<Match Preview>
The 3rd round of the 104th Emperor's Cup JFA All Japan Soccer Championship will be held in the middle of the week. Tokyo will face JEF United Chiba at Fukuda Denshi Arena in a tight schedule of 3 consecutive games with the league.
On June 12, in the second round, they played against the Mie Prefecture representative Viatine Mie. In the 21st minute of the first half, Kota TAWARATSUMIDA's left cross was headed back by Leon NOZAWA on the far side, and Keigo HIGASHI scored the opening goal with a brilliant right-footed volley. Furthermore, Riki HARAKAWA's high-precision place kick produced two goals. In the 37th minute of the first half, he assisted Masato MORISHIGE's header from a right corner kick, and in the 42nd minute, he scored a direct free kick from a distance of more than 30 meters to the left of the goal. Both goals were beautifully scored with his favorite right foot. In the end, there was also a scene where Divine OTANI, who was registered as a two-year player for FC Tokyo U-18, hit the bar with a powerful right-footed middle shot and excited the stadium. The game ended with Tokyo winning 3-0. In recent years, they have struggled in the Emperor's Cup, but they have successfully advanced by winning solidly.
Chiba, who are currently in 7th place in the Meiji Yasuda J2 League. Last weekend, they lost 0-2 to Shimizu S-Pulse away and are currently fighting to secure a spot in the promotion playoffs. The standout point of this season is their attacking power. They have scored 43 goals in 23 league matches, which is the second highest in the league, with 30 of those goals being scored in 11 matches at Fukuda.A. It is also their tendency to score goals in the first half.
As Tokyo, we must be careful not to concede early goals and not be passive, but rather fight aggressively. In last weekend's match against Kashiwa Reysol, we suffered a frustrating defeat with a late winning goal, but we have seen improvements in our first half performance, which has been a recent challenge. The players are also focused on starting the match strong, and we expect a concentrated effort from the beginning in this match against Chiba.
The match against Chiba was held at Fukuda Denshi Arena on October 13, 2013, marking the first time in 11 seasons since the Emperor's Cup 3rd Round. The game ended in a 1-1 tie and Tokyo advanced with a 6-5 win in a penalty shootout.
It won't be an easy game this time either. Coach Peter CKLAMOVSKI says, "I respect the opponent. They are a very good team, and I expect it to be a tough and close game. It would be a big mistake to think it will be an easy game. We must approach it with the attitude and mentality of a final round."
This time, it is expected that players will be used based on consecutive games, but it will be a total team effort. The fact that the players who have taken the pitch have been producing results is also a symbol of this season. Each player will showcase their strengths and we hope to win at Fukuda.A once again and take one step closer to the cup.
※Shuto OKANIWA and Manato SHINADA, who are on loan from Tokyo to Chiba, will not be able to play in this match due to contractual reasons.
[Interview with Peter Cklamovski]
Q, the opponent for the 3rd round of the Emperor's Cup will be J2 League's JEF United Chiba.
We have respect for our opponents and they are a very good team. It will be a tough game and we will face many challenges. For us, we want to approach the game with the image of playing in the final round. We want to express our work firmly. We will fight with our consciousness raised to the maximum.
Q, the 3-game series started from the Kashiwa Reysol game the other day.
A, this week we have a schedule of 3 games in 7 days. Due to the short intervals between games, we are closely monitoring the condition of each player, but we are able to have good recovery and training. In the midst of that, we will aim for the cup while also being conscious of using fresh players and the members for the Albirex Niigata match on the 13th.
[Player Interview]
＜Keita ENDO Player＞
Q, entered the game in the second half against Kashiwa Reysol. How was your feeling and condition?
A, I have been feeling good and my condition has been improving without worrying about injuries, but in the Kashiwa game, there were few scenes where I was involved with the ball, so I want to improve on that.
Q, as a team, we have been facing challenges in our offensive game in recent matches.
A, in times like this, someone needs to save the team and show the attitude to change the team's momentum in a positive direction. I believe we need players who can do that, including myself, and I want to be one of those players who can change the current flow of the team.
As for me, I am in a position where I have to firmly appeal my play and take over the position in the competition for the wing position. If I can get a chance to play in the JEF United Chiba match, I want to show my play.
Q, Emperor's Cup 3rd Round, a tight schedule with only 2 days between the league matches.
A, although the tournaments are different, I think the Chiba match in the Emperor's Cup and the Albirex Niigata match on the 13th are connected. Rather than thinking of them as separate tournaments, we need to come together as a team and head towards the Emperor's Cup. There are no players who are taking it easy just because the opponent is from a different category. I believe we need to approach every match with the same level of importance.
Masato MORISHIGE
Q, JEF United Chiba will face off against Albirex Niigata at the Japan National Stadium this weekend, following their 3rd round Emperor's Cup match.
Unfortunately, we lost to Sanfrecce Hiroshima in the Levain Cup, so now the only cup we have left is the Emperor's Cup. The match against Chiba will be an important one as we aim to win the title. The lineup may change a bit for the Chiba match, but we want to approach it with a fresh mindset. We have been on a losing streak in the league, and our mental strength will be tested. If we had been able to convert our chances in the match against Kashiwa, we could have turned it into a win. It is important to calmly analyze and move on to the next match. However, we must also accept the loss of 3 points from the previous match and work towards improvement.
Q, I think that goals in difficult matches such as the Levain Cup Sagan Tosu match and the Emperor's Cup 2nd round V-Varen Nagasaki match have a big impact on the outcome.
A, set piece goals are very important. In the Kashiwa Reysol match, Teppei OKA scored a goal and brought power to the entire team. We want to aim for goals like that, that give momentum to the team. We have been able to work on it in a good way since practice, and we can feel the results gradually showing. We want to continue building on that.
Q, Playing against clubs from different categories. What kind of mindset is important?
A, The Emperor's Cup is a difficult tournament where we face teams from different categories, but we need to focus and win each match in order to advance. Even players who have had less playing time in the league are highly motivated, and we want to aim for victory as our first result.
