In the early hours of December 4, 2010, after the date changed to the 5th, Kyoto's restaurants were filled with Tokyo fans and supporters who were drinking recklessly, creating a terrible scene. After losing to Kyoto SANGA F.C. in the final Sec. 34 of the J1 League, which would have secured their stay if they had won, they fell to 16th place, swapping places with Vissel Kobe. In the end, Yohei KAJIYAMA, who was supposed to organize the game, kicked a long ball from the defense line but it did not lead to a finish, resulting in a chaotic and desperate situation that confirmed their relegation to the J2 League.
The reason for relegation may have been complacency. The last 10 matches resulted in 4 wins, 3 draws, and 3 losses, which is not particularly poor, and at the point when the match against Montedio Yamagata in Sec. 33 ended in a draw, we were in 15th place, within the relegation zone. A draw in the final match would not suffice, but winning would guarantee our place in J1 League, so there was a lack of urgency. However, when facing the final match with the necessity to win, the tension was greater than expected, and we were unable to perform as we normally would.
The 2011 season aimed for a return to J1 League within a year, but the performance of the three newly acquired Brazilian players did not improve. Additionally, the injuries to target men Sota HIRAYAMA and Daiki TAKAMATSU disrupted the team's aerial combat strategy, leading to a poor record of 1 win, 2 draws, and 2 losses, with the only victory being against Kataller Toyama after the five matches following the interruption caused by the Great East Japan Earthquake. As the sense of crisis heightened, Naotake HANYU and others suggested a shift to a ground game style centered on ball possession to then-coach Kiyoshi OKUMA (who returned for a second term midway through the 2010 season). This led to a change in the team's approach during the season.
However, this clicked. The team gradually demonstrated stable strength in the league matches, securing promotion to J1 in Tottori without waiting for the final match, and further achieving J2 championship at Ajinomoto. With that momentum, they continued to develop the team in the Emperor's Cup. After defeating Urawa Reds in the quarterfinals on December 24, Shuichi GONDA's comments to the press reflected the team's fulfillment.
Riding the momentum, the Emperor's Cup Final Round held on January 1, 2012, was a match against Kyoto, the team that had been their rival during relegation. The coach changed from Yutaka AKITA to Takeshi OKI, making it a difficult opponent, but Tokyo surpassed them in completeness and player quality. Although they allowed the first goal, they achieved victory with a score of 4-2. This fulfilled Coach Okuma's great desire to take the team to Asia. They achieved their first championship, shaking off the nightmare in Kyoto after a year, and secured their first participation in the AFC Champions League (ACL) as a club.
October 1, 1998, was the day we slid from the old JFL to the J2 League, marking the start of our journey looking up at the pinnacle of the J1 League. However, after experiencing relegation and victory in the J2 League during 2010-2011, the perspective from Tokyo learned the lesson that we must maintain a high awareness of building points and style, elevating our ambition to aim for titles while taking our J1 League status for granted. As we celebrate our 25th anniversary on October 1, 2023, both as a club and as fans and supporters, our goals have become increasingly stringent, always aiming for ACL qualification or title acquisition as a must.
The pain of relegation from J2 League was not in vain. Triggered by Kyoto's bitter night, Tokyo's history has entered a new phase aiming for a stronger position.
Text by Katsu Goto (Freelance Writer)
[25 Years of History] Special Column Here
25 Years of History vol.1 Things Not to Be Forgotten
25 Years of History vol.2 The Road to the First Title
25 Years of History vol.3 Blue Tokyo
