Seize the opportunity in the 4th round of the Nabisco Cup!

　Following last weekend, the Nabisco Cup will also be held this week. In Sec. 4, Vissel Kobe will play at home in the Japan National Stadium. Tsuchi and Kaji, who are members of the Japanese national team, will be absent, and in addition to the injured Kelly and Ishikawa, Lucas will be missing due to suspension. However, U-23 representatives Mobata, Konno, and Tokunaga will start as they did in the previous round. Yusuke Kondo made his first starting appearance of the season as a forward. Kondo has been performing well in recent training sessions, and his rise and the team's new battle are generating high expectations.

　In today's earlier match, Kashima, the leader of Group D, lost to Kashiwa, so they can take the lead even with a draw. It is important to take advantage of this opportunity and proceed with future battles in a favorable manner. The match started with clear skies and remaining brightness at the Japan National Stadium, with Baba and Yusuke Kondo standing at the center circle, and Tokyo kicking off.

Create a goal from excellent teamwork!

　Tokyo, where aggressive pressing works from the start, took control of the pace and created chances one after another. In the 50th second, Baba connected a right throw-in and Tokunaga scored from Doi's cross, winning a corner kick. From this corner kick, Shigetani headed a shot but it went over the goal. In the 2nd minute, Toda pressed the ball from Kobe's side change and ran up to the left area, crossing. Although they couldn't convert it in the middle, they created a close opportunity.

　Kobe took 5 minutes, FW Koijima scored from MF Fujimoto's cross and won a CK. In the 8th minute, DF Park attacked from the right side on a counter-attack, but the cross did not reach FW Hato. In the 12th minute, Tokyo had a chance. Toda fiercely chased after Kobe's pass play in the DF line. After stealing the ball, he sprinted to the goal, but couldn't finish in the area. However, he showed persistence and connected the play, and Baba, who had moved up for support, took a well-aimed shot. The shot was blocked by the GK and escaped as a CK, but in the 13th minute, Inomoto's header from Baba's left CK went into the goal! Inomoto's strength in scoring was evident in the league's 1st stage against Kobe, where he also scored 2 goals, but Toda and Baba's series of plays were the cause of the goal, and each of them utilized their strengths to create the opening goal.

Suzuki impressively demonstrated! Valuable additional point with a superb goal

　In the 17th minute, Asari cut off Kobe DF's clearance and immediately sent a through pass to the front line, but Toda, who had come out, was unfortunately offside. However, Tokyo started quickly, stealing the ball and scattering it from Baba's keep, Yusuke Kondo's post, and approaching the Kobe goal with a fast-paced development. In the 23rd minute, Yusuke Kondo, who received a pass from Baba, was fouled and won a free kick. The position was slightly to the left of the goal, and the distance was close to 30 meters. However, when Suzuki swung his left foot to lure Jean, the ball that ran across the wall pierced the right side of the goal!! The stands were also in an uproar at this powerful kick. Even after the scoring scene, the buzz continued for a while and spread to the spectator seats.

　Tokyo took a 2-goal lead with Suzuki's first J-League goal. They continued to play energetically and dominated the field. In the 26th minute, Inomata headed a long-range free kick from Baba on the far side, but the goalkeeper caught it. In the 27th minute, Inomata received a feed from Baba on the front line and ran up the left side to cross. He picked up the loose ball and launched a wave-like attack. In the 28th minute, Tokunaga took a middle shot.

　There were scenes where Kobe was given a chance after 30 minutes, but in the 39th minute, a pass to Hato who came out of the area was cut off by a daring jump by Shioda, preventing the pinch. Just before the end of the first half, there was a left cross → Kondo's post → Baba aimed for a goal, but Toda, who followed up on the loose ball, was offside and the goal was not scored. Although they couldn't score an additional point, they went into the second half with a 2-point lead.

Despite conceding a goal, they stand at the top of the group with three consecutive wins in the qualifying league

　The halftime instructions from the former coach were "A 2-0 lead is not a complete lead. Let's create opportunities from the sides and build up. Let's move the ball easily and attack with a good rhythm." However, Baba was substituted by Miura Fumitake in the 50th minute due to an ankle sprain in the latter part of the first half. The doctor determined that it might be difficult for him to play in the second half... and when he was allowed to play a little, it was clear that he was dragging his foot (former coach). On the other hand, Kobe made a substitution in the second half, replacing midfielder Sugawara with forward Miura Tomo, and took a counterattack stance.

　I got caught up in the rhythm in Kobe. In the 45th minute, Fujimoto took the first shot of the second half from mid-range. In the 46th minute, Tsuchiya headed the ball from a right corner kick. In the 51st minute, Fujimoto entered the left area from a quick attack and took a powerful shot. It was saved by Shibata. In the 58th minute, Tokyo took a corner kick from the left side and Kanazawa picked up the loose ball, launching an attack. In the end, Miura tried to score from Nakano's right cross near the left end line, but narrowly missed.

　However, in the 61st minute, Yusuke Kondo received his second warning today and was sent off. With about 30 minutes remaining, Tokyo had no choice but to fight with 10 players. In the 64th minute, Abe was substituted for Suzuki. However, in the 67th minute, Toda, who had jumped out to the area in response to the FK, entered the shooting position, but the Kobe DF cut it off just before. In the 70th minute, Abe, who received a long feed from Shigeno, was knocked down, and Jean aimed for it from the FK, but the opponent GK saved it. Missing the chance, in the 76th minute, Hato and Miura jumped into the goal front with a sharp early cross from Kobe's Fujimoto. Although the timing was not right and the goal was not allowed, in the 77th minute, a pass was connected from the DF line, and Fujimoto made a long through pass from the left side to the front line. When this reached Hato in the area, Shigeno leaned his body for a moment, but the loose ball was picked up and Hato scored a goal. The Tokyo defense has held up well so far, but they have finally conceded a goal.

　However, Kobe Univ, who tried to catch up with the tie, launched an attack, but in the 85th minute, Hato received a second warning and was sent off. The final stage, which became a 10 vs 10 battle, ended without either side giving in. Tokyo achieved victory with a score of 2-1 and took the top spot in Group D.

【Player Comments】《Yusuke Kondo》"I was nervous, but I calmed down with the first play. However, I think I should have scored there. I was careful to drop the ball that Yuta kept without any mistakes and also move forward. I think the combination was good in the first half. The red card was a shock. However, I want to prepare myself to continue playing in the matches without losing motivation."《Suzuki》"I felt like if I hit the free kick low, it would go in, so I told Jean, 'I want to take the kick. I hope you can be a decoy with a feint.' It didn't go in during practice, and it was the first time I scored in a match. I don't have confidence, but I want to keep shooting whenever there is a chance. But other than scoring, I'm completely useless. I want to be able to make an impact in the flow of the game."

[Summary of Manager Hara's Press Conference] "The start was as planned, pressing from the front and creating opportunities from the sides or through the center. We took a corner kick and Makoto Imano scored from Baba's kick, and Suzuki also scored the second goal from a free kick. We had several chances to score another goal in the first half, but couldn't convert them. In the second half, Kobe brought in Kazu and Kojima dropped back to the midfield, becoming more attacking. We tried to calm the game down by substituting Fumitake Miura for injured Baba, but then Yusuke Kondo was sent off and things became chaotic. However, we conceded only one goal and held on well until the end. As Kashima lost to Kashiwa, it was important for us to earn 3 points here. Lucas was suspended, and I planned to use Abe in crucial moments. Yusuke Kondo, who started in the starting lineup for the first time this season, didn't score but had good interactions with the team. His red card was unnecessary, but he can also play as a post player and has a strong physique. Suzuki is rough around the edges, but he has a powerful left foot. We practiced free kicks all day yesterday, but I told him to focus on hitting the target because when he puts too much power, it doesn't go on target. I also told him that he needs to become a kicker who can make the stands erupt with just a run-up, like Roberto Carlos, but I think it's difficult to find a player in Japan who can kick like that. I want him to improve his ability to break through on the right side and avoid squandering chances with handballs. He is completely different from Ishikawa in terms of horsepower and dynamism, and I have high expectations for him. The final line is becoming more stable. The balance between Imano and Asari is also improving. While focusing on how to score goals, we want to switch our mindset and approach the upcoming league matches." (Regarding Imano's involvement in the attack) "Initially, I thought he would be a player who covers in front of the center-backs, but his characteristic is to aggressively win the ball in high positions and go forward instead of waiting for loose balls. I wanted to pair him with Asari, who is solid in defense, and bring out Imano's strengths in the front. Recently, I've been telling him to pick up the ball and go for another shot, and I think he has realized the excitement of scoring goals. He has also started to move forward on his own during corner kicks. I think he showed the most attacking plays today. I hope he continues to grow."

[Kobe HASEK's press conference summary] "Today's game wasn't bad. I want you to have confidence. The chance of advancing to the Nabisco Cup final tournament may be small, but I still want to do my best until the end. The first goal was from a corner kick, so it was a mistake. The second goal was from a free kick, so there was nothing we could do."