J.League 20th Anniversary, Final Match of the Nabisco Qualifying League at National

The Nabisco Cup arrives just three days after the last league match. We face Albirex Niigata in the qualifying league Sec. 6. This is the final match of the qualifying league for Tokyo. Currently in 3rd place in Group B, we need to win this match and wait for the results of other matches to advance to the knockout stage. To increase our chances, we aim not only for victory but also to score multiple goals to widen our goal difference.

This match will see Hirayama suspended. Considering the consecutive matches, Lucas will also be absent. Morishige will start on the bench for the first time this season. On the other hand, Tanabe will start for the first time since the Nabisco Nagoya match on April 3, serving on both sides along with Ishikawa. Additionally, Mita and Hayashi have made the bench for the first time this season.

Niigata, currently with 4 points, is in 6th place in the group. With 2 matches remaining in the qualifiers, they must win this round to advance to the Final Round. This round sees the absence of MF Leo SILVA and DF Tsubouchi due to suspension, prompting changes in the lineup. However, the in-form attacking players, FW Kawamata, FW Tatsuya TANAKA, MF Tanaka A, and MF Mikado, are all set to start. Against Niigata, who have been unbeaten in their last 3 league matches, the team will fight together with a strong determination to achieve victory without being passive.

Early summer climate, with the wind blowing in National. Coincidentally, today marks the day 20 years ago when the J-League was inaugurated. And the memorable match at the same location started with Niigata's kickoff at 19:04.

In the midst of a high-paced and quick-switching offense and defense, Hasegawa is injured

Entered the match with focus and took action from the start. In the 3rd minute, Higashi dribbled up the right side, and Lee jumped in to meet the final pass to the center. In the 7th minute, Takahashi broke free from a midfield contest, advanced up the left side, and delivered a cross. Lee in the area headed the ball. Starting from the side, in the 10th minute, Tanabe received an early cross from the left in the right area, cut back past the opposing defender to create an angle, and took a shot to the near post.

However, Niigata also connected their passes with good tempo and moved forward, leading to a speedy back-and-forth. In the 19th minute, Niigata's mid-range shot hit the crossbar... It bounced straight down, creating a near miss, but Gonda reacted immediately. The Tokyo defense also stepped in to cover the rebound, preventing a goal.

However, in the 22nd minute, after quick passing, Lee sent a floating ball pass to the center of the area, where Masaru HASEGAWA jumped in but injured his foot upon landing after competing with a defender. Due to this incident, he was forced to substitute, and in the 27th minute, Kono came in on the side. Tanabe moved to the defensive midfield position.

In the 31st minute, Takahashi cleared a free kick from Niigata, and Ishikawa launched a counterattack. He created a chance, but the cross he delivered while losing his balance was cut off before it reached Lee. After that, Tokyo gradually had more possession of the ball, but Niigata quickly transitioned, and as the game progressed at a high pace, the first half ended without any goals.

Nao's spectacular goal! Mita secured victory with his first professional goal, but...

In the early stages of the second half, we created a big chance. In the 48th minute, Tokunaga passed to Ishikawa, who broke through on the right front line and delivered a last pass into the space in front of the goal. Higashi rushed in, but his shot was blocked by the goalkeeper's save... However, in the 51st minute, Higashi received a left throw-in from Ota, evaded the opponent near the sideline, and moved forward. He sent a backward pass, and Ishikawa, who timed his run perfectly, aimed for a well-placed shot from the middle! This struck powerfully into the bottom left of the goal, scoring the opening goal!

Seizing the momentum, they attacked the Niigata goal one after another. However, despite launching a powerful coordinated attack, they couldn't convert their chances due to the opposing goalkeeper's excellent saves, and time passed without scoring. In the 65th minute, Niigata's left midfielder Tanaka A delivered a pinpoint cross at speed, which was headed in by forward Okamoto in the center. Niigata capitalized on their one chance and equalized.

Still, without rushing, they aimed to take the lead. In the 71st minute, Takahashi's lob pass found Lee, who received the ball with his back to the goal just outside the area. He controlled it with his chest, turned, and charged towards the goal, unleashing a powerful shot from the left side of the area, but it was saved by the goalkeeper...

In the 76th minute, Mita was substituted, followed by Hayashi. Using aggressive substitutions, they launched a further offensive. This paid off in the 82nd minute when Gonda's kick led to a vertical pass from Tanabe, which Lee dropped for Mita to spread to the right. Tokunaga, who had advanced, sent a pass to the center, and once again Mita ran in and scored with his left foot. With a fast-paced and powerful attack, Mita marked his first professional goal and successfully took the lead!

It was an impressive match, and we celebrated the final game of the qualifying league with a victory, but due to the results of other matches, we fell short on points. We were unable to advance to the Final Round of this season's Nabisco Cup. This marks our exit from the qualifying league for the first time since 2006.


[Player Comments]
《Ishikawa》
"(It was the 20th anniversary commemorative match, right?) It was amazing. I had a positive good image from before the match started, and while recalling the opening match of the J-League, it motivated me. Just as I was shocked, I wanted to play in a way that the children who came to watch today could feel something. I was thinking of taking on a challenge that would be memorable, something they could remember even in tough times."

The goals were similar to those in the league match against Iwata, where I was hoping for the ball to come to me when player Higashi created a play on the side. A good ball actually came, and my strong desire led to the goal. I wanted to score for the team’s victory, especially to win the Nabisco Cup, but I think it was a goal that reflected my style.


《Mita》
"Before the match started, I was thinking, 'Even if I come on as a substitute, I will definitely leave a mark today.' When the chance to come on came in a tied situation, I stepped onto the pitch thinking, 'I will become the hero.' Recently in practice, I had been playing less aggressively, so I wanted to increase my opportunities to go towards the goal, even in somewhat difficult situations. I believe that led to the goal. I'm happy about my first goal. I'm happy, but this is just the beginning. I want to work hard every day so that I can be involved in the league matches from here on out."


【Summary of the Coach's Press Conference】
《Ranko POPOVIC》
"Today is a special day, the 20th anniversary of the J-League. Despite its relatively short history of 20 years, I believe the organization of the J-League ranks just behind the Bundesliga and the Premier League. Before the match, I told the players, 'We must express our gratitude to those who were involved 20 years ago for allowing us to play soccer in such a wonderful environment.' The way we can show our gratitude is by playing the best soccer and demonstrating the growth of Japanese football.

While expressing gratitude to those who have contributed their efforts to the J-League so far, there are many things we must do to continue growing over the next 20 years and to create a good environment. We must establish Tokyo's style and develop Tokyo's football, and we want to be a club that always competes at the top. I believe everyone has felt various things while watching today's football, but I enjoyed it very much, and I think the fans and supporters enjoyed it too.

I believe we were able to play attractive football from the first half. Mita's performance today was wonderful, and it was great that he scored a goal. However, this is still the start of his career, and I think there is more to come. The entire team performed well, which allowed his abilities to shine even more. This applies to Ishikawa and Lee as well. That is the strength of the team and what it means to fight collectively. I believe that by playing together in such an atmosphere, the growth of the younger players will progress quickly.


《Niigata Coach Yanagishita》
"Looking at today's lineup, I think there was a bit of a difference in strength. However, I am very frustrated that we were caught out by a play we were cautious about. For example, when Tokyo attacked from the left, we were paying attention to Ishikawa's positioning. Whether the full-back should watch, the defensive midfielder should watch, or the midfielder on the opposite side should watch, etc. Even so, he scored a remarkable shot while being free. If someone was supposed to respond there but still allowed the goal, then it can't be helped. For us, it is important to pay attention to the opponent's strong points and eliminate them. I want to work on this so that we can apply it in future games."