[Reserve]
GK:16 Takahashi Yuji
DF:4 Yumoto Soya
MF:
FW:

Thank you for your warm support for FC Tokyo U-18 today.
Thank you for your continued support and warm cheers.

[Next Match]
Emperor's Cup JFA U-18 Soccer Premier League 2019 Playoffs
December 15th (Sun) 11:00 Kickoff
vs Montedio Yamagata Youth
Venue/Coca-Cola Bottlers Japan Hiroshima Stadium


[Match Report]
"First round advance with a big win. One step closer to returning to the Premier League."
On December 13th (Friday), the first round of the 2019 High School Emperor's Cup JFA U-18 Soccer Premier League Playoffs was held in various locations in Hiroshima Prefecture. FC Tokyo U-18, ranked first in the Kanto region, faced off against Asahikawa Technical High School, ranked second in Hokkaido. They achieved a 5-0 victory and advanced to the 2nd round.
The 2nd round to determine the winner between Montedio Yamagata U-18 will kick off at 11:00 on December 15th (Sun) at Coca-Cola Bottlers Japan Hiroshima Stadium.

The whistle for the crucial battle towards the return to the Premier League sounded at 11:00 on the 13th at the Hiroshima Wide Area Park First Ball Field.
FC Tokyo U-18's GK is Taishi Brandon NOZAWA.
Adopting a 3-4-2-1 formation, the final line is made up of Seiji KIMURA, Rio OMORI, and Teppei OKA. Shinji MORITA is the right wing back, and Kim Seong-min is the left wing back, with each being the designated corner kick taker.
In the midfield, Kojiro YASUDA and Kyohta TOKIWAI. Up front, KAZUYOSHI MIYATA as the lone striker, with Koishi KAKU and Riku KOBAYASHI as the two shadows. Regardless of how tough Asahikawa Industry may be, their determination to crush them with a lineup including J3 members is evident.
Tadashi NAKAMURA, FC Tokyo U-18 coach, explained his intention for selecting players, saying, "Throughout the season, we often have players missing, so I wanted to use more players who have had relatively longer playing time."

In the end, it may have seemed like a one-sided game, but it was by no means an easy match. FC Tokyo U-18 held onto the ball, but they were unable to break through the defense of Asahikawa Technical High School, who respected Tokyo and did not carelessly come out, and were unable to score.
However, by forming a numerical advantage on the side with wing backs and shadows at the center, we were able to continue taking corner kicks, which led to scoring even without being able to pass crosses inside.
The first goal was scored in the 28th minute of the first half.
Tokiwai scored from Morita's left corner kick, taking a 1-0 lead. Then in the 43rd minute, Kobayashi scored and Tokiwai scored again in stoppage time, giving them a 3-0 lead at halftime.
And after 5 minutes into the second half without any player substitutions, Kobayashi scored a penalty kick to extend the lead to 4 points and the game was decided.

However, the Premier Entry match is not easy for a team with poor performance, as there are frequent mistakes that are uncharacteristic of them due to the intense one-shot battle.
Asahikawa Technical High School took control of the game after a player substitution in the 29th minute of the second half, and progressed the game within the FC Tokyo U-18 team, stopping them from scoring. It was not so much that they were able to calm the game down after taking a 4-point lead, but rather that they were pushed by Asahikawa Technical High School. However, in the final play, Omori scored an additional goal with his foot from a right corner kick, sealing the game and creating a good momentum for the 2nd round.
In the final stage, the aggressive move to switch to a 4-4-2 formation and put pressure paid off, allowing them to regain the advantage.

The opponent for the next match, which will determine the return to the Premier League if won, is Montedio Yamagata Youth, who defeated Oita Trinita U-18. As they are a strong team from the Tohoku region, where they often face off against Aomori Yamada High School Second, they cannot be underestimated.

Manager Nakamura looks back on the game as "a 50-50 match in terms of content."
"I thought we were able to score well in the first half. In this kind of intense game, it wouldn't be strange for the first half to end in a 0-0 tie. We're not a very skilled team, so we can't win without scoring through gritty set plays. In that sense, I think we were able to showcase our strengths."

FC Tokyo U-18, which has been captivated by its attack, has been able to gain points through its defense this season. In that sense, having a clean sheet (no goals conceded) is something to be proud of, but it is also true that the team is not in a good enough state to boast about it. Coach Nakamura continued:

"We can't win like this, that was the message. Yamagata is good, so if we lose, there is no cure for the knockout tournament."
"If we talk about whether high school students can follow instructions (after making a plan), it doesn't always go smoothly. So in the end, it's just about "giving it your all". We have to think about whether we were able to give it our all today in that sense."

The task of fixing continues until the battle begins after one day.
I want to use the frustration of being demoted to the Prince League as a catalyst and remember it once again.