Connect the momentum of the league and go for the Emperor's Cup!

　Today is the Emperor's Cup, which is the last tournament of this season. It is the 4th round, the first appearance for the J1 team, and they will be playing against J2's Avispa Fukuoka. Fukuoka is currently in 2nd place in the J2 league and is in the midst of the promotion battle to J1. In addition, they have a tough schedule with 3 matches in the league and the Emperor's Cup in this week, and they will face Yokohama FC on Jun 6 (Sun), so they made significant changes to the lineup today. They have been facing the matches with a young squad with an average age of 23.6.

　On the other hand, Tokyo, after winning intense games against Tokyo V and Gamba Osaka in the league, will face the match with only 3 days of rest. "To be honest, the players are also fatigued," said Manager Hara. However, he firmly stated, "I don't want to disrupt the current rhythm and momentum of the team." In place of Toda, who injured his leg in the previous match against Gamba Osaka, Noriyuki Suzuki will play as the left midfielder, and the rest of the lineup will be the same as the Gamba Osaka match. Additionally, after the Sec. 26 match against Omiya on October 1st, Kaji, who had been absent from the team, will be on the bench.

　The former coach was cautious, saying, "Fukuoka's fresh players are highly motivated, and on the contrary, that is scary." Every year, in the first match of the Emperor's Cup, they are forced to struggle against teams in the lower category, so they want to win by any means necessary. "In the league matches, we have reduced the number of goals conceded, scored goals, and been able to come from behind and win consecutive matches. We will continue to play good soccer and go for the Emperor's Cup," said the former coach, connecting the good rhythm of the league and starting off on a good note, fighting until the final round on New Year's Day.

Unable to score a decisive goal, the first half ended in a 0-0 draw

　The match started at 13:00 with a kickoff in Fukuoka at Ajinomoto Stadium, where the sunny weather in the morning began to darken. Tokyo dominated the ball from the start. They placed Lucas as the starting point in the front line, used the pitch widely, and created chances from fast passing. However, they were unable to score a goal against Fukuoka's focused defense.

　In the 16th minute, a wave attack was launched, and Noriyuki Suzuki dribbled to the center, creating chances for Yoshiro Abe, Kajiyama, but they couldn't finish. In the 20th minute, Kanazawa unleashed a powerful shot, but it was blocked by the opponent's goalkeeper's excellent save. In the 26th minute, Noriyuki Suzuki crossed from the left and Yoshiro Abe had a big chance to jump in freely. However, this also didn't result in a goal. As time passed, the game continued with a series of chances created but not converted.

　On the other hand, Fukuoka, in the 12th minute, FW Ota, a tall player who received a right cross, shot towards the goal where GK Doi jumped out, but the ball cut to the left. Fukuoka continued to solidify their defense and launch counterattacks, but Tokyo also benefited from the lack of coordination from the opponent and did not face any major threats.

　Fukuoka continued to struggle defensively. Towards the end of the fatigued first half, Tokyo threatened Fukuoka's goal with corner kicks and set plays, but were stopped by a determined defense. As a result, Fukuoka's valiant efforts shone through in the first half, and the score remained 0-0 as they headed into the second half.

Abe Yoshi and Suzuki Nori secure a solid victory with their goals!

　In the first half, Kanazawa, who felt a strain in his left foot, was replaced by Kaji in the second half. Fujiyama shifted to left back and exerted more control over the ball, putting pressure on the Fukuoka goal. In the 52nd minute, Fujiyama connected with Shigeki Suzuki, who sprinted up the side and delivered a pinpoint cross in front of the goal from the cut by Shigenobu. Yoshiro Abe scored a perfect header! With a fast and sharp attack, they shook off the Fukuoka defense and took the lead.

　Tokyo, which dispelled the unpleasant atmosphere of not being able to score despite creating chances, directly aimed for the FK obtained by Lucas being fouled in the 57th minute. The powerful left-footed kick changed its course after hitting the opponent's DF and went into the goal! They added another goal as if piling on.

　After that, we dominated the game with a calm style of play. In the 60th minute, Sasa was substituted for Lucas to bring a more aggressive approach towards the goal. However, in the 62nd minute, Yoshiro Abe's powerful shot from outside the box was saved by the goalkeeper and resulted in a corner kick. In the 63rd minute, Suzuki broke through the left side, crossed the ball to Abe, whose shot was deflected and picked up by Baba for another shot. However, it missed to the right of the goal. In the 76th minute, Kaji ran up from the side and took a low shot aimed at the bottom right corner of the goal, but it was saved by the goalkeeper and resulted in a corner kick. In the 79th minute, Sasa received a pass from Abe on the right side and took a shot in front of the goal, but it was also saved by the goalkeeper.

　Substitute Kurisawa for Baba in the 80th minute. In the 82nd minute, Fukuoka tried to score a goal, but MF Ariyoshi took a shot in front of the goal from an early restart, but Doi stretched his leg and made a nice save! Fukuoka had a chance to shoot after the rebound, but the Tokyo DF cleared it and escaped the pinch. The game ended 2-0. Although we couldn't score any additional points, it was a safe victory, and we advanced to the 5th round to play against Urawa Reds.

　【Player Comments】《Norio Suzuki》"(The goal from the free kick) was aimed towards the frame. It was a lucky goal, but I am very happy. We are instructed to kick the free kick towards the frame, so even if it doesn't go in, someone can follow up. I kicked it as usual, but it hit the wall. However, I had a feeling that the ball would go in when it was floating. (The assist) We had a chance in the first half, and if we can keep sending crosses like that, players like Yoshiro ABE will definitely score. I tried to keep taking risks and sending crosses. It would have been good to score one goal in the first half, but even if it's 1-0, if we win, we can move up, so we didn't want to play too defensively and tried to score one goal in the second half. We played without overthinking. It's been a while since I made a play that leads to a goal, so I want to keep doing that consistently. Using my teammates more easily is also something I need to work on."《Yoshiro ABE》"We had chances in the first half, so I'm glad we were able to score in the second half. Norio sent in a good cross, so I just tried to jump ahead of the opponent. In the first half, I just jumped in without thinking and my head angle was off, so this time I paid attention to the angle. Fukuoka changed their lineup and it was a difficult game, but we had a lot of close chances, so I thought we could score one goal."

　[Summary of the press conference by Coach Hara] "We had a very good game against Gamba last week, but the schedule was tight with only 3 days in between, so it was difficult to switch gears. Especially in the Emperor's Cup, there is always the difficulty of facing J2 or JFL opponents in the first round. Considering Fukuoka's condition and schedule, I thought they might change their lineup... and I was a little surprised that they changed it so much. As a result, the players were highly motivated and moved well, as I had told them. However, Fukuoka put up a good fight for about the first 30 minutes. But I believed that the opponent would gradually get tired and if we used the sides as well as the center, chances would definitely come. In the first half, there were moments when Kajiyama and Baba held onto the ball too much or tried to do difficult things, so at halftime, I emphasized again, 'Let's keep it simple and use the sides.' I think we regained our rhythm when Abe Yoshiro scored from Suzuki Nori's cross at a good time. Today, I told the players to play with the same mentality as in the league matches. First, we want to focus on this Emperor's Cup and the remaining 5 matches in the league, and switch our mindset for each one. We want to continue to work hard towards the next Antlers match."

　[Summary of Fukuoka Matsuda's Press Conference] "In the end, the difference in strength showed. We have good players in our team, and I wanted to show individual skills while compensating for the shortcomings and defensive aspects with the team's organization, and we aimed for goals on the counterattack. I think we defended well in the first half. In the second half, we lost the ball due to mistakes in our build-up play and conceded from a quick cross. The quality of the cross was good, but we were exposed on the sides, and it was painful to concede there. (Wasn't it the best lineup?) I don't think of it as the B team. During the interval between league matches, there are players who are injured or in poor condition. I told them to approach the game with the mindset of representing Avispa with the players who are in good condition. We want to confirm whether the organizational strength we have cultivated in our daily training can be effective. I told them to focus on showcasing their own abilities and challenging themselves. However, I think this achievement was only possible through winning."