Despite dominating and continuously attacking, they were unable to capitalize on their chances and ended the first half with no points.

Participating in the "AET CUP 2014" held in Hong Kong. The ranking will be determined by a tournament format with four teams. The first match is against S.C.OLHANENSE (Portugal). Tokyo started training in full force from 1/18 (Sat), and then held their annual training camp in Kunigami Village from 1/22 before moving to Hong Kong. They are currently in a period of intense training, with two practices almost every day, and are physically and mentally exhausted. However, Kanda says, "We are representing Japan, so we want to aim for results" and the team is united in their goal for victory.

Tokyo will face FC Naha with the same members as the 1/28 practice match. They will also adopt the 4-3-3 system that they are currently practicing. The match started at 14:45 local time with a kickoff by S.C. OLHANENSE in calm weather.

Tokyo took the lead from the first half and attacked while firmly connecting the ball. In the 5th minute, Matheus headed from the right corner kick of Higashi, but it didn't hit. Hirayama tried to follow up on the ball that flowed to the opposite side, but couldn't reach it. In the 19th minute, they kept the ball in the midfield. From there, Higashi took it forward and aimed for the goal, but couldn't hit it well and it went to Kono. He dropped it directly to Hirayama and took a shot, but it narrowly missed the frame. In the 23rd minute, Tokunaga on the right side started a ground cross from Higashi in front of the goal. Watanabe quickly ran in front of the DF and made a good shot, but it hit the bar.

In defense, they rarely give the opponent any chances. Tokyo quickly switches between offense and defense, and even if they lose the ball, everyone reacts with a high defensive awareness. In the 31st minute, Watanabe kept the ball in the midfield and passed it to Kono, who made a run behind the DF. Kono then attempted a looping shot, but it narrowly missed to the left of the goal as the opponent GK came out. In the following minute, Watanabe dribbled past the opponent DF and took a well-aimed shot, but the GK made a great save. Towards the end of the first half, Watanabe's left-footed shot was saved by the GK, and then Higashi took a well-aimed shot, but once again, the opponent GK made a great save, resulting in a scoreless draw going into the second half.

Equalizing with Mita's goal, but unable to capitalize on scoring opportunities and ultimately losing in a penalty shootout.

Even in the second half, Tokyo continued to attack, but in the 50th minute, they gave away a penalty for a foul on an opponent player inside the area. This resulted in a situation where they were one goal behind. However, Tokyo calmly kept possession of the ball and waited for opportunities, just as they had done before. In the 55th minute, Kono was replaced by Ishikawa and Mita was replaced by Higashida. Furthermore, in the 59th minute, Hirayama was replaced by Eduardo and Mukuhara was brought in. They introduced fresh players to launch further attacks. Then, in the 67th minute, from Eduardo's post-play, the ball went to Mita on the left side. From there, he dribbled into the area, evaded three opponent defenders, and took a shot. The ball hit the opponent and went into the goal. They equalized the score.

Tokyo, who gained even more momentum, launches a fierce attack. In the 70th minute, Takahashi's vertical pass from the center is received by Watanabe, who dribbles into the left area and takes a shot. Unfortunately, it hits the right post, but from the rebound, Edu takes the ball from the right side and shoots. The opponent's GK makes a great save and it goes out for a corner kick. In the 75th minute, Edu keeps the ball on the right side. From there, Yonemoto and Ishikawa pass back and forth, and finally Ishikawa takes a shot but it is blocked by the GK and goes out for a right corner kick. Mita takes the corner kick, but it doesn't reach anyone in the middle.

In the 81st minute, Ishikawa dribbled and the ball was cleared once, but it came back to Ishikawa. From here, he took a powerful left-footed shot, but the GK saved it. Mita picked up the rebound, but was fouled by the opponent and earned a free kick. Edu took the free kick and kicked it to the right of the goal, but it was saved again. In additional time of the second half, Edu managed to get past the opponent's DF and took a shot, but it lacked power and went straight to the GK. Despite launching a fierce attack until the end, they were unable to score another goal and the game went into a penalty shootout.

In the PK shootout, the final shot by Tokunaga was blocked by the opposing GK, resulting in a 5-6 defeat. As a result, it was decided that they will face PFC KRYLIA SOVETOV SAMARA (Russia) in the 3rd place match on 2/3 (Mon).

【Player Comments】

"Mita"
"I am happy to have played on the pitch and scored a goal in my first international match in Tokyo in the first official game of the season. Although our opponents were skilled at avoiding our attempts to steal the ball, I believe we were able to dominate the game. It's frustrating that we couldn't secure the win. We will make sure to win in the end and return to Japan."

《Ishikawa》
"There were some challenges within our team's goals. In terms of defense, the opponent had a style that was not common in Japan, so in the first half, we were a bit stiff in how we responded to it. However, we were able to make adjustments in the second half. We just wanted to see results. I think the new system has created a good sense of distance and we were able to make it our own in both offense and defense. (Looking towards the next game) Of course, we will focus on getting results and winning. I think there were few adjustments needed in terms of defense, so we want to score goals through our offensive coordination."

[Summary of Massimo FICCADENTI's press conference]
"The preparation period was short, but I think it was a game that deserves a passing grade. The defense line also maintained a strong concentration, and although the GK had few opportunities to touch the ball, the entire team was able to move. (What we gained from today's game) We were able to create chances, and although there was a PK situation in terms of defense, we didn't allow the opponent to have freedom. I think it is a great achievement to be able to perform at this level during the preparation stage."

[S.C. OLHANENSE・Coach Simon's Press Conference Summary]
"It was a difficult game, but I'm glad we were able to win. Despite having many injured players, the new players showed a good performance, and I think we were able to fight as a team. (Impression of Tokyo) It was a very good team. We weren't in perfect condition before the season, but I felt that we will become stronger in the future."