Good Game Feeling

All 26 teams from J1 and J2 participate in the '99 J League Yamazaki Nabisco Cup. Tokyo performed equally or better in the 1st Round (4/7, 14) against J1's Vissel Kobe, ultimately defeating them with Amaral's extra time V goal, advancing to the 2nd Round. Today's opponent in the 2nd Round is J1's JEF Ichihara. Last year, they struggled with a 16th place finish in the J League, but showed a strong side in the Nabisco Cup, finishing as runners-up. This year, they welcomed a new coach, Engels, who led Yokohama Flugels to the Emperor's Cup victory, aiming to revitalize the team with the active promotion of young players, but they have not yet seen results, currently sitting in 15th place in the 1st stage. Ichihara will be missing three players selected for the Japan national team in the first round of the Sydney Olympics, and they are also without the current J1 top scorer FW Baron and 'guardian deity' GK Shimokawa due to injuries, creating a difficult lineup. However, they have strong players in key positions, including former Japan national team striker Takeda, rookie Hayashi who excelled in this year's national high school soccer championship, and regular 17-year-old Abe in the holding midfield, along with recently returned Japan national team player Nakanishi in defense. Tokyo, on the other hand, will be missing 'key players' Almir, holding midfielder Shinjo, and stopper Komine due to injuries, but they have no worries as Yukiho, who has been leading the attack with sharp plays, rapidly developing holding midfielder Koike, and experienced stopper Kobayashi can adequately cover those gaps. The highly anticipated match kicked off at 19:00, gathering 4,130 fans at home Nishigaoka, the second highest attendance this season, with intense support from both teams' 'goal behind' fans reaching a peak.

In the first half, Tokyo dominated the game!

The match started with Tokyo aggressively attacking right from the beginning. Tokyo created chances with Yuki and Amaral involved in the active offensive participation of both full-backs. Left full-back Fujiyama made a sharp vertical pass from his signature dribbling, while right full-back Umehara delivered an accurate cross from a well-timed overlap. Yuki created several chances with his sharp plays and incisive dribbling, while Amaral, despite struggling against the fierce charge of Japan national team DF Nakanishi who was marking him, showcased faithful post play and helped create the rhythm of the attack. On the other hand, Jeff's MF Henrique kept the ball in midfield, distributing accurate passes to both sides and the front line. Up front, lone striker FW Takeda and MF Muto moved laterally to receive the ball, but Tokyo's defense was solid, making it difficult to establish rhythm against their faithful and tight marking. In the 38th minute, Tokyo maintained possession on the right side with Amaral, and the ball was passed to Umehara who made a well-timed run, delivering an exquisite cross. The ball was cleared by Ichihara's DF, but it fell in front of Amaral. Amaral unleashed a powerful shot, and Yuki, who was following up, calmly got the rebound, putting Tokyo in the lead. Tokyo continued to attack, dominating the game in the first half with 12 shots compared to Ichihara's 3.

Difference in finishing ability

In the second half, Tokyo's fierce attack gained momentum. In the 7th minute, Yukihiko broke through deep on the right side and passed to Okamoto in the center. Okamoto was free to shoot but unfortunately missed. In the 14th minute, Kagawa skillfully evaded his opponent on the right side and made a cross, but once again, Okamoto, completely free, had his header saved by the goalkeeper's brilliant reaction. In the 17th minute, with the heavy atmosphere beginning to settle as they failed to score despite having clear chances, Tokyo was caught off guard and equalized. Ichihara's MF Henrique broke through on the left side with a clever feint and made a cross. Hayashi, who came on in the second half, dove in and scored with a powerful volley. Despite overwhelming pressure, Tokyo was scored on with just one chance. After this, the momentum shifted to Ichihara. In the 24th minute, Ichihara's FW Takeda evaded Tokyo's DF Kobayashi, who had been completely contained until then, with a one-touch move and scored from a tight angle. Ultimately, that was all Takeda did that day, but it felt like a reminder of what it means to be a 'striker.' After this, FW Wada, who came on as a substitute, was sent off just two minutes later, and the match fell into Ichihara's pace. However, Tokyo fought with fierce determination, not showing the disadvantage of being one player short until the end. The match ended 1-2, and despite taking more than double the shots compared to Ichihara, Tokyo lamented their lack of finishing. In the second match on 6/19 (away), they want to win by a margin of two goals or more to secure advancement to the 3rd Round. (Comment from Coach Engels) We lost in terms of match content and were not satisfied technically, but I am pleased that they played with spirit. It is certainly tough without five regulars, but the players fought well. (Comment from Coach Okuma) We were able to play the soccer we wanted to some extent, but it was painful not to convert our scoring opportunities. Both goals conceded were due to not being able to mark properly, and I want to study this over the next week. I think the players did well to keep fighting until the end.