Aiming for victory by showing high quality without losing to Matsumoto!

The 2nd match of the Yamazaki Nabisco Cup qualifying league will be played away against Matsumoto Yamaga F.C. In the previous league match, we achieved a 2-0 victory against Kobe, and following the 1st match of the Nabisco Cup, we have now won two official matches in a row. We aim to continue the momentum and confidence gained here and strive for a third consecutive victory in the Nabisco Cup.

However, in this Japan national team friendly match, Gonda, Morishige, Ota, and Muto were selected as members. At the same time, Nara and Nakajima from the U-22 Japan national team, who are also participating in the Olympic and Asian qualifiers, were absent. However, Coach Massimo expressed his expectations, saying, "I always expect all team members to be ready to play in the matches. Even if they are not representative players for Japan, I trust them and want them to show their individual characteristics and achieve results with their own style of soccer." In addition, Ishikawa, who suffered a bruised right calf in the Kobe match, will be on the bench. Coach Massimo revealed, "His performance in the Nabisco Niigata match was good, and his physical condition has also recovered since the Kobe match. He is a player who can contribute to the team even in a short amount of time and is a significant presence for the team." Furthermore, Nozawa and Sasaki have made their first appearance in the team, and they will truly participate in a united effort.

Matsumoto, who will face the match, will fight in J1 from this season. Although they lost to Tosu in the first match of the Nabisco Cup, they are currently in 9th place with 1 win, 1 draw, and 1 loss in the league. It can be said that they are also active in J1 with the hard work and speed they have accumulated since J2. Matsumoto's quick transition between offense and defense, and their energetic attacks that keep coming out one after another from the midfield, will push the opponent back if they take a passive stance. It is also necessary to be cautious of MF Iwagami's kicks and throws that make use of restarts.

Tokyo starts with Enomoto as the GK. Yoshimoto and Canini form the center-back partnership, with Maruyama as the left SB. Takahashi is the defensive midfielder, while Yonemoto and Mita play as the inside halves. Maeda and Higashi form the front line. Kono takes on the role of the attacking midfielder in this formation.
　
Matsumoto, a lineup that can be called the best. FW Obina at the top, MF Iwagami and FW Ikemoto in the second row. Double pivot with MF Iwama and Kiyama. Will Tanaka, registered as a defender, serve as the right wing-back in a 3-4-3 formation?

A battle where we aim for victory by showing high quality without losing to Matsumoto, who uses hard work and fighting spirit as weapons.
The match started with a kickoff in Tokyo at 17:03.

They conceded the first goal from an own goal and go into halftime trailing by one point

The match is in the 4th minute of the first half. Matsumoto FW Obina used his strength to enter the area, but Canini persistently defended and blocked him. In the 14th minute, Obina broke through the right area with a ground pass from the right, turned towards the goal, and took a shot. However, Canini closed in tightly and Enomoto caught the ball. After 15 minutes, Matsumoto was being pushed back by the pressure from the front line. However, Canini and Yoshimoto repelled crosses and long balls, and although no clear chances were created, Matsumoto had a quick start and Tokyo was being pressed inside their own half by losing second balls.


25 minutes of Tokyo's attack. Kono on the right side of the center received a feed to the front line, and passed it to Yonemoto slightly behind the center. Yonemoto attempted a direct shot from the trap, but it went wide. In the following 27 minutes, Tokyo launched a counter-attack. Tokunaga dribbled powerfully up the field, but his last pass attempt to send it inside from the area was intercepted, resulting in a right corner kick. Tokyo changed the side by connecting the clearance from the corner kick and Mita sent a floating cross from the left, but it was caught by the opponent's goalkeeper. After 30 minutes, Tokyo managed to contain Matsumoto's momentum calmly and started to create more scenes of advancing forward. However, if they couldn't break through the defense, the opponent would quickly switch and carry the ball up to the front line. In the 33rd minute, Matsumoto competed with Tokyo for MF Iwagami's long throw-in in front of FW Obina, but it hit Maeda's head and changed direction, resulting in an own goal and conceding a goal, 0-1.

After 39 minutes of conceding a goal, from the clear of Tokunaga's long throw, Yonemoto in the center of the area shot a powerful direct shot... but it went over the bar and did not score. Matsumoto's intensity, speed, and momentum in winning second balls resulted in Tokyo being pushed back for a long time. Nevertheless, Tokyo calmly defended and quickly created scenes of moving forward. However, they conceded the first goal with an unlucky own goal and ended the first half behind.

Equalize 1-1, but fail to score additional points and end in a draw

Shortly after the start of the second half in the 46th minute, Canini fed the ball to the left front line. Yonemoto caught up and Maruyama followed with a cross. Maeda jumped in at the far post, but couldn't strike the ball cleanly as he got tangled up with the opposing DF. In the 49th minute, Kono took a left corner kick that was cleared, but Yonemoto picked up the ball and sent a well-aimed floating ball to the left area. East broke free in the left area to meet it, but... his shot from a difficult angle was blocked by the opponent's GK, resulting in another corner kick... In the following 51st minute, Maeda cleared Matsumoto's left cross. Mita sent it forward directly to the front line, and Kono broke free. It seemed like he was going to face the GK one-on-one, but... he was cleared by the opposing DF at the last moment, escaping to a corner kick.

At the 56th minute, a free kick from the midfield. Canini sends it to the right front, Maeda heads it to the center. It is initially cleared by the opponent's defender, but Mita, who ran into the front line from the east, acts as a decoy. The ball dropped in the center of the penalty area is again closed in by Higashi from the left, who swings his right foot and scores a shot that finds the net!! They equalize the score to 1-1.
　
60 minutes have passed, and Tokyo is holding the ball in the second half. They equalized with their first goal of the season from a set play. They continue to dominate and move the ball forward, but whenever they make a mistake, they immediately face a counterattack from the opponent. They wanted to maintain their concentration and aim for a lead. In the 71st minute, Tokyo created an opportunity on the right side, and Mita, who had moved up to the sideline, crossed the ball parallel to the goal. However, it drifted far away from Maeda in the center and Kono in the left area. Furthermore, in the 73rd minute, Mita dribbled a long distance. He was fouled on the opponent's right side in their half, earning a free kick. Tokyo sent the ball to the back-left area behind the opponent's defense, and Canini made a sliding attempt, but it missed to the right and did not result in a goal.

In the 75th minute, Hayabusa replaced Mita as a substitute. Then, in the 80th minute, Ishikawa entered the field, replacing Maeda, and took up the position of forward. During this period, Tokyo was being attacked from Matsumoto's corner kicks and long throws. However, Tokyo defended well and did not allow them to score. In the 90th minute, a free kick from the left side. From Ishikawa's kick, it went to a throw-in on the right side. From there, Kono dribbled inside and attempted a shot from near the left penalty arc, but it went well over the bar.

Entering additional time, Higashi broke through the left area. Working in tandem with Ishikawa on the right, they pushed forward towards the goal, launching a strong attack... but they just couldn't break through the goal. In the end, Takahashi's attempted shot missed the target, and the time was up. In the early stages of the second half, Tokyo dominated the ball. They attacked with determination and equalized at Higashi's goal. After that, they continued to find their rhythm and launched attacks, but the opponents didn't give up and turned to counterattacks, mainly through set plays. We managed to defend against them with concentration, but we couldn't score any additional goals and the match ended in a draw.

[Player Comments]
《East》
"It was a difficult game, but I want to take it positively that we didn't lose. Of course, we need to earn 3 points in order to move up in the Nabisco or the league. We are not satisfied with a draw, we are always fighting with the intention of winning. However, we have not lost a single game since the opening. We want to continue making good preparations for each match in order to turn that into a victory."
(About the goal)
I thought it would go in the moment I hit it. I was able to hit it relaxed. From now on, I want to aim more and more aggressively. It is important to play with responsibility as long as I am on the pitch."

《Enomoto》
"I was unexpectedly nervous before the game (laughs). However, I think I was able to play calmly once I stepped onto the pitch. It was a valuable experience to be able to fight together with the entire team, considering the team's overall concept. Of course, we wanted to win, but today we were able to make unified decisions and not lose."
Matsumoto Yamaga F.C. analyzed that they have many power plays and set plays, and as a result, they conceded a goal from an unlucky own goal from a long throw. However, there was still time and I didn't think there was any need to be pessimistic. The first half was difficult with the wind, but the defense line had a conversation of "let's go with the minimum number of goals conceded without panicking". The forward players also had voices saying "stay calm". I think everyone's intentions were clear and there was no mental slump. They were able to maintain concentration and keep the number of goals conceded to a minimum."

[Summary of Massimo FICCADENTI's press conference]
"The match unfolded as expected. After conceding the first goal, the game became difficult. However, the players remained calm and continued to play well, managing to score a goal. I think there was a possibility of a comeback towards the end. Considering the absence of players from the Japan national team and the U-22 national team, as well as a few injured players, I think the players who played today did very well, and the substitutes who came on during the match also performed well."

[Summary of Coach Yasuharu Sorimachi's Press Conference in Matsumoto]
"I wanted to win the game and earn 3 points since it was a home game, but in the end, it ended in a draw, which is a bit disappointing. However, I think we were able to show our characteristic 'team football'. I didn't expect the wind to be this strong today, so I think it had a little impact on the game, but the players kept going until the end and did well. That's why I wanted to win. I think J1 players have the ability to score with one shot, so I think it can't be helped."