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.
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.
2010 Overhead with Determination
[Match Information]
90th Emperor's Cup Japan National Football Championship Semifinal Round
FC Tokyo 1-2 Kashima Antlers
The opponent in the 1999 Nabisco Cup semifinal was also Kashima Antlers, but looking back at the club's history, they have faced each other countless times in the Emperor's Cup. This shows how high the chances are for Kashima to reach a good position in cup competitions, and it seems that when Tokyo reaches that level, they end up facing Kashima.
In 1994, during the Tokyo Gas era, they won 2-0 against Kashima in the 1st round of the Emperor's Cup. In the semifinal round of the 1997 Emperor's Cup, they faced Kashima, who had both JORGINHO and Ricardinho at the time, and lost 1-3. After 13 years, on December 29, 2010, Tokyo once again faced Kashima in the semifinal round of the Emperor's Cup.
On December 4th, Tokyo, who had already been relegated to the J2 League after losing to Kyoto Sanga F.C., had secured a spot in the quarterfinals. On December 25th, they defeated Avispa Fukuoka in the semifinals and showed their determination to win one last title as they advanced to the final round.
Already without the presence of Ryuji FUJIYAMA and Satoru ASARI, it was also a litmus test of how far the new generation of Tokyo could go at the end of an era. This year, 4 matches were held at the National Stadium, including the Nabisco Cup, Suruga Bank Championship, and J1. As the chant goes, there was also joy in winning the Suruga and becoming the best in the world, but the semifinal round of the Emperor's Cup, fought for at the end of the year, was special. Two years ago on the same day, they lost to Kashiwa Reysol at Ecopa Stadium and missed out on reaching the final, but will they finally become finalists this time?──
Koroki Shinzo, Osako Yuya, and Nozawa Takuya, among other prominent players, Kashima started off strong with a shooting attack, causing trouble for Tokyo. However, in the 39th minute of the first half, Hirayama Sota scored an overhead goal from Ricardinho's cross from the left! This dramatic goal, his fourth of the tournament, gave Tokyo the lead.
However, in the 22nd minute of the second half, Tomohiko MIYAZAKI, who graduated from FC Tokyo U-18, scored a header from a cross from the left and equalized the score. In the 4th minute of the first half of extra time, Takuji YONEMOTO, who received his second yellow card of the day, was sent off. And in the 16th minute of the second half of extra time, Yuya OSAKO scored a right-footed shot, and Tokyo finally ran out of steam.
To overcome the frustration of the league, one more step was needed to clear the Emperor's Cup.
Text by Katsu Goto (Freelance Writer)
