The Yamazaki Nabisco Cup qualifying league has started!

Tokyo will participate in the Nabisco Cup qualifying league for the first time since 2010. As the first match of Sec. 1, they will face Sagan Tosu at home in Komazawa. Group B includes Kashima, Niigata, Nagoya, C Osaka, Tosu, and Oita, and the first round will be held in a round-robin format until May 22 (Tokyo until Sec. 6 on May 15). The top two teams in the group will advance to the knockout stage. Coach Popovic stated, "There are unique challenges in cup competitions, but our attitude and approach to the matches will not change," marking the beginning of a grounded fight towards the title, step by step.

This week, Japan national team players Takahashi and Gonda, along with South Korea national team player Hyun Soo JANG, will be absent from the team. Therefore, the starting lineup will include goalkeeper Shiota, defender Kaga, midfielder Tanabe, and forward Lee. Rookie Mita will also be in the starting lineup, serving alongside Tanabe on both sides, while the double pivot will consist of Yonemoto and Masaru HASEGAWA.

In contrast, Tosu ended with two draws since the league started, but they secured a victory in a fierce battle against Kawasaki in the last match. Under Coach Jin, the hard work of everyone accumulated until last season remains intact, and their united style is still present. Furthermore, they are emphasizing their fighting spirit and enhancing their quality.

In this match, Tosu will also rotate their members, with key players such as FW Toyota.S, Ikeda, and MF Fujita absent, while utilizing fresh players like FW Kiyotake. However, they will stick to their style and are expected to launch powerful attacks starting from their organized solid defense.

It is the first match of the cup competition where results are required, but as always, it is a battle to seize control in both offense and defense, aiming for victory. The match started at 14:04 with a kickoff in Tokyo under a cloudy sky and strong winds.

Both teams had fresh players who attracted attention, but they could not capitalize on their scoring opportunities.

In the early stages, Tosu, who had the wind at their backs, launched an offensive. FW Kiyotake's long throw and a long pass to FW Roni threatened the Tokyo goal, but Tokyo responded calmly. Conversely, in the 14th minute, from a right corner kick taken by Azuma, Lee made a powerful header. However, the shot went wide to the left.

In the 19th minute, from the left side, Tanabe made a clever pass, and Ota overlapped on the outside. He advanced to the sideline and sent a powerful cross. Lee was in the center, but the ball was deflected by the Tosu goalkeeper. Next, on the right side, Mita passed to Higashi, who made a sharp low cross to the left front line. Tanabe rushed in at the near post, but collided with a Tosu defender and couldn't make contact, sending the ball out of bounds.

In front of the determined defense of Tosu, Tokyo was unable to capitalize on their scoring opportunities. Conversely, Tosu also attacked mainly through set plays, resulting in a back-and-forth development. In the 34th minute, from a pass by Yonemoto, Mita broke through and earned a right corner kick. After a rebound from Hasegawa's kick, Yonemoto took a shot from the middle but it was blocked. In the 40th minute, Mita's direct free kick from the right side was also thwarted by the Tosu defense wall.

Despite being affected by the wind and pitch conditions, Tokyo connected passes and created attacking shapes, but they were unable to seize full control of the game. On the other hand, for Tosu, who showcased a speedy development from a solid defense, it was likely a game plan executed as intended, but both teams lacked the finishing touch, ending the first half scoreless.

Although they couldn't capitalize on the chances, they maintained their focus and started with a draw.

In the second half, Tokyo started aggressively. In the 49th minute, they connected from the right to the left, with Ota passing to HASEGAWA in the center, who then set up Mita to advance into the area. They attacked close to the goal after a one-two, but couldn't get a shot off in front of the Tosu defense. In the 51st minute, Azuma aimed from mid-range but missed the target.

However, in the 58th minute, unable to handle the second ball in midfield, a floated ball towards the defensive line was intercepted by Tosu's right midfielder Mizunuma, who shot from the right side. In the 60th minute, a mistake by Tokyo led to a series of crosses from counterattacks. In the 61st minute, a pass was intercepted in midfield, and Tosu moved directly in front of the goal. However, FW Roni's shot did not connect properly and went straight to Shiota.

Both teams did not miss each other's openings and engaged in a back-and-forth battle, but in the 64th minute, a big chance was created from the combination between Takumi HASEGAWA and Mita. HASEGAWA in midfield sent a lob pass to the front line, and Mita on the right side broke into the area while holding off the opposing defender. With a skillful chest trap, he brought the ball under control and unleashed a decisive shot with speed, but... it hit the crossbar and went out of play, failing to capitalize on the scoring opportunity.

In the 71st minute, Ohtake, who returned from a long-term absence since last year, came on for Tanabe and played in the attacking midfield position. Higashi moved to the side. In the 75th minute, there was a moment when he ran in to clear a vertical pass from Tosu's FW Kiyotake, and a shot was taken from just outside the central area, but it went wide, avoiding a crisis. Then, in the 77th minute, Tokyo brought in Hirayama. Lee changed his position to the side and aimed for the goal.

Although they tried to create chances in a coordinated manner, mistakes led to a counterattack from Tosu. In the 87th minute, Watanabe was brought on. In the closing stages, they increased their momentum and pressed forward, but during stoppage time, after a series of passes on the right side, Hasegawa dropped the ball, and Ohtake's shot from just outside the right corner of the area went over the bar. They maintained their concentration in defense against Tosu's quick attacks and made substitutions to push forward, but it ended in a scoreless draw. They only managed to earn 1 point in their first Nabisco match.

[Player Comments]
《Tanabe》 "As a team, we struggled to connect passes, and combined with the pressure from Tosu, it became a difficult match. I feel that if we could have broken through their high press, we could have circulated the ball better, but we often struggled on the pitch and things didn't go well. However, we had chances... and I realize how important it is to capitalize on those. We couldn't win the first match of the Nabisco Cup, and there is both regret and disappointment, but on the other hand, there was also enjoyment, and I was able to grasp some aspects. From here, I want to contribute to the team winning."

Mita: "Regarding the coordination in attack and defense, I always watched everyone's plays and movements during practice, so I thought there wouldn't be any issues. More than that, I had hardly played on the right side until I became a professional, so I was particularly conscious of my positioning. In the first half, I was downwind and had to think about where to position myself while playing. As time went on, I was able to get used to it, and I think in the second half I was able to face forward and compete effectively."

(Regarding the scoring opportunities) In the second half, we had the wind at our backs, so I thought switching sides would be effective. I often stayed wide because of that, but I think that's why the middle opened up. However, my traps were good, and I was too eager with my shots. I should have taken my time. I wanted to score and increase the number of scenes where I get involved more in front of the goal.

【Summary of the Coach's Press Conference】
《Ranko POPOVIC》 "In an environment where the wind is strong and the pitch is not very good, we were able to show what we needed to do. Tosu is a team that is disciplined, can work hard, and can compete aggressively in the J-League. I cannot say that I am dissatisfied with the attitude shown by the Tokyo players. I appreciate that they showed an awareness of connecting the ball even under such poor conditions."

There were decisive chances, but we couldn't capitalize on them. That is a challenge, and we need to improve our accuracy. However, we did not allow the opponent to create decisive chances. We fought with solid discipline. There may have been dangerous moments in the scramble from Tosu's long throw, but we did not allow them to create chances in the flow of the game. I would like to thank the many fans and supporters who came out and helped us.

I should have mentioned this at the beginning, but the Yamazaki Nabisco Cup has been certified by Guinness. I have great respect for the contributions it has made to the world of soccer, and it is a wonderful achievement. As a gesture of gratitude, I want to deliver good performances and achieve good results. Today was not the best result, but I believe we expressed what we could on the pitch. The J-League is also celebrating its 20th anniversary, and the Nabisco Cup has reached adulthood. In Japan, the coming-of-age ceremony is at the age of twenty, but it is still young. I hope it continues as a traditional cup competition in Japan.

"Tosu Coach Yoon" "I would like to express my gratitude to our supporters and the supporters from Tokyo for coming out in large numbers. Although the weather was not good today and the pitch conditions were poor, I believe it was a game where both teams fought hard and gave their all. Amidst the changes in both teams' lineups, there was also a battle in terms of discovering new strengths and players."

Last season, we made significant changes to our roster for the Nabisco Cup, but this season we intend to achieve better results than last year. We want to evaluate new players while retaining some of the existing ones, rather than replacing all of them. Throughout this process, the players fought until the end without losing focus. I want to express my gratitude for their hard work. Although we couldn't secure a victory, we should be satisfied to bring home one point from an away match. We have a game in just a few days. Since the next match is at home, we want to prepare well to ensure a solid victory.