Only aiming for 3 points at home!

　The 5th round of the Nabisco Cup qualifying league is being held. This round, Tokyo, currently leading the group, will face Montedio Yamagata at the Japan National Stadium. After finishing 4 matches so far, Tokyo has only managed to secure 1 point in the previous match against Kyoto. In order to advance to the next stage, they cannot afford to lose anymore. It is an important match to secure a clear victory at home, accumulate points, and build momentum for the final match.

　This round, Bruno QUADROS, who returned from suspension, will start and partner with Hiramatsu as center-back. Nakamura, who had been injured in the neck, will also make his first start in the right full-back position upon his return.

　Yamagata, on the other hand, has played 3 matches so far, with a 1 point difference from Tokyo. They lost to Chiba in the previous Nabisco match and have not won any of their last 5 league matches. They seem to be struggling with injuries, but their team's focus and perseverance are evident. Their attacks, especially the long ball and second ball plays, as well as the attacks that start from the sides and involve FW Hasegawa, are powerful and require caution. It is important not only to maintain concentration in the defense line but also to apply coordinated pressing as a team and limit Yamagata's passing options.

　In the attack, recently we have been unable to score a second goal in the chances, and we often lose our rhythm, so we want to somehow play our own soccer and connect it to the goal reliably. The temperature is not high, but the humidity is 72% and it seems that rain is about to fall at the national stadium. The match started at 19:34 with the kickoff in Tokyo.

Conceding a goal right after the start, the defense becomes disorganized and Yamagata seizes the rhythm

　The start was chaotic in defense, and it became a rushed development. 30 seconds into the game, a long ball sent by Yamagata was contested by Hiramatsu and Yamagata forward Hasegawa. Hiramatsu couldn't take it away, and they were able to bring it to a shot, but it was saved by Gonda, avoiding a dangerous situation. Immediately after, Ishikawa cut in from the right and passed it to Cabore in the center, who smoothly slipped behind the opponent's DF in the right area. He received the return pass and shook the net with a shot, but it was offside when he received the pass...

　Then, in the 3rd minute, Kim Byung-suk, the right midfielder of Yamagata, broke through Tokyo's left side. He sent a minus pass in front of the goal, and it was perfectly matched by forward Takumi Hasegawa. The shot was saved by Gonda at first, but it was kicked in by left midfielder Hirose, resulting in a goal...

　Tokyo allowed the first goal in the early stages and was pushed back by long balls, allowing Yamagata to create attacking opportunities. Tokyo struggled to create chances in the front line against a tough press. In the 14th minute, Nakamura advanced and created a chance on the right side through a pass exchange with Cabore, with Tanabe aiming for the goal. However, the shot was saved by Yamagata GK Endo, who made his first appearance in a J-League official match today, including his time at Tokyo. In the 25th minute, Nakamura suffered an injury from an opponent's tackle.

　Substitute Nakamura with Mukuhara as left fullback in the 29th minute. To restore balance, Tokunaga was placed on the right, gradually allowing Tokyo to find their rhythm and create chances. In the 30th minute, Kabore connected the play in the center and Kajiyama advanced to the left area, delivering a final pass to the free Hirayama. However, Hirayama's decisive shot was blocked by Yamagata goalkeeper Endo. In the 32nd minute, Ishikawa drifted to the left and Kajiyama, who had moved up in front of the goal, took a shot that hit a defender and resulted in a left corner kick. Ishikawa connected with Tanabe through a short pass, and once again from Ishikawa's cross, Hiramatsu from the far side attempted a header but it went over.

　In the 38th minute, a chance was created from Ishikawa's dribble, and in the 41st minute, Murahara's left cross was connected by Hirayama in the center, and Cabore pushed the ball that had fallen in front of the goal from a very close distance, but once again it was blocked by the goalkeeper's save.... Carrying a one-point deficit, they headed into the second half.

Kajiyama scores the equalizer, Cabore scores 2 goals, and achieves the first come-from-behind victory of the season!

　In the second half, we made adjustments and regained composure to launch a counterattack. In the 57th minute, Yamamoto on the right side of the opponent's field passed a lobbed ball to Hirayama in front of the goal, and he also joined the attack. Hirayama successfully controlled the ball and Kajiyama, who received this pass just outside the penalty area, aimed and shot the ball into the top left corner of the goal! Kajiyama scored a beautiful goal from the combination with Hirayama, finally equalizing the score.

　With this calm goal, the tide turned. In the 63rd minute, a vertical pass from Hirayama to Cabore, who was trying to break through to the front line. Cabore carried the ball forward with a trap and took a looping shot. It hit the opponent's goalkeeper and spilled in front of the goal, but Cabore pushed it in with a header while fiercely competing with the opponent's defender. Taking advantage of Cabore's speed, Tokyo took the lead and completely grasped the rhythm. In the 66th minute, they launched a quick attack, and Cabore cut back the opponent's defender in the right area and passed to Hirayama who had moved up in the center. From there, they created another scoring opportunity with a return pass, but it was offside at the time of the pass to Hirayama...

　In the 70th minute, a counterattack was launched from our own half, and Ishikawa dribbled into the opponent's half. He tried to pass to Tanabe, who had moved up from behind, but both of them ran out of breath... They couldn't synchronize their timing. In the 71st minute, Otake was substituted for Tanabe. Immediately after that, Kabore tried to break through behind the Yamagata defenders, following Kajiyama's long pass. The shot ball, which was taken in a shooting position, was saved by the opponent's goalkeeper, but Kabore himself caught up with the loose ball and pushed it in with his right foot to score the third goal!

　With this, the momentum continued, and in the 74th minute, Hirayama received a pass from the left side in the center of the area and turned around to create a scoring opportunity, but the shot lacked power... However, Cabore caught up to the ball that spilled forward and crossed it. Ishikawa on the far side received it and sent another decisive pass to the center, but no one was able to connect... In the 76th minute, Akamine was substituted for Cabore. Both teams stretched their lines, and although there were counterattacks towards the end, no additional goals were allowed. Cabore scored his first two goals in a single game, pushing Yamagata ahead and achieving a comeback victory with a two-goal difference, the first of the season for the team. As a result, they temporarily maintained their position as the top team in Group B.

　【Player Comments】《Kajiyama》"In the first half, I held the ball a bit too much and was often looking for passing options. We made adjustments at halftime, and I think we did well in distinguishing when to keep the ball and when to pass in the second half. It was a gain that we were able to turn the game around and achieve a comeback victory over the total 90 minutes. The goal was possible because Hirayama kept the ball well, allowing me to get into the box. I had been scoring similar shots in practice, so I was able to aim and score as I intended. If we can play like we did in the second half today, I believe it will lead to victories. I want to secure our advancement to the Final Round with our own strength." 《Cabore》"The goal came from a good ball being sent to me, and I was able to showcase my strong points. We conceded a goal early today, which caused us to be a bit flustered. From there, we regrouped in the second half and were able to equalize with Kajiyama's wonderful goal. After that, scoring the second goal helped the team settle down. I think we played well against both Kyoto and today, so I want to continue playing well and secure a win next time. Shimizu is a strong opponent, but I believe we have a chance to win, so I want to do my best."

　[Director Jofuku's Press Conference Summary] "Today was a situation where we absolutely had to win. I'm glad we were able to deliver results. In the first half, we had chances as well, but our line was too deep, and we allowed the opponent to pick up second balls from long passes, leading to a vicious cycle with through balls... We conceded early, which made our makeshift defense look vulnerable. We need to reflect on the fact that we dropped our line and gave the opponent decisive chances. In the second half, we made adjustments to our line and confirmed where we could use our power, utilizing our skills and characteristics for the team, organizing how to maximize our strengths. There were moments of connecting play, and Cabore had a breakthrough, but ultimately, if we don't connect, we can't aim for the back. I want to continue to ensure we can effectively showcase both aspects in the game. (Regarding injured players) Cabore has been dealing with an injury on the inside of his knee. However, I don't see it as being too serious, but we won't know for sure until he undergoes a detailed examination. As for Hokuto Nakamura, the opposing player tackled him vigorously with the sole of his foot, even though he was going for the ball. That directly hit the area of his existing injury. He seems to be struggling to walk, so I think we need to take the time to ensure he recovers properly. (Why did you bring Mukuahara in as left back?) In the first half, Yamagata's left back Ishikawa's cross was received by right midfielder Kim, creating chances from there. Therefore, we decided to place Mukuahara, who we have a lot of trust in defensively, on Kim's side to contain him."

　[Summary of Coach Kobayashi's Press Conference] "In the first half, we started well and it was good that we were able to break through the spaces and the sides effectively. However, we had two injuries, and towards the end of the first half, we were pushed back. The question was how to withstand that and score another goal... It became a situation like that. There were decisive moments in the first half to score an additional goal, and not being able to convert those was significant. FC Tokyo also had chances, but if we could have scored another goal after taking the lead, I think we could have entered the second half a bit more comfortably. In the second half, the lack of communication leading to the second goal was unfortunate. We had already scored one goal, so if we had better precision, it was becoming a game where we could have scored another. However, with the injuries to two players (Akiba and Kim), it became tough in terms of resources. Unfortunately, I feel like this might be as far as we can go for now. We took the lead, but when it became a clash of individuals, it turned into a power struggle where we were taking and losing the ball... it got a bit rough. We ended up matching FC Tokyo's style. If we had worked together as a group a bit more, I think we could have played a calmer game. It might have been a game we could have won. As a reality, this is the result we ended up with, but I think it was a good experience for the team."