Victory is the only way to advance to the finals!

　The final round of the Nabisco Cup qualifiers is an away match against JEF United Chiba. In the previous match against Kashiwa, we continued to attack rhythmically with the momentum of our first victory in 10 matches in the Oita match, as can be seen from the 19-6 shot count, and took control of the game. However, we were unable to make the final decisive blow and ended up with a painful draw. In order for Tokyo, with 5 points, to advance to the final tournament, it is necessary to first finish second in Group C. To do that, it is an absolute requirement to earn 3 points. In addition, if Kashiwa and Oita draw or have a result below that, second place will be secured. However, only the top 2 teams from the 4 groups can advance to the final tournament, so it depends on the results of the other matches. It is still a tough situation where we cannot advance on our own, but we hope to see a fight until the end without giving up, as long as there is even a slight possibility.

　Chiba is currently in first place with 10 points, and is guaranteed to be in the top 2 in Group C. With a goal difference of +6, they are in a favorable situation compared to other groups. In the previous match, Bulgarian representative DF Stoyanov was absent due to World Cup qualifiers, but he will return. MF Mizuno and DF Mizumoto are part of the U-20 Japan national team, and FW Haas has already returned to his home country due to injury and will be absent. However, regardless of who plays, the team will maintain a high level of physicality and continue to play with an all-out attacking and defending style.

　Tokyo, who faced Juventus four days ago, demonstrated their characteristic attacking football and ended the first half with a 1-0 lead. In the second half, they were shown the difference in strength and lost 1-4, but it was a game where they gained some hints regarding their attack. Although they have yet to resolve their lack of finishing ability, it was reaffirmed that it is important to continue with their previous approach and improve their accuracy. Kurisawa, who was absent due to poor physical condition in the previous match against Kashiwa, returned energetically and Miyazawa replaced Miura in the defensive midfield. Additionally, FW Akamine, who has become a specially designated player, is on the bench. Coach Hara says that if he can bring his own style and know how to score, he can become an interesting presence. He has also participated in the training camp in Ishigaki Island as a trainee and can play without feeling out of place with the other members.

　The more Tokyo becomes aggressive and pushes forward, the more it seems that Chiba will have opportunities for counterattacks. However, as Coach Hara said, "We will aggressively go after the ball from the front and play soccer with momentum to win," I want them to fight without hesitation. In any case, they have no choice but to score goals and bet on advancing to the finals. The match started with Chiba's kickoff at 4:04 pm under the unclear cloudy sky.

We lead by 2 points with the game going as planned in the first half

　As instructed by the former coach, Tokyo showed an attacking attitude from the start of the game, aiming to win and score many goals. Forwards Yusuke Kondo and Toda applied pressure from the front line, winning the ball and launching fast attacks using the wings. Similarly, Chiba also aggressively chased the opponent's ball from the front line, making it difficult for them to play freely. Until the 15th minute, both teams struggled to create clear chances as they battled for possession. In the midst of this, the game finally started to move forward from a set piece.

　21 minutes, Ishikawa forcefully breaks through on the right side, repeatedly crosses and earns multiple corner kicks. On the third corner kick, Ishikawa returns the ball and Imano, who is free, volleys it directly into the goal. The bullet-like liner pierces the net, giving Tokyo the lead. Tokyo continues to attack with momentum. In the 22nd minute, Yusuke Kondo forcefully dribbles through the center. In the 25th minute, Miyazawa aims for a goal with a free kick, but the opponent's defender cuts it off. In the 26th minute, Toda passes to Kurizawa from a throw-in on the left side, and Kurizawa crosses the ball early into the center. Yusuke Kondo attempts a difficult header from an awkward position, but it is saved by the opponent's goalkeeper with a super save, preventing an additional goal.

　Chiba also launches an effective counterattack on the Tokyo goal. In the 27th minute, a quick attack from Tokyo's corner kick, MF Hayu's shot from the left side of the area crosses Shioda's hand, but Jean clears it just in time. In the 31st minute, left MF Sakamoto's through pass goes through FW Maki in the area and Jean blocks it, escaping to a corner kick. In addition to the counterattack, DF Stoyanov actively moves up to the midfield, creating a numerical advantage and launching attacks, especially from the left side. Tokyo was slightly pressed, but they scored an additional goal from a counterattack.

　In the 34th minute, Kurizawa kept the ball on the right side of his own half, sending a through pass to Toda, who had slipped behind the opposing DF. Toda then took a powerful shot from the right side of the area, which, like the first goal, struck the net with a bullet-like line drive, extending the lead to two goals. This allowed Tokyo to completely take control of the game. In the 37th minute, Toda dribbled down the left side and delivered a low cross, which Ishikawa let pass, but Yusuke Kondo's shot went straight to the GK. In the 39th minute, Kondo's breakthrough was halted by Chiba DF Yuki, resulting in a free kick. Ishikawa aimed directly for the goal, and it seemed destined for the upper right corner, but the GK made a great save, preventing a goal. In the 42nd minute, Shigeno shot from a left corner kick rebound, hitting the net, but a foul was called in front of the goal, resulting in no goal. The first half was played as planned, effectively capitalizing on scoring opportunities, leading by two goals as they headed into the second half.

Lost in a come-from-behind defeat in Chiba... Unable to advance to the qualifiers

　The coach said at halftime, "We don't know what will happen at 2-0. The game will be decided by which team scores the next goal, so let's play cautiously in the first 15 minutes." However, right after the start of the second half, that plan completely fell apart. In the 49th minute, Chiba obtained a central free kick from Jean's foul, and midfielder Abe aimed directly for the goal, but the defender cleared it and midfielder Hayu picked up the loose ball and took a shot that hit the left post and went in, conceding a goal. With this goal, the momentum completely shifted to Chiba.

As expected, Chiba quickly put the ball into the front line and adopted a strategy of picking up the loose balls. However, Tokyo gradually pushed back as a result of this momentum, causing the defensive line to drop and creating a large gap between the front line, making it difficult for Chiba to steal the ball. In particular, midfielder Popescu, who had not been doing any work in the first half, became more free. In an attempt to change the negative flow, Tokyo substituted Yusuke Kondo for Akamine in the 60th minute and tried to regain momentum, but immediately conceded a goal.

　In the 60th minute, DF Stoyanov lifted a right FK near the half-line and FW Hayashi headed it back in front of the goal, which was then scored by Popescu, making it a tie. In the 62nd minute, Popescu scored again by running in to punch Saltada's right cross, and within 17 minutes from the start of the second half, the game was turned around.

　Tokyo, which had no choice but to attack, replaced Kurisawa with Baba in the 69th minute and replaced Miyazawa with Miura in the 76th minute, but they couldn't regain the rhythm they had lost once. With 15 minutes remaining in the second half, Chiba, who was starting to show signs of fatigue, finally managed to create attacking opportunities. In the 78th minute, Toda jumped in after Akamine headed down Inomoto's right cross, but it was offside. In the 79th minute, Inomoto put in a liner-like right cross with Ishikawa, but it narrowly missed Akamine. In the 88th minute, Inomoto won a high ball contest, charged towards Chiba's goal, cut past the opponent's defender, and took a shot that went wide to the right. Looking at the fact that this shot was the only one in the second half, it can be said that there was no attack at all in the second half. The match ended 2-3 as it was. This resulted in Tokyo's elimination from the qualifying round of this season's Nabisco Cup.

　【Player Comments】《Yusuke KONDO》"I wasn't too concerned about losing one point while we were leading. The problem came after that. I feel like I was only defending in the second half..." 《KONNO》"We scored early, and the first half was good. The goal from the set piece was as planned, but I had been missing those in previous matches. If I had been able to score at that moment, we would have won. It's just frustrating. Looking back at the battles so far, it's not good that we haven't won. There will be a break, so we need to make adjustments and switch gears to win in the league." 《TODA》"I wanted to score as many goals as possible and somehow take all three points. Even when it was 2-0, we didn't go into a defensive mode and approached the second half with an attacking mindset. As a result, our defense may have become lax... We had been able to correct the period when we were conceding a lot of goals, but we ended up conceding again. It's disappointing."

　[Summary of Coach Hara's Press Conference] "We have no choice but to win, so we talked about going for goals from the start and entered the match with a mindset to surpass JEF. We started the first half well, and Konno scored the opening goal from a corner kick, followed by Toda scoring the second goal. We had other chances from corner kicks as well. It would have been great to score a third goal, but at halftime, I said, '2-0 is dangerous, so let's make sure we start the second half strong, especially at the beginning.' However, the first goal we conceded came from a free kick rebound, and the second goal was also from a free kick. Perhaps due to a lack of confidence, we committed fouls in situations where we didn't need to, which ultimately led to goals. I think this reflects our lack of confidence in not being able to win. If we were competing normally... we are committing fouls instead. We need to correct the goals conceded from unnecessary fouls. I used Akamine because Yusuke Kondo had been playing continuously and was tired. I think Akamine showed his potential a few times and is a player with possibilities. It was a match we had to win, and many supporters came, so it’s truly frustrating. However, I don't think the performance was worse than when we were on a losing streak. Once our defense is solidified, now players like Lucas in attack are getting injured. Still, the overall balance of the team has improved significantly compared to a while ago, and we scored goals. It's very disappointing to be eliminated from the Nabisco Cup, but I want to switch our mindset and fight back starting in July."

　【Chiba - Ivica OSIM's press conference summary】 "It is difficult for FC Tokyo to win 6-0, and it is also difficult for Reysol to win by such a score, so in terms of calculations, it was already determined that JEF would advance in the qualifiers. In that sense, today's match was not a big challenge for either JEF or Tokyo. Even in that situation, Tokyo played smart football in the first half. However, it wasn't just good play; it was smart play. Everyone understands that JEF is not a team that can win without giving 100 percent effort. In the second half, we played as we usually do or as we should, and with a bit of luck, we were able to win in this way. (In the previous match against Tokyo, we played with a back four) this time it was a back three, but we just adjusted to the play of the opponent. We do not have the mindset to ignore the opposing team and only play our own game, and I don't think we are that kind of team. We have advanced in the qualifiers this time, but I don't know what will happen next. We just divided the league teams into four groups, so it's not something special; we just won against those teams. Cup matches often have very interesting games, which is a good thing, but it is a bit disappointing that attention is focused on the national team matches. However, the Japan national team has done a tremendous job, so no one will complain about that. I have never kicked a player to motivate them. I always use words. So far, I have been able to awaken the players' eyes with words alone, but if I can't do that, I will just be the one to lose my job. The rain in the second half made it cooler for the players and easier to run. Also, the wet pitch made the ball move faster. JEF plays that kind of football, so in that sense, JEF may have had luck on their side."