[Reserve]
GK:1 Ryuji OHMOTO
DF:24 Kōnosuke KUSAZUMI
MF:17 Tsubasa TERAYAMA
FW:9 Ryuji FUKINO

○Match Report
【Challenge to the next stage】
"We are the only ones who can aim for consecutive championships"
The 41st Japan Club Youth Soccer Championship (U-18) is finally at the Final Round.
The matchup is 'Urawa Red Diamonds Youth - FC Tokyo U-18'
Tokyo won against Kawasaki Frontale U-18 in the Semifinal Round with two goals from Taichi HARA.
Hara is tied for first place in the scoring rankings with a total of 6 goals in this tournament. If he scores in the Final Round, the title of top scorer will be within reach.
In contrast, Urawa advanced to the Final Round by defeating Montedio Yamagata Youth 2-0 in the Semifinal Round.
The record against Urawa this season is a victory of 1-0 in the Semifinal Round of the Kanto Tournament.
In the 2017 Takamado Trophy U-18 Football League Premier League EAST Sec. 2, we won the away game 2-1, and Urawa is fired up for revenge, entering the match with high motivation.
Please join us in fighting alongside the young blue and red players aiming for consecutive championships since the 2010-2011 Verdy Youth (the first for FC Tokyo).
The match started with a very large number of 3,584 fans, supporters, and family members watching at the kickoff in Tokyo.

[First Half]
As the fierce battle for possession unfolds, the first chance goes to Tokyo.
In the 2nd minute, Kubo was fouled almost in the center of the opponent's half, earning a free kick. Shinada sent it forward, but no one was able to connect, and the ball went out of play.
After that, both teams advance the ball to the area around the penalty area, but the defense remains focused, and time passes without creating any clear chances.
In the 17th minute, Kubo held onto the ball in front of the center of the area, and Kobayashi Miki, who followed, spread it to the left.
Sugiyama, who ran in there, took a good shot that was saved by the GK, resulting in a corner kick. This corner kick was blocked and no goal was scored.
Then, Urawa created a scoring opportunity.
In the 24th minute, a diagonal ball was played from the right side to FW Izawa, who ran behind the Tokyo DF on the left side, and a decisive shot was taken from inside the left penalty area, but... it went outside the goal.
In the 26th minute, shortly after, Arakawa, the left back, made a run up the field and delivered a cross in front of the goal.
Kobayashi in the center drops it to Hirakawa for a mid-range shot.
Furthermore, this time Sugiyama initiates from the left side, and Kobayashi expands to the right.
Okaniwa, who overlapped over a long distance, delivered a ground cross, but it was cut off by Urawa in the center. Tokyo is launching wide attacks from both sides.
In the 30th minute, from his own half, left back Arakawa makes a long feed switching to the right forward line.
Kubo, who broke free in line with this, entered the area with a skillful trap. He tried to dribble past two opposing defenders with a change of pace, but was brought down without a foul.
Tokyo, increasing their offensive pressure, in the 38th minute, Sugiyama on the left to Kubo in the center, with Shinada and Hirakawa executing a fluid passing sequence.
In the end, Mikki Kobayashi, who ran into the right area, takes a decisive shot, but... it is blocked by Urawa.
On the contrary, in the 42nd minute, Urawa quickly advanced into Tokyo's territory, and FW Izawa took a powerful shot from distance, but Takase made a diving save.
Tokyo immediately counterattacked in the 43rd minute, with Shinada intercepting a pass from the opposing GK. He passed to Hara in the area and advanced into the penalty area himself.
It was a great opportunity, but the shot was blocked by the opponent's GK. Hirakawa picked up the rebound and aimed for the goal, but it was blocked by the DF and did not result in a goal.
The first half ends scoreless.

【Halftime】
Coach Sato
"Let's be careful of the opponent's counterattacks. While managing the game calmly, let's shift up another gear. In doing so, we need to enhance our concentration and run through to the end."

【Second Half】
The second half started without any substitutions from either team.
Urawa made a strong entry.
In the 46th minute, although the right side was about to be breached, Okaniwa managed to escape with a sliding tackle for a throw-in. From that flow, a cross was delivered, but Takase calmly caught it.
Furthermore, in the 52nd minute, a scoring opportunity was created against us.
When the opponent launches a quick attack, Shinohara slides to cut the grounded cross, resulting in a corner kick.
The clearance from this right corner kick was short, and as it floated in Tokyo's left penalty area, Urawa FW Izawa took a volley but missed the target.
If you surpass this, the flow will gradually shift to Tokyo.
In the 57th minute, Shinada dribbled up the center, combined with Sugiyama on the left, circled into the left area, and took a shot, but Urawa blocked it.
Furthermore, after recovering the second ball, Mikki Kobayashi and Shinada took shots from just outside the area, but they were all blocked by the solid defense of Urawa in the center...
In the 58th minute, after Sugiyama intercepted a dribble from Urawa FW Shimabuku in midfield, he noticed that the Urawa goalkeeper was off his line and attempted a long-range shot, but it went just over the bar...
In the 66th minute, Kubo's vertical pass was touched down by Hara, and Sugiyama advanced into the left penalty area in response.
Created a scoring opportunity, but... the shot went to the left...
Then, Urawa approaches the Tokyo goal.
In the 75th minute, GK Takase rushed out to a loose ball in a scramble in front of the goal and had a fierce collision with an opponent. He desperately cleared the loose ball.
In the 78th minute, despite Okaniwa blocking the breakthrough by the Urawa player, the ball hit his hand, resulting in a free kick awarded inside the penalty arc.
However, this scoring opportunity is blocked by the wall and does not allow a goal.
This will change the course of the match.
In the 79th minute, left back Arakawa advanced, passed to Kobayashi Miki just outside the left penalty area to create space, and then passed to Kubo, who was making a run from the outside.
Kubo scored the opening goal with a left-footed shot from a tight angle inside the left penalty area, finding the near post.
In the 83rd minute, Mikki Kobayashi, who ran into the left area, delivered a cross that hit the arm of an opposing player who came in to block with a sliding tackle, resulting in a penalty kick.
He scored an additional point in the right corner.
After that, the team used substitutions to run down the clock. As the 3 minutes of added time came to an end, the referee's whistle blew, and cheers erupted in the stadium.

As a result, we won the '41st Japan Club Youth Soccer Championship (U-18)'.
Achieved back-to-back championships following last year's victory, securing the club's fourth title (2001, 2008, 2016).
Additionally, Mikiharu Kobayashi was named the tournament MVP, and Taichi HARA shone as the top scorer with a tie record of 6 goals.

Thank you very much for your warm support for the U-18 throughout the tournament.

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For more details, visit http://fctokyo.sportsinfo.jp