Taking a chance on the possibility of advancing to the final tournament through the qualifying round

The final qualifying match of the Nabisco Cup, Sec. 7, will be held. They will face Sagan Tosu at home. Tokyo, who suffered consecutive losses against Shimizu and Gamba Osaka, has dropped to 4th place in Group A. However, due to the results of the previous round of other teams, there is a possibility of advancing to the knockout tournament even up to 6th place Kashima, including 5th place Tosu, in a fierce battle. While it is also a matter of depending on the results of the top teams, it is necessary above all to win this match.

If the points are tied, the goal difference and total goals will also have an impact, so we want to score as many goals as possible. This is also true for Tosu, as they also need to accumulate goals in order to win. Tosu has momentum with two consecutive victories, but Tokyo wants to fight without disrupting their balance. It is necessary to not lose in the battle for second balls and in terms of physicality, in order to counter their forward movement for goals. This is a game where we want to showcase our playing style that we have developed so far and make it the culmination of the last game before the break.

Hee Ju KWAK started as a center back for the first time this season. Tokunaga served as captain for the match. The match started at 15:04 with the kickoff by Tosu at Ajinomoto Stadium, which became a hot summer day with temperatures exceeding 30 degrees Celsius.

Just before the end of the first half, we conceded the first goal...

Due to the heat, both teams were cautious at the start. In the 5th minute, Kono from the right front connected with Edu, and crossed to the right. Mita in the center brought the ball into the area with a chest trap and took a shot, but it went over the bar. After that, they held onto the ball and calmly created opportunities, but gradually Tosu increased their momentum towards the front line.

After 10 minutes, they continued to give away set plays and were attacked. They managed to defend against it, but they lost the ball frequently in the front line during their attacks, which made it difficult for them to create scoring opportunities. On the other hand, Tosu created chances from the left side, and in the 25th minute, they connected through FW Ikeda and MF Okamoto, allowing DF Kikuchi to make a forward run and take a shot. In the 27th minute, they allowed another attack from the left side, and FW Ikeda jumped in to meet MF Kin's grounded cross in front of the goal, but Hee Ju Kwak responded and held him back.

After 35 minutes, a chance was created from Tosu's free kick, but we managed to defend it by coordinating and persisting. However, in the 44th minute, Tosu quickly connected passes from the left side, and MF Hayasaka entered the left area. We couldn't contain it, and a pass was connected to MF Fujita who had run behind Yoshimoto in front of the goal. From here, Fujita took two consecutive shots, both of which were saved by Shioda with determination, but the ball spilled again and was pushed in by DF Yasuda... Shioda, Kwak Hee Ju, and Ota couldn't cover in time, and we ended up conceding the first goal...

In additional time, the ball was long fed to the front line by our own Higashi. Edu, who broke through in response to this, ran into the right area and took a shot, but it was blocked by the goalkeeper's save... We ended the first half with a one-point deficit.

Finish in 6th place with 3 consecutive losses and no goals

Sagan Tosu took control of the pace even in the second half. As a result, Muto was substituted for Hirayama in the 50th minute. In the 53rd minute, Mita launched a counterattack and attempted a dribble shot from the center, but the Tosu defender blocked it. In the 56th minute, Ikeda broke through from the left side for Tosu. He cut inside and aimed with his right foot, but Shioda made a save. Immediately after this, Yonemoto was substituted for Mita.

However, in the 57th minute, they were unable to clear this right corner kick from Tosu, and were once again attacked by connecting the second ball. The ball sent by Tosu MF Fujita in front of the right area skimmed the Tokyo DF and spilled forward, and Tosu FW Ikeda, who reacted to this, was pushed in despite losing his balance... and they conceded the second goal.

But with the introduction of Yonemoto, Takahashi and Yonemoto formed a double pivot in the midfield. East was deployed on the side, and in the 67th minute, Matsuda replaced Kwak Hee Ju and entered as a right full-back. Tokunaga moved to center-back to launch a counterattack. With this momentum, in the 73rd minute, Takahashi intercepted a loose ball in the midfield and Yonemoto played a through pass to Muto on the left side of the penalty area. However, Muto's shot went wide to the right. Immediately after, Muto pressed from the left front line, and Kono stole the ball and broke through to the left area. He sent a minus cross to the inside Muto, but the shot was straight at the opponent's goalkeeper.

In the 85th minute, Edu passed skillfully to Kono, who was free in the far area after jumping out to the left area. However, Kono's header went wide. In the 87th minute, East on the left side took a middle shot after a one-two with Muto. In the 43rd minute, Muto on the left side made a move and Matsuda overlapped and took a shot with speed, but both shots missed the target.... They continued to attack without giving up until the end, but they were far from scoring a goal and suffered a defeat with no points. They suffered their third consecutive loss and failed to advance to the knockout tournament. They finished the current Nabisco Cup in 6th place in Group A.

[Player Comments]
"Shiota"
"It's disappointing and embarrassing because the result is everything. There were moments when I stopped shots, but today I conceded 2 goals and a total of 8 goals in 3 matches, which is my responsibility. There were also areas where we were exposed apart from the goals conceded. We haven't been able to fight patiently, and there were moments when we went forward with momentum and got caught on the counter. However, it doesn't mean we can't make corrections. We want to address various issues during the training camp and build on the positive aspects."

"Narumi"
"I am disappointed that we were eliminated in the qualifying round in a game where we couldn't achieve both the content and the results. It was a game that we had to win, but we couldn't build momentum quickly enough. In the first half, it became all long balls and there were few times when the ball came to the side. In the second half, Higashi became the starting point on the left side, and the distance was good, and we were able to create chances by expressing what we wanted to do... We have had good games so far, but we have also had frustrating moments. I think we need to mature as a team. During the break, we want to establish the style of soccer that we aim for."

[Summary of Massimo FICCADENTI's press conference]
"The first half was not very good for both teams, perhaps due to the heat. In the second half, various things happened, but after conceding the second goal, we had at least 4-5 clear chances, but we couldn't convert them, which had an impact. Although we couldn't produce results, the players played with determination until the end. I want to commend Muto, Kono, and Higashi for their wholehearted play despite having 4-5 clear chances. We are now entering a break period, and I want to intelligently and wisely correct what didn't go well in the first half. We will thoroughly analyze as a team and make use of what we have cultivated in the past 4 months to start the second half well. We must aim for a higher position than last season and have the right ambition. These past 4 months have been an important period to understand Japanese soccer. We now have a clear understanding of our own situation and that of our opponents. We will restart to rebuild firmly and create a team that can compete at the top."
"We had only a slim chance, but I would like to express my gratitude to all the people who came to support us today. Although we won, it is unfortunate that we were unable to advance to the final tournament. If there is any regret, it is that we could have played a better game in the first two matches of the early stages... However, today, despite the hot and tough conditions, the players fought with all their might and played a game that leads to the second half of the league. We told them to play our usual soccer and they delivered a good game. It was a situation where it was inevitable to lose concentration due to the heat, but I am grateful to the players who fought well."