I want to finish the first half of the season in a good shape, aiming for the resumption of the league.

　The final match of the Nabisco Cup qualifying round, the 6th day, was an away game against Avispa Fukuoka. In the previous match against Urawa, we played a spirited game both in attack and defense, took control throughout the game, and outperformed the opponent in terms of content. However, we couldn't score a decisive goal and the match ended in a scoreless draw. However, Kanazawa and Ozawa, who made their first starts of the season, fully demonstrated their strengths and became a bright prospect for the future. In the previous match (4th round), we suffered a defeat unable to withstand Fukuoka's counterattacks, so this is a match where we want to take revenge.

　Tokyo, Lucas is suspended due to accumulated warnings. Instead, Kajiyama returns as a starter and is positioned in the second row with Ozawa. Coach Gallo said, "Kajiyama and Lucas have different styles, but their roles remain the same. I hope they can be aggressive in the attack and penetrate into the area." Kajiyama himself also said, "The way we start the game is important. From the beginning, we want to target the back of the defense, connect passes easily, and play with a clear rhythm."

　Fukuoka, on the other hand, was only able to secure 1 point in the 5th day Yokohama FM match, despite taking the lead and ending in a draw. However, today they should come with more momentum and aggressively aim for 3 points with the support of their home crowd. There won't be any major tactical changes, and for Tokyo, stopping Fukuoka's sharp counterattacks is the key to victory. In that sense, the play of Imano + Inoha will be one of the highlights. They will prevent any danger with their strong defense, become the starting point of the attack, and utilize the speed of Toda and Kawaguchi in the front line.

　Not only winning the final game before the break, but also dominating in terms of content with the soccer style of "increasing ball possession and attacking from the sides" that we have been playing so far, we want to connect this game to the league matches starting in July! It started at 3:00pm with a kickoff in Tokyo at the Hakatanomori.A, a hot and sunny stadium.

Opportunities are created, but unable to take the shot

　Immediately after the start of the match, both teams were slow and unable to connect passes, possibly due to the heat. In the 2nd minute, Fukuoka's forward Kawashima dropped the ball in the front line, and Yabuta connected it, shooting from inside the area. Shioda made a save and it resulted in a corner kick. Tokyo, on the other hand, launched a quick counterattack from this corner kick. Kajiyama connected the play, and Kanazawa, who had moved up from the left, took a shot. Toda was also in the box, but the ball went wide to the left. After the 10th minute, Tokyo started to circulate the ball and create chances. In the 11th minute, there was a left free kick, and in the 12th minute, Ozawa kicked the ball into the goal area from a right corner kick and set piece, but the opponent's defender cleared it.

　In the 14th minute, Kanazawa → Kawaguchi broke through the left side, and Imano attacked to the end line and crossed. Kawaguchi and Toda jumped in, but the opponent's DF cleared it and it became a left CK. Kicker Ozawa's ball was punched by the GK, but Kawaguchi, who had closed in on the far side, shot it outside the side net. After that, they developed from the center to the side, easily creating the shape of the attack with direct and 1, 2-touch passes. In the 19th minute, Tokyo connected precise passes on the right side, and Kawaguchi crossed it in the end. It was sent to the far side, but no one was there to follow up. In the 23rd minute, Tokunaga → Kajiyama connected, and from the pass of Imano and Kawaguchi who went up on the right, they won a right CK. However, they couldn't bring it to a finish.

　In the 28th minute, Tokunaga → Ozawa in the center played a direct pass to Konno on the right side of the area. He sent a lofted pass, but it was blocked by the opponent's defender and did not reach Kawaguchi. Fukuoka also tried to counterattack several times on Tokyo's mistakes, but couldn't bring it to a finish. In the 34th minute, Tokyo had a scoring opportunity. Kanazawa on the left → Ozawa → Konno connected, and a strong cross with shooting intent came from the right side of the area. Toda flicked it back with a header at the far post, and Kawaguchi followed up with a header, but the opponent's goalkeeper made a save just before it crossed the goal line.

　In the 40th minute, Fukuoka struggled under pressure in the opponent's territory, but Kanazawa, Imano, and Inoha tenaciously regained possession of the ball and connected it to the attack. In the end, Toda picked up the loose pass from Kawaguchi and won a left corner kick. In the final stages, Imano and Inoha began to balance well at the bottom of the midfield and outperformed the opponent in both offense and defense. Kajiyama easily handled the ball, creating a rhythm for the attack and creating numerous chances from the side. As a result, the first half ended scoreless and turned to the second half.

Unable to break Fukuoka's goal until the end... One point is far away

　1 minute into the second half, Kawaguchi, who received a left cross in the right area, bravely shoots despite being contested by the opponent's defender. Blocked by the opponent's goalkeeper. In the following 2 minutes, Toda runs up the left side, evades the opponent's defender and crosses. Kajiyama picks up the loose ball and takes a middle shot, but it goes offside as it reaches Kawaguchi in the front line. In the 49th minute, Kawaguchi's cross from the right wins a corner kick. Kajiyama's kick is cleared by the opponent's defender. In the 51st minute, from a right throw-in, Kajiyama crosses to Kanazawa on the left, leading to a corner kick. They connect the corner kick and cross twice into the goal area, but are blocked by Fukuoka's tall defender.　

　Fukuoka also cut Inoha's pass and countered in the 54th minute, with FW Miyazaki heading the cross from left MF Koga, but Shioda caught it. It was a moment of suspense. In the 59th minute, Akamine was substituted for Ozawa. Toda on the right, Kawaguchi on the left, and a three-top formation. In the 67th minute, they launched a wave attack. Inoha crossed from the right side, and Jean competed with the opponent's DF in the center, but it was cleared. Kawaguchi, who picked up the loose ball on the left side, crossed to the far side after evading the DF, but it was once again blocked by the opponent's DF.

　Tokyo continues to attack. In the 72nd minute, Kajiyama → Tokunaga cuts inside and crosses. The opponent's hand was hit inside the area, but no foul was given. In the 73rd minute, Tokuanga's right cross was contested by Toda and Kawaguchi in front of the goal, and Kanazawa ran in to shoot from the resulting scramble, but it went over the goal. In the 76th minute, Inamoto headed Kajiyama's left corner kick, but the ball missed the target without meeting.

　Tokyo goes for the win. In the 77th minute, ABE replaces Kawaguchi, and Suzuki replaces Toda. Akamine moves to CF, ABE joins the right side, and Suzuki joins the left front line, forming a 3-top formation to go for a goal. In the 81st minute, Tokunaga sends a cross from the right corner of the area, and Akamine runs in from the left and volleys, but it goes wide of the goal. In the 83rd minute, ABE on the right dribbles inside, and from Akamine's wedge, Kajiyama makes the final pass. Suzuki, who is free, takes a shot that the goalkeeper saves, but the rebound heads towards the goal, only for the opposing defender who covered to clear it at the last moment.

　In the 84th minute, Kajiyama, who received Abe's vertical pass on the right, dribbled past the opponent's defender and cut inside for a shot! The opponent's defender blocked it, and the ball floated high. Akamine headed it, but the shot hit the crossbar... We just couldn't score a goal. With less than 5 minutes remaining, both teams exchanged attacks and defenses rapidly, but the match ended in a scoreless draw. Tokyo tried to gain momentum from the front line with player substitutions and went all out to score "one goal," but they couldn't convert in decisive moments. They have some issues to address in finishing and will enter the break period.

　[Player Comments]《Moniwa》"It was extremely hot, and I was physically and mentally exhausted. However, until now, I often made mistakes even when I kept the score to zero. It felt like 'that's just me' (bitter smile). Still, today, even in this situation, I was able to push through one more step and I don't think I made any mistakes. I feel like I've grown. The fans and those around me say I should aim for the next national team, but I can't think about that at all yet. However, both Kaz and Shunsuke have overcome such hardships. The next one to overcome will be me!"《Konno》"The balance wasn't bad, but I might have been too focused on keeping my own ball. It was necessary to be more aggressive and go for the shot. I think I needed a strong mindset of 'I'll take it myself, I'll score even if it's just me.' Connecting passes is for the purpose of shooting. I want to practice with shooting as the primary goal. I thought I was in trouble when I hurt my left knee halfway through, but I gradually got used to it. I'm fine now."

　[Summary of Coach Gallo's Press Conference] "I think we played a good game. Throughout the match, we were able to connect passes and control the flow, but we couldn't convert the big chances we had in the first half. The flow improved even more in the second half, and we created even more opportunities, but we lacked the finishing technique. Regarding the referee's judgment, there was a play where hands were used inside the penalty area. Using hands is a foul whether it's inside or outside the penalty area, and if it's inside the penalty area, it becomes a penalty kick. There were some situations that I couldn't understand. (What was the intention behind putting Suzuki and Abe in the front three?) Before that, we also included Akamine, of course, to be more attacking. Some of the opponent's defenders had already received yellow cards, so we tried to actively engage in one-on-one situations."

　[Summary of Coach Matsuda's Press Conference in Fukuoka] "Today, the fact that we did not concede any goals was a positive. However, the rest of the performance was lacking. Certainly, the heat was a factor, but that is not an excuse. There were many instances of playing defensively instead of going for the win at crucial moments. This applies not only to those who hesitated to take risks but also to those around them who did not encourage them to push forward. Instead of saving energy and playing half-heartedly, we should have made a commitment to face the heat with the mindset of 'we will do this.' In the second half, I replaced the forward Yabuta, who was struggling physically, with FW Grausio, and since we were being pushed back due to a lack of power in the front line, I brought in FW Tanaka. We had to win, so we went with one defensive midfielder to be more aggressive. We are entering a break, but we are not going to change anything in particular. First, we will refresh ourselves, but it is important to reflect on what we have done and what we have not been able to do. We are not a new team, so just having good content is not enough. It is important to have a winning mindset and to play with the mentality of a winner."