A crucial match that cannot be lost in order to advance to the final tournament

In the 5th round of the Nabisco Cup qualifying league, we will face Oita Trinita away. We achieved a come-from-behind victory in the 4/20 league match against Nagoya, securing our first win since the 2nd round. With this momentum, we aim to continue winning streaks, including in the cup matches. At the same time, in the Nabisco Cup, Tokyo is currently in 4th place with 1 win, 2 draws, and 1 loss. If we don't win, our chances of advancing to the final round will be extremely low, so we need to win even though we are playing away.

Oita, on the other hand, is in 6th place with 2 points in the Nabisco Cup. In the league, they have 2 draws and 5 losses, and have yet to win in this season's official matches. However, it can also be said that they have not fixed their members in the league or Nabisco, and have been focusing on improving the team's maturity. While they have been scoring goals with their height advantage, they have not been able to win by a narrow margin. However, as this is a home game, they should come out with a strong determination to challenge for victory.

Tokyo changes members from Nagoya match. Due to Ota's ankle injury, Tokunaga will replace him on the left and Kaga on the right. Ishikawa and Kono, who started in the official game for the first time this season, will play as side MF, and Hirayama will enter as FW with Li dropping back slightly. Kono said, "I don't want to lose in terms of tactics and running with the opponent," and will aim for victory by using the minimum base of physical strength and fighting spirit and exerting the accumulated strength. The match started at 19:00 with Oita's kickoff at Oita Bank Dome.

Despite taking the lead and attacking, they go into halftime with no goals scored.

Tokyo aggressively attacks from the start of the first half. In the 4th minute, Tokunaga receives a long ball from the left side and runs into the area, but his shot goes over the bar. In the 11th minute, Oita's left corner kick is caught by Gonda, who then starts a counter attack with a throw-in. From Lee's dribble, Ishikawa enters the right area and attempts a shot, but it is blocked. In the 13th minute, Lee heads the ball from Ishikawa's right corner kick, but it goes wide.

Oita is also creating a solid block with a high line, and tightening their defense. In the 19th minute, Kono goes around the opponent's DF with a feint after receiving a ball dropped by Hirayama, and shoots from a one-two with Ishikawa in the center, but the timing is off and the ball goes over the bar. In the 27th minute, Hirayama drops a vertical pass from Morishige, and Ishikawa shoots from the center just outside the area, but it hits the GK in the face. Tokyo has control of the game and is attacking, but they have yet to create any decisive opportunities.

Gradually, Oita also created chances from counters, but did not take any shots. Tokyo had a chance towards the end of the game. In the 39th minute, Lee timed his header perfectly from Ishikawa's cross, but it lacked power and hit the post before being saved by the goalkeeper. In the 43rd minute, Yonemoto sent a pass to the front line, which Hirayama headed down for Ishikawa to run into the area and take a left-footed shot, but it went wide. Despite dominating with a shot count of 7-1 in the first half, they went into halftime with a scoreless draw.

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

The second half also progresses the game in the Oita zone. However, despite various challenges, the accuracy is not enough. Oita cannot break through the defensive line. In the 48th minute, Kono advances to the right area after receiving a pass from Kaga. He sends a final pass to Lee in the center, but it is cut off. In the 51st minute, Ishikawa sticks with it and sends a header forward, and Kaga, who had run forward at the right time, sends a low cross to the center space. However, it narrowly misses Lee who was running forward.

Oita's defense is holding strong and they are struggling to create chances. In the 64th minute, Nemanja VUCICEVIC replaces Ishikawa. In the 68th minute, Watanabe is substituted for Hirayama as they push for a goal. In the 72nd minute, VUCICEVIC cuts past his opponent on the right side and crosses the ball. Lee makes a sliding attempt but misses the target. Oita then tries to attack from the restart, but Gonda and his defense hold strong.

Substitute Higashi for Kono in the 78th minute. In the 87th minute, Vucicevic breaks through the left front line from Takahashi's long pass, calmly cuts inside and crosses on the ground. Lee, who ran into the center, just missed it. In stoppage time, Vucicevic was forced to leave the field due to injury. They were forced to play with 10 men. After that, both teams attacked each other and Tokyo continued to attack persistently until the end, but they couldn't break through the opponent's solid defense and the game ended in a scoreless draw. As a result, their chances of advancing to the final round became slim.


[Player Comments]
《Ishikawa》"Today's members are energetic players. I was talking with Tadanari Lee, and I thought it would be good if he could express his desire to play and score on the pitch. If he focuses on switching to defense and passing, and does it properly, he can then go on the attack with momentum. There were also moments where he quickly moved forward and it worked well, so I think he was able to bring out his energy."

A good challenge was made, but we couldn't make it happen where we needed to. Personally, there is still room for improvement in terms of composure in shooting scenes. Results are everything, and today in particular, we were a team that needed to produce results. We have regrets and reflections for not being able to do that, but we are definitely not stepping back. I believe we are moving forward. I want to play the next game as soon as possible and score goals. I want to keep up the good momentum."

"Yonemoto" "In the first half, we were able to create chances in a good shape. In the second half, our movements decreased and we struggled to attack. We needed to be more creative and create more chances to score... Gradually, the distance between us and our teammates increased, making it difficult for us to receive passes from the center back. We wanted to bring the distance closer and move the ball with one or two touches. There was a 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 get into a good position and our teamwork was lacking. However, we wanted to score in the first half. It was a game where we had to show our desire to score and not let the opponent take the lead. (Regarding the ranking in the Nabisco Cup) There's no point in thinking about it, so we just have to focus on winning the next game against Niigata. We want to play football that leads to success in the league."


[Coach's Press Conference Summary]
"Manager Ranko POPOVIC: "We were able to take the initiative and control the game firmly. The opponent's counter-attack accuracy was high, but we responded well and didn't allow many scoring opportunities, which was good. However, as with our previous challenges, our accuracy in creating decisive chances was lacking. If we don't take advantage of the scoring opportunities we create while dominating the game, we won't be able to win."

This is still a challenge for the team. I think it's an area that needs to be fixed. The part that was bad in today's game was not being able to get 3 points. In a long season, it's important to have the opportunity to use players who have been away from the game due to a hard schedule, and I think it was a good harvest to be able to use them here.

《Oita-Tasaka Coach》"I don't know what kind of impression you all have, but for me, I think it was a very good game. We couldn't win, of course, but each player gave their best performance and fought well as a team while grasping the tactics we needed to do. From the reflection of the previous game, I think the team came together and brought out their performance."

(We were able to keep a clean sheet for the first time this season) We were able to compact the overall team and focus on the three players in the back and both sides. Thanks to the solid aim of the midfield and FW as a team, we were able to keep a clean sheet and evaluate it.