Match Preview
Two days after the frustrating defeat in the 2024 J League YBC Levain Cup playoff round. The battle for the second peak since the 2011 season begins.
The 104th Emperor's Cup All Japan Soccer Championship, where J1 clubs will participate from the 2nd Round. It is a tournament competing for the title of "the best in Japan," including representatives from prefectures, and FC Tokyo will host the Mie Prefecture representative, V-Varen Mie, at Ajinomoto.
The first match of the Emperor's Cup arrives at a time when we vow to make a comeback from our frustration. In the Levain Cup, we lost to Sanfrecce Hiroshima with an aggregate score over two home-and-away matches, conceding goals in both games, losing the flow of the match, and ultimately leaving the tournament without a successful counterattack.
Kei KOIZUMI, who wore the captain's armband in the match against Hiroshima, stated, "We must firmly accept the reality that we easily lost one of the three titles. With the Emperor's Cup coming up in just two days, we need to go all out to win it, or we might find ourselves in trouble again. I want to stay grounded and do my best."
In past Emperor's Cups, clubs from lower categories often caused us trouble. In the 2021 season, we lost to Juntendo University in the 2nd Round. Looking at the overall trends of the tournament, the high motivation of amateur teams and J3, J2 clubs makes it easier for "giant killings" to occur, which is one of the fears of the Emperor's Cup.
This is a game that Tokyo must approach with a strong mindset, having lost one title and feeling regret. Quick recovery both mentally and physically is required during this series of matches, but the need to focus on the upcoming game can also be seen as a positive aspect.
Coach Peter CKLAMOVSKI said at the press conference after the Hiroshima match, "I feel regret and disappointment now, but football never sleeps. I think it will be a tough Wednesday, but we want to recover, make improvements, and return to Tokyo to do our job," taking a positive approach to the congested schedule.
The opponent Mie is currently ranked 4th in the JFL (Japan Football League), the highest amateur league. In the 1st Round of the Emperor's Cup, they advanced by defeating J3 club FC Imabari with a goal from player Shota TAMURA. Under the management of Shuichi MASE, who has experience leading Ehime FC and Blaublitz Akita, the club is aiming for promotion to the J-League, centered around captain Kojiro SHINOHARA, who has played over 200 matches in the J2 League for clubs like Avispa Fukuoka and Fagiano Okayama. They also have many players with J-League experience, making them a team that should not be underestimated.
Tokyo wants to approach this with an aggressive attitude, never being passive, and putting forward the frustration of being eliminated from the Levain Cup.
Keigo HIGASHI, who has been making an impact as a substitute, emphasized the importance of mental strength for the Emperor's Cup. "With only two days between matches in this situation, I think it will be a really difficult game. There is also little time to prepare after returning from away games, so we need to approach it with a fresh mindset mentally. It will be a match that tests our emotions significantly. I want to express my feelings even more and give it my all," he showed his determination for a fierce battle.
On the other hand, a significant achievement in the match against Hiroshima was Divine OTANI from FC Tokyo U-18, who made his top team debut and scored his first goal with a powerful header. Registered as a second-team player, he utilized his impressive speed to enter the penalty area. He connected with a pinpoint cross from Leon NOZAWA, shaking the net with his head.
"When I stepped onto the pitch, I was determined to leave something behind. Today, I scored an away goal, so next time I want to do my best to score in front of the Ajinomoto fans and supporters," said the enthusiastic second-year high school student. There are high expectations for his home debut.
Additionally, considering the team's circumstances, Ryunosuke SATO has joined the team from the U-19 Japan national team's expedition to France. This adds depth to the player roster.
The Emperor's Cup, a complete knockout format. Using the frustration hidden in our hearts as fuel, we will steadily advance and carve out our future with our own hands.
[Interview with Coach Peter CKLAMOVSKI]
Q, we will face the 2nd Round of the Emperor's Cup two days after the match against Sanfrecce Hiroshima.
Regarding the Levain Cup, we are frustrated that we could not advance to the next stage. We will turn this frustration into our energy and focus on doing our work well together tomorrow.
Q: When the category changes, the eyes of the teams in the lower category also change.
A, that is the beautiful aspect of football. Such challenges are packed into cup competitions, and it is truly beautiful. I believe they will also fight with full energy and ambition. We must respect our opponents and face them accordingly. It will be a tough match, but we just need to firmly show our football on the pitch. We will give our all with what we are currently building as a team and connect it to the results.
Q: You will also be required to play beyond the opponent's toughness and hard work.
A, that's football. We just focus on our way of fighting and perform. Concentrate from the start of the match, run more than the opponent, have greater stamina than the opponent, and win the battle. We just fight our own fight. We never think tomorrow's match will be easy. We prepare for a tough match with our own motivation and ambition. Then, we switch our minds on to do our job and face the match. We prepare assuming various things can happen.
Q: The J1 League will resume this weekend, and there is a match against Júbilo Iwata. Are you planning to focus on using fresh players in terms of physical condition?
A, we want to consider who is fresh and who is ready, and select players to participate while looking at their physical condition and individual status. I am not thinking about anything other than winning. The players are also preparing to express our style of football and way of fighting on the pitch to win. This is something the team keeps in mind every match. It does not change regardless of the opponent. Even if we face Real Madrid, we will go for the win no matter who the opponent is. I believe this mindset will help us grow further.
[Player Interview]
＜Ryunosuke SATO＞
Q: You returned to the team suddenly from national team activities. How do you want to utilize the aspects that are being requested and your experiences from the national team activities?
In the A and U-19 Japan national team expeditions, we achieved good results, and I believe we can approach the Emperor's Cup with a positive mindset. Since other players are also dealing with fatigue from consecutive matches, I want to focus on boosting the team with aggressive and fresh play.
Q: How did you feel when you were approached about returning to the team?
When the club asked me to return to the team from activities with the U-19 Japan national team, I personally felt very positive about it and thought it would be beneficial for me. I see it as a great opportunity and want to make it a good chance that leads to the next step. To keep playing in matches, results are required, but I believe that being too obsessed with results and narrowing the scope of my play will ultimately prevent me from showing my strengths. I think my strength lies in organizing my own qualities, moving the players around me, and adding an attacking accent, so I want to do my best while maintaining balance.
Q: What kind of play do you want to express in the match?
First and foremost, what everyone—fans and supporters alike—wants is victory, and within that, we aim to play attacking football. Of course, scoring goals is important, but we also want to keep a clean sheet and show a tight, disciplined game. Regardless of the opponent, we are committed to winning without conceding any goals.
Q: Divine OTANI said, "The presence of Ryunosuke SATO is inspiring." How do you feel about Divine's performance?
A, I was surprised that he scored his first goal in his debut match. Of course, I knew he was a highly potential player, but seeing him perform so well so early inspired me personally. I can't afford to lose.
<Leon NOZAWA>
Q: The team has been eliminated from the Levain Cup, but personally, I achieved a result with an assist.
A, after the match, I received various words and messages. I received encouraging words as well as messages expressing expectations for my growth from here. I felt that I must continue to work hard without being satisfied with the current situation, and I realized how fortunate I am to have fans, supporters, friends, staff, and teammates. There are still many things I lack, so I want to keep striving to improve.
Q, didn't the pinpoint cross that led to a goal become another source of confidence for your growth?
A, from practice, I was conscious of sending crosses to that position, and I had no hesitation in choosing my plays. In a good way, I committed fully and was able to deliver crosses with confidence, and that assist gave me confidence in other plays as well. I believe that if I become a player who can supply crosses, not just aggressively take deep positions with dribbling, my range of play will expand.
Q, haven't the demands on yourself changed as well?
A, we must consistently demonstrate plays involving crosses and scoring, like in the match against Sanfrecce Hiroshima, in every game. There are many areas where I am lacking, and although I was able to provide assists, I couldn't finish my shots in the first match. I want to further refine my shooting, technique, and decision-making from here on. I don't yet feel a sense of growth, but I am able to approach things positively. I want to improve in every aspect while communicating and coordinating plays with my teammates.
<Kota TAWARATSUMIDA>
Q, I received the Young Player Award for May in the 2024 Meiji Yasuda J1 League. I believe this is a result of my performance being recognized, what do you think?
A, I am happy to be appreciated, but I have many challenges within myself, so I only have the desire to focus on myself and work hard. First of all, I believe that unless I achieve visible results in numbers, I cannot go any higher, so I want to work on my challenges while receiving advice from many people.
Q: We have not been able to score multiple goals in recent matches.
A, first of all, you can't score unless you take a shot, so I want to actively increase the number of shooting opportunities. Personally, even when dribbling, I can see the shooting lanes. I have also received advice from Naohiro ISHIKAWA CG and others, and while experimenting with the steps to shoot at top speed dribbling and how to strike the ball with my foot, I practice daily to be able to take the best shots, so I hope to show good results.
Q: There are many injured players and it's a difficult situation, but how will you approach the Emperor's Cup?
A, I want to play with all my might to achieve the result of victory. The Emperor's Cup ends if you lose, so a win is absolutely necessary no matter the circumstances. Of course, it would be great to overwhelm the opponent and win, but this is not a situation for idealistic talk, so I am determined to win no matter what.
