Penalty Shootout

LDU Quito (Leading)/8×/4○/10○/20×/3○, FC Tokyo/39○/8○/24×/6○/10○

A capital battle for the international title against Liga de Quito!

　The Suruga Bank Championship 2010 TOKYO will be held on Apr 4 (Wed). Tokyo will participate as the reigning Nabisco Cup champion. They will face Liga de Quito from Ecuador, who won their first title last season in the South American cup competition, Copa Sudamericana. Quito is the capital of Ecuador. This will be a "capital battle" for the international title of the "Cup Winner Champion."

　It will be a series of tough matches in between league games, but Coach Jofuku stated, "We must clearly find the meaning of today's battle. Our main goal is to connect this to the J-League. I want this to be a match that serves as a turning point for our comeback. I don't want to end with a loss saying, 'We gained good experience.'"

　LDU Quito began its activities in 1918. It is a historic club that was officially established as a club in 1930. In 2008, it won its first title as an Ecuadorian club in the Copa Libertadores. It also participated in the Club World Cup Japan 2008, achieving a runner-up finish. Coach Jofuku mentioned, "With travel involved, we will probably struggle with Japan's hot and humid conditions. However, if we fit into the match, we should be able to perform at the top of the world. The question is how we can express our football against such an opponent."

　This tournament will be played in two 45-minute halves, with 7 players on the bench. A maximum of 6 substitutions is allowed. If the match is not decided after 90 minutes, it will go to a penalty shootout. Tokyo aims for victory, but considering the schedule with the league matches, "the priority will be on the players' condition regarding player usage and substitutions (Coach Jofuku)," with Mikuahara starting as right back and Nakamura on the left. Tanabe and Morishige will form a double pivot, with Ishikawa and Otake on the sides. Hirayama and Ricardinho will form the two top strikers. In contrast, Liga de Quito has 5 defenders and 2 forwards on the roster, but their ace forward Hernan Barcos (top scorer in the Ecuadorian league) will lead the attack in a 3-4-2-1 formation.

　 As the sun sets, we are finally beginning to be freed from the daytime heat at our "home" National. The match started at exactly 19:00 with a kickoff in Tokyo.

Although they allowed the first goal, each player showcased their strengths, and they equalized with Hirayama's goal!

　Tokyo launched a spirited attack against Liga de Quito (hereafter referred to as Quito), who entered the match cautiously, focusing on fresh members. They seized the ball, passed it around, and approached Quito's goal. In the 3rd minute, Ohtake passed to Nakamura for a left cross, and Morishige headed the ball in free. In the 6th minute, they countered from Quito's free kick, with Nakamura passing to Hirayama, and Ishikawa on the right side boldly took a shot. Quito also connected several passes and delivered a cross in the 18th minute, but Konno cleared it.

　In the 20th minute, a vertical pass from Mukuhara to Ishikawa was played to Nakamura, who overlapped on the right side, but it was just slightly off. They created chances from set plays as well, with Kim Yong-gun's direct free kick in the 23rd minute. In the 28th minute, Ohtake's left corner kick saw Morishige win a header against the opponent. However, despite finding their rhythm, they couldn't shake the net. Conversely, in the 29th minute, a pass from the DF line through the holding midfielder to the second-line FW Salgueiro reached the ace FW Barcos at the front line. FW Barcos made a one-step cut inside past Konno and took a well-aimed shot. This went in, and they allowed the opponent to take the lead with a single chance converted.

　However, just after that, in the 34th minute, Tokyo created an opportunity on the left side, and Nakamura passed the ball back, allowing Tanabe to boldly aim for a long shot. The shot grazed the defender and took a significant deflection. The goalkeeper saved it, but Hiyama quickly reacted to the rebound and pushed it in with his right foot for a goal! The match was brought back to square one, ending the first half.

In the closing moments, Oguro scores a brilliant goal!! Winning the penalty shootout, a victory through a total effort

　In the second half, Morishige and Ohtake were replaced by Kajiyama and Hanyu. A total of six player substitutions were made, and among them, expectations were high for a comeback with their quick starts and passing work. In the 50th minute, after passing the ball around, Nakamura received a direct pass from Hanyu to Ricardinho on the right side, and Nakamura broke through on the right flank to deliver a cross. Hirayama dove in front of the goal, taking the hit, but a foul was called, resulting in a free kick. In the 52nd minute, Ishikawa won a loose ball in the opponent's half, cut inside, and switched the play to Hanyu on the right side amidst a scramble. However, it was ruled offside.

　In the 57th minute, Daigoku was brought on to replace Ricardinho. In the 60th minute, after stealing the opponent's throw-in in their own half, Ishikawa made a direct pass to Hirayama on the left side. He dribbled forward and made a through pass to Daigoku, who was trying to break behind the opponent's DF. This pass initially got through, but the opponent's DF quickly closed in, preventing a shot. Although they had the upper hand in the match, in the 63rd minute, during a free kick situation for Kito, a foul was called on Mukuhara in a scramble in front of the goal, awarding Kito a penalty kick. This was converted accurately, putting them back at a disadvantage.

　In the 64th minute, Soyondok, making his debut in Tokyo, came on for Tanabe as a left midfielder. Hanyu moved to the defensive midfield position as they chased a one-goal deficit. While Kito, who was leading, solidified their defense, Tokyo controlled the ball. They created chances through Kajiyama's distribution, Hirayama's hold-up play, and both full-backs pushing forward. In the 69th minute, Daigoku jumped in for a cross from Ishikawa. In the 76th minute, Hirayama connected with a cross from Mukuhara. In the 77th minute, Shigematsu came on for Ishikawa, followed by Matsushita coming on for Mukuhara. However, time passed without a goal being scored.

　However, just after entering 4 minutes of stoppage time. A pass from Kim Yong-gun was contested by Hirayama against the opposing DF in the opponent's territory, and the ball spilled behind the Kito DF. Daigoku fiercely chased after it, broke through, controlled it with a one-touch, and shot with the outside of his left foot from his pivot foot. This grazed the far post and bounced back, resulting in a goal. With an unyielding attitude, they equalized again just before the end, finishing the 90 minutes.

　The match went into a penalty shootout. First, Gonda saved the penalty from Kito's first kicker! Tokyo's Daigoku and Matsushita scored reliably. The third kick from Shigematsu was blocked by the GK, but Kito's fourth penalty went wide. Next, Tokyo's Konno scored, and finally, Kajiyama scored firmly, winning the penalty shootout 4 to 3! Tokyo launched a total offensive and seized the title.

　【Player Comments】<Daikoku> "The supporters were cheering for us, and since it was our home ground, I absolutely wanted to score a goal. Kito launched good attacks when he successfully took the ball, but he seemed not yet accustomed to the climate, so I planned to actively target behind their defense. In the league match against Niigata, I couldn't hold my ground well, so today I imagined firmly holding my position and taking shots. It was good that we caught up at the end and won in the penalty shootout. I want to approach the upcoming league matches with confidence and make the supporters happy. I want to focus on each match and always aim to score." <Gonda> "We had longer possession and proceeded with good momentum, but we conceded first and were always chasing the game. I will seriously reflect on the conceded goal and apply that to the league matches. The penalty shootout was a bit complicated since we had already conceded twice, but if I could save a shot, the goalkeeper could become a hero. I wasn't confident I could save it, but I put my heart into it. I saved the first shot, but I wanted to save more to surely contribute to the victory. From there, it just means I still lack ability. However, I believe fighting at my best every match leads to growth. I want to work hard so the team moves in a good direction, using this victory as a turning point."

　[Summary of Coach Shirofuku's Press Conference] "Despite it being a weekday and us not achieving the results we hoped for in the J.League, we are deeply grateful to nearly 20,000 fans and supporters who came to watch. We would also like to thank everyone involved, including Suruga Bank, who provided us with the opportunity to play against such a high-level team. This match took place during a break in the J.League season and in the hottest season in Japan. During the past week, we played three matches. Liga de Quito must have also struggled with this temperature and humidity. Although we had great motivation to compete against the world's top of the top, we were not in a condition to take the pitch with perfect preparation. However, the players who took the field fought with the determination to turn this valuable experience into strength both individually and as a team. I want to express my gratitude again to everyone who created this environment and to the players. Finally, the players showed their appreciation by walking around the stadium. I also feel gratitude and believe this is a wonderful title, but I do not count today's title towards the goal we set at the beginning of the year to win one title. For that reason, I myself did not participate."

　Regarding the match, the first goal conceded was likely the opponent's first chance. The second goal was also conceded while we were controlling the pace, and the psychological damage was significant. However, it is South American teams that can score in those situations. The fact that we were able to equalize in the end gave meaning to today's game. I believe the strong desire of the players to 'restart from here' was a factor in our ability to catch up. Considering the achievements of Liga de Quito and the quality of the players, opportunities to compete against such a team are rare. I think we were able to approach the situation positively and even enjoy the penalty shootout.

　[Liga de Quito / Coach Edgardo Bauza's Press Conference Summary] "The first 10 to 15 minutes were difficult as we got used to the flow, but after that, our movements became smoother, and I think we were able to compete on equal terms. Both teams made good efforts to win the ball. However, when we had chances, we couldn't fully capitalize on them. In the second half, the players were quite tired, so we tried to change the momentum with substitutions, but that might have been too late. Afterwards, the match ended in a draw, and we lost in the penalty shootout. However, I believe the match was evenly contested. (Which FC Tokyo player left an impression?) Morishige played well, participating in both defense and attack, handling both roles effectively. We also struggled with Hirayama's height. When he was on the field, it disrupted our control. (What is necessary for Japan to become a global football powerhouse?) It is important to recognize how much Japanese football has truly progressed. This is thanks to the efforts of the Japan Football Association, as well as coaches and players, including foreigners. Moving forward, we need to bring in even more talented foreign players to raise the level, and gain experience through various matches to compete on equal footing with the world. Progress will come through such experiences. I believe that having better matches, better players, and better coaches together will make the team stronger."