First leg of the Nabisco Cup semifinals at home

　The league match was temporarily suspended and the Yamazaki Nabisco Cup resumed. In the semifinal round, Shimizu S-Pulse will face off against the opponent in the first match at home. After achieving consecutive victories, the team will face the Nabisco Cup in three days. Following this, the Emperor's Cup will continue, making it a series of matches. However, the team will give their full effort to the upcoming match as if it were the final round, as stated by Coach Ranko POPOVIC.

　However, it is a fact that it is "the cup competition (Hasegawa) closest to the title". Until the semifinals, it will be played home and away, so the first match at home will have a more significant meaning. In addition, this week, Takahashi and Gonda of the Japan national team will leave the team, and we will proceed with the preparations with a short time and few members, but we will definitely make every effort to win.

　Shimizu, on the other hand, advanced to the top of Group B in this Nabisco Cup. Although they suffered a loss in the quarterfinals against Nagoya, they scored 4 goals in the second match and have made it this far. In the league match, which took place in Sec. 8 (Apr 28), Shimizu had two players sent off but ultimately succumbed to Tokyo's defeat due to FW Takagi's "one shot." I have personally felt Shimizu's tenacity and strength in crucial moments, and this is also a match where they want to seek revenge.

　Tokyo started with Maruyama as a defender, making his first professional start. Shioda is the goalkeeper, with Morishige in the center of the back three, and Maruyama and Kaga on the left and right, respectively. The match started at Ajinomoto Stadium at 19:04 with Tokyo's kickoff, in the lingering heat and humidity.

Although they conceded the first goal, they regrouped and equalized with a beautiful goal from Kajiyama!

　In the early stages, Shimizu launched a speedy attack and put pressure on the opponent. In the 10th minute, Ishikawa received a pass from behind, turned forward, and aimed for a shot, but it went wide. At the same time, Shimizu's forward, Takagi, got injured and went off the pitch. In the 14th minute, Nabetani had to substitute for him. However, Shimizu's momentum did not waver, and Tokyo struggled.

　In the 16th minute, Lucas made a pass exchange with Ishikawa, received a through pass from Ishikawa, broke through the left front line, and took a shot that went wide. In the 23rd minute, Shimizu was awarded a free kick in the central area of Tokyo's defense. Shimizu's DF Li sent a kick to the front line, which was returned by FW Kim in the right area, and in the center, Tokunaga tried to clear the ball but it went into the net... We conceded the opening goal with an own goal from a set piece...

　After that, Tokyo, who couldn't quite take the initiative, changed their formation to 4-2-3-1. In the 32nd minute, they substituted Morihara with Tanabe as the left midfielder, and Maruyama took on the role of left full-back as they launched a counterattack. From this point on, they gradually began to grasp control of the game at their own pace.

　At the 35th minute, DF Kaga passes the ball to Tokunaga, who is on the midfield right sideline, accurately judging the offside line. Tokunaga then passes the ball to Ishikawa, who has moved around from the center to the right front line. Ishikawa dribbles forward and crosses the ball. Lucas attracts the opponent's DF in front of the goal, and Kajiyama, who has run in from behind, drives a shot towards the upper left corner! A beautiful goal that equalizes the score is scored from a well-coordinated play.

　In the 41st minute, Kajiyama received a foul near the area and Maruyama aimed for a sharp kick with the FK obtained from this, but only managed to get a CK by grazing the opponent. MoriShige headed from the second right CK, but it was off target. In injury time, Kajiyama and Lucas had a good tempo in their passing work, and Yonemoto got involved and developed to Ishikawa on the right. Although it was blocked by the opponent's DF, they tried to regroup with a change in formation and ended the first half.

Maruyama's proactive attitude pays off as Lucas scores a penalty kick to turn the game around! Securing the first victory.

　In the second half, we aggressively attacked from the beginning. In the 47th minute, Hasegawa on the left side passed behind the opponent's defender. Maruyama advanced up to the goal line, replacing Tanabe, and put in a negative cross. In the 51st minute, Tanabe broke through the defense after a flowing pass sequence from Kaga to Tanabe to Kajiyama, and expanded to the side. Ishikawa, who had spread wide, cut inside and sent a sharp ground cross, but it narrowly missed Lucas on the far side.

　In the 59th minute, Tanabe ran behind the opponent's defense from Kajiyama's through pass and made a minus pass from a high position on the right area. Kajiyama on the right area took a shot at the perfect timing, but it was saved by the goalkeeper. In the 60th minute, Lucas rushed towards the goal by breaking through the opponent's defense. However, the shot was saved by the goalkeeper. Ishikawa stuck with the ball that spilled on the right side and took a shot, but it was also saved by the goalkeeper. Aria ran in from the spilled ball and made a precise half-volley, but once again it was blocked by the goalkeeper. They created a decisive chance, but they couldn't break the goal in front of Shimizu's goalkeeper's excellent save.

　Despite that, Tokyo tried to connect passes calmly and aim for an additional goal, but Shimizu also made an attacking player substitution to seek a lead. In the 68th minute, Tokyo brought in Nemanja VUCICEVIC, but despite their offensive efforts, they lost the ball and faced a counterattack. In the 76th minute, Shimizu forward Omae broke through the front line with his speed and took a shot, but missed the target and escaped a dangerous situation.

　In the midst of intense changes in attack and defense, in the 78th minute, Vucicevic sent a vertical pass to Kajiyama, slightly to the left of the central area, and directly to the left area. Maruyama, who advanced into this area, was fouled by the opposing defender and won a penalty kick. In the 80th minute, Lucas confidently converted this penalty kick and succeeded in taking the lead!

　In the 84th minute, Hayashi was substituted. While preventing goals, he tried to exploit the opponent's weaknesses. In the 89th minute, Hasegawa kept the ball inside the opponent's territory and timed his pass, with Vucicevic jumping out in front of the goal. The pass reached him, creating a decisive chance, but it was blocked by Shimizu's defender at his feet... Although they couldn't score a third goal, they achieved a comeback victory in the first match.

　【Player Comment】《Maruyama》"It was my first start and I played the full 90 minutes, and there were enjoyable moments. However, I lacked match fitness and ended up cramping towards the end. Even when we had a back three, I was conscious of marking the opponents and making good passes, but we conceded and switched to a back four, which made my role clearer. After moving to the side back position, I tried to take up a higher position and actively contribute to both attack and defense. In the situation of the penalty kick, Kajiyama-san passed the ball to me in a good position, and as a result, we were able to get a penalty kick. I will continue to work hard to consistently perform well and also make an appeal."

　"In the early stages, there were few situations where the team tried to receive the ball, and the passes didn't connect well and were off target. There was also a feeling of not being able to "fit in" defensively. I think we were able to regain the flow of the game with the participation of player Tanabe. (Regarding the goal), there was also a good cross from player Ishikawa before that. I thought that the ball would come back in that situation, so I ran to the front of the goal and was able to score it properly. I think we were able to create chances by connecting passes and developing the game from the side in a good way, not just in the scoring scene. I think we also gained momentum."

　[Coach Popovich's press conference summary] "I think we were able to dominate the game for the most part, but our start in the first half was not the way to enter a game that leads to a final. We conceded a goal during a period where we lacked the fighting spirit, concentration, and ability to play that we usually have, as if it were a training match. However, we were able to turn the game around by doing what we needed to do afterwards. That can be evaluated, and I am satisfied with the content, attitude, and fighting spirit. We were able to show our attacking football, and I hope everyone enjoyed it."

　It's great that so many of you came on weekdays and I want to express my gratitude. It was good to be able to show you an interesting soccer game. As for the result, we had some big chances where it wouldn't have been strange to score 2-3 more goals, so I wanted to score a little more. Maruyama played in an official match for the first time today, but I think he played really well. He showed us high-quality plays that can compete with the starting members. However, it's important to continue to show our strength and keep appealing ourselves, not just in today's match but also in the future."

　[Summary of Shimizu GROT's press conference] "It was a very difficult match. I felt that way even before the match, and there was also the unfortunate injury of FW Takagi, but the start was good. And we were able to score a wonderful goal. We have been trying to play this kind of football throughout the season, but the players may have been hesitant. I am happy that the players made such a try and a goal was born from there. However, we were immediately scored against, and it was the worst goal. From my perspective, it seemed like an offside."

　The game became difficult from there. However, I thought we could bounce back and score the winning goal in the second half. Was the second goal a penalty kick or a simulation...? It was difficult for me to see from my angle, so I want to confirm it on video. However, the decision doesn't matter. We lost 1-2. Still, the away goal we scored will be valuable. I have confidence that we can fight well in the second leg."