Aiming for victory only, bouncing back the pressure and advancing to the qualifying round!

　In the final round of the Nabisco qualifiers, we faced Tokyo Verdy at the Japan National Stadium. In the previous match against Shimizu, we lost points as they caught up with us at the end. As a result, in order to advance to the final round, we had no choice but to "win this round". Moreover, this is a tough situation where the points and goal difference and total goals of other groups also come into play, so a victory with a goal difference is desired if possible.

　Unfortunately, Shibata has a fever, so Ogi will start for the first time in this match. In addition, Sahara is suspended, and Mukuhara will be used as the right back, following the Sec. 4 of the May 25th qualifier against Verdy. Tokunaga is on the left, and Fujiyama and Mobara will start as center-backs for the first time since Sec. 12 of the league. On the other hand, Kajiyama has returned energetically from his activities with the Olympic team and will form a lineup with the in-form Bruno QUADROS in midfield.

　Verdy, on the other hand, has already been eliminated from the group stage. In the two "Tokyo showdowns" this season, both teams have been unable to fully demonstrate their strengths and have suffered defeat. The situations are contrasting, but Coach Jofuku said, "Verdy will come to the match with a relaxed mindset now that their chances of advancing have disappeared. On the other hand, we absolutely must win, so the pressure is high. I think it will be a difficult match, but we need to forget that we have already won twice and focus on winning." Although MF Diego has left the team, Coach Jofuku is cautious, saying, "We are compensating for MF Diego's absence by utilizing the characteristics of our Japanese players." It is important to not only contain FW Hukki and Leandro, but also take sufficient care against the midfield players.

　Regarding the attack, the key is whether Verdy can break down the DF block before it is formed. We want to launch a quick attack, utilizing Emerson and Hanabusa as starting points, and taking advantage of Cabore's speed and Bruno QUADROS' forward runs. If we can score the first goal and progress calmly in our own rhythm, the result will naturally become visible. Play passionately, yet calmly, and bounce back from the intense pressure to achieve victory!

　Despite the gloomy weather at the National Stadium, it didn't rain. It was an away game, but many "AO-AKA" supporters filled the stands, creating an atmosphere that cheered on the team to victory. The match started exactly at 3:00 PM with a kickoff in Tokyo.

In a match where both teams were scoring, Hirayama scored a valuable equalizer just before the end of the first half.

　Verdy created the first chance. In the 2nd minute, FW Leandro ran a long distance inside the Tokyo defense and entered the left area after exchanging passes with FW Hukki in front of the goal. Although a shot was taken, Tokyo also aggressively attacked by exploiting the space behind Verdy's defense. In the 3rd minute, Hayu followed a cross and Bruno QUADROS made a through pass with his heel into the area. Emerson ran into that space. In the 10th minute, Hirayama -> Emerson cut deep into the right area and made a minus pass in front of the goal. Cabore attempted a direct shot from a close distance. Both were excellent chances, but were stopped by the opponent's GK's great save.

　If you miss a chance, in the 11th minute, Verdy FW Hukki broke through the back of Tokyo DF and allowed a dribble from the right in front of the goal. Ogii made a quick save, but the ball was picked up by MF Hiroyama and a goal was conceded. They fell behind. However, without panicking, they switched their mindset and in the 16th minute, Kajiyama sent a long pass behind the Verdy DF. Cabore ran into this position and scored a looping goal over the head of the opposing GK who had come out!

　However, the moment they caught up with the tie was short-lived. In the 19th minute immediately after, a free kick was given to Tokyo inside the field, and Verdy FW Hukki aimed directly from a distance of about 35m. Then, the ball that fell in front of the goal shook the net, allowing the lead to be taken again. It became a fierce exchange of points, but Tokyo, chasing one point, took a corner kick in the 22nd minute from Kajiyama -> Mukuhara's cross. Kajiyama volleyed the clear of the right corner kick, but it went over the bar. In the 30th minute, Cabore dribbled from the right side to the center, taking advantage of his speed despite being marked by the opponent. He shot in the right area, but it lacked power and the goalkeeper caught it.

　Verdy also responded by utilizing the speed of their front line, and in the 36th minute, FW Ewerton broke through the Tokyo DF and advanced to a deep position on the left area. However, the negative last pass did not connect, and they escaped unharmed. In the midst of intense exchanges between offense and defense, Mokuhara also boldly overlapped, and in the 42nd minute, he stole a corner kick from a cross. And it was the 43rd minute. Hirayama, who met the right corner kick from Hayabusa, headed the ball into the goal! Hirayama scored a long-awaited goal just before the end of the first half, resetting the game and heading into the second half.

Hirayama scores a hat-trick! Takes 4 goals and advances to the finals!

　Tokyo, who got into the rhythm, sent a ground cross persistently while being marked by the opponent, after 45 minutes just after the start of the second half, Kabore broke through the right side. Hirayama pushed it in with a sliding tackle, even though his posture was disrupted, and scored a goal! They successfully took the lead early in the second half. In the following 51 minutes, Verdy tried to connect passes, but Tokyo pressed hard in the midfield, Bruno QUADROS stole the ball, and Emerson dribbled up and sent a through pass to the front line. Kabore broke through here, but the Verdy goalkeeper came out one step ahead and cleared it.

　After that, both teams fiercely clashed and the game continued with intense developments, but Tokyo did not lose their energy and maintained their attacking posture. In the 67th minute, Hanyu caught up with a long pass sent by Kajiyama on the left front line and crossed it inside. Cabore timed it well but couldn't finish the shot. In response to Verdy making two substitutions, Tokyo substituted Ishikawa for Hanyu in the 69th minute. In the 70th minute, Mokuhara sent a high vertical pass to the front line, and Ishikawa trapped it in the right area and immediately took a left-footed shot. It missed the target, but they did not lose their attitude of "scoring another goal".

　And in the 76th minute, Cabore's side breakthrough led to a corner kick, and the right corner kick taker was Ishikawa. Ishikawa's kick was perfectly sent to Hirayama near the goal, who headed it in to score the fourth goal! With this, Hirayama achieved his first professional hat-trick and pushed Verdy ahead.

　In the 81st minute, Hirayama sprinted up the left side with great speed and crossed the ball into the box. The ball slipped past Ishikawa, who was diving in, but Bruno QUADROS was there to follow up with a shot. However, his shot was blocked by the defender. Towards the end of the match, there were scenes where Verdy was attacked from a set piece, but their defense was highly aware and resilient, holding on until the final whistle. They scored 4 goals, including Hirayama's hat-trick, and achieved a come-from-behind victory. As a result, they advanced to the quarter-finals as the 2nd place team in Group B. The quarter-finals will be held at home on July 2nd and away on August 6th, where they will face Oita Trinita.

　【Player Comments】《Patric》"I absolutely wanted to win in order to advance to the final round. I also wanted to score more points, but it was great that the team was able to score 4 points. It was my first hat-trick as a professional, but all 3 points were assisted by my teammates. I was happy to score a goal that led to our qualification in the tournament. The Tokyo supporters are always cheering us on, so right now I am only focused on getting results with the team."《Lins》"I think the first half was tough. We needed to play like we did in the second half for the full 90 minutes. The second half is where I can showcase my strengths. I think I was able to play without fear of making mistakes and always pushing forward. However, it's too late to calm down or change our mindset after making a mistake. In a game, there are no do-overs. We need to be able to give our all in any situation, not just when we are pushed to our limits. But with Tokyo, we are all fighting together. Everyone has a chance and there are no designated seats. There is always a competitive spirit, so we need to work hard every day to close the gap in our training."

　[Summary of Manager Jofuku's Press Conference] "First of all, I would like to express my gratitude to the fans who created a home-like atmosphere despite being an away game. It was really reassuring to be able to play in a completely home-like atmosphere. We had a strong determination to advance to the knockout tournament, but Verdy had attacks targeting the backline in the first half, which made it a tough situation compared to our previous matches, as they had both depth and control. So at halftime, we focused on taking care of the backline and improving our control of the ball, as well as organizing the defense in the midfield area. In the first half, Verdy's FW Hukki played as the lone striker and FW Leandro played as the second striker, but we couldn't fully grasp their movements. It took time for us to close them down and defend when the ball was played to them, giving them time. Therefore, we made Kajiyama aware of his role in that aspect. In the first half, Bruno Quadros and Kajiyama were parallel, but we slightly dropped back Bruno Quadros and positioned him closer to the defensive line, like a deep-lying midfielder. In the second half, I think we were able to play in our own rhythm. As for Hirayama, he started the last two matches and although he didn't score, he performed well in front of the goal. We had expectations that he would eventually score, as he had also shown good performances in training at Kodaira. However, the goals were scored by everyone. We were able to regroup defensively in the second half, and it became a very valuable victory."

　[Summary of Tokyo V・Hashiya's press conference] "We were able to take the lead in a good way at the start, and I thought we would continue in a good shape in the first half, but we were caught off guard by a lack of concentration and conceded a goal, and then continued to concede more goals. This is the part that has been the theme for this week, and we have been saying it all along, so it is shocking that we couldn't do it. We couldn't give our best effort, couldn't run, couldn't win the race. I also felt a decline in physical condition. (Regarding Hirayama scoring a hat-trick against us) His performance today was fantastic, and I think it was the best in the past few games. There was also a lack of marking from our defenders, but still, scoring 3 goals is a testament to Hirayama's own ability. We played 3 matches against FC Tokyo and couldn't win any of them. To be honest, I feel the difference in strength. We want to narrow that gap through training."