Aiming for the first victory in the Japan-Korea Capital Final Round!

　This is the 3rd preseason match with K League FC Seoul. It was held away. In the recent Nabisco final match against Verdy, we conceded the first goal and the first half was a game where we constantly chased after. However, thanks to Hirayama's hat-trick performance, we achieved victory and successfully advanced to the quarterfinals of the tournament. After that, the team had a 3-day break, but the atmosphere is good, and we want to start off well and win against FC Seoul, and aim for a good start for the league match against Chiba on 6/29 (Sun) that will be resumed.

　FC Seoul, on the other hand, is currently in 4th place (20 points in the league, 14 teams, 5 wins, 5 draws, 1 loss). Although MF Choong-yong LEE and FW Ju-yong PARK are absent due to their activities with the South Korean national team, they have players of national team caliber in each generation, and they will launch sharp attacks centered around FW Jong-gook CHUNG. In addition, Coach Günes, who has been in charge since last season, seems to approach the match with a strong determination, saying, "It is gratifying to hold the 3rd Tokyo-Seoul capital match, but we must play a game that is worthy of it." With the aim of resuming the league match on the 25th (Wednesday), the team's motivation is high.

　Tokyo, without the Japanese national team combination of Nagatomo and Konno, as well as Kajiyama who is playing in the Olympic representative match on Dec 12 (Thu), did not accompany the expedition considering the condition. Coach Jofuku says, "It will be a fight focused on the match against Chiba on 6/29, but we also want both the performance and the result." The starting members changed the DF line to CB with Sato, and left SB with Kanazawa, and faced the match with a lineup that included Asari instead of Kajiyama, starting from the Nabisco match against Verdy.

　Ishikawa is eager, saying, "FC Seoul is a type of team that combines strength and speed that Japan does not have. We have played two matches so far but have not won yet, so we must win!" Kabore also faced FC Seoul when he was in the K League last season. He scored 3 goals in 2 league matches, showing good compatibility. Today, the registered members will be within 18, and substitutions will be within 7. The match was held at Seoul World Cup Stadium, which was filled with about 40,000 people. It started with FC Seoul's kickoff at 3:00 pm.

Cabore opens the scoring with a penalty kick, safely leading the game into halftime

　Under clear skies and strong sunlight, Tokyo takes the initiative from the beginning. In the 5th minute, Cabore breaks through the right side after receiving a through pass from Hirayama. Emerson, who followed from behind, sends a direct cross, and Cabore shoots the ball that Hirayama headed down. Asari follows up on the ball that the goalkeeper deflected, but it goes wide of the goal. In the 9th minute, Hirayama receives a throw-in from Kanazawa on the left side, evades the opposing defender, and shoots with his left foot, straight at the goalkeeper. They connect passes and smoothly launch attacks from both sides.

　In the 15th minute, Sato injured his right foot and was replaced by Shigeki, but the attack did not slow down. In the 17th minute, Emerson on the right side sent a through pass to Hirayama, but it was intercepted and Cabore took a powerful shot from the center of the midfield, missing to the left. In the 19th minute, Cabore, who had jumped out to receive Emerson's vertical pass, shook off the opponent and took a shot, but the opponent's goalkeeper made a save. The opponent's defense was completely unable to cope with Cabore's speed and couldn't stop him.

　FC Seoul also launched a quick attack from a midfield interception, and there was a scene where FW Jeong Jogook brought the ball into a shooting position, but they did not allow any goals with a defense focused on Shioda. Furthermore, Cabore's momentum is accelerating. In the 28th minute, Emerson and in the 36th minute, with a through pass from Hayashi, they created a situation where they were one-on-one with the goalkeeper, but it went wide of the goal.

　Then, in the 38th minute, he picked up the opponent's pass miss and dribbled towards the goal. Unable to resist, the opponent's DF fouled Cabore and earned a penalty kick. Cabore himself scored the penalty kick in the 40th minute to take the lead. After that, FC Seoul also launched a counterattack from the right side and seized a chance from a free kick, but did not allow a goal. The first half ended like that.

FC Seoul concedes a goal to the fierce attack and ends in a draw

　Substitute Ishikawa for Hanyu from the start of the second half. In the 47th minute, Hirayama, who was free in the center from Ishikawa's right corner kick, shot but it went over the frame. It was a decisive moment. Unlike the first half, FC Seoul pressed hard from the front, won the ball, and both sides made bold moves. They started launching a thick attack with more players and gradually FC Seoul found their rhythm. In the 55th minute, they connected passes in front of the goal and crossed from the right side. FW Jeong Joguk dropped the ball in the center and FW Dejan shot freely, but the ball hit the post and crossed the goal line.

　Tokyo made substitutions in the 59th minute, replacing Kabore, Bruno QUADROS, and Shiota with Akamine, Otake, and Ogi. They wanted to create rhythm by bringing in fresh members, but FC Seoul's momentum couldn't be stopped. Then, in the 73rd minute, a cross from the right side of Tokyo was directly passed into the area by FW Jeong Jogook, and FW Dejan, who had made a run, took a shot. Ogi couldn't reach the ball with his stretched leg and the goal was scored, making it a tie.

　After that, both teams continued to fiercely attack and defend, and Tokyo had several chances towards the end. In the 80th minute, a quick restart from a free kick, Akamine took a powerful middle shot but it was saved by the goalkeeper. In the 83rd minute, Hirayama made a direct through pass from the right, and Ishikawa received it and took a shot, but the opponent's goalkeeper made a great save. In the 87th minute, Emerson crossed from the right side and Hirayama made a spectacular diving header in the center, but it was saved by the goalkeeper in front.

　In injury time, Ishikawa dribbled past the defender with a speedy run on the right side and sent a cross from deep inside the opponent's half, but Akamine's shot from the near side went to the right of the goal. In the end, they couldn't score an additional point and the game ended. With this draw, Tokyo's overall record is 2 draws and 1 loss.

　【Player Comments】《Cabore》"In the first half, we were able to attack in a good shape, but in the second half, the quality of our attacks dropped due to the heat. Although we had many chances, I couldn't finish them. I thought that if I could make runs behind Seoul's flat defensive line, we could score. I will do my best to make use of this experience in the future J-League matches."《Hyun Soo JANG》"It was the first time playing against this team, and I wanted to see how well we could play our own game. In that sense, we were able to play comfortably and well. As a team, we were able to reaffirm our ability to play high-quality possession football against a K-League team. However, it's disappointing that we couldn't do that in the second half. We still have the camp ahead of us, and we want to aim for a higher level to compete for the championship. (To all the fans) I am filled with gratitude for your support, even coming from far away. I apologize for not being able to win. Please continue to support us."

　[Summary of Manager Jofuku's Press Conference] "First of all, I would like to express my gratitude to the Korean officials and FC Seoul officials for allowing us to play a well-organized match in this wonderful stadium. I am very happy that we were able to play the game in an environment similar to an official match, with such a fantastic atmosphere. Also, thanks to the friendly and passionate Korean supporters and FC Tokyo supporters, we were able to approach the game with high motivation. Regarding our performance, I think we were able to connect well in the midfield, but there were some shortcomings in the finishing. Also, we have learned from FC Seoul's long balls and connections in front of the goal. (What is your evaluation of player Hirayama?) We recognize the potential and abilities he possesses. However, the opposing team has been trying to neutralize his strengths, which has affected the course of the game, and he is working on adapting and addressing this challenge. Not all players possess all abilities, and he is currently working on difficult tasks for himself. (Cabore was the top scorer in the K-League last year, but he hasn't scored many goals in the J-League this year. What is your evaluation of him as a coach?) We are aware of his performance last year, and that is why we brought him to our team. It is true that he may have scored fewer goals, but I believe his contribution to the team is very high, and I think he will start scoring goals as he gradually adapts. The head-to-head record is now 1 loss and 2 draws, but as for past matches, I cannot comment as I was not the coach. However, the strength in front of the goal, which is a tradition in Korean football, may be one of the reasons. (Is there a possibility of participating in the ACL next year?) If we can make use of the valuable experience we gained today, we may be able to face Korean teams in the ACL next year, and that is what we hope for."