Levain Cup Semifinal Round, aiming for the Final Round

The Semifinal Round of the YBC Levain Cup will be held. Urawa Reds will face off, with the first match being a home game at Ajinomoto.
In this tournament, both Tokyo and Urawa participated in the ACL, entering from the quarterfinals. Tokyo defeated Fukuoka, and Urawa overcame Kobe, advancing to the Semifinal Round.

Tokyo will be without Japan national team players Morishige and Maruyama. Additionally, Tokunaga suffered a knee injury in the previous league match against Hiroshima and has been forced to withdraw. Therefore, Takahashi and Yoshimoto will play as center-backs. Muroya will start as the right back, and Ogawa will start on the left. Tanabe and Hashimoto will form the midfield, with Hanyu on the right side and Nakajima on the left. Maeda will be at the top, with Higashi playing just behind in the formation. Kajiyama and Kono will start on the bench.
Nozawa and Mizunuma will also be on the bench.

Urawa is currently at the top of both the league's 2nd stage and overall rankings, in what can be described as excellent form. Japan national team GK Nishikawa, DF Makino, and MF Kashiwagi are absent, and coach Zoran PETROVIC is also suspended from the bench for the second leg of the quarter-finals, so coach Hori is taking charge. In the three-back formation, DF Moriwaki is joined by DF Endo and DF Nasu. At the top is FW Zlatan. The shadows are MF Muto and MF Lee. The central midfielders are MF Aoki and MF Abe. The right wide position is handled by MF Komai, and the left by MF Sekine.

In the J.League Cup, aiming for the final for the first time in 7 seasons, we faced Urawa on September 17 (Saturday) in the league (2nd stage Sec. 12) and suffered a 1-3 comeback loss. This match is also an opportunity to utilize the lessons learned and the sense of achievement gained here to seek revenge.

Due to the influence of the typhoon, under weather conditions with occasional light rain, the match started at 19:34 with a kickoff in Tokyo.

Withstanding Urawa's attacks, gradually finding the rhythm

From the start, we applied aggressive pressure and aimed to take the ball from the opponent. We focused on quick transitions and moved the ball forward, but there was a prolonged period where we couldn't get to the finish. On the other hand, Urawa used long balls and switches to approach the Tokyo goal.
6 minutes: Right MF Abe makes a big side change to the left front line. DF Moriwaki's cross flowed to the far side, but this time a play was created on the left front line, leading to a right cross. This was contested by MF Lee in the area, who dropped it to MF Sekine, but Akimoto made the save.

15 minutes: FW Zlatan in front of the area turns and shoots while being marked by the Tokyo DF.
18 minutes: Urawa clears the ball to Maeda. This connects to Tokyo's MF Lee in the midfield, who passes to the central FW Zlatan, leading to a decisive shot by the left MF Muto, but... just slightly to the left.
24 minutes: A one-two in the center by Urawa, with MF Komai delivering a sharp right cross. The ball was deflected by Akimoto with his right hand, but it spilled to the far side where Urawa FW Lee jumped in and created a scoring opportunity.

However, Tokyo, which overcame this pinch, gradually surpassed with its quick start and began to grasp the rhythm.
35 minutes: Tanabe to Nakajima, a through pass is sent to Hanyu who broke into the area behind the opponent. However, Hanyu couldn't turn to face forward... Still, he controlled the ball and passed it to Maeda who was making a run on the right, but Maeda was also blocked by the opponent in a challenge... They couldn't capitalize on the decisive
chance. Immediately after, Hanyu, who had moved up to the right flank, delivered a cross. Hanyu and the opposing goalkeeper contested, and Nakajima reacted to the ball that spilled from the goalkeeper's hands. He took a shot, but the play just before that was a foul.

Although there were moments when we couldn't contain Urawa's speedy attacks and they managed to get to the finish, we still didn't let them score. Tokyo gradually took control of the game with a more dynamic performance, but the first half ended scoreless. The match carried over into the second half.

Captain Higashi scores with determination! Although they take the lead...

The game changed at the start of the second half.
47 minutes: A free kick is awarded just slightly to the right in front of the area due to a handball foul by the opponent. Higashi aims directly for the goal with a powerful shot on target, but it is blocked by the opponent's GK with one hand, resulting in a left corner kick. From here, Yoshimoto attempts to head the ball in response to Higashi's kick.
49 minutes: Higashi spreads to the right. Muroya sends an early cross, and Hanyu at the near post heads it towards the goal. In the center is Higashi, and from behind, Takahashi jumps in, with Higashi heading the ball into the goal. The captain Higashi, who is serving in this match, fiercely snatches the goal and scores the opening point.

However, Urawa counterattacks from here. They initiate an attack from the side, and Tokyo is pushed back into their own territory.
53 minutes: Gave away consecutive corner kicks, but cleared with determination. Continued to stay focused, preventing Urawa from getting to the finish.

64 minutes: Tokyo launches a counterattack, with Nakajima dribbling forward and Higashi advancing from the right. They create a 2-on-2 situation against Urawa, but Nakajima's pass to Higashi on the right just before the area is slightly off, causing a brief slowdown. Furthermore, Higashi tries to get into a shooting position with a one-two with Nakajima, but is blocked by the opponent.
From here, Urawa launched a counterattack. FW Takagi on the left front line took a shot, but in the end, the Tokyo DF blocked it.
67 minutes: From a quick restart, Nakajima burst into the left area and aimed from a tight angle, but was saved by the opposing GK.

68 minutes: As the lines gradually stretched and counterattacks ensued, Kono was brought in to replace Hanyu. They tried to create their own time and control the game.
72 minutes: Urawa also played aggressive cards one after another, bringing in FW Koroki as the third substitution.
77 minutes: Urawa's midfielder Muto's vertical pass was received by forward Koroki, who turned with it. He advanced to the left side and switched with outside forward Takagi. While moving inside around forward Takagi, he took a shot from the middle, and the accurate shot found the top right corner of the goal. Urawa scored their first shot of the second half... and equalized.

80 minutes: This time, Urawa's left-sided FW Takagi moves to the right front line. MF Hirakawa, who received the ball, was marked by Ogawa, but he dribbled inside and delivered a ground pass in front of the goal. MF Muto, who was free in space, scored with a direct shot... conceding another goal in quick succession...

80 minutes: Hirayama replaces Maeda.
82 minutes: Nathan BURNS is brought on for Nakajima. Formation changed to 4-4-2.
88 minutes: Higashi, who ran into the left area, aimed for a shot that went wide to the left. In added time, Kono's right cross saw Hirayama dive in with his body at the near post, but the ball went to the opposing goalkeeper. Furthermore, Barnes dribbled forward, and after passing to Higashi on the left and Kono on the right, they aimed for the goal but were blocked by the Urawa defense.

Although they maintained an attacking attitude until the end, they conceded two goals and lost in a comeback, resulting in the loss of three points at home.

[Player Comments]
《East》
"(For the goal) I saw Muroya when I received the ball on the left side and cut in. Using the sides effectively was our aim against Urawa, and I was conscious of that today. If we can improve our accuracy, including crosses and how we enter the box, I believe we can score more. We can only level up through practice, but I want to make adjustments even in a short time and apply them next time. The way we pressed from the front must have been uncomfortable for the opponent. I want to review and organize our approach after taking the lead. This is not the end. I want to maintain a positive mindset and prepare to win next time."

"Hanyu"
"I was thinking about what I could show to help this team reach the finals. Throughout the game, I was focused on calming the ball and then moving forward afterward."
(Regarding the late goals conceded)
Whether I was on the field or not, we were being pressed during that time. The opponent's attacks often started from deep positions in the midfield or within our territory, which increases the likelihood of conceding goals. I think it was necessary to play a bit higher up the pitch and create our own time. I want to make an effort to play closer to Urawa's goal.

【Yoshiyuki SHINODA's press conference summary】
"We lost the first match, and it became a tough situation. We started the game well and faced some challenges, but we managed to get through. From there, we were able to regain our pace and progress in the game. (After taking the lead) we thought about changing the situation where we were being pushed back, so we brought in Kono to replace Hanyu to create our own time. While we were struggling to move forward, I wanted to create time on the sides rather than increasing the number of players at the back, so I used a substitution card. The goals we conceded were due to our own mistakes. The first goal was conceded after being cut inside, and the second goal came from a counterattack due to a passing error, where a pass was made from the side. I wanted to hold the ball a bit more up front to create time and build a stronger push. We attempted several counterattacks, but we couldn't score the second goal, which led to this result. I have some regrets, but I want to switch gears and do my best next time."

[Summary of the Press Conference of Urawa Coach Takafumi HORI]
"We approached the Semifinal Round as a 180-minute match, and today we treated it as the first 90 minutes, aiming to play calmly without rushing. We expected Tokyo to come out aggressively from the start and anticipated a tough beginning. Although the opponent held the ball for long periods and there were difficult moments, the players endured well and managed to finish the first half. We communicated some adjustments at halftime and faced the second half with those in mind. Although we conceded a goal in the second half, we scored two goals to turn the game around. We talked about returning home with the advantage, and thanks to the players' efforts, we achieved that. Despite the absence of the coach, the players thought for themselves and played accordingly. The goal by FW Takagi showcased his strengths. Also, MF Hirakawa created the opportunity from the side that led to the second goal. The players considered what needed to be done in each situation and acted accordingly. This reflects the coach's daily emphasis on utilizing each position's roles and characteristics, and I believe this result is the accumulation of that effort. I think the players were conscious of wanting the coach to return in good condition and gave their all."