<Match Preview>
The representative activity period has begun, and the league matches are on hold as Tokyo competes in the first match of the Emperor's Cup. The opponent is Fujidai University from Iwate Prefecture. This will be the 3rd appearance in the tournament after two years. In the last appearance at the 100th tournament, they defeated Sony Sendai FC, which belongs to the JFL and represents Miyagi Prefecture, to advance to the 3rd Round.
This tournament is often referred to as giant killing, where lower-tier teams frequently upset higher-tier teams, but for Tokyo, it is a match that must be won in order to secure the title. Even if the opponent is a university team, the attitude towards the official match remains unchanged.
Nevertheless, it remains a valuable opportunity to challenge player utilization and tactics in a real match setting. Coach Albert PUIG ORTONEDA has emphasized since the beginning of the season the importance of focusing on the team's growth along with a commitment to winning.
While overcoming the challenges highlighted in the first half of the season, we will deepen the sense of growth gained from the matches against Shimizu S-Pulse and Kashima Antlers before the break, and eagerly tackle the challenges of the next phase. Winning the first match is important, but more than that, whether we were able to challenge ourselves on the pitch in real matches for our growth will be the standard for assessing Tokyo's situation in the second half of the season.
[Interview with Coach Albert PUIG ORTONEDA]
Q: I think there is little information since the opponent is a university student. Are there any difficulties in the preparation stage?
A, there is no impact. Fortunately, we have been able to thoroughly gather sufficient information. We are also able to conduct meetings using video in the same way as other official matches. Matches against university teams are expected to be difficult, as Tokyo experienced last season. We have communicated to the players that in tomorrow's match, since we are in a growth process, we want to firmly set growth as our goal and achieve it. Whether the opponent is a J.League team or a university team, we must achieve growth through the match.
Q: Watching the match between Fujii University and Jobu University in the 1st Round, I felt that set plays were dangerous. What do you think?
A, I believe their most concerning point is their bold play due to their youth and their high-intensity defense. When comparing the J-League to university students, I think the significant difference lies in the tempo of the game. In J1 League matches, there are calm moments, and the game develops with a rhythm that alternates between slow and fast. On the other hand, in J2 League matches, there tends to be a prolonged period of high-intensity play. The lower the category, the more likely it is that, for example, university students will maintain a high-intensity flow for the full 90 minutes. When facing such teams, we must first compete with the same intensity. However, I want to express our playing style firmly without being influenced by the opponent and play in our own flow.We want to play in our own flow.
Q: If the goal is growth, I believe that continuing the league matches is important. Will the selection of members likely focus on the players participating in the league matches?
In the Levain Cup, we faced various conditions and competed in that manner. From here on, we want to always focus on winning every league match and Emperor's Cup match. We aim to maintain that until the end of the season and compete at 100% in every game.
Q: Is the Emperor's Cup a title to aim for?
Of course, we hope to win both the Emperor's Cup and the league championship. However, I think it is unrealistic to win every match. Instead of looking at the long term, we want to have the mindset of absolutely winning the match in front of us and focus on each game one by one. We already understand the strengths of all the players. From there, we select the members and compete based on the characteristics of the players.
Q: There was a period when we struggled to score, but we are gradually increasing our goals. Where do you feel we have improved and grown?
A, I think this is the point where confidence has been gained. That is always important.
Q: I think there can be upsets in the Emperor's Cup, how will you prepare for that?
A, I think it is important to start the match with full concentration as much as possible. We still have many areas to improve. In that sense, we will focus on growing with each match we play. Therefore, it is natural that we must start the match with strong concentration.
Q: What do you want to try in tomorrow's match to advance to the next stage?
As the team grows, we present new challenges, especially tactical ones, to the team and encourage them to absorb these. In that sense, there are still tactical themes that remain as challenges, so I hope they can successfully turn these into growth tomorrow.
[Player Interview]
<Keita YAMASHITA>
Q: The opponent is Fujidai University, representing Iwate Prefecture. What kind of analysis have you conducted?
A, I think it's important to play our own style of soccer regardless of the opponent. There is a difficulty in playing against university students, but since it's a tournament, we want to win decisively and dominate both in performance and results.
Q: I think university students have an impression of being aggressive in ball contests and hard work.
A, I think the opponent has nothing to lose. When I was in college, I also had the mindset of taking on professionals, and I believe I can perform beyond my usual level. However, Tokyo in J1 has the pride that they must not lose, so I want to firmly show the difference in strength and win.
Q: This will be the first match of the tournament this season. Is there a different kind of tension compared to usual?
Since it is a one-shot match, we aim to dominate firmly from the first half and showcase our own football style. It is important that each player takes responsibility and plays seriously, rather than letting their guard down because they are playing against university students. If we can do that, I believe we can win.
Q: As a team, you will continue the new style of football that you have built so far in tomorrow's match, right?
Since we are playing against university students, we cannot always play freely as we like, and there will be times when things do not go well. However, we want to finish the match with both the content and the result in a good way.
Q: The team is on a two-game winning streak in the league, scoring three goals in each match. What is your strategy going into tomorrow's game?
A, I want to score as many goals as possible in every match. As a team, we have been able to score, but personally, I haven't scored yet, so I really want to play with the mindset of scoring goals. I have a sense of what scoring looks like in my mind, so I want to produce results in official matches and first leave that as experience, and I want to score goals in any way possible.
Q: How do you want to make use of this match?
A, the only titles left to win are the Emperor's Cup and the league championship, and since the Emperor's Cup is a single-elimination match where losing means it's over, I think everyone has strong feelings invested in it and wants to do their best.
