We must settle the match in order to advance to the 3rd round of the Nabisco Cup

The second match of the Nabisco Cup 2nd round between Kyoto Purple Sanga and FC Tokyo was held at the Edogawa Ward Athletics Stadium. In the first match at the away (Nishikyogoku) stadium, Tokyo faced a tough situation as they conceded a draw despite taking the lead. Today, even if the score is tied after 90 minutes, it is a match that "must be decided in extra time (and penalties)". Although the temperature is not very high, the ground conditions are humid with about 90 percent humidity. We definitely want to aim for victory within 90 minutes and advance to the third round.

A stalemate continues in the face of Kyoto's well-coordinated movements

Kyoto set up an attacking formation close to 4-3-3, with forward Kazu's hold-up play involving right midfielder Matsui, and forward Hejis moving aggressively from the front line to the midfield. However, midfielders Matsukawa and Noguchi read the game sharply and won the ball, and when they switched to defense, all ten players retreated into their own half, showing organized movement. Tokyo struggled to find passing options as the spaces were tightly filled. In the 10th minute of the first half, TUTO charged down the left side with a dribble and took a powerful shot, but it missed the goal. After that, Tokyo's TUTO took a slightly withdrawn position, trying to create space and break through using Amaral's hold-up play, but their attacks remained sporadic in front of Kyoto's quick-footed defense. On the other hand, Kyoto actively attacked centered around Hejis, but they could not convert their chances into finishes. Both teams struggled to connect passes, leading to a prolonged period without creating opportunities. In the 30th minute, Kyoto played a long ball to Matsui, who then broke through to earn a corner kick. They had another corner opportunity in the 32nd minute but could not convert it into a goal. Tokyo also had a chance in the 35th minute when Naito sent a pass from the left side, and Masuda skillfully turned his body to evade the defense and delivered a cross. Kobayashi, who was waiting, attempted a header, but it did not hit the target. The first half ended with a score of 0-0.

Allowing the opening goal with Hegis's individual skill 5 minutes into the second half

Both teams wanted to score at least one point, and the second half became an intense game of struggle.

Right from the start, Naito boldly overlapped. After a struggle, he earned a corner kick which Sakaoi headed towards the goal. In the 3rd minute, Kobayashi cut into the center to draw the defense and passed to Masuda on the right side. Masuda's cross was cut off by the Kyoto defense, resulting in another corner kick, but none of these chances led to a goal. Whenever Tokyo created a chance, Kyoto countered. In the 50th minute, after picking up a loose ball in midfield, midfielder Ryo ENDO passed to Hejis on the left. Naito was closely marking him, but Hejis fearlessly cut inside and made a move. From a dribble running parallel to the goal, he took a shot. The ball slipped fiercely past Naito's feet, and although GK Doi saved it with one foot, the momentum did not weaken and it hit the crossbar, resulting in a goal. They conceded the opening goal due to Hejis's individual skill. Immediately after that, midfielder Ryo ENDO aimed directly at the goal from a free kick. The ball was saved by GK Doi, but Kyoto connected the loose ball and showed a double and triple attack in front of the goal. However, they managed to withstand this fierce assault, and Tokyo desperately wanted to score a goal back. In the 53rd minute, they substituted Koike for Kina. However, Kyoto also brought in fresh talent by substituting Kaz with forward Oshima, showing no signs of easing their attack.

Relentless attacks after relentless attacks! However, the goal remains elusive...

Despite Kyoto gradually losing their compact formation, Tokyo creates opportunities. In the 58th minute, TUTO dives into a ground cross from Masuda, but narrowly misses. In the 59th minute, TUTO shoots from the left side after a well-judged pass from Fujiyama, who advanced forward. However, this also narrowly deviates one ball's width to the right of the goal. In the 63rd minute, Amaral quickly seizes the opponent's defender's clearance mistake and takes a shot, but it misses above the goal. After missing a golden opportunity, other players struggle to get involved in Amaral's post-play, resulting in a difficult period.

In the 68th minute, Yukihiko SATO was substituted for Masuda. In the immediate 71st minute, they obtained a free kick near the center of the penalty arc, but Yukihiko's shot was blocked by the Kyoto DF wall. In the 74th minute, Kamiya was substituted for Kobayashi. They formed a front three, with Sakai dropping back to the final line and Naito and Fujiyama in midfield. Sandro also showed an attacking presence and launched a fierce attack, but they were unable to score a goal.

There were moments when Kyoto threatened us by aiming for a counterattack if there was a gap. In the stoppage time, TUTO, Amaral, Kanno, and again TUTO passed to Naito on the right side. This was the last chance, and Naito's right foot, which was free, put hope into it, but it missed to the left of the goal and the time was up. It became a heavy defeat with one point.

Slight difference

Kyoto, who made the most of their one chance, and Tokyo, who showed a lack of finishing ability. It was truly a small difference. It could be said that it was a self-destructive game, including the lack of communication in passing and careless mistakes in the final five minutes. However, it is also a fact that breakthrough strategies that were not seen in the 1st stage, such as Kanno hitting the post, Masuda creating space in midfield, and Kina moving forward, were visible against opponents who defended well without losing concentration, like Kyoto on this day. Although they couldn't create a whirlwind in the Nabisco Cup, they want to quickly switch their mindset and extend their winning streak in the league, where they are currently on a three-game winning streak.