Only aim for victory at home

　In the previous match, Tokyo achieved their first victory in 10 games away at Oita. However, they have been facing tough battles in the Nabisco Cup qualifying league. Currently, Chiba, who is in first place in Group C, has 9 points, while Kashiwa, in second place, has 6 points. Therefore, Tokyo, in third place with 4 points, will have a difficult time advancing to the knockout stage if they don't win this match. They are determined to earn 3 points and aim for advancement, as well as seek revenge against Kashiwa, who has only suffered 2 defeats so far this season.

　In the Oita match, the 4-4-2 formation with Toda and Yusuke Kondo as the top two worked well. In this match, Lucas is injured and Kurisawa is not feeling well, so Miyazawa will be placed as the left midfielder. Miura will also start for the first time this season and form a double pivot with Konno. Coach Hara expects Miura to create rhythm with his voice and experience by placing him in front of the defensive line for balance.

　Kashiwa, on the other hand, suffered a heavy defeat of 1-5 against Chiba in the previous match, but they are currently in a favorable position in 2nd place. MF Myojin and Tanihara have returned from injury, and they have made significant changes to the midfield lineup since the previous match. In addition, FW Yamashita made his first start in the Nabisco Cup. The match, which neither team could afford to lose, started at 15:03 under cloudy skies at Ajinomoto Stadium in Tokyo.

Suppressing Kashiwa's counterattack, but still advancing advantageously...

　At the start of the 2nd minute, Ishikawa took the first shot of the day. He picked up a loose ball on the right side and confidently took a shot towards the center. In the 3rd minute, Toda received a throw-in from Fujita and took a shot, but it didn't hit. In the 5th minute, Toda jumped out to catch a lob pass, but it was offside. In the 12th minute, they lost the ball in their own midfield, and Kashiwa MF Kleber dribbled and sprinted. He brought the ball to the right area and took a shot, but Shioda caught it. In the early stages, both teams continued to fight for possession, and there was a fast-paced attack and defense, but gradually Tokyo gained rhythm focusing on set plays.

　In the 14th minute, there was a free kick from the left area. Miyazawa's kick saw Kondo Yu and Jean dive in front of the goal, but they just missed it. In the 17th minute, Miura broke into the right area from a free kick taken from the opponent's side and won a corner kick. In the 26th minute, Kashiwa also seized a loose ball, and MF Kureber advanced, drawing in the DF to make a last pass to the free MF Ohno on the left. A shot was taken, but Fujita quickly returned to cut it off. In the 28th minute, from an attack initiated by Kureber, DF Hato delivered a right cross. It flowed to the left where FW Unosawa crossed again. No one connected in the center, but they tried to create a chance from a wide attack. However, immediately after, a big chance came for Tokyo. In the 29th minute, Kanazawa sent a wedge pass to the front line, picked up a deflection from the opponent's DF, advanced to the front of the goal, and made a last pass to the left for Kondo Yu. Kondo Yu, free, took a shot from the left of the goal area, but it was blocked by the GK.

　Tokyo missed an early chance to score, but Yusuke KONDO worked hard to dispel the unpleasant atmosphere. In the 31st minute, he received a right cross from Ishikawa with a skillful trap and tried to turn and shoot, but a Kashiwa defender cut it off just in time. In the following 32nd minute, he broke free from a floating pass from Fujita to the front line, but his trap was slightly too big, resulting in a save from the opposing goalkeeper. Tokyo maintained control and in the 36th minute, Ishikawa attempted a central breakthrough, and Fujita caught up with a loose ball from the defender, delivering a right cross. From behind, Toda headed the ball but it went to the left of the goal. In the 44th minute, there was a free kick from the right side of the opponent's half. Miyazawa connected with a short pass, and Kanazawa took a shot from distance, but it went over the bar. Both full-backs were actively involved in the attack, advancing the game favorably, but they couldn't score. However, they effectively contained Kashiwa's counterattacks and went into halftime without conceding a goal.

The fierce attack ends in a scoreless draw

　Tokyo took control of the pace in the second half. However, Kashiwa also countered with a spirited defense. In the 53rd minute, there was a continued battle in front of Kashiwa's goal, and Yusuke KONDO picked up the loose ball and took a clean shot. He attacked Kashiwa's goalkeeper, but was stopped by a nice save. In the 58th and 59th minutes, there were consecutive chances from corner kicks. Imano struck Iwashita's right corner kick with a header, but the bounce was too high and went over the bar. In the 61st minute, Kashiwa connected passes in front of Tokyo's goal, and Ryo Kobayashi's shot hit a defender, causing Shioda to be caught off guard. However, Uenozawa, who ran to pick up the loose ball, was offside.

　In a situation where a decisive blow was hard to come by, in the 65th minute, Seigo KOBAYASHI was brought in as a left midfielder in place of Miura, and Miyazawa moved to the defensive midfield. In the 67th minute, a left free kick by Miyazawa was cleared by the Kashiwa defender. Kanazawa made a bold attempt with a middle shot on the loose ball, but it unfortunately went to the right. By the time it passed the 75th minute, there was a back-and-forth of counterattacks, leading to a rapid succession of developments. In response, Tokyo substituted Baba in for Miyazawa as an attacking midfielder. Konno was positioned as a single defensive midfielder to take on the challenge. Shortly after, from a counterattack, KOBAYASHI sent a lofted pass to Toda running on the right front line. Toda caught up and took a shot but missed the target. In the 80th minute, Yusuke KONDO was fouled, earning a free kick just outside the area, slightly to the left. From this free kick, a short play was executed from Ishikawa to Jean, and Yusuke KONDO took a shot but it went to the right.

　Tokyo's defense held strong, and Kashiwa's attack lost momentum. From around the 80th minute, Tokyo launched a one-sided offensive. However, in the 87th minute, after connecting a left corner kick, Ishikawa delivered a left cross. The GK punched it away, but Yusuke KONDO picked up the loose ball and unleashed a powerful volley, only to be denied by the opposing GK Minami, who managed to regain his balance and make another save. Minami's miraculous play thwarted the attempt. In the 85th minute, Kobayashi delivered a cross from a left throw-in. Yusuke KONDO tried to head the rebound from the GK's save into the net, but it went over the top of the goal. In stoppage time, Ishikawa made a fierce run down the right side. Todai dove in to meet the sharp cross at the far post, but the shot went left. It was a more 'Tokyo-like football' than in the previous match against Oita, as they sought to score a goal, but it remained elusive, ending in a scoreless draw. However, the hope of advancing to the final tournament has not been extinguished. With a glimmer of hope, they will face Chiba in the final match of the qualifying league.

　【Player Comments】《Miura》"The balance was good, and I didn't feel like we would be outplayed by the opponent. We are creating chances, but we need to turn this into victories. To do that, it's important to create more opportunities and increase our chances. We just have to keep challenging without giving up and continue from practice." 《Yusuke KONDO》"In the two-top formation, there is a certain division of roles where Mr. Toda goes behind, and I play more at my feet, so it's easier for me... (Was there a decisive moment?) I wasn't in a hurry, but maybe I was too calm and that was a problem... Anyway, we lack finishing power. I want to make sure to score next time after continuing to practice." 《Ishikawa》"We are getting more chances, and we have zero goals conceded, so now it's just up to us attackers to score. In the two-top formation, we can hold the ball up front, so it's easier for me to move up. Although it didn't lead to a goal, I think we created good plays in coordination with Taisuke. The team's condition is improving, and the content is getting better, so now it's just about the final touches. I want to approach it seriously from practice and fight with all my might in every match."

　[Summary of Manager Hara's Press Conference] "We never gave up until the end and showed the attitude to go for goals. We wanted to earn 3 points, but the goal was far away. However, we managed to keep a clean sheet in both the Oita match and today's match. Kashiwa played with a strategy of aiming for a draw, but there were times in the past when we easily conceded goals in such situations. I think we have made improvements in that aspect. We put too much power, made the shot too big, or hit it too hard in the final shot. I wish we could have scored there... Lucas and Kurisawa were absent, but Miura returned to the starting lineup after a long time today. He, along with Baba who has returned from injury, showed their presence. We aim to score based on our current style of play. With the support of our fans, we must win at home. We will give our all in the upcoming matches against Juventus and in the final match of the Nabisco Cup against Chiba."

　[Summary of Kashiwa and Hayano's press conference] "We still have a chance to advance to the knockout stage, so we don't want to dwell on last week's defeat. In this week's practice, we focused on defensive confirmation, especially covering the back four, and today we saw the results of that. As for offense, we tried to quickly pass the ball and actively target the top. However, there were tough marks, and the number of times we successfully targeted the top and made follow-up runs was a challenge. However, MF Tanizawa returned from an ankle injury and made plays that gave us hope. Although we didn't score, we want to build on those opportunities and continue. Above all, the players have mentally recovered from the shock of last week and are ready for the game. I think that will lead to the next step."