First match of the Emperor's Cup (Round of 16), let's play our football!

The Emperor's Cup Round of 16 (4th Round) will be held. We will face Mito Hollyhock at Ajinomoto.
This tournament is the first match for Tokyo, but it will be held on Wednesday against a J2 team. It comes just three days after the previous league match, but Coach Massimo stated, "The most important thing is to focus on this match. It is a different tournament than usual, and there are challenges in facing a lower category team. Nevertheless, we will concentrate on the battle in front of us as always and aim for victory with all our strength."
 

Mito is currently in 19th place in J2. With 2 matches remaining in J2, they have a 5-point gap from 21st place. After a mid-season coaching change, they are now led by Coach Nishigaya, but they cannot say they have completely escaped the relegation zone, and they continue to face a somewhat difficult battle. However, they have been in good form, remaining unbeaten in their last 5 league matches. Additionally, as they advanced by defeating Kashima in the 3rd Round of the Emperor's Cup through a penalty shootout, their tenacity and decisiveness are their strengths. Their motivation for this match should be quite high.

However, they also made some changes to their lineup and formation due to consecutive matches alongside the league. They deployed FW Yamamura (FC Tokyo U-15 Fukagawa – FC Tokyo U-18 – Meiji University) in the front line, partnering with MF Yuto SUZUKI in a two-top formation. MF Ishikawa was positioned on the right wing, and DF Tanaka on the left. They approached the match with a 3-5-2 formation, featuring MF Iwao, MF Funatani, and MF Shirai in midfield.

Tokyo's Morishige, Maruyama, and Nathan BURNS are absent due to national team duties. Considering the match against Mito, the goalkeeper is Enomoto. The center backs are Yoshimoto and Nara. Maeda is positioned at the forefront, with Higashi and Mita on the sides. Nakajima is placed as the attacking midfielder in a 4-2-3-1 formation. Additionally, Tanabe made his first appearance in the squad after returning from Spain. The captain is Tokunaga. Although there were some sunny intervals during the day, the weather hinted at the arrival of winter, and the match kicked off at 19:00 in Tokyo.

Utilizing Tokyo's strengths, Maeda scores the opener from Ota's cross!

In the first minute, after the kickoff, Maeda and Nakajima advanced into the area. They couldn't bring it to a finish, but they continued to pass, and Ota delivered a cross. Takahashi, who moved up to the center of the area, took a header. Mito's MF Yuto SUZUKI attempted a dribble shot in the 3rd minute. In the 4th minute, MF Funaya aimed for a long-range shot. Both teams displayed an aggressive attitude, continuing to attack each other, but Tokyo calmly evaded Mito's press and persistently regained possession to launch their attacks.

In the 9th minute, Higashi advanced on the left side, and Ota, who moved up from the inside to the goal line, made a backward pass. Mita tried to head it in, but it went wide. In the 14th minute, from the midfield, Yonemoto passed to Maeda, who then spread it further to Nakajima on the left. Ota advanced while sending a sharp cross into the area. Maeda, who dove in at the near post, headed it in for a GOAL!! With a fast-paced passing game and Ota's crosses, which are one of Tokyo's strengths, they took the lead starting from the side.

However, in the 18th minute, Mito quickly advanced to the front line, and from a drop by FW Yamamura, MF Tanaka, who was free on the left side, moved into the area. He managed to take a shot, but Tokunaga threw himself in the way and deflected it for a corner kick. In the 25th minute, Mito's MF Funatani sent a long ball into the area, and MF Yuto SUZUKI made a run, but Nara cleared it while coming back. Yoshimoto also covered the second ball properly. Tokyo did not allow the opponent to move freely in their own half. In the 28th minute, they cut Mito's cross, advanced to the front line with good tempo, and Ota delivered a cross. Nakajima rushed in to the loose ball that came from a challenge at the near post by Higashi and took a shot from very close to the area, but it was blocked.

In the 30th minute, Mito launched a counterattack, with right MF Ishikawa delivering a shot-like cross. In the 35th minute, MF Funatani entered the area. After a cutback, the ball spilled to Mito MF Shirai, who took a mid-range shot. Although Mito maintained possession for a while, Tokyo responded by changing their formation to 4-3-1-2. Mito did attempt shots from mid-range, but they were not able to create any decisive chances. Tokyo took the lead early on with their strength in wing attacks and maintained a one-goal lead with stable play, ending the first half.

Hashimoto's spectacular first goal at Ajinomoto! Kept a clean sheet and advanced to the Quarterfinal Round.

In the second half, they fought without panic and connected opportunities from quick transitions in attack. In the 50th minute, Higashi's right cross saw Nakajima jump and connect with one foot, but it went to the right. In the 53rd minute, Tokyo substituted Mita for Hashimoto. Immediately after, Yonemoto sprinted down the left flank on a counterattack. Takahashi followed up on a loose ball from the cross and unleashed a powerful mid-range shot, but it hit an opponent and resulted in a corner kick. Here, Mito brought in forward Musashi SUZUKI. Shortly after, Maeda stubbornly headed down Tokyo's right corner kick, and in the ensuing scramble in front of the goal, Yoshimoto attempted a volley, but it veered to the left.

In the 57th minute, Tokunaga passed from his own half to Yonemoto in the center, who then set up Maeda to move the ball to the right. Hashimoto received the ball on the right side after Higashi let it pass in the front line, and took a step forward to shoot from distance. The stunning shot curved beautifully into the top left corner of the goal... Hashimoto succeeded in scoring an additional goal with a superb long-range shot!

Tokyo, having extended their lead, displayed a steady performance. In the 62nd minute, Kono came on for Nakajima. Mito also brought in FW Baba and in the 67th minute, MF Ikegaya. They switched to a 4-4-2 formation with FW Takekazu SUZUKI and MF Funatani as the two forwards. Tokyo also adopted a 4-4-2 formation, maintaining focus even when Mito held the ball, and when they regained possession, they launched quick counterattacks.

In the 90+1 minute, Hayashi came on for Maeda. During stoppage time, Hayashi, who had just entered the game, rushed into the left area unmarked. He cut back on the opposing defender who came to cover and took a shot, but it was blocked by the GK. Immediately after that, from the left flank, Higashi connected with a one-two, turned inside, and made a through pass into the area. Hashimoto received it, skillfully turned to evade the opponent, and slipped through for a decisive shot. However, this too was blocked by the GK... and the time was up.

Although they could not score the third goal, they shut out Mito's attacks without leaving any gaps. They maintained their style with a united effort in both offense and defense, securing their place in the Semifinal Round.

[Player Comments]

《Hashimoto》 "I knew that facing an opponent from a different category would be difficult. Mito is a team that has even beaten Kashima, and I thought that if I had the opportunity to play, I would give my all and confront them. My appearance was during a slightly stagnant period, so I thought I would play aggressively and aimed to take the first shot. (In the shooting situation) I was just focused on not blasting it over and hitting it accurately. I am happy to score my first goal at Ajinomoto, but I want to keep aiming for more long-range shots. I want to help the team by scoring, and next time I want to score in the league match."

《Nara》"I thought it was wonderful to win regardless of the type of match, the situation, or the opponent. It was good to have moved on firmly to the next stage. Each player understood the importance of this match, and I believe that feeling contributed to the result. Personally, I made some mistakes, and maintaining concentration for 90 minutes in the game is a challenge. Still, I feel simply happy as a football player that matches will continue until the end of December. I want to cherish each day and strive to continue growing further."

【Massimo FICCADENTI's Press Conference Summary】「Mito is a team that won against Kashima in the 3rd Round of the Emperor's Cup and is a team with momentum. They run a lot and move well, so I thought it was important to start the match properly. In fact, we were able to start the match well. We scored a goal and created many chances. There were almost no risks in the first half. We also scored the second goal firmly in the second half and controlled the match overall. We ended up playing in a lot of space, but we could have controlled the match a little better. However, considering the absence of national team players, what matters is the result rather than the content. I want to prepare well for the Semifinal Round.」

【Summary of the press conference by Mito's coach, Takayuki Nishigaya】 "Both individually and as a team, Tokyo was a level above us. This kind of experience can only be felt in the Emperor's Cup. I want to utilize that in the remaining two league matches. We had a game plan set for today, but once we conceded the first goal, we were somewhat at the mercy of the opponent. Therefore, I think allowing the first goal was crucial. We aimed to fight tenaciously against a superior team, seize the opportunity by exploiting their frustration, and bring it to a finish. In the difficult situation of conceding first, we had to push forward a bit. However, conversely, the players challenged themselves to see what kind of play they could execute against a well-prepared opponent. We need to further enhance that quality to score goals. I believe the players felt the same way, so I want to continue to focus on training."