The first goal is scored by Kobayashi!

Tokyo defended against Kobe's fierce attacks with fine saves from goalkeeper Horiike and clearances from defender Sandro, gradually gaining control of the game. Sato and Kaburagi created chances by utilizing their counter-attacking abilities. In the 37th minute, Almir crossed the ball into the box from a free kick on the right side, and Sato won the aerial duel to set up Kobayashi for the opening goal. Kobayashi then showcased his skillful dribbling, causing trouble for J1 players. Tokyo gained momentum and the flow of the game shifted in their favor. A truly balanced offensive and defensive battle unfolded. In the second half, the back-and-forth attacks continued. Kobe shifted their strategy from early crosses from the wings to a more compact midfield by dropping back their forward, Kan. On the other hand, Tokyo's Almir improved his ball retention in the midfield, distributing excellent passes to Fuyama on the left and Sato on the right. This led to chances being created from the wings.

Intense Attack of J1

The opponent for the first match of the Yamazaki Nabisco Cup is Vissel Kobe from J1. Kobe is an attacking team with three Korean national team players, but they have been struggling this season in the J1 League without a single win. Therefore, they are determined to win today's match against a lower-ranked J2 team. The match started with Kobe's fierce attack. Tokyo, who was confused by the speed and power of the J1 team, struggled to control the ball against Kobe's sharp start and intense charges. Hasebe in the midfield organized the game, and Choi on the right created chances with sharp crosses. The ace striker, Kim, is a talented player with a combination of speed, power, and technique, and although Sandro marked him closely, there were dangerous moments where he couldn't catch him and was caught off guard. The first 15 minutes of the match were completely one-sided. It clearly showed the level difference compared to J2 teams and made it clear that winning would not be easy.

A valuable draw

After 20 minutes of the second half, which was a back-and-forth battle, Kan, who had dropped back to focus on game-making, broke through the left side and centered the ball into the middle. The contested ball turned into a scramble, and it was headed in by Kobe DF Tsuchiya, who had moved up. After the equalizer, Tokyo brought in their ace Amaral and Okamoto in quick succession. With Amaral's addition, a base was established in the front line, and the rhythm improved with stable post play. In the 36th minute of the second half, Sato broke through the right side with speed and delivered an exquisite cross to the free Amaral in front of the goal. However, Amaral miscontrolled the ball, and it was caught by the goalkeeper. In the following 40th minute of the second half, Amaral broke free from a long pass from Sato, but the goalkeeper cleared it just in time, preventing a goal. In stoppage time, Amaral won a header from a corner kick from the left, but unfortunately, it was cleared by the defense. Throughout the match, the concentration of the goalkeeper and the defensive line never wavered, showing stable defense. Following the J2 match against Frontale in the 4th round, there remains a reflection on conceding an equalizer in the second half after taking the lead, but the fact that they fought on equal terms or better against a J1 team should have boosted their confidence. They were able to confirm that, in addition to the solid defense from last year, their attacking power has also definitely improved. They want to prove their strength in the away match next week (14th (Wed), 19:00, Kobe Univ Stadium).