[Reserve]
GK:1 Ryuji OHMOTO
DF:24 Kounosuke KUSUMI
MF:11 Rui YOKOYAMA, 17 Tsubasa TERAYAMA
FW:13 Kazutaka YOSHIDA

○Match Report
【Challenge to the next stage】
The 41st Japan Club Youth Soccer Championship (U-18) tournament is finally entering the knockout stage (90-minute halves).
The result of the previous day's draw was a match between FC Tokyo U-18 and Cerezo Osaka U-18.
During the pre-match meeting, Coach Sato said to the players, "It's a great opportunity to play against a team that we don't usually face. Make sure to never lose in the battles for the ball and one-on-one situations." Finally, he strongly encouraged the players by saying, "Let's express our own culture."
Tense atmosphere surrounds "Maebashi City Fujimi Comprehensive Ground".
PITA
This tough match started with Cerezo's kickoff at 11:00.

【First half】
Cerezo Osaka came out strong at the beginning.
Consider the pitch condition and kick behind the Tokyo DF line simply, trying to collect the second ball.
Tokyo also tries to bounce back with Shinohara and Hasegawa, but they are forced to make difficult headers and cannot bounce back as strongly as usual, and they are also on the back foot in the second ball contest.
The first corner kick of this match was given to Cerezo Osaka at the 5th minute, but Takase punched it away. However, they were able to cross it again, and in the end, Hara made a big clearance.
10 minutes, a vertical pass is taken in the left back, and a shot is taken from the dribble but goes to the right of the frame.
In the following 13 minutes, the left side was targeted from a counterattack, but Shinohara prevented the opponent's attack with accurate covering.
Tokyo takes control of the game despite the tough pitch conditions, using both long and short passes.
Then, they score the opening goal from a free kick.
20 minutes, Hirakawa picks up the loose ball in front of the opponent's goal and takes a shot, resulting in a handball decision.
Hinata successfully scores the opening goal by directly hitting the free kick that was won near the goal front, near the penalty arc.
However, in the 22nd minute immediately after, they gave away a free kick just outside the penalty area. The wall stood firm and blocked the shot, resulting in a left corner kick, but the defense cleared it.
Tokyo, which has started to grasp the rhythm of the attack, made a vertical dribble from Okaniwa at the 30th minute and put in a liner-like cross from the goal line to the near side.
Here, Hara jumps in, but the decisive shot is blocked by the opponent.
Tokyo's additional point was taken with a wonderful pass work despite the tough pitch conditions.
35 minutes, when a vertical pass enters Haran in the center, he jumps out from the third row in a post-play and connects to Hirakawa, entering the PA.
Once it became a fierce battle, Hara picked up the ball, evaded the goalkeeper, and shook the net while hitting the opposing defender who had returned to cover.
The first half ends with a 2-point lead.

【Half-time】
Coach Sato
"The way we start the second half is important. Let's go in with the mindset of 0-0. We need to play with determination until the end for the full 45 minutes."

【Second Half】
The second half became even more intense than the first half. Cerezo Osaka started off with great momentum.
50 minutes, a powerful shot is taken from inside the left PA, but Takase makes a great save.
Tokyo connects passes intricately on the left side for 60 minutes, with Sakaguchi, Sugiyama, and Hara, and Sugiyama keeps the ball near the left corner flag.
Successfully hitting the opponent and earning a corner kick, but it is blocked by the opponent's defense.
Then, in the 68th minute, there is a contest for the opponent goalkeeper's long kick at the defensive line, and the ball drops behind.
This was picked up and once again Takase made a good defensive play to prevent it, but they were pushed back by a loose ball and the score was narrowed to a one-point difference.
Tokyo is being pushed back into their own half against the growing momentum of Cerezo Osaka.
The opponent picked up the second ball and even if I tried to clear it big, I couldn't play as usual.
The ball is not settling down easily even in the front line, and difficult times continue.
Still, the Tokyo defense team shouts loudly and supports their teammates. Voices of encouragement from the bench also reach the players on the field, helping them withstand the opponent's fierce attacks.
Kubo is substituted in the 72nd minute, and Kobayashi (Shin) is substituted in the 78th minute in an attempt to change the flow, but they are struggling to create their own opportunities.
Throwing their bodies and repeatedly blocking shots, they continue to fight fiercely without taking a step back in the battle for the ball.
In the 83rd minute, the opponent's GK created an opportunity from a FK in the center, and a mid-range shot was taken but went to the right of the frame.
Tokyo, who did not lose concentration until the end, including 2 minutes of additional time, advanced to the semifinals with a 2-1 victory.

Thank you very much for your warm support to the players today.
Continued, we kindly ask for your warm support for FC Tokyo U-18.

【Other Matches】
Nagoya Grampus U18 3-3 (PK3-4) Shonan Bellmare Youth

※In addition to the photos below, other photos are also posted on the official mobile site.
For more information, please click here http://fctokyo.sportsinfo.jp