Oh, again Hiratsuka!?

Since making their first appearance in the Emperor's Cup in 1994, FC Tokyo has participated for 6 consecutive years (previously as Tokyo Gas FC until last year). They have faced Shonan Bellmare, their opponent on this day, a total of 3 times. This year will be their 4th encounter, and it is quite remarkable that they have faced each other 4 out of 6 times. It is impossible not to feel a sense of fate. The results of their previous matches are as follows: In 1994 (Expo), they faced each other in the quarterfinals and Tokyo lost 1-2. In 1997 (Mizuho), they faced each other again in the quarterfinals and Tokyo won with a 3-2 victory goal. In 1998 (Hiratsuka), they faced each other in the 3rd round and Tokyo lost 1-2. Tokyo has a record of 1 win and 2 losses. Among these matches, the most memorable one is the 1997 match. That year, Tokyo gained momentum by defeating Nagoya in the 3rd round and Yokohama M in the 4th round, both of which were stronger J-League clubs. In the quarterfinals, they faced Hiratsuka. At that time, Hiratsuka was a talented team with popular players such as Nakata (currently with Perugia), and they were reigning as one of the top teams in popularity and ability in the J-League. The match was a back-and-forth battle with Tokyo's defensive midfielder Asari tightly marking Hiratsuka's ace Nakata. In the final minutes of the game, Tokyo equalized and in extra time, Okamoto scored a dramatic victory goal to secure the win...

What kind of battle will it be this year? The positions of both teams are different from before. Tokyo has been promoted to J1 next season, while Hiratsuka has been relegated to J2. Tokyo must be feeling the pressure from the expectations of those around them, thinking "we have to win, right?" and Hiratsuka will surely show their determination with the attitude of "can we endure losing?". The unexpected silence before the match gave a sense of anticipation for a fierce battle. At 13:02 in the afternoon, the curtain fell on the first big game of the Emperor's Cup!

Strong, Tokyo!

When the match started, Hiratsuka attacked fiercely. They aggressively pressed and stole the ball from the front line, then launched an offensive with fast passing in the midfield. Tokyo was overwhelmed by the young power of Hiratsuka, whose average age of 22.6 was much lower than Tokyo's 25.1. On the other hand, Tokyo's movements were sluggish overall, and their reaction to the ball was also slow, so they seemed to be confused by the opponent's speed. The cause could be that the previous two matches were against high school teams, so they were not able to adapt to the speed and physical contact of a J1 team all of a sudden. The first goal was also conceded due to a mistake that would not be expected in a league match. In the 16th minute, Fujiyama, who kept the ball deep on the left side of their own half, failed to exchange quick passes with Sandro, who came to support him nearby, despite the opponent's persistent defense, and the ball was easily passed through the weakened center, resulting in a goal. Tokyo, who conceded the opening goal due to such a poor mistake, continued to make easy mistakes and faced more dangerous situations.

Tokyo's Strength

Waking up with the first opening punch, Tokyo regained its flexibility and sharpness in movement immediately after conceding a goal. Fujiyama's sharp interception began to shine, and as they became accustomed to the opponent's movements overall, they had more opportunities to steal the ball. After stealing the ball, they spread it from the midfield to the left and right, with Umayama-Yukihiko line on the right side and Fujiyama-Okamoto line on the left side, launching speedy attacks respectively. In the 24th minute, Yukihiko made a breakthrough on the right side and initially got caught by the opponent's defense, but Umayama, who was supporting him, quickly stole the ball and passed it to Almir in front without hesitation. Almir sharply cut inside and delivered an exquisite cross with his left foot to the center. In the center, Okamoto was waiting freely and easily scored the equalizer.

Both teams, who wanted to score more points, engaged in intense battles in the midfield, with frequent fouls. Amaral, who is the key player in Tokyo's attack, was closely marked by the opponent's center-back, which prevented him from creating opportunities as usual. However, Okamoto on the left side showed good movements in the front line and not only made aggressive runs towards the goal but also created points with stable post-play. On the other hand, in defense, regular player Komine was down with a cold, so veteran Furukawa was appointed as a substitute. He is somewhat similar to Sandro in terms of playing style and has more height than Komine, but there were some concerns about his quick lateral movements. On this day, Hiratsuka's two top players were the tall Sotobe and Nishimoto, who had a knack for sharp and unexpected plays, but throughout the first and second halves, numerous chances were created from Nishimoto's position. In the 40th minute, Sandro was beaten by Nishimoto on the left side of their own field, and as he brought the ball into the goal area and took a shot, it hit the crossbar and was pushed in by a player who was following up, resulting in an additional point being conceded.

Towards the end of the first half, Tokyo conceded another goal and once again found themselves in a position of chasing the game (1-2). However, Tokyo had the confidence that they could always catch up. Just before halftime, Almir, who received a pass on the left side, skillfully evaded the opposing player who came to check him with a brilliant feint, and then immediately passed a perfect through ball to Okamoto, who broke through vertically. Okamoto crossed the ball sharply from the goal line to the center, and Yukihiko, who had made a run, scored a spectacular goal to equalize once again! The unpredictable drama would go on to reach an even more dramatic climax.

Amaral's Super Goal & Okamoto's Dramatic V-Bullet!

In the first half injury time, Tokyo, who wanted to ride the momentum, caught up with the tie, but in the first minute of the second half, they were once again taken the lead. Sakai, who had just entered the second half, jumped in and scored with his right foot to a low trajectory pass sent from the left corner kick, and the ball pierced the left corner of Tokyo's goal. Once again, they were behind, but the Tokyo Eleven of the day believed in their own strength and continued to launch fierce attacks. In the 5th minute, Almir rushed and shot the ball that came out on the left side! It was a decisive moment, but the powerful shot unfortunately went straight to the goalkeeper. After that, Yukihiko tried a daring breakthrough on the right side to create a chance. Almir also made decisive through passes multiple times that could directly lead to a goal, but each time he got caught in Hiratsuka's shallow defensive line. In the 35th minute, Umayama broke through the right side and passed it vertically to Amaral. Amaral took a shot, which hit the goalkeeper and bounced back, and from the chaotic situation, a floating ball that looked like a shot almost entered the goal, but it escaped with Hiratsuka's defenders' desperate clearance. In the following 37th minute, Fujiyama dribbled through from the left and crossed to the center, and Amaral headed the ball! Unfortunately, the shot went over the bar. Tokyo's pace was completely dominating, but in the 39th minute, the balance was finally broken. Fujiyama, who had repeatedly broken through the left side, dribbled past three players and went to the center. Sandro, who was up front, received the ball and lightly passed it to the right to Almir. Almir passed the ball to Yamao (substituted in the middle) who broke forward, and Yamao made a delicate loop pass with his right foot in the center. Amaral, who was waiting about 20 meters in front of the goal, made a powerful right-footed volley shot! The goalkeeper couldn't move a step, and the ball pierced the left corner of the goal. It was already Tokyo's game. The difference in momentum between Hiratsuka and Tokyo was clear. In the end, no more goals were scored, and the match went into extra time. At this time, many people must have remembered the Bellmare match from two years ago. There was a sense that something was about to happen.

Towards the end of the second half, the DF who persistently fouled Amaral was sent off, and Hiratsuka, who was reduced to 10 men, had no momentum left. In extra time, the game was completely in Tokyo's favor. And in the 6th minute of the first half of extra time, a beautiful pass was connected from Amaral to Okamoto to Enomoto on a counterattack, and Enomoto unleashed a powerful shot with a low trajectory from a slightly distant right 45 degrees! The goalkeeper managed to parry it, but Okamoto, who followed up, easily pushed it in, defeating Hiratsuka with an extra time goal for the second time in two years. And once again, it was Okamoto, the Emperor's Cup hero, who scored the winning goal.

Next, we will finally face this year's J-League champion, Júbilo Iwata (Note: The opponent will be determined on 12/15. As of 12/12, it is just a prediction). We have played against them during the JFL era (back then they were Yamaha), but this will be the first time facing Júbilo Iwata. Naturally, Iwata is favored in the predictions, but if Tokyo, without pressure, challenges with a determined attitude, could we create another wave of excitement? The potential is definitely there. Our goal is to recreate the "Tokyo whirlwind"!

＜Coach Okuma's Comment＞

At first, the transition from playing against high school teams to playing against J-League clubs didn't go well, but we gradually improved from the point where we conceded the first goal. However, it was disappointing that the goals we conceded on this day were all due to our own mistakes and lack of concentration. If we continue to play like this in the future, we won't be able to win, so we want to make adjustments once again. This will be our first match against Júbilo Iwata, so we want to go all out. I think it will be a valuable match where we can see both the good and bad aspects. Our goal for the Emperor's Cup is not about finishing in a certain position, but rather to compete against as many strong J-League teams as possible and provide a good experience for our players.