We aim for the first time in three years to advance to the finals by playing our own soccer without being defensive.

　The second leg of the Nabisco Cup semifinals will be played away against Shimizu S-Pulse. In the previous league match against Kashima, we suffered a big defeat. We have taken that result seriously and Ishikawa said, "We will review especially the scenes where we conceded goals and confirm our style of play once again. Right now, I feel refreshed in a way. I want to approach this important match with a strong mentality, focusing on the Nabisco Cup."

　Shimizu, who is the opponent, has defeated Sendai and Iwata, who are in the top of the league, and has risen to 4th place. It can be said that their condition is improving. In addition, in the Emperor's Cup 3rd round match against Verdy held on the 10th, they used even younger members as the main players, so it can be said that there is no influence of the schedule on their condition. Today, DF Li and MF Kawai will be suspended due to accumulated warnings, but DF Yoshida, the left full-back, will return from injury. In addition, in the same formation as the Emperor's Cup, MF Ishige will be deployed as the right full-back.

　Tokyo, Kanda and Takahashi are absent due to the activities of the Japan national team. In addition, Tanabe is suspended due to accumulated warnings, and Hayu, who was injured in the league match against Kashima, will also be absent. The starting lineup will have Tokunaga at center back, Murahara and Maruyama on both sides, and Yonemoto and Hasegawa as the double pivot. Furthermore, Hirayama, who has improved his condition, will make a comeback to the team after about six months, and the team's atmosphere is also improving.

　In the first semifinal match, Tokyo won 2-1, so today's match will secure their spot in the final with a draw or better. (If they lose within 90 minutes, there will be extra time in case of a 1-2 score. Also, if Tokyo scores two or more goals and loses by one goal, they will advance based on away goals). Tokyo has an advantage, but they want to seize the opportunity to reach the final for the first time in three years by launching an aggressive attack against Shimizu, who will come with momentum and a strong offensive at home, without resorting to a defensive approach.

　The match started at 14:00 with a kickoff in Tokyo at IAI Stadium Nihondaira.

Unable to capitalize on scoring opportunities, trailing by one point at halftime

　In a unique atmosphere, the game quickly transitioned from intense defense to fast-paced attacks. In the 9th minute, a play was initiated on the right side, and Yonemoto at the back made a big switch to the side. Although Shimizu initially intercepted the clearance ball, Hasegawa in the center managed to steal it and pass it to Lucas. Lucas then made a decisive through pass to Edmilson, who had made a run behind the opponent's defensive line, just barely avoiding the offside position. However, Edmilson's shot was slightly off target as he was challenged by the opponent.

　Shimizu sends a long ball to the front line and tries to break through, but Tokyo concentrates on holding it back and also attacks by connecting passes. In defense, they switch between pressing from the front and compactly forming a block, showing calm situational judgment. However, in the 26th minute, Shimizu's FK is connected after a loose ball and MF Sugiyama takes a shot. Once again, this loose ball is picked up and Shimizu FW Takagi breaks through on the right front line and crosses to the right. FW Omae at the far post heads it in, conceding the first goal.

　But here, without panicking, calmly take control and aim for the tie. In the 30th minute, Hasegawa presses and steals the ball, and from there, Ishikawa, who entered the right area, takes a good shot but goes over the bar. In the 35th minute, from a left throw-in, Kajiyama drops the ball directly in the center, and Hasegawa's focused shot from the attack goes over the frame. Just before the end of the first half, Hasegawa, who entered the area from the right area near Kajiyama's skillful control, breaks free and gets into a shooting position, but is saved by Shimizu's goalkeeper's quick dive. In the end, the first half ends with a one-point deficit.

Despite attacking until the end, they fell short in terms of goal difference. They did not advance to the finals.

　Tokyo created chances from the start of the second half. In the 46th minute, Kajiyama -> Edmilson went up the left front line and sent a cross that bypassed the Shimizu DF and reached Ishikawa in the right area. From here, a last pass was sent to the center, and Kajiyama and Hasegawa attempted to score a goal in quick succession from close range, but their shots were blocked and Lucas' shot, which followed, was also blocked by the DF, resulting in a corner kick. Furthermore, from the flow of this right corner kick, Morishige in the left area took a volley shot, but it was blocked by the Shimizu DF, resulting in a left corner kick. In the 49th minute, Kajiyama dribbled past the opposing DF and took a shot. The GK spilled it, but Tokyo couldn't capitalize on it.

　58 minutes, Tokyo substitutes Nemanja VUCICEVIC for Edmilson, further strengthening their attacking posture. However, in the 63rd minute, they are caught off guard for a moment and a big side change leads to the ball reaching Shonan FW Omae on the right side. It was a one-on-one situation with Maruyama, but he skillfully dribbles and scores a goal, giving Shonan a 2-point lead. Tokyo, who desperately wants to score a goal, substitutes Hirayama for Yonemoto in the 69th minute, marking his first appearance since the Shonan match on April 28th in the league. Kajiyama changes his position to defensive midfielder.

　Tokyo utilizes Kajiyama's ball retention skills and dominates the midfield. The fullbacks on both sides attempt bold overlaps to join the attack, but they are unable to break through Shizuoka's block. They struggle to create shooting opportunities. In the 83rd minute, Maruyama delivers a low cross, and Lucas tries to connect with it, but the opposing defender cuts it off and earns a left corner kick. Nemanja's ball is deemed a foul in front of the goal, resulting in the opponent gaining possession.

　In injury time, Hasegawa from Nia's right corner kick jumps in with his whole body, but the Shizuoka goalkeeper reacts and the ball spills. From here, Nemanja pushes again, but couldn't bring it to a shot in the center. Then, in the 6th minute of injury time, Morishige tangled with the opponent in the penalty area and was judged to have committed a foul, resulting in a penalty kick. He received a red card and was sent off, and the third goal was scored from this penalty kick. As a result, although the win-loss record was tied at 1-1, we were eliminated in the semifinals due to goal difference.

　【Player Comment】《Shioda》"I don't feel the reality of a game with a 3-point difference... There are various factors that led to the defeat... Overall, we were able to organize our defense and switch quickly. However, regarding Shimizu's opening goal, we initially cleared the ball from Daigo's free kick, but it bounced and we allowed a shot from outside. At that moment, we failed to mark Daigo, who was the kicker, and let him have a free shot. Our communication was lacking against the opponent's second and third attacks. The second goal was conceded from a single long ball, but within our aggressive approach, the combination between me and Maru was not good."

　However, we also tried to fight tenaciously, but Shimizu was also tenacious. It would have been good if we could score one point, but maybe we became a little too nervous about winning and scoring. Of course, it is important not to concede a goal, but even if we did, we couldn't play the game calmly and end it by scoring one point without panicking. Maybe we also lacked composure in front of the goal. We have no choice but to face forward and fight more aggressively and confidently."

　"Mukuhara: 'There was no need to panic even if we conceded a goal first. Even at 0-1 or 0-2, everyone on the pitch believed that 'everything will change if we score one goal.' So even after conceding two goals, we were encouraging each other to 'stay calm and keep going.' I don't think there were many scenes where Shimizu broke through our defense, so the biggest difference is... whether we can score when it matters or not, I think.'"

　Furthermore, we kept making easy mistakes in the midfield and repeatedly lost possession, which may have resulted in us using up too much energy overall. We understand all too well the expectations you had for us in the Emperor's Cup and the disappointment of not being able to meet them, especially with our league performance not improving. We apologize for not being able to deliver and feel regretful. However, we believe that our progress thus far is a testament to our ability, and not being able to advance further is also a reflection of our ability."

　[Coach Popovich's press conference summary] "It's difficult to say anything after a game like this... We tried to do what we had to do, but the opponent was one step ahead. We created decisive chances, but couldn't finish them. On the other hand, the opponent finished them firmly. There was a difference in finishing ability. I am disappointed with this result as well. However, in order to continue growing, we must go through this difficult path and use this suffering as nourishment if we want to grow even more. There are still league matches remaining, so we want to use today's defeat and continue to fight."

　I'm really sorry that we couldn't advance to the finals. We were hoping that a lot of fans and supporters would gather at the National Stadium. We want to repay the fans and supporters for this defeat in the league matches. We believe that our true value is tested in difficult times and our true strength is being challenged. We want to unite as a team here and overcome the defeat, turning it into strength."

　[Shimizu-Afshin Ghotbi's press conference summary] "I am extremely impressed by the S-Pulse fans. It was a wonderful result and I think it was a great performance as professionals. I am happy that we can go to the final. (Were you able to anticipate the opponent's intense press?) I think it was a very difficult game to enter. I think it became a very tactical game. Of course, we cannot concede goals. As the game progressed, it got better. Especially in the second half."

　Normally, I think the opponent would come to score early. So, I think the opponent applied high press. If it were me, I would have done the same thing. (What was the turning point of today's match?) I think there were various points in this match. First, the opening goal. It was scored by FW Omae, who entered the area from a deep position in the flow of the FK. And both the first and second goals had a connection between FW Omae and FW Takagi. Among the two of them, I think there was a very good mutual understanding."