Masashi MIYAZAWA, J-League debut!

The second match of the 1st round of the Levain Cup was held at Ventforet Kofu's home ground, Yamanashi Prefecture Kose Sports Park Athletic Stadium.

Tokyo, who won the first match 5-0 thanks to Robisu's hat-trick, faced the match with a fresh lineup, including Ozawa, who made his first appearance of the season as a goalkeeper, and Miyazawa, a rookie who also made his first appearance of the season as a defensive midfielder.

The Nabisco Cup is determined by the total score of the first and second matches, so the "5-point lead" in the first match was significant, and Tokyo's advancement to the second round was almost certain unless something extraordinary happened. In the midst of this, the focus was on the debut of newcomer Miyazawa, who is from the local area (Yamanashi Prefecture) and made his official J-League debut. Miyazawa is a rookie who joined this season from Chuo University and was a talented player who excelled as a representative of the Universiade (Japanese student selection) from his third year in university. Even in Tokyo, he has been showcasing his extraordinary talent in satellite leagues and practice matches since joining the team. His kicks, both long and short, from his left foot are diverse and incredibly accurate, and there are high expectations for him as a lefty that Tokyo doesn't have. This season, Tokyo has a deep midfield and hasn't had many opportunities to play, but depending on his performance on this day, there is a possibility that he could quickly become a "regular candidate," so his efforts were expected. A man with the potential to carry Tokyo in the future has finally made his J-League debut.

Energized Kofu

Kofu took the lead in getting into the rhythm when the match started. Kofu had just achieved their first victory of the season (vs Mito) in the J2 League held four days ago at this home ground, Kose, and they had also shown a "five-point difference" mentality, playing aggressive and speedy soccer. Kofu quickly spread the ball to both sides after winning possession, and especially the right full-back Fujita made attacking runs with speed, creating chances by delivering sharp movements to Ota, who had good ball control in the center. Tokyo's defensive base tactic of "defending from the front line" was weak, and they also made many careless passing mistakes due to a lack of concentration against Kofu's quick pressing, easily losing the ball and struggling against sharp counterattacks, resulting in a difficult start.

The goal is far away...

Tokyo finally started to create attacking opportunities after 10 minutes, and it was Miyazawa who led the way. Miyazawa was initially confused by Kofu's momentum after the kickoff and couldn't effectively press the opponent to steal the ball. However, in the 11th minute, he cut off the opponent's ball on the left side and dribbled forward, distributing a well-timed through pass to the front line. Perhaps gaining confidence from this play, he and Shimodaira, who formed a midfield combination that day, not only suppressed the opponent's ball source but also contributed to the team in both attacking and defensive aspects.

Tokyo, which surpasses in overall strength, gradually increased its ball possession rate and created more chances in front of the goal. In the 15th minute, energetic forward Toda made a personal skill and rushed towards the goal, causing the opponent's defender to commit a foul. Littbarski took the free kick from about 25 meters in front of the goal, but unfortunately, it went over the bar due to the goalkeeper's fine play. Immediately after that, in the 16th minute, Miyazawa took a free kick obtained in the center, but it narrowly missed to the right of the goal. In the 20th minute, Miyazawa took a free kick from a deep position on the right close to the center line, and Robetto met it with a high header, but it was unfortunately saved by the goalkeeper. In the 38th minute, Shimohira, Robetto, and Toda connected in front of the goal, and Toda made a shot after a rush, but it was cleared by the opponent's goalkeeper. In the 44th minute, Kelly headed the ball in the center from a left corner kick, but unfortunately, it went over the bar. Although Tokyo occasionally faced counterattacks from Kofu and overall lacked rhythm, they started to create numerous chances through Kelly's wide movements that surpassed his position, Toda's aggressive rushes, and the intense attacking participation of both fullbacks, raising expectations for scoring.

Lopes' winning goal! Securing a spot in the 2nd round!

Tokyo, which created chances in the first half but returned with a 0-0 score, launched a fierce attack from the beginning of the second half. In the 2nd minute of the second half, Kelly, who received the ball on the right side, broke through with a one-two with Wagner Lopes and took a shot, but unfortunately it went to the right of the goal. After that, they consciously used side changes in their attacks, following the instructions from the coach during halftime, and there were more chances from the side with Miyazawa's accurate and long side changes and the participation of both side backs in the attack.

After 14 minutes into the second half, the long-awaited opening goal was finally scored. Fujiyama dribbled through the left side and crossed the ball, which hit the opponent's defender and bounced back. Fujiyama then headed the ball back into the center. Kaburagi, who had run into the near post area of the goal, headed the ball towards the center of the goal, and Lopes, who was waiting, struck it powerfully with a high header into the bottom right corner of the goal.

After that, in the 16th and 17th minutes, Kagamiki had consecutive chances, and in the 24th and 30th minutes, Robisu also had decisive chances, but they were unable to score additional points due to the opponent's goalkeeper's fine saves, among other things. On the contrary, after the 30th minute of the second half, Kofu's Deiri repeatedly threatened Tokyo's goal, making it an unstable game until the end. In the midfield, Shimodaira continued to apply intense pressure alone, but the defense from the front line, including Robisu, was weak, and the lack of clear ball recovery was the cause.

The match ended with Tokyo winning 1-0, and with a total score of 6-0 in the first and second rounds, Tokyo secured their spot in the second round. It was definitely a confidence boost to have a "5-point difference", but regardless, I want to sincerely celebrate this result. Oizumi, who made his debut, had no goals conceded, and Miyazawa also showed a decent performance, which is a bright spot. We will now switch our focus and prepare for the match against Ichihara on the 29th in perfect condition!

[Coach Okuma's Comment]

Today, there were 5 points in savings, so I gave a chance to players who are in good condition and have been working hard so far. Miyazawa played in his first official J-League match, and it is unknown whether his performance on this day will lead directly to J1, but he showed something very good when he had the ball. Although his defensive aspect as a midfielder is still lacking, if there is an opportunity, I would like to use him again in this kind of match.

In today's game, there were noticeable weaknesses overall due to a "5-point difference" in relaxation. In the future, I want to switch my mindset and work hard towards the J1 League.