Continue the momentum of the league victory and move on to the next battle!

　The 3rd Round of the Emperor's Cup will be played against Giravanz Kitakyushu. They achieved a long-awaited victory with 3 goals from a stable defense in the 10/3 Shonan match. After that, they conducted a 3-day training camp in Gotemba. With the theme of "raising the condition and awareness of not only the starting members but also the substitute members (Coach Okuma)", they have been undergoing rigorous training to strengthen the team's unity. In order to continue the team's momentum, they not only want to win but also want to have a battle that leads to the next one.

　Tokyo-based professional football league website

　Tokyo, now missing Konno and Gonda for the activities of the Japan national team, as well as Young Gwon KIM from the South Korea national team. Additionally, Okubo is absent due to a foot strain. However, Ishikawa, Kajiyama, and Hanyu, who were previously injured, have returned to the lineup. The starting lineup consists of Tokunaga and Morishige as center-backs, Matsushita and Kajiyama as defensive midfielders, and with the aim of "making the most of individual characteristics," Hirayama in the front line and Otake below him, adopting a 4-2-3-1 formation. If the team as a whole can continue to demonstrate strength in winning the ball, quick transitions between offense and defense, and not losing out in battles, there should be a chance of victory in this match.

　Ishikawa said, "With Sota at the top and Yohei playing just behind, I can put even more pressure on the opponents in the attacking third. We need to consider the risks, but it should help raise the team's awareness of scoring goals. Personally, I want to think about when and where to make runs into the box while also using my skills on the wings to create chances." Coach Okuma added, "We need to prepare for the match against Kitakyushu, but the most important thing right now is to build a solid foundation for the team." He emphasized that they are not only focused on today's game, but also have their sights set on future league matches. They aim to turn this match into a victory and transform it into confidence and momentum. The match started at 13:00 with a kickoff in Tokyo at Shoda Shoyu Stadium Gunma.

Leading with Ishikawa's goal, but unable to score additional points, the first half ends.

From the beginning, we took control and progressed the game within the Kitakyushu team. Utilizing the movements of Hirayama and Otake in the front line, as well as the bold attempts of Ricardinho to exploit Ishikawa's runs behind the defense, we created chances by also having our midfielders push forward. In the 8th minute, Ishikawa broke free in a high position on the right side and dribbled along the touchline. He carried the ball into the box and won a corner kick. This right corner kick was initially cleared, but we connected the loose ball and Ishikawa in the center took a shot. However, it was blocked and resulted in another corner kick. Despite creating numerous chances from the sides, the Kitakyushu defense put their bodies on the line and continued to hold their ground, making it difficult for us to break through their wall.

　In the 20th minute, Nakamura made a wide attack, and Hirayama dropped Kajiyama's wedge in the center. Ishikawa, who ran from the right to the center, created a decisive opportunity with a shot, but the ball went straight to the goalkeeper. In the 24th minute, Kajiyama and Hirayama broke through the right front line, dribbled into the right area, and took a shot, but it was caught by the goalkeeper again. The time of not being able to score continued, but in the 28th minute, Kajiyama sent a long pass to Mukuhara, who ran up the right side. Mukuhara connected with Ishikawa, who ran into the near side, and Ishikawa carried the ball into the goal with speed! They took the lead with a speedy combination play.

　After that, we grasped the rhythm, and at 35 minutes, Kajiyama slid in but narrowly missed the cross from Ricardinho's shot on the left side. At 39 minutes, Ricardinho volleyed from Ishikawa's right cross but it went over the frame. At 43 minutes, Kajiyama, who had moved up from the right area, pretended to shoot and made a heel pass. Ishikawa followed up perfectly and took a decisive shot, but it was saved by the goalkeeper and escaped as a corner kick. In the end, we couldn't score an additional point and went into the second half with a one-point lead.

Shun Hirayama's goal in the final stage secures victory

　In the second half, it was Kitakyushu who came out attacking first. In the 46th minute, Sato, the right full-back, advanced into the area. Nakamura made a sliding tackle to cut off the attack, but the ball was picked up and a shot was taken from inside the area. Tokyo was fortunate to escape from this mistake, but they also started to become sloppy in the final moments of the game, gradually losing their rhythm. In the 56th minute, Hayashi was substituted for Kajiyama, and in the 65th minute, Shigematsu was substituted for Otake, in an attempt to reinvigorate the attack.

　And in the 68th minute, Shigematsu, who broke through the front line from a floating pass by Hanyu, cut back two opposing defenders in the left area and made a last pass in front of the goal. However, Hirayama's decisive shot was blocked by the Kitakyushu DF... As the opportunity was missed, the line gradually stretched out, and scenes where Kitakyushu, on the other hand, brought the ball to a shot by using player substitutions also increased.

　Still, calmly defend at the final line and connect to the counterattack. In the 81st minute, Shigematsu, who received the ball with his back to the goal, turned around and shot, hitting the bar after hitting the defender. Although he couldn't score, in the 88th minute just before the end of the game, Matsushita broke through on the right front line and sent a sharp cross to the center, where Hirayama had a great chance. Although he initially lost control, he tenaciously regained possession and forcefully bypassed two opposing defenders to score a goal!! Despite taking 21 shots and scoring 2 goals, there is still a lack of finishing ability as a challenge, but they achieved a solid victory and advanced to the 4th round (against JEF Chiba).

　【Player Comment】《Hirayama》"The goal, at first, I made a mistake when the cross came to my feet. However, I decided to turn it around and go for a shot in my own way. Today, I played as a lone striker, and each player tried to make the most of their roles near me. Especially, Nao-san was making a lot of moves, so I wanted to use that. We kept a good distance from each other, and when I made a run, Nao-san started moving, which made it easy for me to play and create chances. I wanted to score more goals, but..."

　"Ishikawa: "(I have scored 3 goals in the last 4 official matches, but?)... I feel like I have missed more opportunities... But, in a positive way, I have a stronger desire to score more. Today, not only Sota but also Yohei, Kaji (Kajiyama), and Wang-chan (Matsushita) had a good sense of distance among the players. When Sota made a move, Kaji would move forward in sync, creating a strong attacking force and forming a shape. Although we couldn't fully capitalize on the chances, Sota's intentional plays make it easier for me to support him. After the match, we discussed having an image of shooting and the surrounding situation while playing. My quality of crossing and movement towards the center has improved. Of course, accuracy is still a challenge, and the focus will be on scoring in the future."

　[Summary of Coach Okuma's Press Conference] "In a game where it was difficult to score, we had many opportunities for the second goal, but in soccer, you never know what will happen if you keep missing, so I want them to score firmly. However, I don't want to end this only with individual decision-making skills, but as a team challenge, I want to score goals like Ishikawa does even when Hirayama can't score, as in the Shonan game. There were also scenes where we missed while being free, but I want to think about it again as a team. There is also my intention to unify our will, but also the exchange of marks when the opponent's team comes aggressively, even though we are in a defensive state with the midfield creating a solid block. Especially on the right side, unexpected situations are occurring. I want to fix the parts where we are still giving opportunities and connect them to the league matches."

　(The evaluation of attacks on both sides) The number of times is good, so it's just a matter of accuracy. I think we were able to penetrate the space between the target defensive line and the goalkeeper very well. Also, in terms of ideas and ingenuity in front of the goal, I think there are more variations such as pulling back and taking long shots. The challenge is to execute them. As I mentioned earlier, we want to work on it as a team challenge and convert it into goals. The number of times has gradually increased in the past three matches, and I think the ideas have also relatively increased compared to the Omiya match, so I want to connect them to the league matches."

　[Kitakyushu Yonashiro Jorge Coach Press Conference Summary] "I think we had a good start to the game. We gradually broke through our left side and had some dangerous moments. The left side was not settling down easily, but in the second half, we tried to connect the ball better and I think the passes were successful. As a result, we created more chances, which is a positive outcome. Overall, there were some good moments throughout the 90 minutes, so I think it was a good performance as a team. I feel that the players gave their all until the end. (Was it your first match against a J1 club?) We were conscious of constantly attacking from the front. We wanted to see what would happen by doing so. However, there came a time when we couldn't push forward as easily. So, there were moments when we had to retreat temporarily and moments when we pushed forward. It was a busy 90 minutes, but overall, I think we handled it well."