The opening match of the Emperor's Cup after the break

The Emperor's Cup for this season has kicked off. The 2nd Round features J teams, with the representative from Akita Prefecture, Blaublitz Akita, facing off. This marks the start of the tournament and the first match after the break. Coach Massimo stated, "The first match in a cup competition is always difficult. We need to regain the feeling of official matches after the break, but we must focus on giving our all and thinking only about winning. I want to present good results to the fans and supporters who always create a wonderful environment for us." Each match will be approached with full effort as we advance step by step towards the final.

Akita, which has a traditional TDK soccer club as its predecessor, has progressed through the Tohoku Social League and the Japan Soccer League, and has been in the JFL since 2007. This season, they are participating in J3 and currently rank 10th out of 12 teams. In the 1st Round held on July 6 (Sunday), they achieved a resounding victory against Saitama SC, the representative of Saitama Prefecture, with a score of 7 to 1, advancing to the 2nd Round. They will likely demonstrate their challenger spirit with that momentum, and we must avoid becoming passive. However, this is also the first match of the Emperor's Cup, held in a unique atmosphere. We want to seize victory calmly and tenaciously, and carry that momentum into the league matches.

Morishige, who returned from the Japan national team, and Gonda are also named in the starting lineup, with Edu and Muto as the two forwards. Kono is positioned as the attacking midfielder. Takahashi will play as the anchor, with the midfield consisting of Yonemoto and Mita. The match started at 18:00 in Tokyo at Ajinomoto, in weather reminiscent of midsummer.

Mita's opening goal was followed by Kono, Morishige, and Edu! 

Right after the start, Edu aggressively pressed the opposing defender to win the ball, showing an aggressive attitude in defense as he tried to seize the rhythm. In the 11th minute, Tokunaga won the ball in his own half and passed it to Mutou on the right front line. Kouno at the near post let the cross go through, and it reached Edu in the center, who passed it to Mita on the left. Mita brought the ball forward in the left area and struck with his left foot from a tight angle. His powerful shot pierced the net, scoring the opening goal from a speedy attack!
 

After that, they calmly responded even when Akita maintained possession of the ball and passed it around. They regained the ball and quickly transitioned to attack. In the 22nd minute, Takahashi intercepted a clearance from the opposing DF after a pass from Yonemoto, and while bringing the ball to the right, he boldly aimed for a long shot. The controlled shot hit the left post. Kono reacted to the rebound and touched it before the opposing DF, pushing it into the goal.
 

Although they took a 2-point lead, Akita counterattacked from the play of midfielder Kumabayashi. In response, Tokyo changed their formation to a 4-4-2 with double defensive midfielders Takahashi and Yonemoto, placing Mita and Yonemoto on both sides to match up. In the 25th minute, Edu was fouled, leading to a free kick just outside the penalty arc. Ota's powerful shot hit the right post. Nevertheless, Takahashi persistently connected the ball that spilled to the left, and from a distance on the left side, Morishige took a ground shot. This slipped between the players and went into the bottom right corner for a GOAL!!
 

In the 29th minute, Morishige entered the area from a corner kick situation and was fouled, earning a penalty kick. Edu converted it precisely into the bottom left corner, extending the lead. Towards the end of the first half, there were moments when Akita pressed, but with Gonda at the center, they maintained their focus and held on to a 4-goal lead as they headed into the second half.

Scored 4 goals in the second half and won with the most goals in the team!

They scored an additional goal early in the second half. In the 47th minute, Mita was fouled just outside the right area, earning a free kick. Ota's shot aimed at the far post was sucked into the top left corner for a GOAL!! They continued to advance the match in the Akita territory. In the 58th minute, after a ball recovery by Yonemoto, they launched a quick counterattack, with Edu advancing through the center. He maneuvered past the Akita defense, brought the ball into the right area, and scored with a right-footed shot into the corner.

In the 60th minute, Hirayama was brought on to replace Edu, who scored two goals today. Just after that, in the 62nd minute, Tokunaga's cross reached Hirayama in the center. Although the ball was initially passed to the opposing defender in the scramble, Hirayama skillfully maintained possession and calmly scored the seventh goal with a precise shot into the net.
 

In the 63rd minute, Hanyu came on for Kono, and in the 68th minute, Watanabe replaced Muto. They continued to attack without letting up. After the 70th minute, Hirayama and Watanabe both took decisive shots in quick succession, but they were unable to capitalize on the chances due to saves by the Akita goalkeeper. After this, there were moments when Akita attacked from the sides in an attempt to strike back. However, in the 84th minute, Hirayama applied pressure on the opposing defender, stole the ball, and Watanabe marked the long-awaited goal with a powerful dribble.

Suppressing Akita's counterattack without conceding any goals, the team scored 8 goals from an aggressive attitude and speedy attacks. They recorded the highest team score, surpassing the 7-0 victory against Vissel Kobe in the 4th Round of the Emperor's Cup (November 5, 2006), and won the first match.

[Player Comments]

《Mita》
"I wanted to score, but first I focused on the quick transition between offense and defense, thinking I should also work hard on defense. Scoring first in the early stages made things easier for me, and I believe it gave us some leeway in managing the game. For me, this is a restart. I want to do my best to continue winning in the league as well."
 

《Edu》
"Cup competitions are difficult in any tournament. Especially when facing teams from lower categories, it becomes even more challenging. The most important thing is to fight at our own rhythm from the start. If we can score first in the early stages, I believed we could add more goals. I'm glad that the result turned out that way. I'm happy to have scored and it gives me confidence. I want to keep it going."
 

【Summary of Coach Massimo FICCADENTI's Press Conference】
"At first glance, the result may seem like an easy match, but every game has its own difficulties. Just as several other J1 teams have already been eliminated, there must have been challenges after the break. However, the players entered the match well, took the lead, and by scoring the second and third goals, it became easier to manage the game, and they continued to add to the score. I believe that fighting with consistency until the end is a positive thing. Additionally, the return of Morishige and Gonda was a significant factor for the team. They are not only important in terms of skills and tactics but also provide a sense of security to the team. Our team has many young players and those who had fewer opportunities last season getting to play. We are in the process of patiently building the team. I am confident that if our fans and supporters watch over us patiently, we will surely reach a state where we can achieve stable results."

[Summary of the Press Conference by Akita's Jorge YONASHIRO]
"I feel like it wasn't too bad, but we were controlled by Tokyo and they scored multiple goals. In the second half, the players showed their determination to score while playing hard. However, conceding 8 goals means it was a complete defeat. We didn't start well from the beginning of the match, and we need to work hard to bring each play closer to that of a J1 team. I felt we need to raise the level of our play. While we are struggling in the league, I wanted this Emperor's Cup match to be one that builds our confidence. However, many players were looking down after the match, and the challenge will be how to regroup for the league matches."