The team's strength is tested, Nabisco Cup resumes

The Nabisco Cup, which will be played three days after the league, is here. In the fourth round of the qualifying league, Tokyo will play against Sagan Tosu at home. Currently, Tokyo is in 3rd place (provisional) with 5 points after playing two matches. Although they suffered their first defeat of the season in the previous league match, the players have switched their mindset, saying, "The Nabisco Cup is also a tournament where we aim for the title. It is important above all not to have consecutive losses as a team," and are heading for victory.

However, Morishige, Yonemoto, Kajiyama, Muto, and Canini are each dealing with injuries, and Coach Massimo reveals, "Although there are no major problems individually, the absence of five players can be considered an emergency situation for the team." At the same time, there are consecutive matches, so the lineup will be changed for this match, with Maruyama and Yoshimoto as center-backs. Takahashi as an anchor in midfield. Mita and Hanyu as inside halves. Azuma as attacking midfielder, and Ishikawa and Hayashi as the front two. Captain is Tokunaga.

Sagan Tosu, under the command of new coach Shin Morishita from this season, has played three more matches in the Nabisco Cup than Tokyo, accumulating 4 points. As the league matches progress, Sagan Tosu has been improving and currently sits in 3rd place. Perhaps considering the consecutive matches, Sagan Tosu has made changes to 10 field players since the previous league match. Nevertheless, Sagan Tosu's strength lies in their hard work, power, and intensity. Both teams will test each other's overall strength, but Tokyo will also strive for victory by showcasing their fighting spirit.

The match started at 19:04 with a kickoff from Tosu as the heavy rain of spring began to pour.

Overcoming the early momentum of Tosu, Mita scores the first goal of the season!

Tokyo was the first to create a chance. In the 3rd minute, Ota connected a short right corner kick, and Maruyama headed the ball in response to Tokunaga's cross. However, in the 4th minute, Kobayashi from Tosu scored an overhead shot from a free kick. In the 10th minute, they allowed a breakthrough to the left front line from the flow of a corner kick, and Yamazaki headed the ball in response to a cross. After that, Kamada and left midfielder Tamura aggressively attacked from the side. Nevertheless, they managed to survive the pinch by focusing on Maruyama and Yoshimoto.

Tokyo, which had struggled to find its rhythm until then, reached the 18th minute when Tokunaga's early cross spilled in the center, but Hayu reacted. Although he couldn't shoot at the penalty arc on the left, he immediately connected to Ishikawa on the left. From here, Mita ran into the center calmly and swung his left foot at the pass sent by Ishikawa. The shot hit the inside of the right post and went into the net! Mita scored the first goal of the season with determination and took the lead.

After taking the lead, the defense began to settle down and the time of ball possession increased. In the 30th minute, Maruyama sent a feed from his own half, which was passed to Hayashi who had broken through the left area. Hayashi took a step forward and tried to dodge the goalkeeper, but his foot got caught and he couldn't finish. There were moments when we approached the opponent's territory but couldn't break through, and we also faced the opponent's counterattacks, but we defended with determination. In the 39th minute, there was a vertical attack from Tosu midfielder Okamoto after a side change, but Tokunaga made a sliding tackle. Towards the end of the first half, we gave away consecutive free kicks, but Konda held firm and we ended the first half with a one-goal lead.

Mita adds another point! Maintain the level of physical activity until the end and regain the top position

In the second half, Tokyo started off by connecting passes and launching speedy attacks. In the 50th minute, Hayashi brought the ball into the area but stumbled on the pitch. In the 52nd minute, Higashi moved to the right from the center and Tokunaga broke through the front line. He crossed the ball and Hayashi from the far side jumped in and executed a diving header. The shot was on target, but it was blocked by the goalkeeper of Tosu...

However, in the 57th minute, Higashi and Ishikawa quickly exchanged passes inside the Tosu territory. Although the speed initially decreased, Hayashi on the left sideline sent a pass to the left front line, urging Ota's attacking movement from the inside. The opponent's side back tried to defend, but Ota pressed and successfully stole the ball, delivering a negative cross to the center. Mita, who had run in from the opposite side, connected with the cross and scored with his right foot, GOAL!! They scored an additional point from a coordinated play.

In the 58th minute, a quick attack was launched, and from the right, Kei ISHIKAWA, Erik, aimed from the front of the area, but hit the crossbar. Then, from the right side, Takahashi and Mita quickly developed the play, and the shot from Kei ISHIKAWA in the right area was blocked by the left post. Both teams maintained a quick transition and engaged in a counterattack battle, but no additional points were scored.

Despite gradually decreasing physical activity, Kono replaced Hayashi in the 69th minute. In the 71st minute, Ishikawa, who was injured in a contact play, was forced to be substituted, and Maeda was brought in at this point. They tried to dominate the ball and go on the offensive. In the 89th minute, Hashimoto made his debut in Tokyo. Immediately after, Gonda, who tried to jump and catch Tosu's free kick, collided with a Tosu player. He fell on the pitch, and the game was temporarily stopped. In additional time, Tokyo was threatened in front of their goal from a set piece, but they calmly defended and the time was up. They maintained their physical activity until the end, secured a victory without conceding a goal, and once again took the top spot in Group A with 2 wins and 1 draw in the qualifying league.

[Player Comments]
《Mita》
"The team lost to Hiroshima in the match, and personally, I haven't had a chance to play since the Kofu match in the league. I felt frustrated, so I was even more determined today. I definitely wanted to win. The first goal was passed by player Ishikawa with excellent timing. I was only focused on swinging my leg with all my might. The second goal was a right-footed shot, but I aimed for accuracy. I want to win the Nabisco Cup and also stay competitive in the league. I want to keep aiming for goals in order for the team to continue winning in the future."

"Hayashi"
"I wanted to leave a result by being appointed in good condition like this. I think I was able to play aggressively and had good timing to break through to the front line. However, it's meaningless to just say 'close'. The final accuracy is the challenge. I want to improve so that I can definitely score next time."

[Summary of Massimo FICCADENTI's press conference]
　"Sagan Tosu has changed many members in the league, and we also made about 6 changes. We had a chance to score additional points in the first half after taking the lead. There were scenes where the ball hit the bar, but we were able to create many chances throughout the game. However, I think the second half was better. Especially in the last 20 minutes, despite the difficult period, we ran hard and improved the content of the game. Some players had minor issues like bruises, but their condition was good. And after the loss in the league game against Hiroshima, I could see a strong desire from the players to seize victory today. I am particularly satisfied with Mita. It is a big thing for the team to finish today's game with a result of 3 points."

[Sagan Tosu Manager Hitoshi MORISHITA Press Conference Summary]
　"I am grateful to have many supporters come on a weekday night. Regarding the game, it was disappointing to concede the second goal. It was a goal that we invited ourselves. As I always tell the players, it is regrettable that we couldn't control ourselves and avoid falling in the duels, resulting in conceding a goal. They showed their technical abilities, but I felt that there was a difference in mental strength among the players. That was a valuable lesson."