Nabisco Quarterfinals Second Match, Aiming for Victory Only

Facing the away game against Kashima Antlers just 3 days after the first game of the quarterfinals, the second game is crucial. In the first game, we managed to draw, but in order to advance to the semifinals, winning this second game is the first condition. In case of a draw, we must score at least 3 goals to advance. If the score is tied 2-2 after 90 minutes, the game will go into extra time. The Tokyo players said, "We just need to focus on not conceding and scoring one goal to win. We know what we need to do." They are fully committed to this one-shot game for 90 minutes.

For Kashima, the final round will be determined by the number of away goals in the first match, so it is important for Tokyo to score the first goal. Even if they take the lead or concede a goal, they must not panic and maintain unity in their fight. They must have a strong determination to win and play as a cohesive team in order to take victory from Kashima.

However, in this match, regular members Morishige, Maruyama, and Nathan BURNS were absent. Considering the consecutive matches, Hayashi and Higashi were chosen as starters today. As in the previous match, Nakajima will play as a forward, and Nara will start as a center back. The front line will consist of Maeda in the center, Higashi on the right, and Nakajima on the left. In the midfield, Takahashi will be the anchor, with Yonemoto and Hayashi as the inside halves, playing in a 4-3-3 formation. Additionally, new addition GK Vlada AVRAMOV made his first appearance on the bench.

Kashima has changed since the first game, with FW Davi absent. FW Akasaki and FW Kanazaki will start together. In the midfield, MF Caio and DF Aoki will take on the center back position.

The match started at 18:34 with Kashima's kickoff, amidst intermittent rain that had temporarily subsided before the game.

Conceded an early lead and faced a tough situation.

From the start, both teams showed an aggressive attitude and threatened the goal. In the 2nd minute, Tokyo's Tokunaga → Higashi pushed forward on the right side, and Nakajima followed from the inside, taking one more step forward and sending a ground ball to the goal. In the 5th minute, Tokunaga intercepted the ball on the right side of the midfield and advanced to the front line with his strength, sending a cross. They attacked from the side, but were unable to take any shots.

7 minutes, Kashima MF Kanazaki receives a header from DF Yamamoto on the left side, turns around from the trap. He dribbles past Takahashi and shoots from the center. The shot seemed to fly straight at Enomoto, but the powerful ball took an irregular bounce right before and slipped through his hands into the net. We have unexpectedly conceded the first goal...

However, immediately after, Yonemoto in the right area faked out two opposing defenders and took a controlled middle shot. However, the ball that went to the bottom right was deflected by Kashima GK Sogahata and went to the right side. Habu tried to pick it up and continue, but there weren't enough players in the front line and Kashima was able to defend. In the 14th minute, they persistently kept the ball in the right front line and East crossed. Nakajima ran in from the back, but was unable to make the shot.

Despite conceding the first goal, we tried to counterattack without panicking, but we only managed to shoot once in the first half, by Yonemoto. As Kashima gradually gained momentum and controlled the rhythm, we were pushed back into our own half. Even when pressing from the front, we were skillfully bypassed by Kashima, and we couldn't bring the ball up to the front line even when we managed to steal it. As a result, in the 36th minute, we quickly brought in Hirayama. We changed to a 4-4-2 formation with Takahashi and Yonemoto as a double pivot, and Nakajima and Higashi as the side midfielders. We tried to gather the ball in the front line and counterattack with Hirayama as the starting point. However, as time passed, we were forced to defend constantly.

43 minutes, finally got a FK on the left side, but Ota's kick sent to the front line was punched by Kashima GK. The Tokyo players were all neatly swept away to the far side with no one there, and Kashima had the ball. Still, the DF line showed concentration and tenacity, not allowing any additional points, but ended the first half with a one-point deficit.

Unable to regain rhythm, end up with 3 goals conceded and finish in the top 8

In the second half, which was approached in an attempt to turn the tide, in the 48th minute, Takahashi ran into the right area after Ota's long left cross, but he couldn't connect with Hirayama in the center after skillfully dropping the ball in the midst of a contest. In the 49th minute, Higashi in the left corner of the area turned his back to the opponent and feinted to get past them, then turned towards the goal and crossed. However, Hirayama, who had jumped into the center, fell in the midst of a contest and couldn't finish. In the 51st minute, Kono was brought on. In the 57th minute, Kono boldly made a move and cut into the right area after exchanging passes with Nakajima, then passed to Hirayama in the center. Hirayama tried to aim for the goal, but was blocked by the Kashima DF.

In front of Kashima's fast and tough defense, it became difficult to both hold the ball up front and win second balls. In the 60th minute, they tried to connect from their own half but lacked accuracy, and Kashima took advantage of a ball sent forward by midfielder Yonemoto with a header. From a vertical pass by MF Yamamura, MF Kanazaki advanced through the center with a dribble. He then took a shot from the middle in front of Tokyo's DF. The ground shot went through the gap between Tokyo's DF and into the bottom left corner of the goal... It was a skillful shot, but it was a tough second goal for Tokyo...

Despite not giving up, Hasegawa was substituted in the 62nd minute. He tried to create a rhythm by stealing the ball and counterattacking. In the 67th minute, Hirayama received a feed from Nara and was fouled, earning a FK in the left side of the opponent's field. Ota sent a sharp kick to the front line, but the GK caught it directly. In the 71st minute, they also had a chance from a right CK, and crosses were sent in from both sides, but it was bounced back by Kashima, and in the end, Nara from the right area aimed for the goal but missed to the left.

Unable to take advantage of set piece opportunities, in the end they were taken by Kashima while attacking. In the 70th minute, they tried to attack from their own half, but the ball was cut off by Kashima during a side change. Kashima shook things up from left to right, and then MF Doi entered the left area and crossed the ball in front of the goal. It hit Yoshimoto's hand... resulting in a penalty. MF Kanazaki took the kick, hitting the center of the crossbar. They avoided conceding a goal from the penalty, but mistakes continued to be made while attacking, leading to a difficult situation against Kashima's counterattacks.

83 minutes, Tokunaga's right cross was dropped by Hirayama on the far side, and Hashimoto in the center of the area took a volley shot from the trap, but couldn't find the target. In the 89th minute, Tokunaga sent a free kick from the right side of the midfield to the front line, and Hirayama on the left side took a header shot over the opponent's defender, but it went straight to the goalkeeper. And in additional time, Kashiwa MF Endo picked up Tokyo's clearance ball and hit a direct middle shot over the goal... Time's up. While conceding 3 goals, they failed to score and were completely defeated. They were unable to advance to the semifinal round. This season's Nabisco Cup ended in the quarterfinals.

[Player Comments]
"Enomoto"
"It became difficult to fight with just one goal conceded, and it also affected the atmosphere. I feel sorry and it was a waste. I think there are various factors that led to the defeat, but once again, I realized that it becomes difficult to fight when we concede first. It is important to keep the number of goals conceded low and endure the game in order to improve the team's winning percentage. Personally, I need to improve the quality even more, and I want to improve my mental and physical performance and head towards the league matches."

"TOKUNAGA"
"We couldn't connect the ball well and it was difficult for us to create our own time and rhythm. After Hirayama's appearance, we were talking about sending the ball to the front and picking up the second ball, but Kashima was quicker in both reaction and starting. We tried to push up the line, but we couldn't do it. I'm sorry and disappointed that we couldn't win, but there are things we can learn from the defeat. We want to accept the current situation firmly and continue to grow more and more."

[Summary of Massimo FICCADENTI's press conference]
"We were able to enter the game in a good shape for the first 10 minutes. After conceding the first goal, we were unable to execute our tactics. We gave the opponent too much space after the second goal. Kashima is a good team with a good coach and players. We have no choice but to accept today's result."
(Regarding Hirayama's entry)
After Kashima took the lead, they pulled back, so they added one more player to the front line. There were also parts where they couldn't connect the ball from the back due to the slippery pitch. There were players who were not in good condition today, and also young and inexperienced players, but the third goal was an unnecessary one. As a coach who has experienced various games, I understand that things don't always go as planned. I want to focus on the league again.

[Kashima - Masatada ISHII Coach's Press Conference Summary]
"I expected a tough battle, but we were able to take the lead earlier than I thought. I told the players to go for an additional goal even after scoring one in the meeting, and to win the game. It's also commendable that we ended the game without conceding any goals. Before the game, DF Aoki gave a rallying cry, saying, 'Let's put on a good game for the fans and supporters who came out in the rain and those who are cheering for us in front of the TV,' and I think that also lifted the team."
(Although I was very aggressive and hardly lost in the competition)
In the first game, I became passive at the beginning and conceded a goal, so I did a training session to raise awareness in a short time. I was able to demonstrate what I always strive for in practice. I think it's the result of my daily efforts."