Take revenge!

Tokyo, who decisively defeated Ventforet Kofu from J2 in the 1st Round of the Nabisco Cup, advanced to the 2nd Round. Their opponent in the 2nd Round is Sanfrecce Hiroshima, who defeated Albirex Niigata from J2 in the 1st Round. Tokyo faced Hiroshima in the J1 League Sec. 7 on May 3 this season, suffering a humiliating defeat with a score of 0-3, which resulted in the club falling to the "bottom" for the first time in its history. In the previous match (Sec. 6, April 29), they also lost to Ichihara with the same score of 0-3. After the Hiroshima match, Tokyo decided to change their long-standing 4 (DF) - 4 (MF) - 2 (FW) system, removing Ryo from the regular two-top of Amaral and Ryo, and implementing a new 4-5-1 system with Amaral as the lone striker. Three days after the bottom-of-the-barrel match against Hiroshima, in the Sapporo match (Sec. 8, May 6) where they approached with a "do-or-die" mentality, the "Tokyo-like" solid defense and quick counterattacks showed signs of revival, stopping the losing streak. In the following match against the strong team Kashiwa (Sec. 9, May 12), they achieved a resounding victory with the best game content of the season, marking their first consecutive wins of the season and somewhat stabilizing the team's situation. It is undeniable that the match against Hiroshima became a turning point, for better or worse.

This day is not a league match but a cup match, but the goal is only one, to take revenge. And in order to connect to the league match that will resume three days later, and the second match to be held in Tokyo next week (the Nabisco Cup is a home and away format until the semifinals, and the result is determined by the total goal difference of the first and second matches), a result accompanied by content was required.

Rookie Miyazawa starts

Rookie Miyazawa, who is expected to perform well this season, started in the first match of the 2nd round following the match against Kofu in the 1st round. He played on the left side and drew attention with his genius kicks from his left foot.

Tokyo's 4-5-1 system remains the same, with Kelly as the lone striker, Kagami returning to the starting lineup since the Kofu match as the attacking midfielder, Nari on the right side, and Miyazawa on the left side. The attacking lineup has implemented a new formation unlike before. Coach Okuma emphasized in the pre-match meeting the importance of Miyazawa's accurate crosses from the left and the team's awareness of making big side changes, instructing them to continue attempting even if mistakes are made. The sense of expectation towards Miyazawa from Coach Okuma was conveyed.

Overwhelming Hiroshima with a fierce attack, taking the lead

As the match began, Kelly made bold movements to create space on both sides, becoming a focal point. Kagawa connected with the ball dropped by Kelly, spreading the play to both flanks. The rain-soaked ground allowed the ball to run well, and Tokyo's passing game, utilizing direct plays, overwhelmed Hiroshima, who struggled to find their rhythm. From the right, Seigo Kobayashi aggressively initiated plays with his signature dribbling. Although there were many mistakes, his repeated attempts pushed down Hiroshima's defense, allowing right-back Naito to actively join the attack and create a more robust offensive. Meanwhile, on the left side, Miyazawa cut inside with sharp dribbling, and left-back Fujiyama overlapped into the open space on that side, launching a fierce attack. The promising Miyazawa, in the 16th minute, received the ball deep on the left side of his own half due to an opponent's pass error and immediately delivered an accurate long pass of about 50 meters to the wide-open space on the opposite side. In the following 17th minute, he broke through vertically on the left side with sharp dribbling and created a chance by delivering a low pinpoint cross in front of the goal. He played confidently against a J1 team he faced for the first time, proving his high level of skill.

In the 23rd minute, after a careless pass mistake by Hiroshima, Miyazawa received the ball in the center and instantly recognized that the opponent's defensive line was shallow. He quickly made a through pass behind the opponent's defenders. Seigo Kobayashi, who broke through, dribbled past the oncoming goalkeeper and kicked the ball into the unguarded goal, scoring the long-awaited opening goal. The goal was created by Kobayashi's sharp acceleration and top speed, but we must not forget Miyazawa's "pinpoint pass" to Kobayashi before that. It was a wonderful through pass that could become a new weapon for Tokyo, unlike anything they had before.

Unable to score additional points, the momentum quickly shifted to Hiroshima after conceding...

After taking the lead, Tokyo did not ease their attacking efforts. In the 29th minute, Kelly broke free with a brilliant passing play in the center, creating a decisive one-on-one chance with the goalkeeper, and in the 30th minute, Kelly unleashed a powerful shot in front of the goal, completely dominating the pace of the game. On the other hand, Hiroshima's ace forward Kubo, who is part of the Japan national team, seemed unable to find his rhythm due to the gap with the national team, repeatedly making passing errors and failing to function, which prevented them from establishing a base in the front line. Occasionally, playmaker Fujimoto would make dangerous passes from dribbles, but there was no one to respond, resulting in a complete lack of concentration from the entire team, creating a worst-case scenario. Everyone imagined Tokyo scoring additional goals or even a large number of goals, but against a Hiroshima team that was 'asleep,' they were just a step away from capitalizing on it, which would have significant consequences later. As seen in the J1 League Sec. 10 match against Fukuoka (on May 19), no matter how fierce the attack was, if they couldn't secure additional goals, it was only natural that they would gradually give confidence to their opponents.

The bad feeling quickly came true. In the 40th minute as the first half was approaching its end, a careless pass mistake by Fujiyama led to a side attack, and a cross easily thrown into the goal area from the left. Hiroshima's ace, Kubo, who had been dormant until then, shook Tokyo's goal net with a powerful header, equalizing the score. Just one mistake woke Hiroshima up from their slumber.

Unable to withstand Hiroshima's fierce attack, 2 points were lost.

The second half started completely in Hiroshima's pace. In the second half, Hiroshima brought in Japan national team defender Uemura, who had been preserved due to national team fatigue. Hiroshima, who woke up from their slumber and gained momentum, relentlessly attacked as if to return the favor from the first half. In the 5th minute, Fujimoto broke through the left side from a counterattack and took a powerful shot from a close distance, but Doi made a desperate save and deflected it. In the following 6th minute, Kubo broke through from the center and took a looping shot as Doi came out, but Sandro, who had returned diligently, cleared it just before the goal line. Furthermore, in the 11th minute, Fujimoto unleashed a powerful shot from the center, and in the 14th minute, Kubo broke through from Fujimoto's pass in the center, creating a decisive opportunity, but Doi quickly came out and cleared it a moment earlier.

In the second half, Tokyo's energy dropped significantly due to the decreased movement of Miyazawa and Kobayashi, which resulted in the loss of their aggressive attacks from the sides and the inability to effectively press the opponent's defense from the front line. As a result, they couldn't control the starting point of the opponent's attacks and ended up allowing them to freely attack. In the midst of this, Tokyo made a comeback attempt by substituting Amaral, who had been kept on the bench, in the 12th minute. Hiroshima's defense, now reinforced by national team defender Uemura, became solid and Tokyo struggled to create clear-cut chances. However, Amaral's presence in the front line was significant, providing stability in post-play and gradually creating opportunities for a counterattack.

However, in the 17th minute, Tokyo was easily broken through on the left side and a cross was lifted, and once again Kubo shook the goal net with a header, finally allowing a reversal. They conceded a goal in the exact same way as the first goal, and Tokyo, lacking concentration, was easily split in the center a minute later, and when the ball went out to the left side, it was crossed back and Kubo ran in and scored a spectacular goal with his left foot, the third goal conceded. Kubo's speed and power were truly reminiscent of a "representative" player, but there was no time to be impressed, and Tokyo quickly found themselves in a difficult situation with a two-goal difference.

Kobayashi's goal overturns a 2-point difference, showing Kelly's determination

Tokyo, which was pushed into a situation where they could not afford to concede any more goals, immediately started their counterattack. Two minutes later in the second half, Masamitsu KOBAYASHI intercepted a careless back pass from Hiroshima's defender and charged towards the goal, evading the goalkeeper and taking a shot. Following his opening goal, Masamitsu KOBAYASHI once again calmly shook the Hiroshima net.

Tokyo, who closed the gap to one point, brought in Tetsuya ITO and Yoshina. Amaral and Kelly repeated their attacks, approaching Hiroshima's goal, but Hiroshima also launched sharp attacks from counters, mainly by Fujimoto and Kubo. The intense offensive and defensive battle continued, with Tokyo participating in desperate attacks even by Sandro, the key defender, as the remaining 10 minutes approached. In the 44th minute, Fujimoto broke free from a counter and took a decisive shot that bypassed Doi, but Tetsuya ITO, who stood in front of the goal, barely cleared it. They overcame the greatest crisis. And in the added time (30 seconds remaining!), Yoshina kicked a free kick obtained on the right side, and Kelly, who jumped in, scored a crucial header to equalize at the last minute.

Tokyo of joy, with Kelly, Amaral, Sandro and others diving one after another on the ground, exploding with happiness. In contrast, the players of Hiroshima, who had almost secured victory at home (or so they thought), also fell to the ground. The game ultimately ended right after this. For Tokyo, it was a dramatic finale that was equivalent to an away victory.

In terms of content, there are still challenges such as the physicality of both sides in the second half, the lack of ability to score additional goals, and the weakness in closing the game. However, there were also many positive aspects such as the "Tokyo-like" style of play shown in the first half and the concentration in the latter part of the second half. And above all, the dramatic draw that is almost equivalent to a victory should have a positive impact for the upcoming J1 resumption match in three days and the second match against Hiroshima, which will be held at home next week. It is undeniable that this match has set the stage for the next one.

[Coach Okuma's Comment]

In the long-awaited official match, both the good and bad parts became clear. For us, the movement of the sides is crucial, so it was painful that the movement of Miyazawa and Kobayashi Masamitsu decreased in the second half. We want to analyze today's result and build on it for the next game.

I think Miyazawa did a good job in the first half, doing specific tasks well. In the second half, I considered substituting him because he was tired, but I wanted him to break through the "wall", so I kept using him as is. In the future, he may not be an immediate force, but he has proven to be a new option that can be expected.

Also, regarding Kensuke KAGAMI, it was his first official match after recovering from an injury, but he performed well in the first half. It can be considered as a future option.