Nabisco Cup quarterfinals, a one-shot battle of win or lose!?

　The Nabisco Cup, which has not been held since July 24th, is now underway. From today, the knockout tournament will be contested by 8 teams. Tokyo, who advanced to the quarterfinals as the top team in Group D, will face Gamba Osaka (2nd place in Group B) in this match. This battle, which will be held at the home Japan National Stadium, is a one-shot showdown where there is only winning or losing. With the World Cup qualifiers approaching, Tokyo will be without their national team players, Doi and Kaji. In addition, Ishikawa and Lucas will also be absent due to injuries that have affected their condition. On the other hand, Kobayashi will make his comeback since the Gamba Osaka match on April 13, 2002, and will start in the lineup. The defense consists of Maeda, Jean, Shigemori, and Kanazawa from right to left. In the double pivot, there are Imamura and Miura, with Kobayashi on the right as the midfielder and Baba on the left. Kajiyama and Kelly will play as the attacking midfielders.

　G Osaka, who will face them, is currently in good form with 3 consecutive wins in the 2nd stage. Before the match, Coach Nishino described Tokyo as a "tough opponent," but they are also a similar opponent for Tokyo. Although Japan's national team defenders Miyamoto and midfielder Endo are absent, their attacking power, especially forward Okubo, who scored 31 goals in the 1st stage and is currently ranked 3rd in the league's top scorer ranking, requires great attention. Tokyo has been defeated in the quarterfinals for the past 2 years, so it is a barrier that they desperately want to overcome.

Gamba's speedy attack pushes forward, but the first half ends in a 1-1 tie.

　Before the match, the rain that had started in earnest gradually intensified with thunder. Due to this bad weather, the kickoff was delayed by 16 minutes. Just before the start of the match, the rain subsided, but it was G Osaka who pushed the game forward on the slippery pitch. In the 1st minute, they took a corner kick from a left cross, with MF FERNANDEZ as the starting point. Tokyo also had a chance in the 5th minute when Inoue went up the right side and took a cross, resulting in a corner kick and an attack in front of the goal. However, in the 8th minute, G Osaka's MF Yoshihara took a right cross. The clearance fell in front of Okubo, but the shot was saved by Shioda. In the 12th minute, MF Futagawa took a shot from outside the box. G Osaka's midfield players moved quickly with FERNANDEZ as the starting point and attacked from the sides.

　After 15 minutes, Tokyo gradually settled down and tried to connect the attack by picking up loose balls. However, in the 16th minute, G Osaka crossed from the right side throw-in. Although the Tokyo DF initially cut off the loose ball, it was picked up by Fernandinho and a through pass was played to the front line. Miura slid in before Okubo and his clearance ended up in their own goal. They conceded the opening goal due to an own goal.

　Tokyo, who is patiently waiting for a chance to counterattack, broke through the left area with Baba's shot in the 18th minute. In the 20th minute, Kelly showed persistence in the center from Baba's left cross, resulting in a corner kick. However, Jahn's header shot went over. In the 25th minute, after receiving a cross from Imakano who ran up the left side, Tokyo took two consecutive corner kicks from Baba's shot, but Kajiyama's shot was blocked by the defender. In the 26th minute, G Osaka launched a quick attack, with Fernandinho sprinting up the left side. Daiki's direct shot, which was in response to the ground cross, narrowly missed to the right. The game is in a back and forth situation, but Tokyo is unable to regain possession of the ball in a high position, and their usual "attacking football" from the sides is not being displayed.

　As the 30-minute mark approached, the rain intensified again. In this, G Osaka created chances with Ohkuro and Yoshihara making moves behind Tokyo's DF. In the 39th minute, Yoshihara broke free and won a left corner kick, but Shiota made a save. Tokyo finally launched a wide attack in the 41st minute. From a quick counter, Baba passed a cross-field ball to Kobayashi. Kobayashi sent a cross from the left area, and Kelly got into shooting position, winning a corner kick. However, the corner was cleared by the DF, and Konno's header was over the goal. Up to this point, the number of shots was equal at 5 to 5, but it was undeniable that Tokyo was at a disadvantage, seemingly heading into halftime one goal behind. However, in the dying moments of the 44th minute, Kobayashi quickly threw in a ball that had gone out on the right side. Kelly received it and sent a floating pass to the center. The G Osaka DF, who had stopped their feet, could not help but foul as Miura dashed fiercely into the area for the ball, resulting in Tokyo earning a penalty kick. Kelly calmly converted this, equalizing at the last moment, and the match was carried over to the second half.

Super sub Abe changes the flow!

　At halftime, Tokyo, who was instructed to defend against the opponent's attack led by MF Fernandinho, quickly changed sides. At the beginning of the second half, they launched an offensive. In the 46th minute, Kelly broke through the G Osaka DF's defense with a through pass from Kajiyama, but couldn't take a shot. In the 48th minute, they connected passes from left to right and won a corner kick from the right in a big development. However, G Osaka took the ball from this corner kick and launched a counterattack. Yoshihara, who was free on the right side, took a shot. But Shigeta cut off the angle with a desperate return and the ball missed the goal. In the 50th minute, G Osaka substituted FW Nakayama for Yoshihara. Tokyo also substituted Abe for Kobayashi in the 53rd minute. Both teams were determined to win. Shortly after this, G Osaka entered the area by connecting precise passes, and Okubo's jumping volley from the left pass was saved nicely by Shioda!

　Tokyo creates rhythm from this save and connects passes to the front line, where Abe, who received the ball in the left area, boldly challenges. However, the powerful shot that cut inside was blocked by the nice save of the opposing GK Matsushiro this time. In the 55th minute, Jean launched a strong shot on goal from a direct FK in front of the goal. Once again, GK Matsushiro made a save with one hand. In the following 56th minute, Inomata's shot from the left CK narrowly missed the target. They created chances but let them slip away at the last moment. On the other hand, G Osaka did not slacken their attack. In the 60th minute, MF Hashimoto, and in the 61st minute, Shijikurei took middle shots. In the 63rd minute, Nakayama aimed for the goal while losing balance in the area.

Explosive Attacking Soccer! Defeating G Osaka with 4 goals, advancing to the Semifinal Round!

　In the midst of a stalemate, a go-ahead goal was finally born. G Osaka snatched a corner kick from Fernandinho's middle shot in the 65th minute. However, Tokyo quickly connected and Kajiyama, who broke through the front line, evaded the defenders and took a shot. Once again, it was blocked by the goalkeeper, but the loose ball was picked up and connected. Baba sent a floating cross from the right side. At the center of the goal, Abe threw himself forward at the moment the ball dropped, caught it with his right foot, and it was sucked into the net for a goal! With wave-like attacks, Abe's sharp instinct for goal and unwavering technique on the slippery pitch, they seized the go-ahead goal.

　However, the intense developments continued. In the 68th minute, Jean and Shiota's coordination faltered, giving G Osaka a corner kick, and DF Minoru executed a header. In the 70th minute, Oguro received a pass in the area, turned, and shot. DF Shijikurei also took the opportunity to push forward. In the 71st minute, Tokyo substituted Miura for Fujiyama at right back. Maeda was moved up to the defensive midfield position, solidifying the defense, and they concentrated on defending the three corner kicks given to G Osaka after the 72nd minute. In the 77th minute, Kajiyama intercepted a G Osaka ball in their own half, connected the play, and Kelly dribbled forward. He slipped between two G Osaka defenders, broke through a DF chasing him from the left side, ran to the end line, and sent a low cross in front of the goal. In response, Kajiyama, positioned at the near side, redirected the ball with the back of his right foot, changing its course, and it went into the goal without GK Matsushiro touching it! They secured a valuable third goal from a speedy development!!

　Has G Osaka's concentration been broken by this? Immediately after, Abe steals a CK with a shot, and in the 79th minute, he connects a short corner and Baba sends a ground cross from the right. G Osaka's DF stands still and watches as Jean pushes it in from the far side, getting an additional point to seal the deal for G Osaka! In the 81st minute, Kondo Yu is substituted for Kelly. In the final stages, G Osaka's play accuracy also drops, and it was Tokyo who continued to attack. In an attempt to retaliate, in the 87th minute, G Osaka MF Morioka, who came on as a substitute, safely saves the shot from the right side. In the second half, offense and defense are in sync, and Tokyo plays their characteristic soccer, winning comfortably with a score of 4-1 against G Osaka. They advance to the semifinals of the Nabisco Cup and will face Tokyo Verdy 1969 on October 9th.

　【Player Comments】《Shioda》"If we lose, I won't have a chance to showcase myself, so I wanted to cherish this opportunity. We conceded the first goal, but Moni (Motonaga) and I said, 'If we don't concede again, we'll be fine. Let's endure it as a team.' I focused on not conceding myself. I think it was good that I was able to maintain my concentration. The support of the fans who came even in heavy rain was a source of strength, and I'm happy that we can play the next Levain Cup at home."《Abe》"I entered the pitch with the intention of scoring a goal. Whether to go for a cross or a shot depends on the situation, and I'm trying to take on challenges in decisive moments. I now understand how to defend on the side, so I'm enjoying playing and feeling the expectations of those around me. I'm glad I was able to respond to that today."

　【Summary of Coach Hara's Press Conference】 "It may have been good that the match start was delayed due to bad weather. The water receded a bit, and the ball started to move. Today, I placed Kelly as the center forward and included Kobayashi in the starting lineup for the first time in about 2 years and 5 months. I also considered the possibility of extra time and used Maeda, who has good stamina, on the right side, but how well these three could perform was the key. I wanted Kobayashi to play in a slightly better environment for his first start since returning from a major injury. However, I have been watching his rehabilitation closely, and with Ishikawa still at 70 percent and Kurizawa absent, I decided to take a chance on Kobayashi's feelings. The supporters understood this well and cheered for him, and I think the other players were also happy about his return. We conceded the first goal, but I thought we would be fine with just one goal against us. This season, even when we concede the first goal, there is a mood to recover. Ideally, that shouldn't be the case, but it was good that we managed to hold on with just a one-goal difference. If we had collapsed there and gone down by two goals, it would have been tough. Just before the end of the first half, we equalized with a penalty kick, and then I was thinking about when to bring in Abe, Kondo, and Miyazawa to make a decisive move. Abe scored a goal typical of him, and I think Fujiyama's defensive skills were utilized at a crucial moment. He did a great job. Shiota's stability has increased, and he is becoming a good goalkeeper with experience. With Konno and Shigeno returning, the team has tightened up, and I am most pleased that we have developed the strength to compete even if Lucas is injured. Since we faced G Osaka in the first stage, I felt that Maguron was missing, and the skills and speed of Daigoku, Fernandinho, and Nikawa have increased. However, we had no time to study the opponent and could only focus on ourselves. In the Nabisco Cup, we had lost in the first match of the knockout stage until now, but I wanted to win today for the supporters who cheered for us until the end in the rain. The next Nabisco Cup Semifinal is coming up, but before that, we have league matches, so I want to switch my mindset and prepare for them."

　[G Osaka Nishino's press conference summary] "Today's game was a match where we changed the members who are playing in the league as the team situation changed in various ways. We gradually lost the ability to play soccer that suited this pitch from the first half, but I think the problem was in the second half. The individual decisions were also slow, and the rhythm of G Osaka's attacking play, which is to connect the ball, did not come out easily. Kashiwa, who joined newly, was also proactive, and the players did well, but the attack was not in the usual form of G Osaka. There were also aspects where we couldn't keep up with Tokyo's speedy defense. We were completely defeated for the first time in a while, so we want to switch to the next one."