Challenge the Serie A champion, Juventus!

　A preseason match was held during the break of the Nabisco Cup. Yokohama F.Marinos welcomed Juventus, who won this season's Serie A, to their home stadium, Ajinomoto Stadium. Juventus, led by coach Fabio Capello, played in Serie A until May 29th and then embarked on an Asian tour while still basking in the glory of their championship. On June 1st, they played against Yokohama F.Marinos and won 1-0. In the immediate Hong Kong tour, they faced Kitchee, who finished third in the Hong Kong League. Although FW Del Piero and MF Nedved scored, they were defeated in a penalty shootout, causing a surprising turn of events.

　In today's match, they will come to Tokyo with a serious determination not to lose any more. The lineup consists of DF=Villindelli, Turam, Zebina, and Parigi from the right. G. Pessotto and Aronica in the midfield. Capo on the right MF, Nedved on the left. The formation is 4-4-2 with "that" Trezeguet and Del Piero as the two top players.

　Considering Tokyo's tough schedule and good performance in the satellite, a young-centered team composition is being considered. Oyoku starts as the left full-back for the first time this season, and Kurisawa, who was absent due to poor health in the previous match, also starts. On the bench, Kenji Suzuki, who is also making his first appearance this season, and Ikegami (Sendai University, JFA・J-League designated player) are present, and they will challenge in a 4-4-2 formation. The highly anticipated match against Juventus, who won the Scudetto, will take place at the refreshing Ajinomoto Stadium, kicking off at 19:00.

Take the lead with Toda's goal against the champion by aggressively attacking!

　Tokyo played freely from the start of the game, with Imano, Fujita, Toda, Miyazawa, Ishikawa, and Oyoku each showcasing their strengths. In just over 20 seconds, Yusuke Kondo greeted with a mid-range shot. In the first minute, Imano picked up a loose ball from the opponent's defense and aimed for a goal from mid-range. From the beginning, Tokyo showed an attacking attitude without hesitation even against Juventus.

　At the 8th minute, Kei ISHIKAWA boldly broke through and earned a right corner kick. Kei ISHIKAWA's kick was perfectly timed and Imakawa headed the ball! However, the opponent's goalkeeper saved it and they escaped the corner kick. This time, ISHIKAWA connected this right corner kick with a short pass, exchanging passes with Miyazawa. Then, Miyazawa delivered a high-precision cross. Toda ran into the goal area and headed the ball into the back of the net, goal! They scored the opening goal against Juventus.

　Tokyo, which gained momentum with this, approached the Juventus goal one after another by taking advantage of Miyazawa's side change pass and Ishikawa's speed breakthrough. In the 11th minute, Jahn jumps in from his foot to the right CK's spill, but the shot goes over the bar. In the 16th minute, Juventus MF Nedved jumps out from Capo's post and shoots freely in front of the goal, but Shibata makes a nice save with one foot! In the 25th minute, Imakano fouls Nedved who attempted a central breakthrough, giving a FK in front of the goal. Del Piero's direct FK from this is blocked by the Tokyo DF wall and escapes to CK. From this CK, Del Piero shoots but it is blocked. In the 27th minute, FW Trezeguet, who received Parisi's pass in front of the goal, tries to create a chance by exchanging passes with Nedved, but the Tokyo DF cuts it off.

　Gradually allowing Juventus to dominate the ball, but not conceding any goals with concentrated defense. On the contrary, in the 30th minute, Oyoku boldly attacked and bypassed the opponent's defense, but his subsequent dribble was too big, and unfortunately crossed the end line. In the 32nd minute, Toda jumped out on Miyazawa's side change, but was slightly offside. In the 41st minute, Miyazawa volleyed the clear from Fujita's right throw-in. And in injury time, they stole the opponent's ball at the defensive line, Miyazawa → left to Kurizawa with a big side change. Passing to Shigeki Shigeki who vigorously attacked, Shigeki Shigeki brought the ball to the left area and crossed it back to Yusuke Kondo in front of the goal. Yusuke Kondo took a well-controlled shot from the area, but the ball hit the right post... However, they missed the chance for an additional goal, but fully demonstrated Tokyo's attacking soccer. They returned to the second half with a 1-0 lead.

Defeat in front of Juventus, who surpasses in strength...

　In the second half, Tokyo substituted Yusuke KONDO with BABA at the top. They tried to launch an aggressive attack for the remaining 45 minutes. However, in the 51st minute, Juventus made a casual pass and Nedved entered the left area and took a powerful shot. Saltada initially saved it, but Trezeguet followed up and scored a goal. Despite being caught up in a momentary defensive gap and equalized, their attacking posture did not change.

　In the 55th minute, Jean calmly defended and launched a counterattack, with Ishikawa sprinting down the right side. He brought the ball into the right area and boldly aimed for the goal, but was stopped by the opponent's goalkeeper's excellent save. In the 56th minute, Kobayashi was substituted for Kurizawa. In the 58th minute, Kobayashi and Oyoku formed a combination to win a left corner kick. In the 63rd minute, they connected passes in front of the goal, and Kobayashi passed to Ishikawa on the right. The shot was blocked by a defender, resulting in a corner kick. From the right corner kick, Fujita's shot was cut off by the opponent's defender. Oyoku, who picked up the loose ball again, crossed it.

　However, as time passed, Juventus improved their condition and grasped the rhythm, causing trouble with their fast attacks. In the 73rd minute, a fast pass was connected from the defense line, and Capo invaded the left end line, sending a negative pass in front of the goal. Trezeguet in front let it through, but substitute forward Schooli ran in freely and took a shot. Saltada saved it once, but it slipped behind and couldn't hold back the rebound from the post, resulting in a goal. They conceded the second goal. Just two minutes later, Capo received a pass from the defense line and brought it deep into the left corner, crossing it from the left. Del Piero scored a spectacular shot from this, taking advantage of Tokyo's decreased movement and lax marking, and they were consecutively scored goals in a similar manner.

　In the 77th minute, Kenji Suzuki was substituted for Ishikawa, and in the 80th minute, Asari was substituted for Miyazawa, and Ikegami was substituted for Fujita. Ikegami was placed as a defensive midfielder, and Asari was placed as a right full-back to counterattack. However, in the immediate 81st minute, Nedved made a powerful shot after dribbling. The Tokyo DF blocked it in front of the goal, but the loose ball was kicked in by Del Piero, resulting in the fourth goal being conceded.

　In an attempt to retaliate, in the 85th minute, Oyoku moved up the center and took a shot. In the 86th minute, Sakui was substituted for Mobata. In injury time, Sakui advanced and assisted Suzuki Kenji's breakthrough towards the goal, winning a corner kick. Jean connected with this right corner kick, but was unable to take a shot before time was up. The result was a big defeat, but a game was played that utilized fast attacks throughout the 90 minutes. Towards the end, the difference in strength was evident, but Tokyo displayed their strength without fear. They went on the offensive and it can be said that it was a match where each player showcased their strengths.

　【Player Comments】Tokyo: 《Konno》 "It was a complete defeat. The opponent probably wasn't serious in the first half, and I don't think I performed well at all. I felt a difference in the speed and decisiveness when they attacked at crucial moments. The shock of the loss is greater than the feeling of having fought. What I aim for is to win here. I could have done more. I have no choice but to switch my mindset and do my best." 《Ishikawa》 "I tried to be proactive and take the initiative. I wanted to make the opponent serious and use that play as my standard. It was good that we took the lead and gained momentum, but... However, fighting against the world is stimulating. If we don't fight, we tend to forget, but I want to make sure the results are not wasted and lead to the next step. I want to learn from this experience." Juventus: 《Del Piero》 "In the first half, FC Tokyo played well, and in the second half, we attacked and converted almost all the chances we had. (Being chosen as MVP) In Italy, I can't get a car, so I want to play in Japan again (laughs). I think we established a good connection with Japan during the 1996 Toyota Cup. After that, I came to Japan several times, but I didn't expect to be welcomed like this. I felt the love." 《Trezeguet》 "The first half was tough, but in the second half, we were able to show good play, and it turned out well. (FC Tokyo left a good impression, and I think they are a good team. I thought it would be impossible for them to maintain the first half for 90 minutes, but in the second half, their physical condition dropped, and our form improved. For tours like this, at first, I think about enjoying it and not getting injured... but in the end, I want to win."

　【Summary of Coach Hara's Press Conference】 "There is the Nabisco Cup this weekend, and we can face a good opponent, so we talked about being proactive from the start. We were able to take the lead at a good time, but I wanted to extend it a bit more. I wanted to score another goal, especially with the chance just before the end of the first half. The members, following last Saturday's Nabisco Cup, also had a satellite match on Sunday, so I considered the condition of the tired players. Among them, Omata, who started for the first time as a left back, did well. Compared to the time when our attacking rhythm was poor, we have started to play football at a good tempo... but Juventus still has finishing power. They are stronger. However, by competing against strong teams, the players are likely sensing on the field what is lacking and what works, rather than just through words. I want to utilize what everyone felt on the field in our upcoming training. As a team, including our finishing power and competitiveness, I want to make good preparations for the Nabisco Cup this weekend and the league matches that will resume in July, using what we have learned."

　[Summary of the press conference by Juventus coach Fabio Capello] "I think it was a very good rhythm match. In the first half, we were caught on the counter a few times, and the toughest part was the first 10 minutes. It took time to fit in as we didn't know how the opponent would move. There was also a chance for Del Piero, but it was lucky that the opponent's shot hit the post just before the end of the first half. We held the ball too much in the first half, with fewer vertical passes, and the rhythm was slow, but in the second half, we increased the speed of our soccer with more vertical passes, and I think we were able to show our style of play. Tokyo was good as a team. They worked very hard and put in a lot of effort. Especially, the movements of player number 18 were good, as he penetrated our defense and made good plays. Looking back on this Asia tour, I felt that Japanese teams are at a high level. The coach is doing a good job and has proper positioning. I personally have faced Japanese teams in the past, but I remembered them as not being strong. This time we played twice and won, leaving a good impression."