Emperor's Cup, want to win the first match with a good performance

　The league season took an interval and now it's time for this season's Emperor's Cup. The 1st round has already been played, and each J1 team will join from the 2nd round. Tokyo will face Kamatamare Sanuki, the representative team from Kagawa Prefecture, at Ajinomoto Stadium. The first match of the Emperor's Cup won't be an easy battle, but currently, Tokyo has won two consecutive matches in the league. In order to maintain this good momentum, it is required to win with a good performance.

　Kamatamare Sanuki, representing Kagawa Prefecture, belongs to the Shikoku League. Under the second-year coach Masashi Hanakata, they advanced to the 2nd round of the Emperor's Cup by defeating SC Tottori Dreams in the 1st round. On the other hand, they finished in 2nd place in the final match of the Shikoku League on October 8th, but they will compete in the National Amateur Soccer Championship aiming for promotion to the JFL. Despite the challenging schedule, Coach Hanakata will deploy a 4-3-3 formation in the Barcelona style that he believes in, aiming for an ultra-attacking style of play that connects passes.

Manager Jofuku also said, "We have a variety of attacking options and can also aim for the back. We need to be cautious." In response, Tokyo wants to suppress them with their usual coordinated defense. In attack, if we can exploit the space between Kamatamare's midfield trio and their defenders and wingers, we should be able to create chances. During this period, Nagatomo, Konno, Ishikawa, and Tokunaga are absent from the team due to their activities with the national team. In addition, Mochida, who was injured in the Nagoya game, Koyama, who is currently injured, and Kondo, who is undergoing separate training, will also be missing. However, this will be a match where we gather the strength of all the players and face it together.

　Tokyo's GK Shibata starts. In defense, Bruno QUADROS and Sasaki form the CB, with Mukuhara on the right and Hiramatsu on the left. Suzuki enters as the right MF, and Hirayama and Akamine form the 2 top. On the bench are Otake and Tanabe, who have recovered from injuries, as well as GK Konda and Abe. Without rushing, they calmly defeat Kamatamare and gradually climb the road until New Year's Day! The match started exactly at 15:00 with Tokyo's kickoff at the Ajinomoto Stadium on a clear autumn day.

Opening goal by KAJIYAMA, followed by a goal rush with 4 goals

　Took the initiative from the start. In the 0th minute, Akamine broke through with a feed from Kajiyama and carried the ball to the right area. From there, he sent a cross with shooting potential inside, but no one could connect at the far post and the ball crossed the goal. In the 3rd minute, Kajiyama crossed from the right to Mokuhara. Hirayama connected in the center of the area, but the shot was missed and lacked power. In the 6th minute, Hayashi on the left front cut back the opposing defender and entered the area. He aimed for the goal, but was blocked by the right post... Still, Kamatamare did not allow free play and Kajiyama played an active role in developing a diverse attack from a concentrated defense.

　At the 10th minute, Kajiyama intercepted in the midfield and passed it to Hirayama who was drifting to the right. Hirayama then rushed into the right area. After receiving the return pass, he cut inside the opponent's defender in the area and neatly scored with his left foot, getting the opening goal! In the 16th minute, Kajiyama intercepted again, this time on the left, and passed it to Suzuki. Suzuki dribbled towards the center while being closed down by the opponent, and from just outside the area, he drove the ball into the net, scoring an additional goal.

　In a calm game, we securely scored 2 points, but Kamatamare gradually found their rhythm and created chances by connecting multiple passes in the midfield. However, our coordinated defense did not allow them to play freely. In the 34th minute, Mokuhara sprinted up the right side with speed and crossed the ball. In the center, Hirayama chest-trapped the ball and took a direct shot, but it was saved by the goalkeeper and resulted in a corner kick. In the 35th minute, Suzuki took this right corner kick and Bruno QUADROS in the center headed the ball into the net for an additional point.

　In the 42nd minute, Yonemoto passed to Habu, who went up the right side and crossed. Akamine jumped in and scored a "typical" powerful header. Kamatamare also tried to create chances by moving the ball wide, but they couldn't break Tokyo's defense. Tokyo created many chances and scored a massive 4 goals, ending the first half.

No goals in the second half, but each player utilized their strengths and secured victory. On to the 3rd Round!

　From the start of the second half, Otake, who returned from injury, replaced Kajiyama on the right side. Suzuki moved to the left, and Hayu played as a defensive midfielder. In the 55th minute, Otake's sharp dribble led to a one-touch combination between Hayu, Suzuki, and Akamine, showcasing a fast-paced attack. However, they were ultimately stopped by the defenders.

　On the contrary, Kamatamare also showed great determination, and in the 59th minute, FW Sasaki advanced from the left and took a shot. He hit the crossbar perfectly, but Shioda made a one-handed save! It goes out for a corner kick. Then, MF Asahina took this right corner kick and DF Kamizaki made a perfect header in the center. However, Shioda made a solid save! During this period, the momentum shifted to Kamatamare. In response to this, Tokyo substituted Ashizaki for Hayama in the 62nd minute. Shortly after, Hirayama was fouled and they earned a free kick from just outside the right area. Otake took a direct shot, but it grazed the right post... The rebound was shot by Hiramatsu from the far side, but it went wide of the goal.

　In the 68th minute, Bruno QUADROS was replaced by Fujiyama. Fujiyama was placed as left full-back and Hiramatsu in the center to stabilize the game and aim for chances. In the 75th minute, Hirayama scored from Asari's overlap with Fujiyama, but the shot did not hit... In the 79th minute, Hirayama connected a pass from Akamine and Suzuki slid in to score a goal, but it was offside. In the 83rd minute, Akamine jumped out just on the offside line and created a one-on-one situation with the goalkeeper, but the shot was blocked...

　In the end, there was also Kamatamare's defensive effort in the second half, resulting in no goals. However, they calmly responded to Kamatamare's counterattacks and shut them out. In the second half, they brought in fresh players, each of whom showcased their strengths, and safely reached the end of the match, advancing to the 3rd Round.

　【Player Comment】"Shioda": "Since it was a tournament, the most important thing was to advance. I think the biggest achievement was being able to move on to the next round. It had been about 10 months since we played at TOHO S., but instead of focusing on personal matters, I approached the game with the theme of contributing to the team and playing our own style of soccer that the team is promoting. As the coach also mentioned, the first theme for today was to respect the opponent. We showed respect to the players who continue to play soccer with passion and were able to concentrate on the game until the end, while showing respect to the opposing team."

　The representative player may not be present, and it may not be the usual members, but we usually practice together in Kodaira, so here too, everyone played with respect for each other and trusted each other, and I think we were able to compensate for the coordination. Kamatamare was playing good soccer. I think it was good that we were able to keep the score at 0 because we were prepared for several pinches."

　"Kajiyama: '(Regarding the opening goal) In the past few matches, our team's theme has been to assess the situation and continue attacking even if it means disrupting the balance. So today, I aimed for that. When I passed the ball to the side, the opponent's full-back followed closely, creating space behind him. In that situation, I passed the ball to Hirayama and moved forward myself. After receiving the pass, I was able to skillfully turn past the opponent, but I was already quite close to the goal, so I decided to shoot near post.'"

　[Summary of Manager Jofuku's Press Conference] "I was impressed by Kamatamare Sanuki as a very good team. We were encouraged by their fearless ball possession and their determination to reach the finish line, as it resonates with our own philosophy. That's why we didn't want to lose and it was a battle we couldn't afford to lose. Nevertheless, we had a favorable impression and learned from their unwavering fighting spirit until the end. This week was not just about playing the 2nd round of the Emperor's Cup, but also about the final week of the J-League where we aimed to create a miracle. Today's match was the culmination of our week-long efforts. We trained harder than usual, and even though we had three goalkeepers in the squad today due to the absence of national team players, we have been consistently working towards our goals for the J-League and the Nabisco Cup. Therefore, we didn't want to spoil this one week."

　I have been preparing with such thoughts, so it was absolutely impossible to let my guard down. I was able to enter the game in that way, and I think the first half also became that kind of game. In the second half, the players who wanted to score more goals came out as they missed, and they missed even more. That is where we are faced with the challenges and have to take it to heart. Of course, we are not intentionally missing, but there are technical aspects and final decisions that need to be addressed. In terms of attitude, I want to give credit to the players who were able to win today's difficult game. The technical aspect of finishing is something we have been working on this season, and we have to continue to do so. Each individual must also take it to heart. It was a game that made me feel that once again."

　[Kamatamare Sanuki - Coach Hanakata's Press Conference Summary] "First of all, the word is 'regrettable'. However, I want to express my gratitude to the players who played their soccer until the end. I felt that FC Tokyo is indeed a wonderful team in J1. However, it's strange to say this after conceding four goals, but it's also true that we can fight, and we can have confidence. I want to build on this experience for the future. We will continue to work hard to achieve our goal of promotion to the J.League."