[Reserve]
GK:1 Ryuji OHMOTO
DF:24 Kounosuke KUSUMI
MF:17 Tsubasa TERAYAMA
FW:9 Ryuji FUKINO

○Match Report
【Challenge to the next stage】
"We are the only ones who can aim for consecutive victories."
The 41st Japan Club Youth Soccer Championship (U-18) tournament is finally in the Final Round.
The match card is "Urawa Red Diamonds Youth - FC Tokyo U-18".
In the semifinal round, Tokyo won against Kawasaki Frontale U-18 with Taichi HARA's 2 goals.
Hara is currently tied for first place in the goal scoring ranking with a total of 6 goals in this tournament. If he scores in the final round, he will likely become the sole top scorer.
Facing Montedio Yamagata Youth in the semifinal, Urawa defeated them 2-0 and advanced to the final.
The season's match record against Urawa was a victory in the Kanto Tournament semifinal with a score of 1-0.
In the 2nd match of the Prince Takamado Trophy U-18 Football League 2017 Premier League EAST, we won the away game 2-1, and Urawa is coming into the game with high motivation, burning for revenge.
Please join us in supporting the young blue and red players as they aim for their first consecutive championship since the 2010-2011 Verdy Youth tournament.
The match started with a kick-off in Tokyo, watched by a very large number of 3,584 fans, supporters, and parents.

【First Half】
As a result of intense battles in the ball contest, Tokyo takes the initiative and gets the first chance.
2 minutes, Kubo receives a foul in the opponent's half near the center, and earns a free kick. Hideta sends it forward, but no one can connect and the ball goes out of bounds.
Afterwards, both teams were able to advance the ball towards the PA area, but the defense remained focused and unable to create scoring opportunities as time went on.
17 minutes, Kubo sticks to the ball in front of the central area and Kobayashi Hiroshi follows and expands to the left.
Sugiyama, who ran in there, took a good shot but it was saved by the GK and resulted in a corner kick. This corner kick was defended and no goal was scored.
Then Urawa created a scoring opportunity.
24 minutes, when a ball was crossed diagonally from the right side, it was passed to FW Izawa who ran into the left side behind Tokyo DF. He took a decisive shot from inside the left penalty area, but... it went wide of the goal.
Tokyo, just after 26 minutes, Arakawa, the left fullback, ran up to a high position and crossed the ball into the goal area.
Kobayashi in the center drops it to Hirakawa and takes a shot.
Furthermore, this time Sugiyama initiates from the left side, while Kobayashi Hiroshi expands to the right.
Okaniwa, who overlapped a long distance, crosses the ground ball, but it is cut off by Urawa in the center. Tokyo attacks wide from both sides.
At 30 minutes, left SB Arakawa changes the side to the right front line with a long feed from their own territory.
Kubo, who broke free in accordance with this, entered the area with a skillful trap. He tried to pass through the gap between two opposing defenders with a well-timed dribble, but was brought down without a foul.
Tokyo, which is increasing its offensive, has a passing work that flows through Sugiyama on the left, Kubo in the center, and Brandt and Hirakawa at 38 minutes.
Hiroshi KOBAYASHI, who ran into the right area, takes a decisive shot... but is blocked by Urawa.
On the contrary, in the 42nd minute, the ball was swiftly brought into Tokyo's territory by Urawa, and FW Izawa took a powerful shot, but Takase made a diving save.
Tokyo immediately counterattacked in the 43rd minute, as Hitoshi Shina intercepted the opponent's goalkeeper's pass. He passed it to Hara in the area and entered the penalty area himself.
It was a great opportunity, but the shot was blocked by the opponent's GK, and Hirakawa, who picked up the rebound, aimed for the goal but was blocked by the DF and did not score.
The first half ends with a scoreless draw.

[Halftime]
Coach Sato
"Let's be careful of the opponent's counterattacks. While calmly playing the game, let's step up our game another gear. In doing so, let's increase our concentration and run until the end."

【Second half】
The second half started without any player substitutions.
Urawa entered with great momentum.
46 minutes, the right side is about to be broken through, but Okaniwa escapes with a sliding throw-in. Despite the momentum, a cross is put in, but Takase calmly catches it.
Furthermore, in the 52nd minute, a scoring opportunity was created.
When the opponent launches a quick attack, Shinohara cuts the ground cross with a sliding tackle and it becomes a corner kick.
This right CK clearance became short, and the ball floated into Tokyo's left PA, where Urawa FW Izawa volleyed it, but missed the target.
Beyond this, the flow gradually shifts to Tokyo.
In the 57th minute, Brandt dribbles up the center, passes to Sugiyama on the left side, goes around to the left area, and takes a shot, but Urawa blocks it.
Furthermore, Kante Jose, Kobayashi Hiroshi, and Kobayashi Yu collected the second ball and took shots from just outside the area, but they were all blocked by the feet of the Urawa DF who were closing down the center.
In the 58th minute, midfielder Sugiyama steals the dribble of Urawa FW Shimabuku, and after confirming that the Urawa GK is coming forward, he aims for a long-range shot, but it narrowly goes over the bar...
66 minutes, Hara drops Kubo's vertical pass with one touch, and Sugiyama enters the left penalty area in response.
Created a scoring opportunity, but... the shot went to the left...
And now Urawa is threatening Tokyo's goal.
In the 75th minute, GK Takase jumped out for a loose ball in front of the goal and collided fiercely with the opponent. He desperately cleared the loose ball.
Furthermore, in the 78th minute, Okanohara blocked the breakthrough by the Urawa player, but the ball hit his hand, resulting in a free kick inside the penalty area.
However, this opportunity was blocked by the wall and did not allow a goal.
When this surpasses, the game moves.
79 minutes, left SB Arakawa advances and creates space for Ko Kobayashi, who is right next to the left PA, and passes to Kubo, who is trying to run in from the outside.
Kubo scored the opening goal with his left foot from a difficult angle inside the left penalty area.
Furthermore, at the 83rd minute, Ko KOBAYASHI, who ran into the left area, crossed the ball, and it hit the arm of the opposing player who came to block it with a sliding tackle, resulting in a penalty kick being awarded.
He himself decides on the right sumi and adds a point.
After that, the clock is advanced using player substitutions. After the additional time of 3 minutes is over, the referee's whistle blows and the stadium erupts in cheers.

We won the "41st Japan Club Youth Soccer Championship (U-18)" as a result of this.
We achieved consecutive victories following last year's championship and won our fourth title as a club (in 2001, 2008, and 2016).
Furthermore, Hiroshi Kobayashi was awarded the tournament MVP, and Taichi Hara emerged as the top scorer with 6 goals, tying the record.

Thank you very much for your warm support for the U-18 tournament.

※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