Entering a series of matches, approaching the Nabisco Cup with fresh members

As April begins, the Nabisco Cup will be held midweek alongside the league matches. After three days since the last league match, we will face Nagoya Grampus in the qualifying league Sec. 3. With a tough schedule ahead of four consecutive matches, we will rotate the squad from the previous league match and utilize fresh players in the front line. Hirayama will make his first start since the league match against Tosu on March 5, 2011, serving as the lone striker. On both sides, we have Kono and Nemanja VUCICEVIC, who will be making his first start of the season. Tanabe will play as the attacking midfielder, with Shioda as the goalkeeper, and Takahashi and Yonemoto forming the double pivot.

Nagoya, on the other hand, is currently in second place in the qualifying group with 1 win, 1 draw, and 4 points, the same as Tokyo. At the same time, they have shown stable performance in the league with 2 wins, 1 draw, and 1 loss this season. In this Nabisco Cup, they will approach the match with a lineup almost identical to that of the league, featuring experienced players such as FW Tamada, FW Yano, MF Danielson, MF Ogawa, and DF Masukawa in a 4-3-3 formation. With a solid defense centered around DF Tulio, they also have the ability to secure victories from set plays, so Tokyo needs to maintain focus throughout the 90 minutes and fight with a shared awareness on both offense and defense. Above all, in their home match, they aim to unite and seize the 3 points.

The heavy rain that had been falling since the previous day has completely stopped at Ajinomoto. The match started at 19:04 with Nagoya's kickoff.

Took control and attacked, but couldn't shake the net

From the beginning, Tokyo showed a proactive attitude towards the goal and took control of the game. In the 5th minute, they quickly moved the ball forward from the restart, with Takahashi passing to Tokunaga, who advanced on the right. Tokunaga's cross went past the goal, but Tanabe in the left area attempted a shot on the bouncing ball. However, he couldn't make solid contact. Hirayama took a direct shot at the ball that spilled into the center of the area, but it went wide to the left.

In the 16th minute, Hirayama received a cross-like pass from Kono just before the area, took a one-touch to bring it into the box, and attempted a shot. In the 24th minute, they launched a quick attack, and VUCICEVIC sent a long through pass to Hirayama, who was trying to break behind the opposing DF. Hirayama, who received the ball in the right area, cut back inside past the opposing DF, but... he couldn't finish from there.

Nagoya's FW Tanaka Akira took a mid-range shot in the 27th minute, but Tokyo's DF blocked it and Shiota managed to secure it. This was the only shot from Nagoya in the first half. Tokyo remained focused, preventing Nagoya from creating any real chances, and continued to launch quick counterattacks. However, in the 39th minute, Hirayama's post play allowed Kono in the center to act as a decoy, and Tanabe, who followed up, slid from the center to the right to evade the DF and took a shot, but the GK caught it. Despite finding their rhythm, they were unable to shake the net, and the first half ended.

Despite both teams attacking each other, they were unable to capitalize on their chances, resulting in a scoreless draw.

In the second half, Nagoya brought in MF Taguchi to create a double pivot, increasing the speed of their attack. In the 53rd minute, Nagoya FW Tamada took a volley shot. In the 55th minute, a cross from right back Hayato TANAKA found central FW Teru TANAKA, who had a decisive header but missed the target. In the following 57th minute, FW Teru TANAKA was left free in the center and took a shot from distance, but Shiota made the save, averting the crisis.

Tokyo, wanting to change the flow, brought Hasegawa to the right side and Higa to the top position at the 60-minute mark. Tanabe moved to the left side in an attempt to regain rhythm. In the 72nd minute, from a midfield contest, Morishige, who had pushed up the line, aimed for a pass behind the opposing defense. Hayama, who timed his run into the left area perfectly, took a shot but was blocked by the goalkeeper... In the 81st minute, Ota delivered a diagonal pass from the left side into the goal area. Higashi broke free from the scramble to chase the ball that had flowed behind, but was offside.

Immediately after that, Lee came on for Hirayama. Gaining more momentum, Tokunaga overlapped and sent a cross in the 82nd minute. It went behind Lee in the center, but Ota's shot from the far side hit the bar... In the 86th minute, Yonemoto stole the ball in midfield and advanced with a dribble. He sent a final pass to Lee, who broke free on the left flank. Lee's shot shook the net, but it was just offside...

In the second half of stoppage time, Nagoya defender Hayato TANAKA attempted to clear a right cross from Tokyo, resulting in a handball foul that awarded Tokyo a penalty kick. However, the penalty taken by Higashi, who cleverly altered his timing, was blocked by the upper right bar... The rebound was persistently connected, surging into the goal area, but Higashi's final shot from the scramble went wide, and shortly after, the match ended. Tokyo created chances in their characteristic style but could not capitalize on them, finishing the match at home in a scoreless draw.

[Player Comments]
"Hirayama" "There was enjoyment. The team has been in good condition for a long time, so I didn't want to disrupt that, and I fought with the awareness of how much I could bring what we practiced into the official matches. In the first half, my body moved well, and as a team, I think we were able to do what we wanted. I was conscious of our movements, and everyone was watching my movements during the quick transitions between offense and defense. I believe we were able to play with coordination, with both the ball and players moving. However, my shot at the end lacked power. I want to focus on that final part as a challenge in our training."

Tanabe: "Personally, I felt like my feet weren't on the ground in the first half. I was trying to be fluid up front, but I think I held myself back. However, since I was wandering in attack, I tried to run and work hard in defense. I felt I was able to move better in the second half and I think I was more involved with the ball."

【Summary of the Coach's Press Conference】
《Ranko POPOVIC》 "I am satisfied with the content of the game, but I feel it was a match where we lost 2 points rather than gained 1 point. In the first half, we connected the ball well and took control of the game. We created several chances by coming up with ideas during our play, but we couldn't finish them. In the second half, there were moments when the opponent had the upper hand, but after making substitutions, we regained our rhythm and connected the ball well, creating many scoring opportunities. However, we need to correct the fact that we couldn't finish those chances as well."

Nagoya has been a team that consistently competes for the top positions in recent years. To battle against such a team and take control while earning points shows our growth. However, to continue growing, it is important to secure victories in matches like today. We were close to winning, but the result is just one point. To win matches like this in the future, we want to approach them as a united team.

"Nagoya's Coach STOJKOVIC: Although we didn't score, I believe we showed high-quality soccer. I think we displayed two different faces in the first and second halves. In the first half, there were some chaotic moments where we gave Tokyo space and were attacked. Conversely, in the second half, we were able to play the kind of soccer we desire to some extent. I think we could have won, but we couldn't find the net in terms of decisiveness. However, I believe a draw is a decent result."