Emperor's Cup 3rd Round, facing the in-form Matsumoto Yamaga F.C.

The Emperor's Cup will be held in the midst of the league season. In the 3rd round, we will face Matsumoto Yamaga F.C. from J2 at Ajinomoto Stadium. In the previous league match, Yonemoto and Watanabe scored crucial goals and shut out Tosu's powerful attack, securing a victory with 5 consecutive clean sheets. Now, we face the Emperor's Cup just 3 days later. It will be a tough schedule under scorching heat, but regardless of the circumstances, winning is required in this match.
 

However, considering the consecutive matches and "to secure victory while maintaining our identity (Coach Massimo)", the combination of the attacking players was changed. Edu and Watanabe as the top two, Kono as the attacking midfielder, and Mita as the inside half were selected as starters. In addition, Kajiyama, after two seasons, will be on the bench for the first time this season.

Matsumoto, who is currently in 2nd place in J2 and maintaining good form, has advanced to the 3rd round by defeating Kamatamare Sanuki in the Emperor's Cup. Today, despite only having 2 days of rest since the previous league match against Ehime, they have made changes to the midfield and defense, but FW Funayama, FW Sabia, and MF Iwagami, who are ranked 2nd in J2 goal scoring, are in the starting lineup. Above all, their hard work and never-give-up attitude can be considered their weapons. On the other hand, Tokyo also needs to surpass them in attitude and hard work. They should connect good attacks from their usual resilient defense and aim for victory.
 

The match started at 19:04 with Matsumoto's kickoff, making it the hottest and most humid game of the season at Ajinomoto Stadium.

Despite the back and forth, just before the end of the first half, Kono takes the lead!

Tokyo, which had a big chance at the start. In the 4th minute, the ball slipped from the Matsushita DF who tried to cut Tokyo's vertical pass, and Watanabe advanced forward, making it his ball and circling to the left area. He created a decisive opportunity, but the shot he took from there was cleared by the Matsushita DF who entered the cover, just before the goal.
 

After that, both teams quickly started their offensive and defensive play. Matsumoto aggressively attacked through MF Iwagami's long throw-ins and FW Funayama's side attacks. However, Tokyo maintained a calm and focused defense while swiftly transitioning into chances. In the 18th minute, Kono ran into Ota's right corner kick clearance and took a shot. It hit a defender and bounced back, but this time it was blocked by the goalkeeper's save.
 

In the 27th minute, Watanabe took a middle shot after a direct pass exchange with Kono on the left side. In the 33rd minute, they launched a counterattack from their own half, and Yonemoto expanded the play to Edu in the right area. Edu cut back and took a shot. In the 35th minute, Mita rose up between the opponent's defenders after Watanabe's post play and took a shot from the area. However, they were unable to score in either case.

Matsumoto also received a counterattack, and in the 39th minute, they smoothly connected passes from the right side and cut in. The ball was passed to MF Iio near the goal, but it went over the bar and they escaped the pinch. Immediately after that, Yonemoto aimed for a middle shot from the center, but it hit the opponent's defender and floated forward, hitting the bar. Edu in the left area collected the rebound and took a shot, but the ball crossed the frame. However, Kono, who ran into the right area, pushed it in with his left foot directly and GOAL!! Finally, they took the lead and ended the first half.

After coming on as a substitute, Hirayama immediately scored another goal, shutting out Matsumoto's counterattack!

In the second half, Shun HIRAYAMA was substituted for Edu in the 52nd minute. In the 54th minute, Takahashi and Mita connected in the center, and Ota on the left rushed into the left area after exchanging passes with Kono. He sent a last pass from the goal line to the center. In response to this, Hirayama made a run into the near side and scored with a sliding tackle! He immediately made an impact after coming on as a substitute and scored an additional goal in the early stages of the second half.
 

After taking a 2-point lead, Tokyo began to have a little breathing room and took control of the game throughout. In the 60th minute, Ishikawa replaced Kono. Alongside Mita, they manned the sides, while Takahashi and Yonemoto formed a double pivot in midfield. In the 63rd minute, they blocked a shot from Matsumoto FW Sabia and launched a counterattack. Watanabe dribbled the ball up the field for a long distance, and in the end, Mita from the left side took a shot, but it was blocked by the goalkeeper.

In the 66th minute, Morishige suffered a bruised foot. Therefore, in order to prioritize his well-being, Matsuda was substituted in the 68th minute. Matsuda entered as the right full-back, and Tokunaga moved to center-back. Around the 75th minute, Matsumoto tried to retaliate and break the flow of the restart, but they were pushed back in front of the goal. However, they managed to defend without losing focus. Towards the end, Watanabe and Hirayama created consecutive chances to threaten the goal against a slowing Matsumoto, but they were unable to score a third goal before the final whistle. They overcame Morishige's accident with a sense of unity and secured their advancement to the Round of 16.

[Player Comments]

"Kawano"
"We believed that the opening goal would come from a shot by Yonemoto, Edu, so we were pressing to get the rebound. I think it was good to score at that time. Especially in the first half, it became a 50-50 match with Matsumoto. We couldn't pass the ball much, and there were times when I dropped back too much in defense. In the second half, we were able to play at our own pace, but how to play during the periods when we couldn't score is a challenge. We need to think about how to move the ball and how to fight."
 

"Hirayama"
"(I always work on my goals) starting from practice. I am conscious of the timing to enter Ota's cross. Today, I was able to enter at a good timing, and I think I have grasped that feeling. It was a goal right after coming on as a substitute, but I always think about doing my job properly in the time given. Since the game continues, I want to prepare well."
 

[Summary of Coach Massimo FICCADENTI's Press Conference]
"I expected Matsumoto to come at us strongly since they have been performing well in J2. The game started just as I anticipated. However, we were able to respond well to their play. In a knockout tournament like this, it is crucial to start the game correctly. Concentration and attentiveness make a significant difference. I believe today's result was a result of the players understanding this and approaching the game accordingly. We scored the opening goal in the first half and added another goal in the second half, demonstrating our ability to manage the game throughout. After making it 2-0, it was important to keep possession of the ball and conserve energy. In the second half, the opponent gave us space. We were able to make several good attacking moves by patiently circulating the ball and exploiting those spaces."
 

[Summary of Matsumoto Yamaga FC Manager Yasuharu Sorimachi's Press Conference]
"The Tokyo players are skilled, fast, and there are many high-level players. In the second half, we were overwhelmed by the opponent. We are currently in a good position in J2, but they made us feel the difference with J1. We want to express our gratitude to FC Tokyo. We are truly grateful that nearly 2000 supporters came. We want to show our gratitude in the league matches. It was a disappointing defeat, but we will soon face the league matches. We want to take a positive view of the fact that we finished the game in 90 minutes without any red cards or injuries. With this opportunity, we want to train with the mindset that there is always someone better than us."