"KOKURITSU" is filled!

The second leg of the Nabisco Cup semi-final, welcoming the J1 powerhouse Kashima Antlers at home, was held at the National Stadium, filled with a crowd of 40,885 people. Even looking at recent J1 league matches, has there ever been a game where "KOKURITSU" was filled to this extent? In addition, the number of media personnel was extraordinary. Although there are no exact numbers, it is not an exaggeration to say that almost all media personnel, including TV, radio, newspapers, magazines, etc., gathered together. The number of cameras surrounding the field and TV cameras was also amazing. Naturally, the atmosphere in the venue was completely different from usual. Tokyo's "Blue and Red Army in the Goal End" took their position in the center of the backstand for the first time this season, and as they raised their voices with high tension before the match, applause erupted from the entire venue except the Antlers area. The Antlers supporters who came as away fans, although their numbers were small, were not to be outdone. They repeated intense support in their familiar unique style. The stage for the decisive battle was set!

Defensive Antlers

Tokyo, who lost the first match 0-2 on 9/29, needed to win this game by a goal difference of 3 or more in order to advance to the final. Tokyo desperately needed to score the opening goal. If they scored first, the goal difference in the total score would be reduced to 1, creating the possibility of a draw and a comeback. On the other hand, if they conceded the opening goal, the goal difference would widen to 3, making it very difficult. Therefore, on this day, they had to play a style of soccer that prioritized scoring goals while not allowing any goals to be scored.

The game quickly turned into a fast-paced and speedy exchange of offense and defense. Tokyo, who wanted to score the opening goal, started with Wada, a speedy player, instead of Okamoto. Wada started in the quarterfinals first leg (7/20) against F. Marinos and performed as expected, contributing to a major victory. With this, Tokyo, with three speedy players, Yukihiro on the right, Kagamiki in the center, and Wada on the left, under Amaral's lone striker, waited for the counterattack opportunity after withstanding Antlers' fierce attacks. However, Antlers were cunning on this day. Antlers, who highly estimated Tokyo's strength and tactics in the first leg, chose to make the most of their two-goal "savings". They emphasized defense and refrained from attacking with their skilled fullbacks. In particular, it seems that they focused on defense by assigning Mabashi, an attacking right fullback, to concentrate on defense, learning from the lesson of being troubled by the same side by Fujiyama in the first leg. In the attack, they passed the ball around the midfield with Bismarck and Abe at the center and aimed for the goal by crossing to Hasegawa, who is strong in heading, when the opportunity arose. There were dangerous situations where Bismarck's accurate free kicks could be kicked and combined with Hasegawa from set plays, but Sandro and Yamao covered them with high concentration and did not allow a goal. On the other hand, Tokyo's attack, like in the first leg, showed great fighting spirit and gathered the ball to Almir, who controlled the team both offensively and defensively, and expanded from there to the left and right. Wada was unable to demonstrate his strengths on the left side and remained silent, but Yukihiro on the right side showed aggressive breakthroughs many times and created chances. Also, because Yukihiro was able to keep the ball firmly, Umayama, the right fullback, was able to participate in aggressive attacks, and they started to launch a solid attack. Kagamiki and Amaral also demonstrated their respective strengths and freely moved around the front line. In the 26th minute, Kagamiki broke free from the crowded situation and faced the goalkeeper one-on-one, but was blocked by a fine save. As for Amaral, he was man-marked by the Japanese national team's stopper, Akita, but showed stable post-play and took a shot from the combination with Almir. The game was truly evenly matched, and the first half ended with a score of 0-0.

Toru KABURAGI scored the long-awaited opening goal! Tokyo continued to dominate the game afterwards...

Even if they cry or laugh, Tokyo will need to score two or more goals in the remaining 45 minutes to secure a spot in the finals. In the second half, Tokyo started to show a more aggressive style of soccer. Following the coach's instructions, they strengthened their attacks from the right side, with Yukihiko as the starting point. Tokyo boldly attacked the Antlers defense. Yukihiko, with the ball on the right side, fearlessly tried to overcome the Japanese national team's left back, Soma, in a one-on-one battle. Yukihiko's superior skills allowed him to mostly win these battles and break through, delivering sharp crosses in front of the goal. Perhaps it was his star quality, but Yukihiro was the most passionate and shining player among both teams in this large crowd. In the 9th minute of the second half, after persistently attacking from the right side, Amalao was fouled and earned a free kick. Amauril sent the ball to the front of the goal, and Amalao executed an overhead kick. Kurogi, who was following up on the loose ball, powerfully kicked it with his right foot, scoring the long-awaited opening goal! With this, Tokyo caught up to a one-point difference in the total score and gained even more momentum. Despite occasionally facing decisive shots, goalkeeper Suzuki made a series of super fine saves and did not allow any goals. Tokyo, who wanted one more goal, had another chance in the 20th minute of the second half. Once again, Yukihiko evaded the opponent on the right side and crossed the ball to the center, where Amauril received it freely and took a shot from close range. However, it was blocked by the opponent's goalkeeper's fine play. In the following 25th minute of the second half, Amauril dribbled up about 30 meters from his own half and made a through pass to Kurogi, who had perfectly timed his run. Kurogi was fouled as he tried to receive the ball, resulting in a free kick in an excellent position in front of the goal. Amauril, who had scored consecutive free kicks in J2 matches on 9/25 and 10/3, aimed for the goal but it was blocked by the wall. Despite Tokyo's continued pace, with Yukihiko from the right and Kurogi from the left creating chances, they couldn't score an additional goal. Instead, in the 36th minute of the second half, they conceded a goal as Akita headed in a corner kick, widening the gap to two points once again. With no time left, Tokyo pushed forward with a "super attacking formation," moving defender Sandro to the front line and bringing in midfielder Kobayashi. They relentlessly attacked the Antlers' goal until the end. However, in the end, they couldn't score an additional goal, and the merciless final whistle blew, resulting in a 1-1 draw and a total score of 1-3, leading to their defeat. Tokyo, who made their first appearance in the Nabisco Cup, showed great resilience by defeating three J1 teams and giving the reigning J-League champions, the Antlers, a tough fight until the very end. However, they were unable to advance to the finals.

Coach's Comment

It was a good game worthy of the semi-finals. Both teams had a good balance of offense and defense, and it was an impressive and well-coordinated game. Tokyo is a team that has defeated three J1 teams, so it's no surprise. I thought they would tire more in the second half, but I was surprised by their strong physicality, which was beyond my expectations. I think they will be able to compete well in J1 next season.

＜Coach Okuma's Comment＞

The players did well. They had a game three days ago, and being able to play soccer today in such a tough schedule confirms their potential and gives them confidence. Both individually and as a team, they have gained something. The speed of transitioning between offense and defense was equal, but the difference was made in the accuracy of crosses and the focus in crucial moments. They need to quickly switch their mindset and prepare for the next game against Tosu on the 11th.