After allowing the first goal, we equalized with Edu's goal but continued to concede goals...

In the early stages, both teams tried to attack, and there was a continued struggle for the ball. In the 7th minute, Muto utilized his strength to aim for a central breakthrough, and Higashi, who circled around to the right area, took a shot. In the 8th minute, the ball was connected from Shimizu's right side and brought into Tokyo's territory, but Takahashi made a cut. However, the pass from there was intercepted by Shimizu FW Omae, and at that moment, Shimizu FW Takagi came in from behind Tokyo's defense to the front of the goal. A superb through pass was delivered here, and Tokunaga, who tried to cover with a sliding tackle, couldn't make it in time. Shimizu FW Takagi capitalized on the opportunity, allowing the first goal to be conceded...

However, in the 18th minute, from Shiota's kick, Ota from our side made an early cross. Edu, who broke through to the front line, skillfully assessed the position of the opposing goalkeeper and scored with a left-footed loop for a GOAL!! Edu's clever shot equalizes the score!

It seemed like they would gain momentum, but despite holding the ball, there were many mistakes, leading to a counterattack from Shimizu. In the 20th minute, they lost the ball in midfield, and Shimizu FW Novakovich moved forward. It looked like an offside, but FW Takagi, who followed up, was allowed to enter the left area. Kaga managed to cut it off, resulting in a corner kick. In the 21st minute, this left corner was connected with a short pass, and FW Takagi delivered a cross. Higashi was a beat late against FW Omae in the center and lost the aerial duel, resulting in a header that led to Shimizu's additional goal from a set piece...

Tokyo's coordination is not quite clicking. In the 28th minute, midfielder Kono created space with a dribble and sent a long through pass to the front line. Higashi ran into the left area and delivered a decisive last pass to Muto, but it didn't connect... No one was there to follow up at the far post. After that, Takahashi took care of the central defense line and became the starting point for build-up during attacks, while both full-backs positioned themselves high to aim for a counterattack, but they couldn't connect in the front line. They ended the first half while still allowing the lead.

Edu scores consecutively! Although they closed the gap to one point in the final stages, the counterattack fell short.

In the second half, as they tried to regroup, they faced a decisive opportunity at the start. In the 46th minute, Ota passed to Muto, who turned and evaded the opposing DF along the left sideline, charging into the left area. He delivered a crucial last pass in front of the goal, but Kono, who ran in near the goal, was challenged by the opposing DF and lost his balance... In the 50th minute, Muto broke through again, delivering a left cross. Tokunaga, who had entered the right area, attempted a header but failed to hit the target. In the 54th minute, Hirayama was brought on. Immediately after, Muto seized a loose ball on the left front line and sent a through pass behind the opposing DF. Hirayama broke free and sent a backward pass from the goal line, but no one was there to follow up in the area, allowing Shimizu to take possession and launch a counterattack.

In the 57th minute, after a pass exchange with Shimizu FW Omae, MF Kawai carried the ball to the right front line, and from there, FW Takagi got behind Tokyo DF into the right area. Yoshimoto was marking here, but a ground pass was sent to FW Novaković, who easily pushed it past Kaga... conceding the third goal. In the 64th minute, Kaga, who was competing with Shimizu FW Novaković, was injured and was forced to substitute for debutant Kaku Hiju. They were pressured by Shimizu's passing and speedy attacks, but in the 71st minute, Matsuda was brought on to try to change the situation from the side.

Shimizu, who took the lead, did not ease their attacking efforts, and in the 83rd minute, Takahashi on the left side of their own half aimed a pass behind the opponent's defense. Muto broke free and surged into the left area unmarked. However, instead of shooting, he chose to pass to Hirayama, who was following from the far side. This pass did not connect, resulting in a missed scoring opportunity.

Still, without giving up, in the 86th minute, Yonemoto on the left side of his own half made a long pass switching to the right front line. Higashi received the pass and Edu, from just outside the penalty arc, unleashed a powerful left-footed shot! The driven ball soared over the outstretched hand of the Shimizu goalkeeper and into the net! Edu's determined shot closed the gap to one goal, but... In the 89th minute, Matsuda on the right side aimed a fierce middle shot from a corner kick's loose ball, which just barely went over the bar. In stoppage time, Ota broke through vertically and crossed. Hirayama on the left side tried to drop it, but the header went high... The counterattack did not reach its target. They suffered their first defeat in the Nabisco Cup and fell to third place in the group.

[Player Comments]
"Yoshimoto"
"More than the opponent... I have a strong impression that we played a game that we wasted ourselves. There were many mistakes even when we had possession of the ball, and gradually our defensive line became deeper. I feel that there were things we could do as a team until now that we couldn't do today. Everyone lacked in aspects like ball contests and fighting spirit. Even so, we must continue to grow. I want to remember what we've done in tough times and continue to grow by avoiding poor plays."

"Kaku Hiju"
"I had been away from matches, but I have been thinking about what kind of play I need to do when I get to participate and what I need to do to win. I believe there were no issues with our defensive coordination, as we have been improving it in practice, but I was unable to contribute to the victory, and I also feel that I still have a lot to work on. I think it's also my role to communicate the plays needed to win and the desire to win. I want to continue to do my best for the team."

【Summary of Coach Massimo FICCADENTI's Press Conference】
"Today, we did not reach the good performance we had recently. In the match against G Osaka, even though we did not achieve victory, our performance was good, but there are times when we end up with a match like today. While Shimizu played well, after we quickly equalized following the first goal conceded, the players' spacing became poor, and we did not perform well in terms of team quality. I don't think it was solely the absence of Morishige that affected us. As a team, we lacked stability and courage in our play. I am not satisfied with that aspect. However, there are still two matches left in the qualifiers, so there is a chance to move up. We can also consider that today was just an off day. It is necessary to calmly analyze both the good and bad times as a team and to perceive things rationally. I want to think clearly and stay sharp. It is important to restart for the next match."

[Summary of the Press Conference by Shimizu's Afshin GHOTBI]
"I think the quality of the five goals in this entertaining match was high. It was an interesting game for soccer fans. Of course, I am satisfied with the result. Especially in the last 15 minutes of the second half, we played wonderful soccer, scored goals, hit the post, and created chances multiple times. I want to extend that 15 minutes. There are not many players who can score goals like Edu from Tokyo, but during that time, we lost focus and made mistakes. Just before that play, there was a situation where midfielder Takeuchi was about to go one-on-one with the goalkeeper, but other players needed to position themselves well to prevent counterattacks or conceding goals. For Asian soccer to develop, we need to be able to read not where the ball is, but where it is going. That way, we can stop without expending energy. Still, it was a wonderful goal. It was an interesting way to end the match."