Nabisco Cup kicks off! Start aiming for the top

　The first match of the Nabisco Cup qualifying league is against Shimizu S-Pulse away. Tokyo, along with Tokyo V, Shimizu, and Iwata, belongs to Group B and will compete in the qualifying league at home and away. In the previous league match against Niigata, we protected a 3-point lead in the first half and achieved our first victory of the season. We want to decorate this first match with a victory, maintaining that momentum. Coach Jofuku said, "We will return to our original intentions and fight for the title. We will approach each match with full effort and actively challenge in order to level up as a team even when national team players are absent."

　Shimizu, on the other hand, has 1 win and 1 loss in the league so far. However, Coach Hasegawa says, "Last season's 4th place finish is a result that cannot be achieved without strength. We have also suffered 1 loss this season, but the way we played until last season has been ingrained and we have improved our level by building on our experiences." It is important not to let Shimizu's midfield, which is filled with technically skilled players, take control, as well as taking care of tall forward Yajima and speedy and energetic forward Fernandinho.

　Tokyo, despite the absence of Konno and Hanyu due to the activities of the Japanese national team, has included Asari and Kurisawa as replacements. Kurisawa expressed his enthusiasm, saying, "I want to show my face more and receive the ball in the build-up phase from the defensive line, and connect it. At the same time, I want to be conscious of making runs into the forward line." In addition, Coach Shirofuku stated, "I want to make the most of each player's characteristics," and Hirayama will return to the starting lineup for this match. The matchup with Shimizu's defender Aoyama will be a highlight, but Hirayama also expressed his desire to not only win headers but also move and receive the ball, and create chances by getting between the defenders. His appeal and eagerness for victory are evident.

　Both teams are expected to press each other and cancel out each other's strengths, but if we can prevent Shimizu's attacking midfielders, including new signing Marcos Aurelio, from playing freely and launch quick counterattacks, we should be able to create chances. We want to dominate the midfield and aim for consecutive victories. The match started at exactly 3:00 PM with Shimizu's kickoff at the chilly Nihondaira Stadium, where light rain was falling.

Shun HIRAYAMA scores a goal, but the first half ends with a one-point deficit

　Moved early in the game. In the 2nd minute, Shimizu MF Fernandez → FW Nishizawa dropped the ball and FW Yajima received it and dribbled to the left front line. Tokyo couldn't stop this despite the long distance run and a shot was taken from the left area. They conceded a goal so early. However, they didn't collapse and turned to attack. In the 8th minute, Kurisawa → Nagatomo dribbled up on the left side and passed it back to Kurisawa. They sent an early cross inside, and Hirayama took a low header shot but it went wide. In the 12th minute, a pass went from Kurisawa on the left side to Ishikawa → Tokunaga → Kajiyama, and a through pass was made into the right area. Ishikawa reacted to it, but he was quickly surrounded by Shimizu DF and couldn't finish.

　Then, in the 15th minute, Tokunaga dribbled on the right side and passed it to Asari who was supporting from behind. Asari immediately crossed the ball and Hirayama headed it in with a high impact, equalizing the score. After that, they continued to pass the ball and tried to attack from the sides, but the forward line was isolated and struggled to bring the ball to the area. On the contrary, they lost the rhythm as Shimizu launched counterattacks by capitalizing on midfield passing mistakes. In the 31st minute, there was a judgment that Shimizu FW Nishizawa was fouled by Shigetani inside the area, resulting in a penalty kick. Shimizu MF Fujimoto calmly converted the penalty.

　Somehow, we want to catch up with the tie as soon as possible, so we put pressure on the front line and try to steal the ball, but the opponent's FW creates a good starting point and we also face a pinch from the counter. In the 40th minute, Kurisawa tries to aim for a goal with a middle shot, but the opponent's GK catches it. In the 44th minute, we take the left CK from Nagatomo's cross, and Yoshimoto in the far side reacts to Emerson's kick, but it is not well matched. In the end, we reached halftime with a one-point deficit.

Unable to take advantage of the chances until the end, defeated with 3 goals conceded

　Substitute Cabore for Ishikawa in the second half. Emerson moves to the right, Kurisawa moves to the left MF in a 4-4-2 formation to go for a goal. Shortly after the start, Nagatomo, who moved to the center, shoots from the left area but misses the target. In the 54th minute, Cabore catches up with Kajiyama's long through pass on the right front line and crosses it back. However, it doesn't reach Emerson. In the 57th minute, Hirayama drops the ball from the right FK to the right side, and Emerson cuts deep to the sideline and crosses it. Cabore jumps and tries to connect in front of the goal, but it doesn't hit.

　In the 63rd minute, Tokunaga from the right side crossed the ball, Hirayama dropped it short in the area, and then Cabore shot, but it was blocked by the opponent's defender and resulted in a corner kick. Tokyo gradually advanced the game in the Shizuoka's half, and in the 64th minute, Otake was substituted for Kurisawa to further strengthen the attacking posture. However, in the 66th minute, Tokyo gave a left free kick to Shizuoka, and they were unable to clear the ball in front of the goal, resulting in the third goal against them. It was a frustrating goal as Tokyo had completely seized the momentum and had pushed Shizuoka to the limit, but they were caught off guard for a moment.

　Tokyo, who still goes for the first goal. In the 67th minute, Emerson's ball from the left corner kick was crossed by Shigetaka, and Cabore shot over the goal. In the 74th minute, Akamine was replaced by Akamine. In the 76th minute, Otake crossed from the left side, and Tokunaga, who ran up to clear the ball, shot a sharp middle, but it hit the defender and became a corner kick. In the 80th minute, Otake reacted to the floating ball as he entered the left area. He aimed for the goal while colliding with the opposing goalkeeper who came out, resulting in a corner kick. Cabore headed the left corner kick taken by Otake with a high contact point, but the ball missed the goal.

　In the 86th minute, Akamine on the front line passed directly to Tokunaga, who was on the right side. Tokunaga took a powerful shot from inside the right area, but the goalkeeper made a save. Tokunaga connected with the rebound and passed it to Kajiyama in the center, who pretended to shoot and passed it to Otake on the left side. Otake sent a strong cross in front of the goal, but it didn't quite reach Cabore. Towards the end of the game, Nagatomo made a breakthrough from the side and floated a cross in front of the goal. Cabore headed the ball, but the goalkeeper also came out and it was cleared by the covering Shizuoka DF. In the final stages, Otake was involved in the ball well and created many chances, but couldn't break through Shizuoka's solid defense and the game ended as it was. The Nabisco Cup started with a loss.

　【Player Comments】《Hirayama》"The goal was just a matter of connecting with a good cross from Sari-san. I was conscious of jumping in front of the opponent's defender, and I think that led to the goal. However, I made a lot of mistakes throughout the game, and when the ball didn't come to the front line, I couldn't help but drop back. I need to be patient and not drop back, otherwise we will lack numbers up front. It's a point of reflection, and I want to make adjustments and move on to the next game."《Otake》"I played with the determination to definitely catch up... I might have been able to change the flow, but it didn't lead to a goal. I made a lot of small mistakes, and I need to improve my accuracy. I was allowed to take the free kick because I was in good shape during practice. However, it went straight to the goalkeeper's face. (What about the cross you sent to the goal area after receiving Kajiyama's pass?) I aimed for a strong cross with the expectation that someone would connect with it. But I'm reflecting on the fact that I should have kicked the ball more towards the goal. The national team players are absent, but I want to approach practice with the strong determination to start as a regular player."

　[Summary of Manager Shirofuku's Press Conference] "Considering Shimizu's performance in the J-League in recent years, we thought that we wouldn't stand a chance unless we challenged ourselves, so we entered the game with the intention to challenge from the start. We conceded a goal from the opponent's first shot, but we held on well in the first half and managed to create our own opportunities and stay calm to some extent, which was good. However, we conceded a goal from a penalty kick. The penalty kick is a judgment call, so there's nothing we can do about it, but I feel like we got a little flustered afterwards. In the second half, we went for goals, so it was inevitable that we would be countered to some extent, but I wish we could have scored during the good periods when we attacked. Also, if we had held on with just a one-goal difference at 1-2, I think various things could have happened. We should reflect on the point where we conceded the third goal. (What was the intention and impression of bringing in Otake?) In the process of going for goals, in terms of players passing and receiving the ball, he played the role of receiving the ball from the defense and supplying it to the forward striker very well. Of course, it was built on the foundation of other players picking up loose balls. We expected him to provide an accent in terms of supplying the ball to the forward line. I entered the game knowing what I needed to do in that situation, so I thought he could do that much and it would be troublesome if he didn't. Whether he could do it from the beginning is a different issue."

　[Summary of Shimizu Hasegawa's press conference] "I'm glad we were able to get 3 points at home in such an important match as the first game of the Nabisco Cup. I think the players really worked hard. I didn't know that we hadn't won for 8 years, so I thought when I saw the newspaper that we hadn't won that much. We lost the home opening game of the league for the first time in many years, so I'm glad we were able to win this time. I knew that FC Tokyo had raised their momentum by defeating Niigata in the previous league game. The key was whether we could properly contain Ishikawa and Emerson, who come out from the shadow. It was disappointing that we allowed Hirayama to create opportunities a few times in the first half and he scored from a cross. I thought we had to stop that area properly, and it was a very unpleasant goal to concede right after taking the lead. However, it was big that we were able to score another goal in the first half. Nishizawa created opportunities in the front line and created space for us, and the second-row players were able to join the attack at a very good timing. I think they really did well today. There were many scenes where Nishizawa crossed, but there were few scenes where he finished in the middle, but he received and turned in the PK scene. We were able to play the game as planned with many corner kicks won. We were able to run until the end and had chances to score, so I think we can say that we have fully recovered. It is very important for the team that Nishizawa has returned in this way, and I hope he will continue to lead the attacking line. Honda is in his third game, but I think he is adapting well. It wasn't good that he jumped in the scene where he gave away the free kick at the end, but he is improving with each game and I appreciate that. At halftime, I told the players that the next goal would be crucial, and I was glad that we were able to defend and score from a set piece. There were a few dangerous moments at the end, but we were able to stay focused and respond until the end. It was a game for FC Tokyo without national team players, but I'm happy that we were able to win at home considering the qualifiers and I want to prepare well for the next away game."