Nabisco Quarterfinal Round Match 2, aiming for victory only

In the second match, held three days after the first match of the quarterfinals, we face an away game against Kashima Antlers. The first match ended in a draw after we equalized, and to advance to the Semifinal Round, winning this second match is the primary condition. In the case of a draw, we must score at least 3 goals to advance. Additionally, if the match ends 2-2 after 90 minutes, it will go into extra time. Regarding these conditions, the Tokyo players stated, "We just need to focus on not conceding goals and aim to win by scoring one goal. What we need to do is clear," showing their determination for a decisive 90-minute match.

For Kashima, due to the away goals scored in the first match, a draw of 0-0 or 1-1 would allow them to advance, so it is important for Tokyo to score the first goal. However, whether they take the lead or concede a goal, they need to remain calm and work together. They want to seize victory from Kashima with a strong determination to win and a sense of unity in their play.

However, in this match, representative members Morishige and Maruyama, as well as Nathan BURNS, will be absent. Considering the consecutive matches, Hanyu and Azuma will start today. Nakajima will continue as a forward, and Nara will be named in the starting lineup as a center-back. Up front, Maeda will be in the center, with Azuma on the right and Nakajima on the left. In midfield, Takahashi will play as the anchor, with Yonemoto and Hanyu serving as inside midfielders in a 4-3-3 formation. Additionally, the newly joined GK Vlada AVRAMOV has also made his first appearance on the bench.

Kashima has changed since the first match, with FW Davi absent. FW Kanazaki starts alongside FW Akasaki. On the midfield side is MF Kaio, and DF Aoki plays one of the center-back positions in this formation.

Although it temporarily stopped before the match, the game started at 18:34 with a kickoff from Kashima amidst intermittent rain.

Allowed an early goal, leading to a difficult situation

From the start, we both displayed an aggressive attitude and approached the goal. In the 2nd minute, Tokyo's Tokunaga passed to Azuma, who broke through the right flank, and Nakajima, who followed from the inside, took a step forward and delivered a ground pass in front of the goal. In the 5th minute, Tokunaga intercepted the ball near the right sideline in midfield. Utilizing his strength, he moved forward and sent in a cross. We attacked from the sides, but none of the attempts led to a shot.

In the 7th minute, Kashima's MF Kanazaki received a header from left-side DF Yamamoto, turned after trapping the ball. He dribbled past Takahashi and moved towards the center, taking a shot from distance. The shot seemed to fly straight at Enomoto, but the powerful ball, which bounced irregularly just before, slipped from his hands and into the net. They unexpectedly allowed the first goal...

However, immediately after, Yonemoto in front of the right area feinted past two opposing defenders and took a controlled mid-range shot. However, the ball aimed at the bottom right was deflected by Kashima's goalkeeper, Sogahata, and flowed to the right side. Hayabusa tried to pick it up and connect again, but there weren't enough players up front, and Kashima managed to defend it. In the 14th minute, Higashi persistently kept the ball on the right front and crossed it. Nakajima made a run from the back to the near post, but couldn't connect.

Even after conceding the first goal, we tried to respond without panicking, but the only shot we took in the first half was this one by Yonemoto. Gradually, we lost our rhythm to Kashima, who gained momentum and pushed us back into our own half. Even when we pressed from the front, we were often skillfully evaded by Kashima, and even when we regained possession in our own half, we couldn't advance the ball to the front line. As a result, in the 36th minute, we brought in Hirayama early. We switched to a 4-4-2 formation with Takahashi and Yonemoto as double defensive midfielders, and Nakajima and Higashi as side midfielders. We aimed to gather the ball in the front line and launch a counterattack starting from Hirayama. However, as time passed, we found ourselves solely on the defensive.

In the 43rd minute, they finally earned a free kick on the left side, but Ota's kick sent forward was punched away by the Kashima goalkeeper. The ball was neatly directed to the far side where no Tokyo players were present, resulting in a Kashima throw-in. Nevertheless, they showed concentration and resilience in the defense line, preventing any additional goals, but ended the first half trailing by one goal.

Unable to regain rhythm, conceding 3 goals and finishing in the top 8.

In the second half, aiming for a comeback, in the 48th minute, Ota's long left cross found Takahashi running into the right area, but he couldn't connect it well to Hirayama in the center due to a tussle. In the 49th minute, Higashi, with his back to the opponent at the left corner of the area, feinted and turned to cross towards the goal. However, Hirayama, who jumped into the center, fell during the contest and couldn't finish. In the 51st minute, Kono was brought on. In the 57th minute, Kono made a bold move, cutting into the right area after exchanging passes with Nakajima, and passed to Hirayama in the center. Hirayama aimed for the goal, but was blocked by the Kashima defender.

In front of Kashima's early and strict defense, it became difficult to hold the ball up front or win the second ball. In the 60th minute, they tried to connect the play forward from their own half but lacked precision, and the ball sent forward by midfielder Yonemoto with a header was intercepted by Kashima, leading to a counterattack. From a vertical pass by MF Yamamura, MF Kanazaki advanced centrally with a dribble. Facing the Tokyo DF, he took a shot from distance. The ground shot slipped through the Tokyo DF and found the bottom left of the goal... It was a skillful shot, but it resulted in a harsh second goal conceded for Tokyo...

Still not giving up, Hashimoto was brought on in the 62nd minute. They tried to create rhythm by winning the ball back and aimed for a counterattack. In the 67th minute, Hirayama received a feed from Nara and was fouled, earning a free kick on the left side of the opponent's area. Ota sent a sharp kick forward, but the GK caught it directly. In the 71st minute, they had a chance for a right corner kick, and from that flow, they put in crosses from both sides, but it was cleared by Kashima. In the end, Nara on the right side aimed for the goal but missed to the left.

Unable to capitalize on set-piece opportunities, they were robbed by Kashima in the closing stages while pushing forward, leading to a counterattack. In the 70th minute, while trying to advance from their own half, a cross-field ball was intercepted by Kashima. Kashima shifted from left to right and once again entered the left area, where MF Doi crossed the ball in front of the goal. This hit Yoshimoto's hand... resulting in a penalty kick. MF Kanazaki's attempted kick hit the center of the crossbar. They avoided conceding from the penalty, but continued to make mistakes while pushing forward, leading to a difficult situation with Kashima's counterattacks.

In the 83rd minute, Tokunaga's right cross was dropped by Hirayama at the far post, and Hashimoto's volley attempt from the center of the area could not find the target. In the 89th minute, Tokunaga sent a free kick from the right side of midfield to the front line, where Hirayama in the left area attempted a header over the opposing defender, but it went straight to the goalkeeper. Then, in stoppage time, a clearance ball from Tokyo was picked up by Kashima midfielder Endo, who struck a direct middle shot over the goal... Time's up. While conceding three goals, they ended without scoring, resulting in a complete defeat. They could not advance to the Semifinal Round. This season's Nabisco Cup ended in the best 8.

[Player Comments]
《Enomoto》
"The first goal we conceded made it difficult to fight back and also lowered the atmosphere. I feel sorry about it and it was a waste. I think there are various factors that contributed to our defeat, but once again, I realized that conceding the first goal makes it difficult to play. To improve the team's winning percentage, it's important to minimize conceding goals and to endure while progressing through the game. Personally, I also need to raise my quality, and I want to further improve my performance both mentally and physically as we head into the league matches."

《Tokunaga》
"It was difficult as we couldn't connect the ball and create our own time and rhythm. After Hirayama came on, we talked about sending the ball forward and picking up the second balls, but Kashima reacted quicker both in response and in their movements. We tried to push the line up, but we were unable to do so. I feel regret and apologize for not being able to win, but there are still lessons to be learned from defeat. I want to firmly accept the current situation and continue to grow more and more."

【Massimo FICCADENTI's press conference summary】
"In the first 10 minutes, we were able to enter the match in a good shape. After conceding the first goal, we couldn't execute what we were trying to do tactically. After the second goal, we gave the opponent too much space. Kashima is a good team with a great coach and players. We have no choice but to accept today's result."
(Regarding Hirayama's introduction)
After Kashima took the lead, we pulled back, so we added one more player to fight up front. The pitch was slippery, which made it difficult to connect the ball from the back. Today, there were players whose conditions were not up to par and younger players with less experience, but the third goal conceded was unnecessary. As a coach, I have experienced various matches and understand that things do not always go as ideally planned. I want to focus on the league matches again.

【Kashima - Masatada ISHII's Press Conference Summary】
"I expected it to be a tough battle, but we were able to take the lead earlier than I thought. I had told the players in the meeting to aim for additional goals after scoring the first one, and we discussed finishing the match with a win. Being able to end the match without conceding a goal is also commendable. Before the match, DF Aoki rallied the team by saying, 'Let's show a good game to the fans and supporters who came out in the rain and those cheering in front of the TV,' and I believe that motivated the team as well."
(With great determination and hardly losing in contests)
In the first match, we became passive at the start and conceded a goal, so even though it was a short time, we focused on training. We were able to show what we always strive for in practice. I believe it's the result of our daily efforts)