of them, I think there was a very good understanding between them.