Fighting tenaciously to advance to the Semifinal Round!

About a month after the final match of the league, we will face Sanfrecce Hiroshima in the Emperor's Cup Quarterfinal Round.
Aiming for the title, we focus on each match and strive to break through barriers step by step, with the sole aim of winning the battles ahead. However, Coach Massimo and the players honestly talk about the difficulties of the month-long interval. Additionally, Coach Massimo will step down at the end of this season. Ota has agreed to transfer to the Netherlands next season. During the training period, Maeda had some time on a different program, but he worked hard to adjust his condition perfectly in preparation for the match. Furthermore, in the practice match against Urawa held last week, Kajiyama returned to action for the first time since summer.
 

Hiroshima, who faced off, approached the J.League Championship as the top team in annual points and claimed the title of Japan's best. They also finished third in the Club World Cup. With the dynamic presence of young members led by FW Asano and MF Chajima, Hiroshima has maintained its style regardless of who plays, further increasing its maturity. This season, the record against Hiroshima, including the Nabisco Cup, is 1 win, 1 draw, and 1 loss. "It has always been a closely contested match, and we have played good games with high tactical levels," I feel confident, but I have also personally experienced that it is not an easy match.
 

The members are: GK Enomoto, DF line with Tokunaga on the right, CBs Morishige and Maruyama, and Ota on the left. At the bottom of the midfield is Takahashi, with Hashimoto and Yonemoto as inside halves, and Kono as the attacking midfielder. Up front, Maeda and Azuma will play. And for the first time in a while, Kajiyama is on the bench.

On the other hand, Hiroshima employs Minagawa at the forefront. In the shadow positions are MF DOUGLAS and Chajima, with MF Morisaki Kazu and Aoyama serving as the double pivot in a 3-4-2-1 formation. The bench includes strong players such as Sato Toshito, Asano, and Mikic.

This is a match aiming for victory, surpassing Hiroshima, who finished third in the league championship, with perseverance. The match started at 3 PM with Hiroshima's kickoff at Nagasaki Prefectural General Sports Park Athletic Stadium, where a chill in the air could be felt as evening approached.

Take advantage of the few chances and lead 1-0 at halftime!

The match started with 40 seconds gone, Tokyo connected a series of short passes and approached the opponent's goal. In the end, Kawano took a shot, but it was blocked by the Hiroshima defense. They aggressively committed players to the attack, but continued to be repelled by the opponent's solid defense.

In the 9th minute, Hiroshima MF Shimizu crossed from the right side of his own half to the center. MF Kashi from the opposite side made a run, but there was no trouble.
After that, the match continued with back-and-forth attacks, but in the 37th minute, the midfielder Yonemoto made a long pass from the opponent's left side to Tokunaga on the right. Tokunaga trapped it perfectly and delivered a low cross to the center. Hashimoto touched it in the middle, and finally, Azuma dove in to score! They took the lead.

As both sides continued to endure a period of patience, Tokyo capitalized on a few chances and turned around the first half at the eastern goal.

Caught up in the final stages of the match, and after extra time... eliminated

In the second half, early on, we allowed the opponent's MF DOUGLAS to break through from the left side, passing to the central FW Minagawa. Although it didn't connect, it led to a pressing situation. In the 56th minute, the opponent quickly connected the ball, and MF Kashiwa, who broke through on the right side, looked well into the center and crossed into the open space. At the perfect timing, MF Aoyama took a shot, but Enomoto made a superb save with a diving catch, preventing a goal.
 

In the 60th minute, Tokyo gained momentum, with Kono making a fierce chase up front. They then applied coordinated pressing in the midfield, but Hiroshima showcased their skill. They evaded the press one after another and advanced towards the goal, starting from MF DOUGLAS. However, Tokyo solidified their central defense and held strong. After that, the opponent substituted FW Minagawa for FW Asano. Just after, in the 62nd minute, from the left side, Ota delivered a left cross, and Maeda rushed in at the near post to take a one-touch shot, but... it went over the bar without scoring. In the 65th minute, the opponent's DF Shiotani advanced up the right side, and FW Asano turned and took a shot from the center. This shot went over Enomoto's outstretched hand but... struck the lower corner of the left post.

In the 66th minute, Higashi received a second warning while trying to stop Hiroshima's counterattack and was sent off. After 70 minutes had passed, Tokyo had been defending well against Hiroshima's attacks, but with Higashi's dismissal, they were down to 10 men. The formation had Maeda at the forefront, with Kono and Hashimoto on both sides, and Takahashi and Yonemoto as double defensive midfielders. However, there were increasing moments where they were being pushed back by Hiroshima's momentum.
 

In the 74th minute, Tokyo substituted Kono for Hanyu. Hiroshima also brought in MF Mikic on the right wide in place of MF Shimizu. As a result, MF Kashiwa moved to the left. In the 78th minute, Hiroshima substituted FW Sato for MF Chajima, playing their last attacking card. After 80 minutes had passed, Tokyo was dominated by the opponent in ball possession, leading to a defensive situation. Nevertheless, they maintained their composure and tenacity in front of the goal, not allowing any goals to be scored.

However, in the 85th minute, a cross was sent into the area from the left side by the opponent. This cross was headed in by FW Asano with a high point... Finally, a goal was conceded, and the score was tied. Facing a battle with only ten players, Tokyo was continuously attacked by Hiroshima, who played their offensive cards one after another. Until then, they had managed to hold on well, but finally in the 85th minute, FW Asano of Hiroshima scored with a header to equalize. Although they were on the defensive, they did not allow an additional goal, and the match went into extra time with a score of 1-1.

As the extra time began, in the 103rd minute of the first half, a cross was sent in from the right by Hiroshima, and FW Asano scored with a delicate header into the bottom right corner... allowing them to take the lead. In the 114th minute of the second half of extra time, a foul on Hiroshima FW Asano resulted in Morishige receiving a second yellow card and being sent off... forcing Tokyo to fight with nine players. Just before the end of the first half of extra time, they allowed a second goal to Hiroshima FW Asano. Despite not giving up and trying to mount a counterattack, they were hit by a counter from Hiroshima, and Morishige was also sent off. Nevertheless, they showed determination and fought with spirit, chasing a goal until the final whistle, but... it was in vain. The last battle of the 2015 season ended in defeat in the quarterfinals of the Emperor's Cup.

[Player Comments]

《Ota》 「Regarding today, it feels like we allowed Hiroshima to showcase their strengths... They created many one-on-one situations on the sides. Against an opponent with such a unique style of play, we couldn't maintain control until the end. Still, we took the lead by capitalizing on our few chances. I want to view the fact that we held on until the last 5 minutes of the match positively. Just like in the league, we must utilize the frustration we felt here for the future. I truly apologize to the fans and supporters, but we must turn this frustration into motivation; both myself and Tokyo need to become stronger. I regret that I couldn't contribute anything to the team until the very end and couldn't leave a result. I can only express my gratitude to everyone. I spent four truly intense years in Tokyo during my career. Without the support of Tokyo's fans and supporters, I wouldn't be who I am today. I truly believe they are the best supporters in the world. （After the match, did you go to greet them despite the ongoing Hiroki call?） This is the first time I've experienced being called out like this even after the match. I can only express my gratitude, but there are so many feelings that can't be conveyed just by going to greet them. Next season, I will be leaving the team and moving to distant Netherlands, but I believe that performing well there and delivering good news is my way of giving back. Because I was able to play in Tokyo, I am who I am now, and I will fight with that pride, so I would be happy if you could support me even a little. As a fan of Tokyo, I believe my amazing teammates will definitely do well. I think they will win a title next season, and I wholeheartedly support that. Thank you very much."

《East》 「I think we played well in the first half. The opponent came here under a tough schedule, and we have been preparing for today for a long time. We were able to take the lead in a good way, but when I got sent off, the momentum changed. It was a regrettable dismissal, and I truly apologize for that. Still, my teammates and friends fought hard until the end. I want to express my gratitude for that, but I wanted to win together with Coach Massimo and player Ota. It’s very disappointing, and it was my fault that we couldn’t do that. I was inadequate today, but I want to become stronger and aim for victory. I want to become even stronger, both as an individual and as a team. I reaffirmed that feeling. I truly apologize to all the fans and supporters who came all the way from Tokyo to Nagasaki, but I also want to thank you for your support throughout this season, and I want to show you my growth next season.」

[Summary of Massimo FICCADENTI's Press Conference] "I think it was a very balanced first half, and scoring first created space and made it easier to play. Hiroshima is a very strong team and has achieved great results this season, but today we were able to compete at the same level as them. Even after becoming nine players towards the end of the match, the players fought until the very end. I am truly grateful to the players. Although today was the last match, I believe the players have gained the awareness that they can compete evenly against any opponent. I will be leaving with the best players. At this point, the results are no longer important, so I don't think there's a need to discuss them further. I would like to commend Hiroshima for their performance this season. And finally, to the Tokyo fans and supporters, and everyone who has been involved until now, thank you very much."

【Hiroshima - Hajime MORIYASU's Press Conference Summary】 "It's a tournament where losing means the end, so I'm glad we were able to advance to the Semifinal Round in any way possible. We fell behind first and had to chase the game, but the players fought without breaking down mentally. Even though we had a numerical advantage, if we had rushed our attack from the center, we might have been stopped, but we scored both goals from outside plays, fighting calmly and toughly. Today marks our seventh match since December began, and the players have shown resilience and secured the victory. We can only play two more matches with the current squad. I hope we can unite and finish the season with smiles."