Day 9 of the expedition.

Tokyo, which finished first in the group stage with three wins out of three matches until yesterday, will be seeded in the Final Round and will participate from the Quarterfinals.

The match against Sweden's BK Hacken, which advanced from the 1st Round held in the morning.

Today's match is a battle at the main venue of the tournament, AFK Arena.
As it was a match against the local Swedish team, it was surrounded by many spectators, creating a very good atmosphere of tension at kickoff.

From the start, Tokyo was on the defensive against the opponent's high physicality and technique.
Still, with GK Nozawa at the center, they patiently dealt with the situation and somehow ended the first half at 0–0.

As the second half begins, the opponent, playing their second match today, starts to show signs of fatigue, and Tokyo gradually begins to create opportunities.
In the 45th minute, Numata connects with a cross from Sato on the right side, but is blocked by the opposing goalkeeper.
In the 51st minute, Sato, who made an effective switch to the right side, made a sharp cut-in and took a decisive shot, but it was caught by the goalkeeper.

After that, a back-and-forth battle continued, but the match ended with a score of 0–0.

Deciding the match in a penalty shootout.
Both teams missed their second attempts, and when Tokyo's fourth player, Furuya, scored, the score was 3–2. After that, the opponent's fourth player missed, and Tokyo's fifth player, Ueda, calmly scored under pressure, winning 4–2!

The ticket to the Semifinal Round that we all fought for despite the struggles.
Tomorrow's opponent is the team from Gothenburg, IFK Goteborg.

As we enter the 10th day of our expedition, it will be a physically demanding battle, but we want to unite as a team and secure our place in the Final Round.

Tomorrow at 16:20 (Japan time 23:20 on the 20th) kickoff.
The venue is AFK Arena, the same as today.