A crucial match where we want to stick to our own style of soccer and be committed to winning

The Emperor's Cup semifinal round will be played against Cerezo Osaka. In the quarterfinals, they demonstrated the tenacity they have built up over the past year. They successfully defended the one goal scored by Ishikawa and achieved victory. This is the semifinal round following last year's, but they have never reached the final in the Emperor's Cup before. This match is not only important for the team's history, but also as a culmination of this season and a stepping stone for the next. It will be necessary to be more determined than ever and strive for victory.

　C Osaka, who will face them, is currently in 12th place in the J1 League with 11 wins, 10 draws, and 13 losses. It seems that they have had ups and downs in each game, but in this Emperor's Cup, they defeated Okayama 3-0 in the 3rd round and advanced by winning both the 4th round against Sendai and the quarterfinals against Shimizu in penalty shootouts. They boast an astonishing scoring ability, with a total of 67 goals in the J1 League, second only to G Osaka. Led by the lone striker FW Sugimoto, shadow MF Kiyotake, and MF Kim Bo Kyung, who played as a central midfielder in the quarterfinals, as well as side MF Kurata and Murata, they launch powerful attacks with fluid positional play.

　Tokyo will face the same lineup as the quarterfinals. On the defensive side, Konno said, "It may not be possible to stop them individually. That's why we want to thoroughly focus on covering and maintaining our defensive line as a team." We want to press aggressively on the source of their passes and prevent them from easily connecting to the front line and side backs. It will be crucial not to concede the first goal and to see how patiently we can fight.

　Coach Okuma analyzed, "There will be times when we have to endure, but there will also be times when we take the initiative. Especially C Osaka will come with an attacking style of play even if it means taking risks, but there is no team that is perfect in both offense and defense." The key in the attack will be how we can exploit the opponent's weaknesses as we have done so far. This match will test our perseverance, momentum, and decision-making in every situation, both in offense and defense. Let's stick to our own style of play and head to the National Stadium! The match started with Tokyo's kickoff at 13:06 at Osaka Nagai Stadium.

Created decisive chances but couldn't finish... Go into halftime with a scoreless draw

　From the start, both teams attacked each other. However, Tokyo created a rhythm by pressing from the front and stealing the ball with tough defense, connecting passes. They dominated possession against C Osaka and gradually took control of the pace. In the 9th minute, Lucas created an opportunity from the left area but his shot was saved by the goalkeeper. In the 11th minute, Tokyo won the ball in their own half from an opponent's throw-in, and Hayashi passed to Ishikawa in the right forward position. While the two opposing defenders hesitated, Lucas broke free and faced the goalkeeper one-on-one in the right area. However, his shot missed the target.

　In the 18th minute, C Osaka DF Shigehara cleared the ball to the front line. It flowed to the right side, and Ishikawa stole it and brought it into the area. His shot, after cutting inside the opponent's DF, was deflected by the GK. In the 22nd minute, Ishikawa broke free on the right side after receiving a return pass from Yu in the center. Once again, he created a 1-on-1 scene with the GK, but was stopped by a great save and resulted in a corner kick. In the following 23rd minute, Yu took a shot from the loose ball from this corner kick, but it was cut off by the DF.

　Despite creating scoring opportunities, they failed to convert and missed the chance to take the lead. However, they applied pressure collectively in defense and did not give any space in their own half. In the 39th minute, Tokunaga from their own half played a long pass to the front line after clearing the ball from a left corner kick. Morishige, who remained in the right front line, headed the ball down and Inamoto in the center took a shot, but it slightly veered to the left. Towards the end of the first half, there were moments where C Osaka threatened with individual skills, but they defended well, led by Kanda, and reached halftime with a scoreless draw.

Tanzawa's shot hits the net, becoming the winning goal and leading to the New Year's National Stadium!

　In the second half, both teams showcased their strengths and the game was a back-and-forth battle. Tokyo also launched attacks without giving in to C Osaka, who boasts a strong offense, but C Osaka's defense was solid and Tokyo struggled to break through. C Osaka made offensive substitutions with two players ahead of Tokyo, and Tokyo's energy started to decline. In the 75th minute, Suzuki replaced Hayu and tried to create opportunities by actively going for the ball.

　In the 77th minute immediately after that, the ball was passed from the DF line to Inomoto and Morishige, and Takahashi passed a through ball to Lucas in the center of the front line. Tanizawa, who received this drop just outside the penalty area, flashed his right foot. The well-aimed shot went over the outstretched hand of the opponent's goalkeeper and grazed the crossbar before going into the net! Finally, Tanizawa achieved the opening goal with a splendid goal.

　After that, C Osaka faced a fierce counterattack. However, with a great save by Gonda, Lucas, Suzuki, and others pressed with all their might, and the final line defended with their bodies. Substitutes Shimoda and Nakamura also joined in this flow and tried to suppress C Osaka with tough defense. In injury time, FW Hayato shook the net from C Osaka's corner kick, but it was disallowed due to a handball foul. It was a difficult time, but everyone covered for each other, without giving any openings, and the game ended without conceding a goal.

　Hard work paid off in both offense and defense, resulting in a 1-0 victory! We have advanced to the club's first Emperor's Cup final and will face Kyoto Sanga F.C. at Japan National Stadium on January 1, 2012 at 14:00.

　【Player Comment】《Yasawa》"(Regarding the goal scene) I knew that Hide would pass the ball to Lincoln. It was just like in practice. (Is it a memorable goal for you?) I usually don't score from outside the penalty area (laughs), but today the pitch was crowded, and it felt a bit crowded at that time too, but maybe that was a good thing (laughs). I'm honestly happy."

　C Osaka was aggressive and everyone had high individual abilities. However, there were hardly any scenes where they were broken through in the final part. We all have the same image in both offense and defense. I think that's the winning factor. However, we have never been able to continue playing soccer for this long in previous years... It's a good thing (laughs). There is also fatigue from consecutive matches, but the opponents are the same. We want to give everything we have done so far, run together in defense, and confuse the opponents with passing in offense."　

　"Mori Shige" "I think we were able to pass the ball well from the first half and create our own time. Also, I thought that Cerezo's attacking team had high technical skills, so I thought we would be done if we gave them space. So, I tried to keep the line high as much as possible, and I focused on the distance between the defensive midfielder and the center back, and tried to defend in a way that wouldn't let them receive the ball in between. The defensive midfielder also worked hard, and we were able to establish a solid connection, so it was easy for me."

　In the second half, it became difficult to press, but there are times like that. It would have been good if we could have had a little more accuracy after stealing the ball and put in 1-2 more passes for side changes... In the end, we had to stick to the goal as expected, but it is also necessary to endure. We had to accept and endure... I think the time was shorter than the Urawa game. If we can show our growth in each game like this, I think we can win the championship."

　[Summary of Coach Okuma's Press Conference] "The players worked hard on both offense and defense without thinking about the future. I told them that this game is not about being good or bad, but about creating or not creating opportunities. I think they played their own soccer without any weaknesses in offense and defense. As a team, we are all working hard in J2 and we have the determination of J2. The foundation of the team may have been built, but I don't think winning a game like today's is proof of becoming stronger. It's difficult to express whether we have gained that much strength, but I think we have gained some strength."

　And the team has also come together. I think it became a game where we can prove ourselves to some extent. We don't have much time to adjust until the final round in two days, but once we've come this far, we just have to give it our all and enjoy the game to the fullest on New Year's Day."

　[C Osaka Levir CULPI press conference summary] "Hello everyone. I think today's game went as expected. FC Tokyo started with full power in both halves. While enduring that, Cerezo gradually gained momentum in both halves as we predicted. However, FC Tokyo had higher accuracy in finishing and it resulted in goals. I believe this was truly a deserving performance for victory. FC Tokyo is a team with great unity and cohesion."

　However, if it had gone into extra time, we might have had a chance with our physical strength. The result is certainly disappointing, but I am truly proud of the players who continued to fight for victory until the last minute. Thank you all for your support for a long time. We look forward to seeing you in Brazil in 2014. Thank you very much."