Finally, on April 29 (Friday, holiday), Tokyo will compete in the first J-League match at the Japan National Stadium.
Before the renovation of the National Stadium, many official matches were held since the first year of joining the J-League. There were memorable super plays and impactful events. Since the long-awaited title was won, Tokyo has won all titles at the National Stadium, symbolizing the deep connection between Tokyo and the National Stadium.
Our National.
Before taking a new step at National, let's look back at the footprints and memories left at National along with photos from that time.
2013 Dream becomes reality. National after 20 years
【Match Information】
2013 J.League Yamazaki Nabisco Cup / Group B Sec. 6
FC Tokyo 2-1 Albirex Niigata
2013 J.League Division 1 Sec. 23
FC Tokyo 2-3 Sagan Tosu
There were two occasions in the 2013 season when the Japan National Stadium became a special stage.
The first match was on August 28 against Sagan Tosu in Sec. 23 of the J1 League. With the International Olympic Committee (IOC) General Assembly on September 7, which will decide the host city for the 2020 Olympics (to be held in Buenos Aires, Argentina), a Tokyo Olympic bid event was held before the match, and TOKYO DOROMPA ascended to the Olympic flame altar. It was a moment when the mascot of Tokyo took on the lighting of the flame at the altar, which was also used in the 1964 Tokyo Olympics, fulfilling the responsibility as a J club of the capital.
The next match is on May 15th, the Nabisco Cup Group Stage Sec. 6 against Albirex Niigata. This match is a memorial match as it takes place in the same stadium where, 20 years ago on the same date, the opening match of the J-League, Verdy Kawasaki vs. Yokohama Marinos, was held.
And above all, the players themselves were boosting their morale. On May 15, 1993, Naohiro ISHIKAWA and Chun Son LEE, who were watching the pitch from the stands, started in the lineup. ISHIKAWA, who grew up admiring the J.League and was particularly strong at National, scored the opening goal. Although the match was won with a goal from Hirotaka MITA after being equalized at 1-1, it was not ISHIKAWA's decisive goal, but everyone present celebrated ISHIKAWA, who has a strong presence at National.
"When the ball came to me, I had a strong desire for it to come to me, and I was really focused and able to score. (Is today's goal special?) It is special. Even if I were told to shoot again, I couldn't, and I can't perform in that (special) atmosphere again. It's a special goal for me, a significant win for the team, and I think it will be a new start for the J League."
After the match, Ishikawa said this: May 15, 20 years ago, was the day when dreams turned into real goals. Entering the match while recalling his memories of when the J-League started on that stage, Ishikawa looked overwhelmed with emotion and said, "It was the best."
Text by Katsu Goto (Freelance Writer)
