Achieve revenge!

Tokyo, who defeated Ventforet Kofu, a J2 team, in the 1st round of the Nabisco Cup, advanced to the 2nd round. In the 2nd round, they will face Sanfrecce Hiroshima, who defeated Albirex Niigata, another J2 team, in the 1st round. Tokyo suffered a humiliating defeat with a score of 0-3 in the J1 League 7th round match against Hiroshima on May 3rd this season, which resulted in them falling to the "bottom of the league" for the first time in club history. In the previous round (6th round, April 29th), they also suffered a heavy defeat with a score of 0-3 against Ichihara. After the Hiroshima match, Tokyo decided to change their system, which had been a consistent 4 (DF) - 4 (MF) - 2 (FW), and implemented a new system of 4-5-1, removing Lopes and placing Amaral as the lone striker, instead of the "classic" front two of Amaral and Lopes. Three days after the disastrous Hiroshima match, Tokyo faced Sapporo (8th round, May 6th) with this "back against the wall" formation, showing signs of a return to their characteristic solid defense and quick counterattacks, stopping their losing streak. In the following match against strong team Kashiwa (9th round, May 12th), they won convincingly with their best performance of the season, achieving their first consecutive victories and managing to improve their team situation. Whether good or bad, it is undeniable that the match against Hiroshima was a turning point for Tokyo.

This day is not a league match but a cup match, but the goal is only one, to take revenge. And in order to connect to the league match that will resume three days later, and the second match to be held in Tokyo next week (the Nabisco Cup is a home and away format until the semifinals, and the result is determined by the total goal difference of the first and second matches), a result accompanied by content was required.

Rookie Miyazawa starts

Rookie Miyazawa, who is expected to perform well this season, started in the first match of the 2nd round following the match against Kofu in the 1st round. He played on the left side and drew attention with his genius kicks from his left foot.

Tokyo's 4-5-1 system remains the same, with Kelly as the lone striker, Kagami returning to the starting lineup since the Kofu match as the attacking midfielder, Nari on the right side, and Miyazawa on the left side. The attacking lineup has implemented a new formation unlike before. Coach Okuma emphasized in the pre-match meeting the importance of Miyazawa's accurate crosses from the left and the team's awareness of making big side changes, instructing them to continue attempting even if mistakes are made. The sense of expectation towards Miyazawa from Coach Okuma was conveyed.

Overwhelming Hiroshima with a fierce attack, taking the lead

When the game started, Kelly showed his face in the left and right spaces with a bold movement and became the focal point. Kagami got involved with the ball dropped by Kelly and expanded to both sides. Since the ground was wet and the ball ran well, Tokyo's passing, which used a lot of direct passes, overwhelmed Hiroshima, which had a sluggish engine. From the right, Naruse aggressively attacked with his favorite dribble, and although there were many mistakes, he pushed down Hiroshima's defense by trying many times. Naito, the right back, actively joined the attack from there and developed a thick attack. On the other hand, Miyazawa cut into the middle with a sharp dribble on the left side, and Fujiyama, the left back, overlapped into the space left on that side and launched a sharp attack. Miyazawa, who had high expectations, received the ball in a deep position on the left side of his own field from the opponent's pass miss in the 16th minute, and immediately passed a precise long pass of about 50 meters to the vacant space on the opposite side, and in the following 17th minute, he broke through vertically with a sharp dribble on the left side and put a low pinpoint cross into the goal area to create a chance. He played confidently without any hesitation against a J1 team he was playing against for the first time, proving the high level.

In the 23rd minute, after a careless pass mistake by Hiroshima, Miyazawa received the ball in the center and instantly recognized that the opponent's defensive line was shallow. He quickly made a through pass behind the opponent's defenders. Seigo Kobayashi, who broke through, dribbled past the oncoming goalkeeper and kicked the ball into the unguarded goal, scoring the long-awaited opening goal. The goal was created by Kobayashi's sharp acceleration and top speed, but we must not forget Miyazawa's "pinpoint pass" to Kobayashi before that. It was a wonderful through pass that could become a new weapon for Tokyo, unlike anything they had before.

Unable to score additional points, the momentum quickly shifted to Hiroshima after conceding...

Tokyo did not let up on their attack even after taking the lead. In the 29th minute, Kelly broke free from a brilliant pass play in the center and created a decisive chance to go one-on-one with the goalkeeper. In the 30th minute, Kelly unleashed a powerful shot in front of the goal. The pace of the game was completely in Tokyo's favor. On the other hand, Hiroshima's rhythm seemed to be affected by the gap between their ace forward, Kubo, and the national team. They made numerous passing mistakes and their offense failed to function, unable to create a foundation in the front line. Occasionally, the playmaker Fujimoto would make dangerous passes from dribbles, but there was no one to react. The entire team lacked concentration and was in a terrible situation. Everyone imagined Tokyo scoring more goals or even a large number of goals, but their failure to take that one extra step against the "sleeping" Hiroshima would have a significant impact later on. Just like in the J1 League 10th round match against Fukuoka (May 19th), no matter how relentless their attack was, if they couldn't score additional goals, it was only natural to give the opponent confidence over time.

The bad feeling quickly came true. In the 40th minute as the first half was approaching its end, a careless pass mistake by Fujiyama led to a side attack, and a cross easily thrown into the goal area from the left. Hiroshima's ace, Kubo, who had been dormant until then, shook Tokyo's goal net with a powerful header, equalizing the score. Just one mistake woke Hiroshima up from their slumber.

Hiroshima unable to withstand fierce attack, conceding 2 goals

The second half started completely in Hiroshima's pace. In the second half, Hiroshima brought in Japan national team defender Uemura, who had been preserved due to national team fatigue. Hiroshima, who woke up from their slumber and gained momentum, relentlessly attacked as if to return the favor from the first half. In the 5th minute, Fujimoto broke through the left side from a counterattack and took a powerful shot from a close distance, but Doi made a desperate save and deflected it. In the following 6th minute, Kubo broke through from the center and took a looping shot as Doi came out, but Sandro, who had returned diligently, cleared it just before the goal line. Furthermore, in the 11th minute, Fujimoto unleashed a powerful shot from the center, and in the 14th minute, Kubo broke through from Fujimoto's pass in the center, creating a decisive opportunity, but Doi quickly came out and cleared it a moment earlier.

In the second half, Tokyo's energy dropped significantly due to the decreased movement of Miyazawa and Kobayashi, which resulted in the loss of their aggressive attacks from the sides and the inability to effectively press the opponent's defense from the front line. As a result, they couldn't control the starting point of the opponent's attacks and ended up allowing them to freely attack. In the midst of this, Tokyo made a comeback attempt by substituting Amaral, who had been kept on the bench, in the 12th minute. Hiroshima's defense, now reinforced by national team defender Uemura, became solid and Tokyo struggled to create clear-cut chances. However, Amaral's presence in the front line was significant, providing stability in post-play and gradually creating opportunities for a counterattack.

However, in the 17th minute, Tokyo was easily broken through on the left side and a cross was lifted, and once again Kubo shook the goal net with a header, finally allowing a reversal. They conceded a goal in the exact same way as the first goal, and Tokyo, lacking concentration, was easily split in the center a minute later, and when the ball went out to the left side, it was crossed back and Kubo ran in and scored a spectacular goal with his left foot, the third goal conceded. Kubo's speed and power were truly reminiscent of a "representative" player, but there was no time to be impressed, and Tokyo quickly found themselves in a difficult situation with a two-goal difference.

Kobayashi's goal overturns a 2-point difference, showing Kelly's determination

Tokyo, which was pushed into a situation where they could not afford to concede any more goals, immediately started their counterattack. Two minutes later in the second half, Masamitsu KOBAYASHI intercepted a careless back pass from Hiroshima's defender and charged towards the goal, evading the goalkeeper and taking a shot. Following his opening goal, Masamitsu KOBAYASHI once again calmly shook the Hiroshima net.

Tokyo, who closed the gap to one point, brought in Tetsuya ITO and Yoshina. Amaral and Kelly repeated their attacks, approaching Hiroshima's goal, but Hiroshima also launched sharp attacks from counters, mainly by Fujimoto and Kubo. The intense offensive and defensive battle continued, with Tokyo participating in desperate attacks even by Sandro, the key defender, as the remaining 10 minutes approached. In the 44th minute, Fujimoto broke free from a counter and took a decisive shot that bypassed Doi, but Tetsuya ITO, who stood in front of the goal, barely cleared it. They overcame the greatest crisis. And in the added time (30 seconds remaining!), Yoshina kicked a free kick obtained on the right side, and Kelly, who jumped in, scored a crucial header to equalize at the last minute.

Tokyo of joy, with Kelly, Amaral, Sandro and others diving one after another on the ground, exploding with happiness. In contrast, the players of Hiroshima, who had almost secured victory at home (or so they thought), also fell to the ground. The game ultimately ended right after this. For Tokyo, it was a dramatic finale that was equivalent to an away victory.

In terms of content, there are still challenges such as the physicality of both sides in the second half, the lack of ability to score additional goals, and the weakness in closing the game. However, there were also many positive aspects such as the "Tokyo-like" style of play shown in the first half and the concentration in the latter part of the second half. And above all, the dramatic draw that is almost equivalent to a victory should have a positive impact for the upcoming J1 resumption match in three days and the second match against Hiroshima, which will be held at home next week. It is undeniable that this match has set the stage for the next one.

[Coach Okuma's Comment]

In the long-awaited official match, both the good and bad parts became clear. For us, the movement of the sides is crucial, so it was painful that the movement of Miyazawa and Kobayashi Masamitsu decreased in the second half. We want to analyze today's result and build on it for the next game.

I think Miyazawa did a good job in the first half, doing specific tasks well. In the second half, I considered substituting him because he was tired, but I wanted him to break through the "wall", so I kept using him as is. In the future, he may not be an immediate force, but he has proven to be a new option that can be expected.

Also, regarding Kensuke KAGAMI, it was his first official match after recovering from an injury, but he performed well in the first half. It can be considered as a future option.