J.League 20th Anniversary, Final Match of the Nabisco Cup Qualifying League to be Held at National Stadium

Nabisco Cup, which will be held three days after the league last week. In the 6th round of the qualifying league, we will play against Albirex Niigata. This round will be the final round of the qualifying league for Tokyo. Currently in 3rd place in Group B, in order to advance to the finals, we need to win this match and wait for the results of other matches. In order to increase the possibilities even a little, we will strive to win and if possible, score multiple goals to widen the goal difference.

This round, Hirayama is suspended. Lucas is also absent considering the consecutive matches. Morishige also starts as a substitute for the first time this season. On the other hand, Tanabe starts for the first time since the Nagoya NaviSco match on April 3, serving on both sides with Ishikawa. Mita and Hayashi also made their first bench appearance this season.

Niigata, who is currently in 6th place in Group with 4 points. Although they have 2 matches remaining in the preliminary round, it is essential for them to win this round in order to advance to the final tournament. This round, MF Leo Silva and DF Tsubouchi are suspended, so the lineup has been changed. However, the attacking lineup, consisting of FW Kawamata, FW Tanaka, MF Tanaka, and MF Mikado, who have scored in the last 3 matches, will all start. Against Niigata, who is in good form with 3 consecutive wins in the league, we will not be passive and will strive for victory with a united and strong mindset.

National, where the wind blows in the early summer. Interestingly, today is the day when the J-League started 20 years ago. And the commemorative match at the same location started with Niigata's kickoff at 19:04.

Amidst the fast-paced and rapidly changing offense and defense, Hasegawa gets injured

Concentrate and enter the game, take action from the start. In the 3rd minute, Higashi dribbled up the right side and Li jumped in to meet the last pass in the center. In the 7th minute, Takahashi broke free from the midfield and went up the left side to cross. Li in the area headed the ball. Starting from the side, in the 10th minute, Tanabe received an early cross from the left and cut inside the opponent's defender in the right area to create an angle and shot low.

However, Niigata also quickly connected passes and moved forward, leading to a speedy offense and defense. In the 19th minute, Niigata made a middle shot that hit the crossbar while attacking. It bounced straight down, almost resulting in a goal, but Gonda reacted immediately. The Tokyo defenders also covered the loose ball tightly, preventing a goal from being scored.

However, in the 22nd minute, Li sent a lofted pass to the center of the area from a quick pass work, and here, Takashi Hasegawa jumped in, but injured his leg upon landing after competing with the defender. Due to this incident, he was forced to be substituted, and in the 27th minute, Kono moved to the side. Tanabe took on the role of a defensive midfielder.

In the 31st minute, Niigata's free kick was cleared by Takahashi, and Ishikawa launched a counterattack. He created an opportunity, but the cross he lifted while losing his balance was cut off before reaching Li. After that, Tokyo gradually had more possession of the ball, but Niigata also quickly switched and the game continued at a high pace. The first half ended with no goals.

Naoya's spectacular goal! Mita's first professional goal secured the victory, but...

Created a big chance at the start of the second half. In the 48th minute, Tokunaga → Ishikawa broke through on the right side and made a last pass into the space in front of the goal. East closed in on it, but the shot was blocked by the goalkeeper's save.... However, in the 51st minute, East received Ota's left throw-in and passed the opponent on the side line, heading towards the front line. Ishikawa, who had run in with excellent timing, controlled the ball and aimed for a powerful shot! It pierced into the lower left corner of the goal in a spectacular manner, taking the lead!

Seizing the momentum, they attacked the Niigata goal one after another. However, despite launching a powerful coordinated attack, they were unable to convert their chances due to the opponent's goalkeeper making good saves. In the 65th minute, Niigata's left midfielder, A Tanaka, delivered a pinpoint cross to the speeding FW Okamoto in the center, who scored with a header. Niigata seized their one chance and equalized the score.

Still aiming to take the lead without rushing, in the 71st minute, Li received a lofted pass from Takahashi near the area with his back to the goal. He turned around from a chest trap and rushed towards the goal, unleashing a powerful shot from the left area, but it was saved by the goalkeeper...

In the 76th minute, Hikaru Mita was substituted, followed by Hayashi. Using offensive player substitutions, they launched a fierce attack. It paid off in the 82nd minute, when Mita expanded to the right after Li dropped Tanabe's vertical pass from Gonda's kick. Mita ran in again to the pass sent by Tokunaga, who was advancing in the center, and scored with his left foot. With a sense of speed and power in their attack, Mita marked his first professional goal and succeeded in taking the lead!

The final round of the qualifying league was decorated with an impressive and exciting game, but due to the results of other matches, we were unable to secure enough points for victory. Unfortunately, we were unable to advance to the final tournament of the Nabisco Cup this season. It is worth noting that this is the first time we have been eliminated from the qualifying league since 2006.


[Player Comments]
《Ishikawa》
"(Was it a commemorative match for the 20th anniversary?) It was great. I had a positive image from before the start of the game, and I was motivated by recalling memories of the J-League opening match. I wanted to play in a way that the children who came to watch today could feel something, just like I was impressed. I was thinking of making a challenge that would be memorable and that they could remember even in difficult times."

The goal, just like in the league match against Iwata, was when Taka Coach created an opportunity on the side and I was thinking "come to me!" It was actually a good ball that came and my strong desire led to a goal. I just wanted to win the Nabisco and score for the team's victory, but I think it was a goal that was true to myself."


《Mita》
"Before the game even started, I had the mindset of making an impact even if I came on as a substitute. When the chance to come on in a tied situation came, I thought to myself, 'I will become the hero' and stepped onto the pitch. Lately in training, I had been lacking in plays where I face forward, so I had been thinking of increasing opportunities to go towards the goal even in difficult situations. I think that led to the goal. I'm happy to score my first goal. I'm happy, but this is just the beginning. From here on, I want to work hard day by day to be involved in the league matches as well."


[Coach's Press Conference Summary]
《Coach Popovic》
“Today is a special day as it marks the 20th anniversary of the J-League. Despite its relatively short history of 20 years, I believe the organization of the J-League is on par with the Bundesliga and the Premier League. Before the match, I told the players that we must express our gratitude to those who were involved 20 years ago for allowing us to play football in such a wonderful environment. The best way we can show our gratitude is by playing the best football and demonstrating the growth of Japanese football.”

We have a lot to do in order to continue growing and creating a good environment for the next 20 years, while expressing our gratitude to those who have contributed to the J-League so far. We must establish Tokyo's style and create Tokyo's football, and strive to always be a club that competes at the top. I think everyone felt various things while watching today's football, but I personally enjoyed it very much and I believe the fans and supporters also enjoyed it.

I personally think that we played attractive soccer from the first half. As for Mita, his performance today was fantastic and it was good that he scored a goal. However, he is still at the beginning of his career and I think there is more to come. And it was because the whole team performed well that his strength was more effective. The same goes for Ishikawa and Lee. That's the team's strength and fighting collectively. By playing together in this kind of atmosphere, I believe that the growth of young players will also progress quickly."


《Niigata・Yanagishita Coach》
"When I look at today's lineup, I feel like there was a slight difference in strength. However, it's really frustrating to be scored against by a play that we were being cautious about. For example, when Tokyo attacked from the left, we were paying attention to Ishikawa's positioning. Whether it's the full-back, the defensive midfielder, or the midfielder on the opposite side who should be watching. Despite that, they still managed to score a brilliant goal freely. Even if someone had been there to respond, if they still managed to score, then there's nothing we can do about it. For us, it's important to pay attention to the opponent's strong points and try to nullify them. We want to work on that and apply it to future games."