Finally, on April 29th (Fri, holiday), Tokyo will have its first J-League match at the new Japan National Stadium.
At the National Stadium before the renovation, we have played many official matches since our first year in the J-League. There were memorable super plays and impactful events. Since winning our long-awaited title, Tokyo has won all titles at the National Stadium, symbolizing the deep connection between Tokyo and the National Stadium.
Our National Stadium.
This is TOKYO.
Before taking a new step at the National Stadium, let's look back at the footprints and memories we have left at the previous National Stadium with photos from that time.
2004 Jean's tears and first title
【Match Information】
2004 J.League Yamazaki Nabisco Cup Final Round
FC Tokyo 0 (4PK2) 0 Urawa Reds
Unforgettable November 3, 2004. The first title was won in the J.League Nabisco Cup. The memory of that fierce battle is surely engraved in the hearts of many people.
The road to the final was by no means easy. In addition, the opponent Urawa Reds had advanced to the final of the same tournament for three consecutive years. At that time, Urawa was leading the J1 league, while Tokyo was in 9th place. Urawa had a high reputation at that time.
Not to mention, for Tokyo, it was their first time advancing to the finals, so the tension was at its max. Before the game, coach Hiromi HARA's words to the players, "If we win, I'll treat you all to "Doutor" coffee," helped ease the tense atmosphere. Or so it should have.
However, in the 29th minute of the first half, DF Jean received his second warning and was sent off. In a overwhelmingly disadvantageous situation, MF Fumitake Miura was forced to be substituted. On the other hand, DF Ryuji Fujiyama, who was suddenly brought on, showed an incredible performance as a center back. GK Yoichi Doi and even FW Hikaru Mita, who covered the goal, prevented all of Urawa's scoring opportunities, and managed to keep a clean sheet for the entire 120 minutes including extra time.
Naohiro ISHIKAWA, the MF who felt like he couldn't move any longer, mustered all his strength and conveyed his intention to substitute to Toda on the bench, but it was Toda who left the pitch.
In the penalty shootout that determined the outcome, it was unusual for the usually reserved DF Akira KAJI to step up as the fifth kicker. After the match, DF Teruyuki MONIWA, who had reportedly suffered from blood in his urine, put pressure on the Urawa player at the penalty spot with a smile, saying "Let us win"...
The episodes are endless.
Clear autumn weather. It was a happy time filled with a range of emotions as the colors of the sky changed with the setting sun.
On the other hand, Yukinori YAMAKAWA of Hopeiro is constantly busy preparing for the game after the kickoff whistle, with no time to watch the game. On that day, when he finally noticed, Jean was crying in the locker room. While dealing with various situations, he continued to comfort Jean, who couldn't face reality and kept saying "I want to go home".
Some of the club staff had left National and were preparing for the victory celebration at Ajinomoto Stadium. Even though they knew it might not pay off.
No matter how much you love soccer and how much you love Tokyo, there are times when you can't even stand on the pitch, let alone watch. But it was a final that brought us together to fight and gave us pride.
Text by Yoru Fujiwara (Freelance Writer)
