Break through the first match of the Emperor's Cup

　FC Tokyo's Emperor's Cup record after promotion to J1 is as follows: in the 80th edition (2000), they were defeated by Kofu in the first round, and in the following 81st edition (2001), they were also defeated by Yokohama FC in the first round. In both years, they were eliminated in the first round by J2 teams. And this year, in the 82nd edition of the Emperor's Cup, their opponent in the first round, the 3rd round, was once again Shonan Bellmare, a J2 team.

　For FC Tokyo, the first match of the Emperor's Cup has already become a "difficult opponent", but they cannot easily give up the chance to win the last title of the year in just one game. In the past two years, they have been defeated by veteran-centered regular players, but this year, with Amaral and Kelly unable to participate, they have become a fresh lineup that actively promotes young players. At the top, 22-year-old Abe made his debut, 18-year-old Baba in the attacking midfield, 18-year-old Suzuki on the left side, and 21-year-old Ishikawa on the right side, with an average age of 23.4 for the starting 11, a very young team. The absence of the two main pillars is painful, but expectations are high for the fierce fighting spirit of the young players who are hungry for the game.

　Among them, particular attention was drawn to FW Yoshiro ABE, an active university player who was registered just this November. With Amaral's injury and Fukuda's study abroad in Belgium, Abe suddenly got his chance. Although he has titles such as the 2nd division top scorer in the Kanto University League and MVP of the Japan-Korea Student Selection Tournament, his actual ability is unknown. It would be harsh to expect him to immediately produce great results in his debut on the big stage, but as a player with high expectations as a key player for next season, not only the staff but also the fans were expected to watch him with a critical eye. The man praised by Manager Hara for his abilities as a striker has already come to the point where he can take off the veil without waiting for next season.

Abbe's super debut goal that broke the unpleasant flow!

　Tokyo failed from the start. Shonan is known for their strong defense, so we knew that if we let Tokyo attack first and then defend well, we could counter-attack. We should have taken the initiative and attacked aggressively to set the pace for Tokyo. However, Tokyo's start to the game was too weak, and Shonan ended up controlling the pace instead. In the crucial moments when we should have demonstrated the strength and technique of J1, we lost the ball due to careless plays, and Shonan's players, who immediately gained confidence, launched bold attacks.

　At 2 minutes, a dangerous scene was created when a cross from the left side was jumped into near the goal. At 8 minutes, an unnecessary dribble in the midfield was cut off and a through pass was played in front of the goal, but Jean cleared it with his body. At 13 minutes, a heading shot was taken from a cross lifted from the left side, but the ball went over the bar. And at 14 minutes, a direct ball connection was made in the midfield, and a goal was easily scored from a through pass on the left side, allowing the opponent to take the lead.

　I think it was a disappointing development to the point where I wonder if I have ever been passed through such a beautiful through pass in a J1 match, but the movements of the Tokyo players felt somewhat lacking. The feeling of "it will somehow work out" was visible.

　It was a bad flow. In the attack, Suzuki on the left proved that he could supply aggressive breakthroughs and accurate crosses, and scenes where Ishikawa and Baba were involved in Abe's post were also seen. However, the way the ball was taken away in the midfield was bad, and there was no sign of it leading to a goal. The air became even heavier with the unpleasant development of conceding the first goal, but in the 17th minute, Fujiyama aimed for the back of Shonan's shallow defensive line from a deep position on the left side and made a big long pass. Abe, who left the opponent's DF behind at an amazing speed, shot a jumping volley from the right side of the penalty area. The ball grazed the opponent's GK's hand and pierced the goal net on the opposite side.

　The audience was amazed by a super goal that is rarely seen in the world of soccer. This was Abe's debut goal, which served as his greeting. It is a difficult task for an ordinary player to score with a jumping volley on the opposite side with a long ball that they wouldn't normally try to shoot directly. It is truly a striker's goal. Tokyo quickly turned the game around with the wonder boy's goal.

Shonan Attacks Tokyo with a Non-Starting Engine

　Shonan was disheartened by Abe's superb goal, and Tokyo finally began to grasp its original rhythm. In the 21st minute, a pass from Kaji on the right reached Ishikawa, who skillfully evaded the defender and charged towards the goal. He unleashed a left-footed shot from a brilliant feint, but it missed the goal. In the 24th minute, Kaji broke through the opponent's defense with fast passing on the right side and unleashed a powerful left-footed shot. In the 26th minute, Baba aimed for a header shot near the goal from a left corner kick, but unfortunately hit the side net. In the following 30th minute, Suzuki intercepted the opponent's ball in the midfield and charged towards the goal. He unleashed a spectacular left-footed shot with a low trajectory just outside the penalty area, but the ball veered to the left of the goal.

　Shonan is already making a move here. In the 38th minute, they substituted a tall FW Toda for a player who didn't perform well in the midfield. Toda is a goal scorer who scored the winning goal in the Emperor's Cup 2nd round and is the younger brother of Tokyo's Mitsuhiro Toda. Shonan's strategy worked perfectly. In the 40th minute, they connected the ball from a free kick given to Shonan in front of the goal, and when the player on the left side became free, they crossed the ball, which was then headed by Toda into the goal, adding another goal without any resistance.

　Tokyo changed the flow by substituting members just as they were getting into rhythm, while Shonan fought on the pitch with higher tension than Tokyo and put their bodies on the line. Their solid defense and speedy attacks after stealing the ball reminded us of the old Tokyo for a moment. Tokyo's players must have felt that the opponent in front of them was tough. Shonan remained in the lead with one goal as the first half ended.

Suzuki's first goal, and Abe's second goal, beautifully turned the game around...

　At halftime, Coach Hara said, "We are losing because of our mentality. Fight harder for the ball. Abe and the Suzukis, keep moving into space. Let's target these two sharply as soon as we steal the ball. And then, let's push up as a team."

　As soon as the second half started, the results came out immediately. In the 46th minute, Kaji carried the ball up from the right side and passed a through ball to Baba, just in front of the penalty area on the right side. Baba made a vertical run and sent a perfect pass directly to Suzuki in the center. Suzuki, who received the ball, elegantly turned around the opponent's defender with a brilliant trap and shot with his left foot while turning around. The ball was sucked into the right side of the goal. Suzuki, who scored a valuable equalizer in the best time of 1 minute into the second half, exploded with joy for his first goal in Tokyo.

　Tokyo, which has now begun to demonstrate its true power, shows a fierce attack. After the tie, Tokyo launched a one-sided fierce attack, but in the 53rd minute, once again, Kaji on the right side smoothly lifted the ball and passed a through pass to Baba, who was waiting in a similar position. This time, Baba shot with his right foot. However, the ball did not meet perfectly and rolled towards the center. Just a moment faster than the Shonan DF clearing the ball, Abe intercepted in front of the defender, stretched out his leg, and took a shot. Mocking the goalkeeper who was mistimed, the ball slowly rolled into the goal. Two goals in his debut match. Abe's performance lived up to his reputation and quickly led to a successful comeback.

　With the performance of the two rookies, Tokyo, who took the lead for the first time on this day, should have completely taken control of the game. However, Shonan, who showed a fighting spirit from here on, began to show their determination.

Defeated by Shonan's Determination with a V-GOAL Loss

　Tokyo's movement became sharper after the reversal. They put pressure on Tokyo's defense with intense chasing from the front line and threw themselves to snatch the ball. The game gradually pushed Shonan back, and in the 59th minute, they allowed a decisive breakthrough in front of Tokyo's goal, but Asari managed to clear it with a sliding tackle. In the following 61st minute, a clear ball from a corner kick was spectacularly shot from outside the penalty area, but the ball, which seemed to have gone in, luckily hit an opponent player and bounced back in front of GK Doi.

　Shonan, who has gained momentum, substitutes a player here and brings in Kato, who is only 19 years old but has a reputation for dribbling and speed. Tokyo will be thrown off by Kato's breakthrough. In the immediate 67th minute, Shonan's Toda once again scores from a right corner kick in front of Tokyo's goal, equalizing the score.

　Tokyo also made a move here, substituting Miura Fumitake for Baba in the 73rd minute. The "number 10" returned to the pitch after a long absence of 281 days. In the 80th minute, Miura, who had the ball on the right side of the penalty area, sent a decisive pass to Ishikawa on the left, but Ishikawa's shot unfortunately missed to the right of the goal.

　The match was entering the final stage, but Shonan was surpassing Tokyo in terms of physical fitness. In the third Emperor's Cup match, Shonan, and Tokyo, which had many unfamiliar players due to the game being held after a two-week break, naturally had a difference in game stamina. Kato, who entered the right side for Shonan, repeatedly showed sharp breakthroughs as if anticipating the difficult situation of Tokyo's players, and attacked from there. On the other hand, Suzuki, who contributes the most in terms of physical fitness in both offense and defense, desperately tried to get involved with the ball for Tokyo. In the back and forth battle, Shonan made a decisive through pass in the 87th minute to the front of Tokyo's goal, but the shot from Toda, who was free, was stopped by goalkeeper Doi, who came out and blocked the course with a fine save. The match lacked a decisive moment for both teams, and entered into extra time.

　Even in extra time, Shonan's energy did not diminish, and their determination to "defeat Tokyo" overwhelmed Tokyo. In the 103rd minute of the first half of extra time, Shonan sent a ground pass in front of the goal, but instead of shooting, Toda accurately dropped it as a post while carrying Jean, and Shonan's Kato, who had run in, confirmed that GK Doi was coming forward and lightly shot a looping shot, and the ball was sucked into Tokyo's goal.

　The winning goal that decided the match seemed like slow motion, but the Tokyo players could only watch in astonishment. With this, Tokyo has been eliminated in the first round against a J2 team for the third consecutive year in the Emperor's Cup. It is not about tactics or reasoning, but rather a problem of motivation when we are not the challengers, in other words, when we are in a position to receive. Unless we become a team that can always give our all and fight against any opponent, we cannot be considered truly strong. We will definitely overcome this "difficult hurdle" of the 3rd round of the Emperor's Cup next year and achieve victory.

[Summary of Manager Hara's Press Conference] "Considering the past two years and the difficulty of the Emperor's Cup first match, I have been telling the players to be aware and prepared since before the game. However, on the pitch today, the opponents were quicker to start and we were losing in the competition and in the initial stages. Shonan Bellmare had higher motivation. The true rhythm of Tokyo only emerged when we scored two consecutive goals in the second half, but after that, things went awry. Today, we used young players due to the absence of Amaral and Kelly, and Abe performed as expected, and Norio also did well. However, as a team, we need to be able to perform better even when Amaral and Kelly are not available. It was extremely disappointing because we really wanted to win today's Emperor's Cup first match."