A match that cannot be lost to advance to the Final Round

In the Nabisco Cup qualifying league Sec. 5, we will face Oita Trinita away. On 4/20, we achieved a comeback victory against Nagoya, securing our first win since Sec. 2. Building on this momentum, we aim for consecutive wins from here, including in the cup competition. At the same time, Tokyo currently sits in 4th place with 1 win, 2 draws, and 1 loss in the Nabisco Cup. If we do not win, our chances of advancing to the Final Round will be extremely low, so a victory is required even though it is an away match.

Oita, on the other hand, is in 6th place in the Nabisco Cup with 2 points. In the league, they have 2 draws and 5 losses, and they have yet to secure a victory in official matches this season. However, it can be said that they have focused on enhancing team maturity without fixing the lineup so far, including in the league and Nabisco. While they have been scoring goals utilizing their height in attacks, they have not been able to clinch close matches. Nevertheless, as this is a home game, they are expected to challenge with a strong determination aiming for victory.

Tokyo has changed its lineup from the Nagoya match. Ota has injured his ankle, so Tokunaga will take his place on the left and Kaga on the right. Ishikawa and Kono will make their first starts of the season in the side midfield, while Hirayama will be in the forward position with Lee playing slightly deeper. Kono stated, "I don't want to lose in terms of tactics or running against the opponent," emphasizing that physical stamina and fighting spirit are the minimum foundation, and they aim to utilize their accumulated strength to achieve victory. The match started at 19:00 with Oita's kickoff at Oita Bank Dome.

Although they took control and attacked, they went into halftime without scoring.

From the start of the first half, Tokyo aggressively launches an attack. In the 4th minute, Tokunaga sends a long ball into the area from the left side, and Kono runs in, chest traps it, and takes a shot, but it goes over the bar. In the 11th minute, Oita's left corner kick is caught by Gonda, who initiates a counterattack from the throw-in. From Lee's dribble, Ishikawa advances into the right area and attempts a shot, but it is blocked. In the 13th minute, from Ishikawa's right corner kick, Lee heads the ball but it goes wide of the target.

Oita also creates a solid block with a high line and strengthens their defense. In the 19th minute, Kono circled in after a ball dropped by Hirayama, evaded the opposing defender with a feint, and took a shot from a one-two with Ishikawa in the center, but the timing was off and the ball went over the bar. In the 27th minute, Hirayama dropped a vertical pass from Morishige, and Ishikawa took a shot from just outside the area, but it went straight to the goalkeeper. Tokyo is taking control and pressing forward, but they have yet to create any decisive chances.

Oita gradually creates chances from counterattacks, but they are unable to take a shot. Tokyo has a decisive opportunity towards the end. In the 39th minute, Ishikawa's cross from the left is met by Lee, who heads it down, but the shot lacks power and grazes the post before going to the goalkeeper. In the 43rd minute, Yonemoto sends a pass to the front line, which Hirayama heads down, and Ishikawa runs into the area to take a left-footed shot, but it goes wide. Despite dominating the first half with a shot count of 7 to 1, the score remains 0-0 at halftime.

Unable to break through the opponent's solid defense until the end, finished in a scoreless draw

The second half continues with the match being played in Oita's territory. However, despite various challenges, the precision is lacking by just a step. They are unable to break through Oita's compact defense. In the 48th minute, Kagawa makes a pass that Kono runs into the right area. He sends a last pass to Lee in the center, but it gets cut off. In the 51st minute, Ishikawa persists and sends a header forward, and Kagawa, who timed his run well, makes a low cross into the central space. However, it just misses Lee, who was running ahead.

Unable to create chances against Oita's deep defense. Then, in the 64th minute, Nemanja VUCICEVIC was substituted in for Ishikawa. In the 68th minute, Watanabe was brought in for Hirayama to aim for a goal. In the 72nd minute, VUCICEVIC cut back against the opponent on the right side and broke free, delivering a cross. Lee dove in at the near post and attempted a sliding shot, but could not hit the target. Conversely, Oita launched an attack from the restart, but the defense held firm around Gonda.

In the 78th minute, Higashi was brought on to replace Kono. In the 87th minute, from Takahashi's long pass, VUCICEVIC broke free on the left flank, calmly cut inside, and delivered a grounded cross. However, it just missed Lee, who had made a run into the center. In stoppage time, VUCICEVIC injured his foot and had to leave the field, forcing the team to play with ten men. After that, both teams exchanged attacks, and Tokyo continued to press hard until the end, but they couldn't break through the opponent's solid defense, resulting in a scoreless draw at the final whistle. As a result, the situation for advancing to the knockout stage became difficult.


[Player Comments]
《Ishikawa》"Today's members are players with momentum. I was talking with Tadanari, and we thought that if we bring out the feeling of wanting to play in the match and wanting to score goals on the pitch, we can fight well. If we are conscious of switching to defense and passing, and we do that properly, then we can take the initiative with momentum. We moved forward quickly, and there were moments when that worked well, so I think we were able to generate momentum."

We had a good challenge, but we couldn't finish when we needed to. Personally, I still have the issue of not being calm enough in shooting situations. Results are everything, and especially today, we had to deliver results. I feel regret and reflection for not being able to do that, but I am definitely not taking a step back. I believe it is a step forward. I want to play the next match soon and score goals. I want to create a good flow.

"Yonehito" said, "In the first half, we were able to create chances in a good way. In the second half, our movement decreased, and it felt like we struggled to attack. We needed a bit more creativity there, and I wanted to create more chances to convert them into goals... Gradually, the distance between us and the others opened up, and the passes coming from the center backs became too far. I wanted to keep the distance closer and move the ball with one or two touches. There was one moment when Takahashi made a through pass to the front line, and we should have increased those types of attacks."

I think we couldn't take good positions and lacked coordination. However, I wanted to score in the first half. It was a match where we had to show our desire to win the ball. (Regarding the Nabisco rankings) There's no point in thinking about it, so all we can do is focus on winning the next match against Niigata. I want to play football that leads to victories in the league as well.


【Summary of the Coach's Press Conference】
"Coach Ranko POPOVIC" said, "We were able to take the initiative and control the game effectively. The opponent's counter-attacks were precise, but we responded well and hardly allowed them to create any clear chances, which is a positive. However, just like the challenges we've faced so far, we lacked precision when creating decisive opportunities. If we don't capitalize on the clear chances we create while dominating the game, we won't be able to secure victories.

That remains a challenge for the team. I think it's an area that needs to be addressed. The negative aspect of today's match was that we couldn't secure the three points. Given the long season and the tough schedule we are facing, being able to utilize players who have had limited opportunities to play was a positive outcome.

"Oita Coach Tasaka: I don't know what kind of impressions everyone has, but I think we were able to have a very good game. Of course, we couldn't win, but each player maximized their performance, and as a team, they fought well while understanding the tactics we needed to implement. I believe that reflecting on the last match and coming together as a team helped us bring out our performance."

(For the first time this season, we kept a clean sheet) Overall, we were compact, and the three at the back and both wide players were focused. The midfield and forwards also had a clear objective as a team, which is why we were able to keep a clean sheet and it is commendable.