Challenging Urawa Reds in the Nabisco Cup final

　The 2004 J.League Yamazaki Nabisco Cup Final Round was held. It was a long-awaited and the club's first final. Despite the tough schedule with only 2 days of rest after the league match last weekend, we will adjust our condition and prepare ourselves fully for this important match.

　Urawa Reds, who will face them, have advanced to the final for the third consecutive year in this tournament. They are a formidable opponent aiming for back-to-back victories following last year. In the second stage of the league, Tokyo has not won any of their last five matches, while Urawa is currently in first place. Urawa's momentum and high reputation are overwhelmingly in their favor. However, the current Nabisco Cup, which started on March 27th, tells a different story. So far, the data shows that Tokyo (4 wins, 1 draw, 1 loss) has scored 18 goals and conceded 10 goals, while Urawa (4 wins, 2 losses) has scored 19 goals and conceded 10 goals, making them almost equal. The head-to-head record in the league is also 1 win and 1 loss, with Tokyo being the only team to defeat Urawa in the second stage. Expectations are high for a thrilling match, and Tokyo is challenging to create a new history as a challenger!

　Before the decisive battle, Urawa's coach Buchwald said, "Tokyo is a team that plays good soccer. In terms of their strength, I think their league ranking is too low," while also saying, "The Japan National Stadium is our home." In response to those words, the packed Japan National Stadium is occupied by nearly 70% Urawa supporters in the general seating area. However, Tokyo's goal end is not inferior in terms of passion. The support's voices reach the players firmly, and before the match, the eleven respond to each call. Amidst the atmosphere of the grand stage, Tokyo remains the same as always on the field, unaffected by being overwhelmed.

An accident occurs to Tokyo, which fights aggressively...

　Under the clear autumn sky, the heated battle kicked off in Tokyo. In the 1st minute, Kelly was fouled and earned a free kick, Ishikawa made a move towards the center and passed it to the front line. In the 2nd minute, Ishikawa took a ground shot from a free kick outside the left area. In the 5th minute, Imakawa passed to Toda who broke through the defense line, but it was offside. In the 7th minute, Ishikawa intercepted a pass from Urawa's defense line, broke through vertically, and sent a cross. Although they couldn't finish, Tokyo consistently kept their defense line high, aggressively chased and took control of the ball. They attacked Urawa's goal with Ishikawa on the side as the focal point. Urawa's forwards, Tanaka and Nagai, tried to create movement and disturb the defense line, but their movements were not fluid and the passes didn't connect. In the 13th minute, Jean fouled Nagai in front of the goal, and midfielder Mitsushu aimed for a direct goal from the free kick. This was Urawa's first shot.

　At 15 minutes, Kanazawa sent a long pass to the left space, which Toda caught up with and crossed from the end line. Although it was caught by the opponent's goalkeeper, it was a familiar attacking pattern. At 18 minutes, Toda picked up the loose ball from Kaji's right cross and crossed from the left, showing a wide attack. However, at 20 minutes, Urawa launched a quick counterattack from the goalkeeper's saving, and midfielder Mitsuru Hasebe shot freely from inside the area, assisted by a through pass from midfielder Mitsuru Hasebe. The ball crossed the goal but the danger was averted, showing Urawa's ability to convert chances into finishes. Nevertheless, Tokyo continued to attack without fear and quickly switched gears. At 25 minutes, Jean broke through the offside line by receiving a long feed from Lucas and took a direct shot from a chest trap. At 28 minutes, Lucas skillfully kept the ball and tried to exchange passes with Kelly, but won a corner kick. However, Lucas' headed shot went over the goal.

　It was the 29th minute. Urawa stole the ball in the midfield and passed it to the forward Emerson. Emerson tried to turn and move forward using his speed, but Jean's foot got in the way. A yellow card was shown for this foul, and Jean received his second warning of the day and was sent off. Tokyo had to play in a significantly disadvantaged situation without their defensive pillar.

　However, without panic, in the 33rd minute, Fujiyama was substituted for Miura. It was a difficult decision to take out Miura, who could control the game, but the game plan was revised. Fujiyama was placed as a center back and faced the game with Inamoto as a lone defensive midfielder. In the 34th minute, Tanaka Tatsu headed away Urawa's Nagai's early left cross, and Emerson jumped into the goal area but narrowly missed. In the 37th minute, Emerson received a right cross and cut inside, taking a shot. However, Tokyo did not panic even in the face of accidents and continued to attack towards the goal whenever there was an opportunity, while emphasizing defense. In the 42nd minute, Toda bravely jumped forward and stuck in the right area, drawing a foul and earning a free kick. Moino, who jumped into the goal area from Ishikawa's kick, was unable to make a connection. In injury time, Lucas' through pass reached Ishikawa on the right side, but it was offside. However, they continued to attack the goal and ended the first half with a near-perfect performance in the 10-man battle. The score remained 0-0 as they entered the second half.

Intense Battle! Never Give Up with Tenacious Soccer

　At halftime, Coach Hara confirmed both attacking and defending set plays with 10 players. He also said, "If we lose the ball poorly, we will be countered. Let's try to finish with a shot anyway." and "If we continue like this, the opponent will definitely come attacking, even if their balance is disrupted. That's when we'll have a chance." We waited for a chance to attack from a solid defense, and in the 48th minute, Lucas persisted on the right side, and Kelly made a direct pass to the right side. Ishikawa, utilizing his speed, made a run and sent a cross, and we attacked again from the throw-in. In the 50th minute, Lucas picked up a loose ball from a central breakthrough, and Kaji passed to the right space. However, Ishikawa was unfortunately offside. In the 52nd minute, Toda received a pass from Kanazawa and earned a free kick near the end line. Ishikawa's free kick reached Kelly on the far side, but the timing was off and it didn't result in a shot.

　However, Urawa changed their formation by moving left MF Yamada to the center and having FW Nagai play on the right side. Urawa then seized the rhythm and created chances. In the 54th minute, Kaji, who made an overlap, won a corner kick. However, Urawa allowed a counterattack by losing the loose ball. Emerson broke through the Tokyo DF one after another and made a final pass to Nagai, who ran up to the right goal. Shigetani also chased after it without giving up, but the decisive shot was saved by Doi with his right foot!　

　In the 60th minute, Kelly was surrounded and robbed after passing the ball back to his own Kaji, and then passed to Emerson on the front line. Emerson charged forward without being stopped by Fujiyama, who was close to his body, and took a shot in front of the goal, but it missed above the bar and there was no harm done. However, Tokyo also had a decisive chance after the pinch. In the 61st minute, Toda broke free in the area from a left throw-in and crossed it on the ground. The course changed as it hit the defender in front of the goal, and Ishikawa, who was free in the area, took a shot. However, the opponent's goalkeeper made a save just one step away. In the 63rd minute, the opponent's goalkeeper jumped out on the left corner kick, and Shigeki shot with his right foot on the far side. He had captured the goal, but was blocked by Tatsuya who had entered to cover.

　Tokyo, who had been unable to connect the ball, substituted Kajiyama for Kelly in the 71st minute. It was expected that he would create a pause in the midfield, but due to fatigue, it became increasingly difficult to push the whole team up. On the other hand, Urawa is gaining more and more momentum. In the 77th minute, Suzuki caused a pinch from the right side after being substituted for Mitoju, and Suzuki caused a pinch from the cross. In the last minute, Suzuki headed the cross from Emerson, but it missed the frame. In the 78th minute, Nagai flew out to the left area from the feed of DF Tomaou, and crossed in front of the goal. Emerson jumped in, but Moini and Fujiyama blocked it with their bodies and did not touch it. In the 80th minute, Moini, who was challenged by Emerson in a one-on-one match, escaped to CK. The high-headed shot from the left CK by DF Alpai was cleared by Toda with a head just before the goal! They were repeatedly given decisive scenes, but they showed tremendous concentration and did not allow any goals.

　In the 84th minute, BABA replaced TODA. The last substitution card was used to attempt a counterattack, but the structure of Urawa attacking and Tokyo defending remained unchanged. In the 86th minute, EMERSON took a shot from the center of the goal after connecting a right throw-in. It narrowly missed the goal. In stoppage time, TANAKA's header shot, assisted by NAGAI's cross, hit the right post. It is true that Urawa had no luck, but FUJIYAMA, MOCHIDA, KANAZAWA, IMANO, and others showed their fighting spirit and concentration, defending the goal. The match was brought into extra time.

Won the penalty shootout and captured the first title!!

　The momentum of Urawa remains unchanged even in extra time. In the first minute of extra time, Emerson, who received a left cross, took a powerful shot from near the penalty arc. Doi made a wonderful save and blocked Tanaka's shot from inside the right area. In the 97th minute, Hasebe passed to Tanaka, who then passed to Emerson for a shot, but Doi caught it firmly.

　Tokyo became a young team with an average age of less than 24 for field players, but everyone, led by Konno, remained calm and kept up with Urawa's attacks, creating opportunities for counterattacks despite being few. In the 101st minute, Kajiyama advanced to the left end line and made a minus last pass in front of the goal. However, it did not reach Lucas. In the 103rd minute, Fujiyama picked up the opponent's defender's clearance and aimed for the goal.

　In the 4th minute of extra time, there was a decisive scene for Urawa. Emerson → Tanaka → were shaken off in the area, and Suzuki took the final shot from the right. However, it missed above the goal. In the 110th minute, FW Okano replaced Urawa's Nagai. In the 111th minute, Emerson took a shot from a deep position cross from Okano in front of the goal. However, it was saved by Doi's superb save and resulted in a corner kick. In the end, the 120-minute battle ended in a scoreless draw, and the decision was finally left to a penalty shootout.

　Tokyo, the first to attack, scored solidly with Lucas, Baba, and Konno. Urawa scored with Toshiya TANAKA, and Hasebe, but the third shot by Tatsuya TANAKA hit the crossbar. Then, Tokyo's Kajiyama's kick was saved by the goalkeeper, but Urawa's fourth shooter, Yamada, had his shot saved by Doi's sharp reaction! And then, the fifth shooter, Kaji, drove a powerful shot into the net, winning the penalty shootout 4-2! With a never-give-up fight until the end, they won the Nabisco Cup and achieved their first championship!!

　Including the penalty shootout, Doi, who saved the team from many pinches with numerous fine plays, won the MVP award. However, in this Nabisco Cup, in addition to the players who took the field today, Shioda, who continued to guard the goal until the semifinals, Abe, who continued to produce results even after being substituted, Tokunaga, a specially designated player, and Kurisawa, fought together as a team. The first title won by everyone. We would like to connect this victory to the team's strength in the future, while expressing gratitude for the support of many.

　【Player Comments】《Doi》"Jean was sent off early in the game, but it actually brought the team together. We had to work harder without him, but it was for Jean's sake that we were able to unite as a team. Each of us was focused and followed the coach's instructions, which led to this result. We have been practicing penalty kicks and Tokyo players are good at them. I was confident we wouldn't miss. This was my first appearance in the Nabisco Cup this year and I haven't done much, so I was determined to make a difference."《Moino》"It was tough when Jean was sent off, but it made our game plan clearer. Our mindset didn't change, but we were able to play defensively as a team and I think that's what led to this result. Emerson is a special player for me. I didn't want to be beaten by him. I tried to push him to the sides, but it was difficult. I was confident we could win and I think it was because we were united as a team. This title will give us a lot of confidence."《Kanazawa》"In the first half, we were able to contain Urawa's Yamada and take advantage of the space behind him, as we had discussed with Toda. Even with one less player, Jean's spirit stayed with us and we were able to stay focused. Nagai made some chances on the wing, but we were able to cover for him by working together with the players in the middle. Before going into extra time, we all said we would give it our all. We only had one goal in mind: to win. It was our first final, but the atmosphere before the game was good and we were confident."《Kajiyama》"We had a good atmosphere in training yesterday, so I was looking forward to today's game. My role was to control the midfield and wait for my teammates to join the attack. But it was tough. I couldn't even get a shot off because I was constantly defending. I have some regrets about that. I think we were able to make it this far in the tournament because of everyone's efforts."

　[Summary of Coach Hara's Press Conference] "The opponent in the Final Round is Urawa, who is currently on a roll. The weather is nice, and many supporters have come. On this great stage, rather than trying to negate Urawa's strengths, we aimed to unleash all the power we possess. I told the players that if they are afraid of Urawa's attacking line and resort to back passes or sideways passes, it will lead to shots on goal. The three forwards have good synergy, but I encouraged them to play without fear. It seemed that Urawa hasn't experienced many close matches. If it becomes a close game, not only the three forwards but also the players from the back will break their balance and push forward. There should be openings at that time, and I said there is a chance to win. However, Emerson indeed has speed, and when Jean received the first yellow card, I had a bad feeling. It was an early exit, but I think our perseverance and the team's character of not giving up until the end really showed. For example, even if Toda cramps up, he will push forward again, and even if Fujiyama comes in midway, he can adapt quickly. (What was the intention behind substituting Fujiyama for the defensive midfielder Miura instead of a forward?) Urawa has a lot of talent in their front line. If we let their attacking players get out, they will come forward even more. I told Kelly to increase his work rate but to return close to Konno during defense. I thought that for Urawa, it would be most troublesome if Toda and Ishikawa could push forward while defending. I considered that putting Miura and Konno in defense would disrupt our balance. Miura had a particularly strong desire to win this Final Round, but Fujiyama is good at dealing with speedy players. His entry tightened things up. If we lose the ball poorly and get hit on the counter, there’s no way to defend against it, so I wanted to prevent counterattacks. With nine players, the speed of our players returning to defense increased, which I think helped to some extent in suppressing Urawa's speed. In the Nabisco Cup, many players participated, and we won with everyone's strength. Doi made his debut, and until now, we had always had Jean as captain, but I wanted everyone, including Jean and Shiota, who had been playing consistently, to fight together. Before the match, all the players formed a circle, and the more difficult the feelings became, the more alive they were. In a penalty shootout, you never know which way it will go, but I wanted to express my gratitude to the players who brought us that far. I was happy to face Urawa in the Final Round, and I didn't realize how joyful it would be to win a title. Many people were happy, and winning is great. I want to win again. This title will give the club the confidence to become one rank stronger. Until now, we have come close but couldn't reach it, and we had no experience in the Final Round. By overcoming that, I believe we can draw out even more of our strengths."

　[Urawa Buchwald's press conference summary] "We had a difficult start to the game. Tokyo pressed well and aggressively disrupted Urawa's play. We were nervous because it was the final, and for the first 30 minutes, we couldn't play our usual football with a clear mind. The first half ended 0-0, but both teams had chances. In the second half, we had a numerical advantage and attacked well. I think for several tens of minutes, it was only Urawa's attacks. Of course, there were 2 or 3 dangerous scenes, but as the shot count was 27 to 8 in our favor, I think we were able to play overwhelmingly attacking football. In the second half, we instructed Nagai to play more on the outside to bring Tokyo's back four closer to the side, and we wanted Yamada to play in the middle. It worked well, and Nagai created several good chances. However, despite creating chances, shots that should have been goals, such as Mito's artistic shot in the first half, Alpay's header, and Tanaka's shot that hit the post, didn't go in today. Even in extra time, we were the ones attacking. We used the sides and tried to penetrate the center to enter the penalty area, but unfortunately, we couldn't score. I think Tokyo tried to defend hard while aiming for shooting opportunities. Penalty shootouts rely heavily on luck and mental aspects. Not being able to score despite having chances in the 120 minutes is everything today. I sincerely congratulate Tokyo from the bottom of my heart. We have another league match coming up soon, so we want to focus on that."