Emperor's Cup 3rd Round, facing the in-form Matsumoto Yamaga

The Emperor's Cup will be held in between league matches. In the 3rd round, we will face J2's Matsumoto Yamaga at Ajinomoto Stadium. In the previous league match, Yonemoto and Watanabe scored crucial goals and shut out Tosu's powerful attack, securing a victory with 5 consecutive clean sheets. Now, we face the Emperor's Cup just 3 days later in scorching heat. It will be a tough schedule, but we must win this match no matter what.
 

However, considering the consecutive games and "to always win while maintaining our identity (Manager Massimo)", the combination of the attacking line-up was changed, with Edu and Watanabe as the top two, Kono as the top midfielder, and Mita as the inside half starting in the starting line-up. In addition, Kajiyama will be on the bench for the first time this season after two seasons.

Matsumoto, who is currently in 2nd place in J2 and maintaining good form, has advanced to the 3rd round by defeating Kamatamare Sanuki in the Emperor's Cup. Today, due to only having 2 days since the previous league match against Ehime, the midfield and defense have been changed, but FW Funayama and FW Sabia, who are ranked 2nd in J2 scoring, and MF Iwagami are in the starting lineup. Above all, their hard work and never-give-up attitude can be considered their weapons. On the other hand, Tokyo will need to have a better attitude and work hard to surpass them. As always, they will need to connect good attacks from their strong defense and aim for victory.
 

Ajinomoto Stadium, which gave the feeling of the most humid heat of the season, started the game with Matsumoto's kickoff at 19:04.

Despite the back-and-forth development, Kono takes the lead just before the end of the first half!

Tokyo, who had a big chance at the start. In the 4th minute, the ball was cut off from Matsushita DF of Tokyo and Watanabe advanced forward with the ball, circling around to the left area. He created a decisive opportunity, but his shot was cleared by Matsushita DF who had entered the cover, just barely missing the goal.
 

After that, both teams quickly attacked and defended, with Matsumoto making strong moves through MF Iwagami's long throw-ins and FW Funayama's side attacks. However, Tokyo remained calm and focused on maintaining a strong defense, while also creating chances through quick counterattacks. In the 18th minute, Kono ran onto Ota's right corner kick and took a shot, which was deflected by a DF and then saved by the GK.
 

At 27 minutes, Watanabe took a middle shot from a direct pass exchange with Kono on the left side. At 33 minutes, they launched a counterattack from their own zone, and Yonemoto expanded to Edu on the right area. Edu cut back and took a shot. At 35 minutes, Mita rose up from Watanabe's post-play and slipped through the opponent's defense, taking a shot from the area. However, they were unable to score on either occasion.

Matsumoto's counterattack was also received, and in the 39th minute, they quickly connected passes from the right side and cut in, but MF Iio, who was close to the goal, was able to avoid danger by hitting the bar. In the 41st minute, Yonemoto's middle shot from the center hit the opponent's DF and floated forward, hitting the bar. Edu in the left area collected the rebound and took a shot, but the ball went wide. However, Kono, who ran into the right area, pushed it in with his left foot and GOAL!! They finally took the lead and ended the first half.

Hirayama, who came on as a substitute, scored an additional goal and shut out Matsumoto's comeback!

In the second half, Hiraoka was substituted for Edu in the 52nd minute. In the 54th minute, Takahashi and Mita connected in the center, and Ota rushed to the left area after exchanging passes with Kono. He sent a last pass from the goal line to the center. Hiraoka followed up and scored with a sliding tackle! He immediately made an impact after coming on as a substitute and scored an additional goal in the early stages of the second half.
 

After a 2-point lead, Tokyo began to have some breathing room and took control of the game. In the 60th minute, Ishikawa replaced Kono. Along with Mita, they manned the sides, while Takahashi and Yonemoto changed to a double pivot formation. In the 63rd minute, they blocked a shot from Matsumoto's FW Sabia and launched a counterattack. Watanabe dribbled up the field for a long distance and finally, Mita on the left side took a shot, but it was saved by the goalkeeper.

In the 66th minute, Morishige suffered a bruised foot. As a result, in order to be cautious, Matsuda was substituted in the 68th minute. Matsuda entered as a right back, and Tokunaga moved to center back. In the 75th minute, Matsumoto tried to retaliate, but couldn't break through the restart flow and was pushed into the goal area. However, they were able to defend without losing focus. In the final minutes, Watanabe and Hirayama created consecutive chances against a slowing Matsumoto, but were unable to score a third goal before time was up. They were able to overcome Morishige's accident with a united effort and advance to the round of 16.

[Player Comments]

"Kawano"
"I believed that the first goal would come from a shot by Yonemoto or Edu, so I was ready to pounce on any rebounds. I'm glad we were able to score during that time. In the first half, the game was evenly matched with Matsumoto. We couldn't keep possession of the ball and I also dropped back too much on defense. In the second half, we were able to play at our own pace, but our challenge is how to play during times when we can't score. We need to think about how to move the ball and how to fight."
 

"Hirayama"
"(My goal) is always something I work on in practice. I am conscious of the timing to enter Ota's crosses. Today, I was able to enter at a good timing and I feel like I have grasped that sensation. It was a goal right after coming on as a substitute, but I always think about doing my job properly in the time given. As the game continues, I want to make good preparations."
 

[Press Conference Summary by Massimo FICCADENTI]
"Matsumoto has achieved great results in J2, so I expected them to come at us strong. The game started just as I predicted. However, we were able to handle their attacks well. In a single-elimination tournament, it's crucial to start the game off right. Concentration and focus can make a big difference. I believe today's result was due to the players understanding this and approaching the game accordingly. We were able to score the first goal in the first half and add another in the second half, managing the game throughout. After going up 2-0, it was important to keep possession and conserve energy, but the opponent gave us space in the second half. We were patient in our passing and were able to create some good attacking opportunities by exploiting that space."
 

[Matsumoto Yamaga FC - Yasuharu Sorimachi's Press Conference Summary]
"The Tokyo players are skilled, fast, and there are many high-level players. In the second half, we were at the mercy of the opponent. We are currently in a good position in J2, but they showed us the difference in level with J1. We are grateful to FC Tokyo. Also, I am truly grateful for the nearly 2000 supporters who came. I want to show my gratitude in the league match. It was a frustrating defeat, but we will face the league match soon. I want to take a positive view of the fact that we finished the game in 90 minutes and that there were no red cards or injuries. I want to use this as an opportunity to train with the mindset that there is always someone better above us."