Do not lose to Matsumoto, show the quality and aim for victory!

The 2nd round of the Yamazaki Nabisco Cup qualifying league will be an away match against Matsumoto Yamaga FC. In the previous league match, we won 2-0 against Kobe and achieved our second consecutive victory in official matches following the 1st round of the Nabisco Cup. We will use the momentum and confidence gained here to aim for a 3rd consecutive victory in the Nabisco Cup.

However, for this Japan national team friendly match, Gonda, Morishige, Ota, and Muto were selected. At the same time, Nara and Nakajima from the U-22 Japan national team, who are also preparing for the Olympics and Asian qualifiers, are absent. However, Coach Massimo expressed his expectations, saying, "I always expect all players to be ready to play in the game. Even if they are not players who represent Japan, I trust them and want them to show their individual strengths and achieve results with their own style of soccer." Additionally, Ishikawa, who suffered a bruised right calf in the Kobe match, will be on the bench. Coach Massimo revealed, "His performance in the Nabisco Niigata match was good, and after the Kobe match, his physical condition has also returned. He is a player who can contribute to the team even in a short amount of time and is a big presence for the team." Furthermore, Nozawa and Sasaki have been selected for the first time, making it a total team effort.

Matsumoto, on the other hand, will be fighting in J1 from this season. Although they lost to Tosu in the first round of the Nabisco Cup, they are currently in 9th place in the league with 1 win, 1 draw, and 1 loss. With the hard work and speed they have built up since their time in J2, they can be said to be thriving in J1 as well. Their quick transition between offense and defense, as well as their energetic attacks that come one after another from the midfield, will put them at a disadvantage if they try to play defensively. They must also be wary of MF Iwagami's kicks and throws that can lead to restarts.

Tokyo will use Enomoto as GK. The center back will be formed by Yoshimoto and Canini, and Maruyama will be the left SB. Takahashi will be the midfield anchor, and Mihoto and Mita will be the inside half. The front line will consist of Maeda and Higashi. Kono will take on the role of top under in the lineup.
　
Matsumoto has the best lineup. FW Obina at the top, MF Iwagami and FW Ikegane in the second row. Double pivot with MF Iwama and Kiyama. Will DF Tanaka, who is registered as a defender, play as a right wing back in a 3-4-3 formation?

A match in which both teams aim for victory by showing their high quality, without losing to Matsumoto who uses hard work and fighting spirit as weapons.
The match started at 5:03 PM with a kickoff in Tokyo.

Conceded the first goal from an own goal, and go into halftime trailing by one point.

The match was in the 4th minute of the first half. Matsumoto's FW Obina used his strength to enter the area, but Canini persistently put his body in and defended. In the 14th minute, Obina broke through the right area with a ground pass from the right, turned towards the goal and took a shot. However, Canini also closed in tightly and Enomoto caught the ball. After 15 minutes, Matsumoto's momentum from pressing the front line was pushing Tokyo back. However, crosses and long balls were bounced back by Canini and Yoshimoto, and although no clear chances were created, Matsumoto had a quick start and was pressing Tokyo's defense by stealing the second ball.


25-minute Tokyo attack. Kono on the right side of the center received a feed to the front line and passed it to Yonemoto behind the center. Yonemoto aimed for a direct shot from the trap, but it went outside the frame. In the following 27 minutes, Tokyo launched a counter attack. Tokunaga made a powerful dribble up, but his last pass to the center from the area was cut off and resulted in a right corner kick. After connecting the clearance from the corner kick, Mita sent a soft cross from the left, but it was caught by the opponent's goalkeeper. After 30 minutes, Tokyo managed to contain Matsumoto's momentum and started to push forward. However, they were unable to break through and the opponent quickly switched to a counter attack, bringing the ball all the way to the front line. In the 33rd minute, Matsumoto's MF Iwagami threw a long throw, which was contested by Tokyo's FW Obina in front of the goal, but it hit Maeda's head and changed direction, resulting in an own goal and a 0-1 score.

After 39 minutes of allowing a goal, from the clear of Tokunaga's long throw, Yonemoto in the center of the area took a powerful direct shot... but it went over the bar and did not result in a goal. Matsumoto's intensity, speed, and momentum in winning second balls kept Tokyo on the defensive for a long time. However, they calmly weathered the storm and also created quick attacking opportunities, but unfortunately conceded an own goal and ended the first half behind.

Equalized 1-1, but unable to score an additional point and ended in a draw.

46 minutes into the second half, Canini feeds the ball to the left front line. Yonemoto catches up and Maruyama follows with a cross. Maeda jumps in at the far post, but is unable to get a clean shot as he gets tangled up with the opposing DF. In the 49th minute, Kono takes a left corner kick that is cleared, but Yonemoto picks up the ball and sends a well-aimed lob into the left area. East breaks free and takes a shot from a difficult angle, but the opposing GK makes a save with his body, resulting in another corner kick. In the following 51st minute, Maeda clears Matsuno's left cross. Mita sends the ball directly to the front line, and Kono breaks free. He almost has a one-on-one with the GK, but is cleared by the opposing DF at the last moment, resulting in another corner kick.

At 56 minutes, a FK from the midfield. Canini sends it to the right front line, Maeda heads it to the center. It is cleared by the opponent's DF, but Mita, who ran into the front line from the east, acts as a decoy. The ball is dropped in the center of the penalty arc, and East again tightens from the left and swings his right foot to score a goal with a shot that pierces through the course!! They catch up to a 1-1 tie.
　
60 minutes have passed and Tokyo is holding onto the ball in the second half. They equalized with their first goal of the season from a set piece. They continue to dominate and move forward, but whenever they make a mistake, the opponent quickly counterattacks. They need to maintain their focus and aim for a lead. In the 71st minute, Tokyo created an opportunity from the right side and Mita crossed the ball parallel to the goal line. However, it went past Maeda in the center and Kono in the left area. In the 73rd minute, Mita dribbled a long distance and was fouled by the opponent on the right side of their territory, earning a free kick. Tokyo sent the ball to the back and left area of the opponent's defense, and Canini made a sliding attempt but missed to the right, unable to score.

Substitute Mita for Hayabusa in the 75th minute. Then, in the 80th minute, Ishikawa replaces Maeda and takes up the position of FW. During this time, Matsumoto's CK and long throws were attacking. However, Tokyo concentrated and repelled them, not allowing them to finish. In the 90th minute, a FK from the left side. From Ishikawa's kick, a right throw-in. From here, Kono dribbles inside and aims for a shot from near the left penalty arc, but it goes over the bar.

Entering additional time, Tokyo broke through the left area. They pushed forward with a thick attack, working in tandem with Ishikawa on the right, but they just couldn't break through the goal. In the end, Takahashi's shot missed the target and the time was up. In the early stages of the second half, Tokyo dominated possession. They attacked with determination and equalized with a goal from the east. They continued to control the rhythm and push forward, but the opponents didn't give up and turned to counterattacks, mainly through set pieces. Tokyo managed to defend well, but they couldn't score another goal and the match ended in a draw.

[Player Comments]
《East》
"It was a difficult game, but I want to take it positively that we didn't lose. Of course, we can't go up in the Nabisco or the league without getting 3 points. We are not satisfied with a draw, we are always fighting with the mindset of winning. However, we have not lost a single game since the opening. We want to continue to make good preparations for each game so that we can turn that into a victory."
(About the goal)
I thought it would go in as soon as I hit it. I was able to hit it relaxed. From now on, I want to aim more aggressively. It's important to play with responsibility when standing on the pitch."

"Enomoto"
"I was nervous before the game, which is unlike me (bitter smile). However, once I stepped onto the pitch, I was able to play calmly. It was a good experience to be able to fight together with the team's overall concept in mind. Of course, we wanted to win, but today we were able to make unified decisions and not lose as a team."
Matsumoto Yamaga analyzed that they had many power plays and set plays, and as a result, they conceded a goal from an unlucky own goal from a long throw. However, there was still time and I didn't think there was any need to be pessimistic. In the first half, there were difficult parts due to the wind, but the defense talked about "let's go with the minimum number of goals conceded without panicking." The players in the front line also said "stay calm." I think everyone's intentions were clear and there was no mental slump. After that, we were able to maintain our focus and keep the number of goals conceded to a minimum.

[Summary of Massimo FICCADENTI's press conference]
"The game went as expected. It became difficult after conceding the first goal. Despite that, the players remained calm and continued to play well, and we were able to score one goal. I think there was a possibility of a comeback towards the end. I think the players who played today did very well, considering the absence of players from the Japan national team and U-22 national team, as well as a few injured players. I also think the players who came on as substitutes played well."

[Summary of Matsumoto - Yasuharu Sorimachi's Press Conference]
"I wanted to win and get 3 points since it was a home game, but in the end it ended in a draw which is a bit disappointing. However, I think we were able to show our style of 'team football'. I didn't expect the wind to be this strong today, so I think it had some impact on the game, but the players kept going until the end and did a good job. That's why I wanted to win. As expected, J1 players have the power to score with one shot, so I think it can't be helped."