Only aiming for victory at home in the second leg of the quarterfinals

　The second match of the Nabisco Cup quarterfinals will be held at home against Yokohama F.Marinos. We won the first match 1-0, and if we draw or win this match, we will advance to the semifinals. However, Coach Hara said, "We don't intend to just defend the 'one goal' from the first match. We are only focused on winning. Especially since it's a home game, we will play aggressively and aim for victory at Ajinomoto Stadium."

　Yokohama FM, who will face them, will have MF Kawai suspended and MF Nasu starting as a defensive midfielder. In order to advance to the semifinal round, they will definitely need a goal, so they will come attacking even at the risk. Perhaps with that intention, they have chosen to start MF Elsinho, who will make his first start of the season, as the left midfielder. They have approached the match with the same formation of 4-1-3-2 as in the first match.

　Tokyo wants to press from the front, compact the lines, and attack by penetrating behind the opponent's defense from the sides. To break Yokohama FM's solid defense, they want to initiate side changes and create opportunities on the open sides. If they can launch wide attacks, Kajiyama and Fukunishi's forward runs will also become effective. They want to take the lead and progress the game in an advantageous position.

　Tokyo will face the match with the same starting lineup as the first game. The match started at 6:30pm with Yokohama FM's kickoff at Ajinomoto Stadium, where it was raining heavily due to the influence of a typhoon and the pitch was wet.

Although they started off aggressively, they allowed the first goal and couldn't find their rhythm.

　The start of the game saw Tokyo pressing forward and launching quick counterattacks. In the 2nd minute, Tokunaga's forward run resulted in a corner kick. In the 5th minute, Fujiyama cleared the ball to Yokohama FM's frontline, sending a long ball into Yokohama's half. Lucas, who picked up the loose ball from the opponent's defender's trap, evaded the defender and broke through to the left area, facing the goalkeeper in a one-on-one situation. Despite having a clear chance early in the game, his shot missed wide to the right, and the opening goal was not scored.

　After that, Tokyo continued to dominate the ball and attack, but their decisiveness was poor, and scenes of being countered by Yokohama FM began to stand out. In the 15th minute, Lucas received a ball from a right throw-in and immediately turned towards the goal to take a shot, but it went wide. Then, Yokohama FM gradually started sending the ball quickly to the front line and seized the rhythm of the counterattack. In the 18th minute, Kajiyama's pass in the Yokohama territory didn't connect and was intercepted, resulting in a change of offense and defense. The ball was circulated in the Tokyo territory, and in the 19th minute, there was a side change from left full-back Komiyama to the right. The cross lifted by right full-back Tanaka Hayato was skillfully brought down by forward Oshima, and midfielder Yamase Koji, who made a run, scored a goal. They couldn't catch the breakout from the second line of Yokohama FM and ended up conceding the opening goal.

　There was still time. Against Yokohama FM, who tried to gain momentum after taking the lead, Tokyo defended well and did not allow any additional goals, launching counterattacks and engaging in a back-and-forth battle. In the 29th minute, after winning a corner kick from Kajiyama's shot, Tokyo approached Yokohama FM's goal, with Noriyuki Suzuki and Rychely entering the right area. Lucas took a shot at the loose ball, but it hit a defender and couldn't be converted into a goal. In the 30th minute, Fukunishi was fouled in a position 25-26 meters in front of the goal, resulting in a free kick. Noriyuki Suzuki took a direct shot, but it was blocked.

　33 minutes, Yokohama FM left back Komiyama enters the Tokyo field and takes a sharp long shot. It escapes with Doi's save and launches a counterattack from there, but Fukunishi's pass is intercepted and they are counterattacked again. Yokohama's attack is offside, but Yokohama FM surpasses them in terms of speed. In the 44th minute, they repeatedly throw in from the right and threaten the Yokohama goal, and finally Kajiyama sends a floating pass to the front line with a header, but it is offside. Mistakes are also noticeable on the rainy pitch, and they are unable to start from the side. The first half ends with a score of 0-1.

Trailing by 4 points and unable to catch up despite a united effort, FC Tokyo is eliminated from the Nabisco Cup.

　The second half was expected to be a counterattack. However, Yokohama FM also brought in FW Marques to score an additional goal and started attacking by connecting passes from the beginning. In the 48th minute, they lost a left corner kick, and although Tokyo DF initially cleared it, Yokohama FM MF Yamase Koji picked up the loose ball and advanced to the right front line, crossing the ball. FW Oshima struck the ball cleanly with a header and scored a goal. They allowed two goals right after the start of the second half. Tokyo needed more than a draw to advance, they needed two goals.

　In the 51st minute, Akamine was substituted for Rychely. In the 52nd minute, DF Tanaka Hayato advanced after a vertical pass from the right side of Yokohama FM, and crossed. The ball slipped through the Tokyo DF and reached FW Marques who was free in the far area. The shot missed above the bar, avoiding danger. In the 54th minute, Kajiyama stole the opponent's throw-in and passed it to Akamine on the left front line. Akamine's grounded cross reached Fukunishi who was free inside the right area, creating a decisive shooting chance. However, the timing was slightly delayed and it was blocked by the DF. Kajiyama and Kanazawa rushed in to take shots one after another, creating clear opportunities, but they were both blocked by the DF and couldn't score a goal.

　In the 55th minute, BABA replaced ASARI. FUKUNISHI entered the defensive midfield position, and TOKUNAGA also moved forward in the formation, trying to score a goal first. In the 60th minute, from a goal kick, KAJIYAMA → BABA made a through pass to the front line. AKAMINE broke through vigorously, shaking off the defenders while advancing. Although he was initially stopped by the goalkeeper, his shot after picking up the rebound was blocked by the left post... Both teams took risks in attacking, and the offense and defense rapidly changed, with chances for both sides. In the 68th minute, while attacking, the ball was stolen and they suffered a counterattack. Yokohama FM's right midfielder YOSHIDA crossed the ball, which was cleared by MONE, but the ball reached the forward OSHIMA in front of the goal, and they conceded the third goal.

　Substitute Ishikawa for Fujiyama in the 70th minute. In a 3-5-2 formation with Tokunaga, Shigeno, and Kanazawa forming the final line, they launched a full-scale counterattack. However, in the 72nd minute, Lucas' pass was intercepted by Yokohama FM forward Marques, who then exchanged passes with forward Oshima. He swung his right foot from just outside the area and easily scored a goal, resulting in a loss of four points. Nevertheless, they did not give up and tried to retaliate. In the 78th minute, from the center, Lucas passed to Baba who had entered the area, then connected with Fukunishi and made a final pass to the right. They broke through the side and took a goal from Ishikawa's bold shot.

　The exchange of offense and defense was intense, and the development was hectic. In the 87th minute, Noriyuki SUZUKI -> Jo KANAZAWA -> Kajiyama kept the ball in the left corner of the area and passed it to KANAZAWA, who ran up from the outside to the inside. KANAZAWA ran into the penalty area with speed and scored a goal by breaking through the near side. Showing determination, they came close to a 2-point difference, but it was already too late for a comeback. They were defeated 4-2 and although they had the same number of victories in the two matches, they fell behind in goal difference and could not advance to the Semifinal Round of the Nabisco Cup.

　【Player Comments】<Kanazawa> "In the first half, we played it safe and tried not to make mistakes at the back, but we conceded the first goal there. However, over the two matches, it was still even, so we were determined to make a comeback in the second half. We aimed for a goal from the start, but conceding the second goal at that time was painful. We needed to score at least two goals, but the team's energy dropped, and in a disjointed state, we conceded the third and fourth goals. Yokohama FM gained momentum and we couldn't regain the pace. In the final stages, we took risks to attack, but I think the switch was turned on too late. For the goal, I thought the opposing goalkeeper would cover the cross back, so I aimed for the near post as it had a higher chance of success. Unfortunately, it didn't lead to a victory. I sincerely apologize to the supporters who came out in the rain. Throughout the first half of the season, the team has improved compared to before, but there are times like today's match and the league match against G Osaka when we falter. To win, I think each player needs to investigate the causes." <Ishikawa> "On the slippery ground, I focused on finishing with shots and crosses. There was space in front of me, and I think the goal was created by simply using the sides. Fukunishi skillfully passed the ball from the left to me. It would have been better if we had used such side attacks more from the first half... Personally, I was able to play with a finishing mindset in a short time, so I want to build on that. The team might be a bit too cautious. I see myself as a player who can change the team's bad flow and give rhythm, so I want to play powerful football. We tried to gain momentum in the Nabisco Cup to carry into the second half of the league, but it was disappointing that we couldn't. We'll switch gears and focus on the league matches."

　[Summary of Coach Hara's Press Conference] "We won the first match, but we never intended to just defend in this game. For about 15 to 20 minutes, the ball was moving well, and although Yokohama FM pushed their line up and caught us offside, Lucas and Fukunishi had decisive chances. During that pressing time, Kajiyama had a chance to shoot but passed the ball back, leading to a loose ball and then conceding a goal. After that, things got chaotic. Rychely was unable to perform at his usual level both offensively and defensively. At halftime, I told the team, 'Yokohama FM will send long balls early, so compete for the second balls. Do it properly.' Watching the second half, I was ready to make adjustments if things didn’t go well, but just then, we conceded a second goal from a corner kick, and the pressure mounted on everyone. However, if we had scored from the chances Fukunishi and Akamine had afterward, the game might have unfolded differently. Since we didn’t score, and pushed forward, we conceded a third goal and morale dropped. We really wanted to advance, but today’s match showed both our strengths and weaknesses. We knew Yokohama FM would come at us aggressively, so whether taking the lead or being down 0-2, if we had calmly circulated the ball, we could have created chances. Not being able to do that is an issue. Since June, there have been some positive trends, but if each player doesn’t put in a little more effort or is a step late, we end up with matches like today. It was the same against G Osaka in the league; once we lose rhythm, we tend to slide down, and that needs to be fixed. Still, although late, we scored two goals and had chances for one or two more, so we need to maintain that attitude. I sincerely apologize to the supporters who came out in the rain. What we can do now is prepare well and make sure we don’t have matches like this after the league resumes in August."

　[Yokohama FM - Coach Hayano's Press Conference Summary] "Although we lost the first match 0-1, neither the players nor the staff felt burdened by a big handicap. Considering the away goals rule, we believed that scoring the first goal would change the game, and we prepared for this week with that in mind. Today, we also took the weather into account in our strategy. Additionally, since we faced FC Tokyo twice this season and were caught off guard both times, we agreed to avoid that happening a third time. The start of the game was loose, and the players were about to lose momentum, so I instructed them to be a bit rougher and to push the zone higher by playing long balls like Tokyo does and chasing them. We managed to launch several counters, but the start was very poor. However, a goal came from FW Oshima's post, which gave us momentum. At halftime, I instructed, 'The game is still even, so let's go for more goals.' Scoring early in the second half gave us even more momentum, but if the third goal had come a bit earlier, it would have been easier. In the end, it turned into a shootout. Until now, the two forwards hadn't scored, but today FW Oshima scored twice, which was a positive. It's unfortunate that we conceded two goals, but I think today we were able to play solid football in the rain rather than focusing on our pressing. Since it was difficult to keep passing, Tokyo played by sitting back and counterattacking, so we tried to keep the zone high to avoid falling into that trap. If we could apply pressure there, it would be good, and we prioritized vertical passes over sideways passes. With this, we advanced to the next stage, and we want to use this as a plus for the league matches."