Secure 3 points away and advance to the qualifiers!

　The final match of the Nabisco Cup group stage is an away game against Cerezo Osaka. In the previous match against Kyoto, we secured a victory with Kim Young-gun's first goal, rising to 2nd place in the group. Kyoto, leading the group with 11 points, has already completed all six group matches, but Sendai, in 3rd place with a game remaining, is only one point behind. If this match ends in a draw, our chances of advancing on our own will be lost. Moreover, if we lose, we will not be able to advance due to goal difference. Therefore, following the previous match, our top priority is to earn 3 points, approaching this game with a winning mindset.On the other hand, C Osaka remains winless in the Nabisco group stage and is in 7th place. They have already lost the possibility of advancing to the final tournament. Additionally, FW Adriano and MF Martinez are out due to injuries. MF Kagawa, who has secured a transfer to Dortmund, is currently absent due to Japan national team duties. Still, their frontline FW Komatsu, the two shadow FW Ienaga, and MF Inui possess high individual abilities. Their flexible positional changes and attacking style are powerful and skillfully exploit opponents' weaknesses. Therefore, Tokyo aims to first establish rhythm through focused defense, control the midfield, and connect to the attack.Tokyo will be without Matsushita due to suspension from accumulated warnings. Mukuhara will take the right side-back position, with the rest of the lineup unchanged from the Kyoto match. Ishikawa said, "The distance between players has become closer, and the balance of using inside and outside is improving, so I am confident we can create chances through more coordinated movements. We all want to move in the same direction with a strong determination to 'definitely win.' We want to work together as one." We want to create chances through shared awareness and communication among players and score goals during the flow of the game.However, Coach Shirofuku said, "C Osaka surely has a strong desire to strike back as a team." Mukuhara also warned, "We will play our usual football aiming for victory, but C Osaka has nothing to lose. That is the most frightening." It will undoubtedly be a difficult game, but without playing defensively, we will seize 3 points with a strong will to win and an aggressive attitude, aiming to advance to the final tournament on our own! The match kicked off exactly at 7 PM at Osaka Nagai Stadium with Tokyo starting the game.

Trailing by one point in a difficult situation after conceding the first goal... heading into the second half

　In the first half, we were pushed back by C Osaka's aggressive attacks. Starting from C Osaka MF Inui, they launched their offense targeting behind our DF line, causing our defensive line to drop. Also, their goal kicks were sent deep into our territory, preventing us from maintaining a compact formation. Even when we regained possession, we faced intense pressing from the opponent before advancing to the front line, making it impossible to launch coordinated attacks. However, defensively, we concentrated around the back line and did not allow any decisive chances.On the other hand, we approached C Osaka's goal from restarts. At 4 minutes, Nakamura's direct free kick hit the bar and bounced down, but no goal was scored... Suzuki followed up on the rebound but collided with the opposing GK and DF, failing to push it in. At 17 minutes, from Ishikawa's right corner kick, Kim Young-gun's volley shook the net, but it was ruled offside due to Suzuki's involvement. At 25 minutes, from a right free kick, Morishige perfectly headed the ball in front of the goal, but the opposing GK made a great save, preventing a goal.After 30 minutes, the momentum shifted to C Osaka. They took the ball in midfield and spread it to both sides. From there, they repeatedly created dangerous situations by crossing early between Gonda and the DF line. Then, near the end of the first half at 44 minutes, as we tried to build an attack from the DF line, C Osaka DF Sakemoto pressed us low, stole the ball, and FW Komatsu dribbled inside to score a shot, conceding the first goal... We went into halftime trailing by one goal.

Akamine and Kajiyama secure a comeback victory with their first goal of the season! Advancing to the quarterfinals is confirmed.

　Trailing by one goal and facing a tough situation, they made changes at the start of the second half, substituting Hirayama for Suzuki, and at the 58th minute, Otake for Hanyu, trying to regain their rhythm. At the 60th minute, Otake advanced with a dribble, and after a series of passes up front from Mukuhara to Kajiyama, the shot hit a defender, earning a left corner kick. Otake took the kick, and Hirayama shot at the rebound from the opposing GK. The shot was blocked by a defender, but Akamine reacted to the second rebound, striking the net with his left foot to equalize! Regaining momentum, at the 62nd minute, Ishikawa on the left side dribbled up after a side change from Kajiyama, cutting inside and taking a well-aimed shot from the edge of the area, but the opposing GK made a great save, denying the goal. At the 67th minute, Shigematsu came on for Akamine. They kept bringing on attacking players one after another, aiming to take the lead. However, C Osaka also launched speedy counterattacks, and a tense battle continued. Time passed with the back-and-forth play. Still, without giving up, around the 85th minute, Morishige was pushed forward, Tokunaga took the right side back position, and Kim Young-gun and Mukuhara served as center backs in an all-out formation aiming for "one more goal." Then, as the 4 minutes of stoppage time neared its end, Kajiyama intercepted the opponent’s ball on the left side, fiercely dribbled inside, aimed between the opposing defenders just outside the area, and shot toward the far side of the goal. His powerful grounder found the lower left corner of the net, a dramatic go-ahead goal! Akamine and Kajiyama both scored their first goals of the season, securing 3 points. As a result, they secured first place in Group A and advanced to the final tournament. The quarterfinal will be against Shimizu S-Pulse, with the first leg held on September 1 as a home game. 【Player Comments】《Kajiyama》“At halftime, I was told ‘We have to win,’ and I absolutely wanted to win. There was a feeling among everyone that we could win, and I think we got the goal in a good way at the end. (About the goal scene) The opposing defenders’ feet had stopped, so I brought the ball up well and thought I might be able to shoot. But there were many players in front of the goal, so I aimed for the opposite side. I thought it would be better if I kicked to the far post and the GK deflected it, and someone could follow up on the rebound. Everyone didn’t give up, so I think that led to the result. (Also performed well defensively) In the final stages, Morige played as a defensive midfielder and pushed forward. Morige can carry the ball to the front of the goal and was pressing high. So I tried to keep balance behind. There were moments when the back line was equal in number to the opponents, so I thought I had to get back properly on defense. At the back, I consciously receive the ball one position ahead and then move into the goal area. I’m happy that this led to the result.” 《Akamine》“There were many chances from corners and free kicks from the first half. Although we fell behind and faced a tough situation, the coach told us at halftime, ‘Let’s not rush.’ The players also talked among themselves, and a feeling grew that we would turn it around in the remaining 45 minutes. Everyone believed there was a chance to come back, and attacking players kept coming on as substitutes, sending a message that we absolutely had to score! I think that strong will without giving up led to the victory. (About the goal scene) It came from a rebound off a corner kick. Since it was close to the goal, I shot without hesitation. (Looking back so far) As a team, the number of chances has increased compared to the start of the season, and everyone’s shooting awareness has improved. Everyone understands the style of soccer we aim for, and I think it’s gradually taking shape. (Feeling relieved mentally after scoring the first goal before the break?) I think it was good in the end, but my desire to score every match hasn’t changed, and even when I can’t score, I switch my mindset and keep going. There are some differences in role and feelings between starting and coming on as a substitute, but I think about showing my strengths in either case. Continuing that is important, and I want to keep working hard to play in league matches and score goals.” 【Coach Jofuku’s Press Conference Summary】“Although C Osaka had no chance to advance, I think they showed wonderful fighting spirit and high-quality soccer. I’m truly happy we could win against such a C Osaka in that way at the end. Both players and supporters showed an attitude of never giving up until the very end. Today, with this squad and these supporters, I felt again that we absolutely want to achieve something this year. Regarding the content, we need to reflect more on ball circulation. After speeding up, we slowed down again and had to redo some things. Also, as you could see, many shots inside the area didn’t hit the target. That remains a continuous challenge for us. However, in such a situation, the defense didn’t take too many risks and concede additional goals, and we didn’t just lump the ball forward blindly. We kept attacking and defending until the end, and I think God saw that. (What was the key to victory?) I told the players that since we took risks to score, there were some dangerous moments. If we had conceded an additional goal then, the game would have been over. But no one slacked off on closing down the last 50 cm, and everyone managed to slide back to the distance where they could make a sliding tackle on the last rebound. That perseverance led to the comeback. (What did you gain from the Nabisco Cup and what will you work on during the break?) Including the league, I think it was really good that the whole team showed an attitude of not giving up in the last few matches. But to make a comeback in the second half of the league and to stand again on the National stage in the Nabisco Cup, we can’t say the attacking third is solved yet. With our current skills, we should be able to create many more shooting chances, and there are still moments that make us worry about the shots themselves. We will train hard with the players and aim to level up for the restart.” 【C Osaka Coach Levy Culpi’s Press Conference Summary】“The match was evenly matched, and I think it was a game we could have won. But it’s really painful to suffer such a frustrating defeat, especially since we have conceded goals in stoppage time in the last two matches. Considering this is not the first time, when facing experienced teams, the youth, naivety, and immaturity of our team show, especially mentally. (Theme for the break?) Although the results were the worst possible, it was a gain to be able to evaluate the performance of many players, including young ones. Especially today, MF Maruhashi showed a very good performance. When the league restarts, FW Adriano, FW Martinez, and MF Kiyotake will join today’s members, so I think the quality will improve with those three returning based on the play we showed today. The possibility of winning will increase.”