Nabisco final qualifying round, on the verge of advancing to the final tournament

The final match (Sec. 7) of the group stage of the Nabisco Cup, held on weekdays, will be played against Shonan Bellmare away. In the previous match against Kashiwa, we achieved our first victory in 4 league matches with a strong sense of unity. Despite the fatigue from a tight schedule, Ota said, "There is a sense of fulfillment in winning," and we will approach this match with the momentum of victory.

In the Nabisco Cup, Riki MATSUDA is used on the right side of the midfield for the first time this season, as coach Massimo wants to bring more running power. On the left side, Higashi is paired with a double volante of Takahashi and Nozawa, while Maruyama takes one of the center back positions in a 4-4-2 formation. Kono, who is returning from a suspension, is also back in the starting lineup. However, in addition to Hayashi's absence, Kajiyama, Maeda, and Kawano are all rested for this match due to the busy schedule. With this, the team is fully prepared for the final round, where a draw or better will secure their spot in the knockout stage.

Shonan, on the other hand, currently has 8 points, 5 total goals scored, 5 total goals conceded, and a goal difference of ±0, placing them in 3rd place in the group. As this match will be a direct confrontation, they will need to win by a margin of 3 goals or more in order to surpass Tokyo, who has a goal difference of +4. Shonan is also known for their aggressive style of play. Therefore, they will need to be careful not to be pushed back and focus on how they start the game. Coach Massimo says, "It may become an open game as both teams aim for victory," and it is expected that Tokyo will also play aggressively. This match will be a battle to see which team can control the game throughout the 90 minutes. We want to maintain composure and unity on the pitch and secure our spot in the final round.

The match started at 19:04 with Tokyo's kickoff at Shonan BMW Stadium Hiratsuka after the rain.

Concentrate and show perseverance in the game

Shonan started off aggressively from the beginning. In the 1st minute, Tokyo's Takahashi took a shot after closing in on the opponent's clearance, but in the 6th minute, the ball was sent behind Tokyo's DF. Tokunaga responded to this, but Shonan's left FW Otake cut into the left area where the ball had spilled. In the 8th minute, Shonan connected passes in the midfield and sent a pass to FW Okada who had made a run into the right area. However, Maruyama quickly closed in during the chest trap and prevented the shot. In the 10th minute, Shonan's FW Yamada took a shot from a one-two with the front line and escaped to the right area, but it was saved by Gonda and resulted in a corner kick. In the 18th minute, Tokyo's DF Endo was dispossessed by Shonan and immediately aimed for the GK's position with a long loop. However, Tokyo concentrated and prevented the danger, and launched counterattacks at crucial moments.

In the 14th minute, Mutoh headed from Matsuda's early cross. In the 19th minute, Matsuda also took a middle shot. Tokyo gradually began to hold the ball more as they concentrated on stopping Shonan's strong attacks. However, in the 21st minute, Shonan connected a left cross in the center and Kikuchi, the central midfielder, took a shot on the loose ball. It missed the target, but Tokyo couldn't quite find their rhythm and changed to a 3-back formation around the 30th minute.

After that, Muto in the center dropped an early cross from Tokunaga with a header, and Hayashi in the right area entered a shooting position, but only managed to get a corner kick after hitting the opposing DF. In the 38th minute, Higashi passed through the area. Although he was initially held back by the opposing DF, Hayashi pressed on the left front line and regained possession. He then passed to Muto, but was surrounded by Shonan DF. In the 40th minute, Muto also used his speed to break through the DF's back line, but was unable to finish.

The team changed their formation to counter Shonan's fluid attack and side breakthroughs. They maintained their focus in front of the goal and did not allow any decisive chances, but Tokyo was also unable to create attacking opportunities despite possessing the ball, resulting in a scoreless first half.

Advanced to the group stage with 9 consecutive games without conceding a goal and remaining undefeated!

Substitute Mita for Higashi in the second half. In the beginning, both teams looked for chances from set plays. In the 53rd minute, Mita, who came on as a substitute, took a shot from the left side and earned a left corner kick. However, the corner kick was cleared. In the 57th minute, Shonan FW Okada took a shot from the left corner of the area, grazing the Tokyo DF and earning a left corner kick. However, Shonan FW Yamada's kick went wide. In the 59th minute, Tokyo's clearance went high in the area, and Shonan FW Yamada attempted an overhead kick. The ball flew to the left area, and at the moment it dropped, MF Kikuchi took a shot, but it went over the top right corner.

62 minutes, from a ball cut in their own zone, Muto in the midfield launches a counter, but the pass to Matsuda on the right side is cut off by Shonan. In the 67th minute, the DF line cuts off and Matsuda on the right side makes a long side change to the left front line. Ota advances and crosses from the left. Muto is near, and Lin and others are up in the center, but it is cleared and becomes a corner kick. In the 72nd minute, the whole team pushes up, and Maruyama passes a ground pass to Mita in the left area. Mita turns around and makes a short cross in front of the goal. Muto is near, and Lin is in position in the center, but they cannot shoot as they overlap with the opposing DF.

After a series of inaccurate plays, Lassad was brought in at the 75th minute. From this point on, both teams began to counter each other. In the 77th minute, a big chance came. Mutoh sprinted down the right side. He made it to the area, but with no angle, he chose to pass. He passed over Lassad in the center and connected with Mita, who had made a free run from the far side. However, Mita's decisive shot, taken with speed, missed the goal to the right...

Shonan dropped a pass from the left side in the 87th minute, and FW Otake in the center received it, while MF Kikuchi expanded further to the right. From there, DF Endo attacked with a powerful mid-range shot, but it was also off target. In the 90th minute +1, Hashimoto was substituted. In the end, they carefully assessed the situation and didn't force anything, leading to the end of the game. With a solid performance, they kept a clean sheet for the first time in 9 official matches and secured 1 point. As a result, they remained undefeated in 7 qualifying matches and secured a spot in the final round for the first time since 2012 as the top team in Group A.

[Player Comments]
"Maruyama"
"My honest impression is that it was fun. There were moments where we were pushed back by Shonan, but we communicated on the pitch and didn't let them score in the end. I think we were able to defend well. Personally, I couldn't play in the league game against Shonan, so I've always wanted to play on this stadium's pitch. So, it was important to make the most of the opportunity given and show it in practice and games. In that sense, I think I am gradually growing."

"Nawaz"
"I was trying to position myself just behind the Shonan 3 top and pass the ball to the front line after taking it away. However, I had few opportunities to receive the ball from the DF line, and there were few people in the front line even if I held the ball, so there was no pass course to the back. So, at that time, I calmly connected a short pass nearby. I couldn't move forward easily, but I think it's a chance if I receive it in that position and turn forward. I want to gain more experience in practice and games and earn the trust of my teammates."

[Summary of Massimo FICCADENTI's press conference]
"It was the expected development. After studying recent Shonan, we knew they would come aggressively from the kick-off. The first half ended with few chances for both teams, but the second half was a fierce exchange of offense and defense, and we also had a few scoring opportunities. I think Shonan also changed their lineup, but we also made a few changes to our lineup and they played until the end. In the midst of a tough schedule, there were times when our mental condition and fatigue affected our performance, but we were able to achieve our initial goal of advancing to the final round."
(What did you tell the players before the game in a situation where a draw would be acceptable?)
Shonan was in a situation where they had to score a lot of goals, so we expected them to come out attacking from the beginning. We wanted to score early and make the game easier for us, as Shonan came out on the offensive. There were some parts that didn't go well, but we were able to endure and bring about a good result.

[Summary of Shonan's Coach Cho Kije's Press Conference]
"Despite the rainy weather and being a weekday, many supporters came to the game. It's disappointing that we couldn't get 3 points, but today's performance showed our true ability. Not taking on dribbles, not taking shots, and avoiding passes when there are players in front of us is a lack of presentation to my players. It's positive that we kept a clean sheet through our defense from the front, but in order to score, everyone, including the goalkeeper, needs to contribute and move forward. However, in this tournament, all of our players are competing and showing the desire to embody our style. That is an asset for the team. I want to use this experience in the league games. We won't look down, we'll get our condition in order, and we want to grab a victory in the next away game against Kawasaki."