Nabisco Cup Quarterfinals, First Match at Home

The Nabisco Cup final tournament has begun, and in the quarterfinals, Kashima Antlers will face off against each other at home at Ajinomoto Stadium for the first match. The match will be held just three days after the previous league match. Despite having back-to-back matches, coach Massimo stated, "Our attitude of aiming for victory in each match will not change. There is no need to think about the second match, and it is important to continue with the same flow as in the league matches." He emphasized the importance of approaching each match with a mindset of winning.

However, the World Cup Asia qualifiers are being held in various locations alongside this tournament, and Nathan BURNS has been selected for the Australian national team. Morishige and Maruyama have also been selected for the Japan national team, leaving the team with three players absent for this quarterfinal match. As a result, Nara, who will make his first start and appearance in Tokyo, will be paired with Yoshimoto in the center back position. Hashimoto and Nakajima will also be in the starting lineup, with Maeda and Nakajima as the two forwards. Kono will be playing as the attacking midfielder. Hashimoto will be playing as the right inside half. On the bench, Higashi will be making his return since the August 12th match against Kofu. Sandaza and Hirayama will also be on the bench, following their appearances in the Shimizu match.

Kashima, who participated in the ACL, will make their appearance in the Nabisco Cup starting from the quarterfinals. Since the 4th round of the 2nd stage against Tokyo, Kashima has welcomed new coach Ishii and achieved 6 consecutive wins, putting them in first place and making them the most in-form team at the moment.

Today, the Japan national team's MF Shibasaki will be absent, but in the second stage of the match, they have also been troubled by the "Tokyo countermeasures". In order for Tokyo to grab a victory, they will need to surpass Kashima in terms of persistence, quickness in pressing, and aggressiveness. Also, when the points are tied after two matches, the goal difference and away goals will also come into play, so it is important for Tokyo to limit the number of goals conceded at home. It will be necessary to assess the situation and flow, and also to have a unified will, but it will be important to turn individual strengths into team unity and challenge Kashima with all their might.

The weather cleared up after a long time. Even at night, the game started at 7:04 PM with Kashima's kickoff in the intense humidity.

Aggressively fighting, but takes the lead with Kono's goal...

Showed an aggressive attitude on both offense and defense from the start, taking control of the game. In the first minute, they took advantage of a mistake by Kashima and turned it into an attack. Kono dropped a pass from the left to Hashimoto, who boldly took a shot from the middle. Although it was saved by the Kashima goalkeeper, they were able to earn two consecutive corner kick opportunities in the second minute. In the fourth minute, Kashima attempted a long pass from their own half and FW Akasaki made a run behind the Tokyo DF, but was called offside. Tokyo quickly regained possession with a compact formation and moved the ball up the field. In the fifth minute, Maeda broke away from a fierce matchup with Kashima DF Shoji on the right side and sent in a cross. However, it was blocked by the Kashima DF and they were able to escape with a throw-in.

After 10 minutes, Kashima was pushed in by a set play, but they persevered and immediately counterattacked. Their attitude paid off and in the 15th minute, Takahashi quickly restarted the FK they earned in the midfield. Yonemoto sent it to the left side and Ota, who had advanced forward, sent a cross into the goal area. Kono, who had slipped between the opposing defenders, jumped lightly and shot the ball with a back header-like form. The ball was sucked into the upper right corner of the goal. From Ota's pinpoint cross, Kono marked his first goal of the season and took the lead.

20 minutes, Kashima DF Shoji was injured and replaced by DF Aoki. Immediately after that, Kashima left MF Nakamura cut into the left area and attracted Tokyo DF, making a negative cross. There, right side back Nishi, who had advanced freely, took a shot, but Yonemoto threw his body to block it. In the 28th minute, Kashima's header shook the net from a free kick. Although they avoided conceding a goal due to offside, Kashima gradually began to counterattack. In the 30th minute, Tokyo launched a counterattack, and Ota aimed for the back of the opponent's DF with a ground cross. Nakajima slid and stabbed it into the net, but he was also slightly offside...

38 minutes, Kashima FW Davi boldly attacked in the right area, but Hashimoto and Nara held him back. In the 43rd minute, Kashima's long ball was passed to FW Akasaki in the right area, but Tokunaga escaped with a corner kick. Tokyo had been defending well up until this point, but they were unable to stop the flow of this corner kick. Kashima left back Yamamoto broke through vertically from a one-two with MF Nakamura in the center. He received a short pass near the goal line and pushed it in against Tokyo DF, resulting in a devastating goal.

In additional time, Kono from the left front line skillfully trapped a floating ball from behind. He competed with Kashima DF and broke through to the front, but his decisive shot hit the right post. The first half ended with a 1-1 tie.

Nakajima scores the equalizer! He never gave up and pushed towards the goal, resulting in a draw.

In the 46th minute of the second half, Kashiwa FW Dawvii dribbled past Nara and was able to enter the area, but Yoshimoto slid in and escaped with a corner kick. After that, Tokyo continued to play in Kashiwa's half, mainly focusing on set plays. In the 55th minute, they stole the ball in the midfield and quickly moved it from left to right through Kono, Yonemoto, and Nakajima. Tokunaga persistently brought the ball to the cross and earned a corner kick, but they were unable to take a shot.

59 minutes, Kashima's MF Doi enters the pitch. Tokyo substitutes Kono for Higashi. However, in the 61st minute, from a pass exchange on the right side by Kashima, DF Nishi skillfully dribbles past Tokyo's DF and advances. MF Endo, who received a return pass from FW Davi in the right area, cuts inside and swings his left foot. The sharp shot grazes the right post and bounces back into the middle. Both teams have scored their first shots of the second half, allowing the lead to be taken.

However, Tokyo did not give up and in the 62nd minute, Higashi, who was in the left area, sent a soft cross to the far side, but Hashimoto in the right area's header was blocked by the opponent's goalkeeper's great save. Immediately after, Endo from Kashima broke through the right side and crossed to Nakamura in the area, who took a heel shot but was saved by the post. Then, Hirayama was substituted. In the 79th minute, Sandaza was brought to the front line. Nakajima moved to left MF, with Takahashi and Yonemoto as a double pivot. They tried to increase their momentum and launch a counterattack, but towards the end, both teams made mistakes and there were chances for both sides in a back-and-forth counterattack.

In the 88th minute, Nakajima on the center passed to Tokunaga who ran up the right side and crossed the ball. Sandaza in the center of the area attempted a header but narrowly missed. However, Nakajima was able to quickly close in on the ball that fell outside and kicked it in with his left foot, scoring a GOAL!!　

As the game was tied, the mood for a comeback was rising. In the 90th minute, a cross from the right by Higashi reached Nakajima in the left area, creating a similar scene to the goal, but they were unable to capitalize on the floating ball... In additional time, they created chances from crosses on the right, and pushed towards the Kashima goal with more players, but were unable to score. In the end, Hirayama's shot was caught by the Kashima goalkeeper, and the game ended.

Despite not giving up until the end and heading towards Kashima's goal, they were unable to score a third goal. The first match ended in a 2-2 draw.

[Player Comments]
"Nakajima"
"It was a game we could win, and there were scenes where we could have scored more. I believed that the cross would come to the far side for the goal. I was able to time it well. In the first half, I didn't shoot at the right timing when I should have dribbled and shot, so I was being taken away by the opponent. When there was space in front, I was thinking of actively shooting. From tomorrow, I want to focus on winning the second game and prepare for it. I want to work hard with my teammates and cooperate to win while having fun."

"Nara"
"I didn't feel any pressure, and I knew that I was giving my all in terms of my play. I wanted to contribute to the team's victory by giving my all. The DF line was able to hold on in some parts, but we also conceded 2 goals, which made me feel like I had a lot to work on personally. I especially regret the goal we conceded in the first half, it was a waste. Even though the opponent had the advantage, there were moments where we were able to shut them down and win the ball, but I think we conceded because of my poor response. However, a draw can lead to the next result. If we can keep the goals to zero as DFs, we have plenty of players who can score up front, so there is a great chance to win away. We want to continue preparing well."

[Summary of Massimo FICCADENTI's press conference]
"I think it was an interesting game for those who watched. In the first half, we were able to take the lead at a good time. In the second half, Kashima MF Endo's goal was a fantastic one, but we were able to catch up afterwards. As a team, I think we showed our belief in winning and our determination to never give up. With a 2-2 result, Kashima has a slightly advantageous situation, but we want to continue playing our game until the end in the next match."
(Did you play Nakajima for the full game?)
Because he was playing well. There were no major tactical changes, and we were able to use the space created by Hirayama's post play effectively. In the end, we put Nakajima on the left side and created many chances. We had a chance to score a third goal, but Kashima is a strong team with good players. We faced them with six consecutive wins and I think this result is significant. We were also able to execute our plan of bringing in two physically strong forwards when the opponent's stamina was dropping.

[Kashima - Masatada ISHII Coach's Press Conference Summary]
"I think it was good to be able to score two points away. In the end, FC Tokyo used the height of players like Hirayama and we were a little pushed back, but since there is a second game coming up soon, we want to prepare for that."
(In the first half, there were many scenes where Nakajima was targeted, how did you fix it?)
Since Nakajima was often the starting point for movements from the outside to the inside and for side changes, we tried to prevent him from facing forward and playing.