Emperor's Cup held, want to win the first match with a good performance

　The league matches have taken a break, and we have now entered this season's Emperor's Cup. The 1st Round has already taken place, and all J1 teams will participate from the 2nd Round. Tokyo will face Kamatamare Sanuki, the representative from Kagawa Prefecture, at Ajinomoto. The first match of the Emperor's Cup is not an easy battle, but currently, we have two consecutive wins in the league. To maintain this good momentum, it is essential to secure a victory with a solid performance.

　Kamatamare Sanuki, representing Kagawa Prefecture, belongs to the Shikoku League. Under the second year of coach Masashi Hanakata, they defeated SC Tottori Dreams in the 1st Round of the Emperor's Cup and advanced to the 2nd Round. On the other hand, they finished in 2nd place after battling in the final match of the Shikoku League on October 8, but they will aim for promotion to the JFL by participating in the All Japan Social Soccer Championship. They will face a tough schedule as they approach the Emperor's Cup, but coach Hanakata aims for an ultra-attacking style of soccer with a Barcelona-style 4-3-3 formation, connecting passes to attack.

Coach Eifuku also warned, "We have the ability to connect and can target behind. Our attacking variations are numerous." In response, Tokyo wants to maintain their usual coordinated defense. In attack, if they can exploit the space between Kamatamare Sanuki's three midfielders and the defenders or the sides, they should definitely create chances. During this period, due to the activities of the Japan national team, Nagatomo, Konno, Ishikawa, and Tokunaga have left the team. Additionally, they will be missing Shigeno, who was injured in the Nagoya match, Koyama, who is currently injured, and Kondo, who is adjusting with a different training regimen, but they will gather everyone's strength for this match.

　Tokyo's GK Shiota is in the starting lineup. The defense consists of Bruno QUADROS and Sahara as center-backs, with Mukuara on the right and Hiramatsu on the left. Suzuki is positioned as right midfielder, with Hirayama and Akamine forming a two-top formation. On the bench are Ohtake and Tanabe, who have returned from injury, as well as GK Gonda and Abe. Without rushing, they will calmly defeat Kamatamare Sanuki and steadily climb the path to New Year's Day! Under the clear autumn sky at Ajinomoto, the match started at exactly 15:00 with Tokyo's kickoff.

Starting with Kajiwara's opening goal, a flurry of four goals.

　They took control from the start. At the 0-minute mark, Kajiyama's feed to the front allowed Akamine to break free and carry the ball into the right area. From there, he sent a cross that was shot towards the goal, but no one was able to connect at the far post, and the ball crossed the goal line. In the 3rd minute, Kajiyama passed to the right to Mukuhara, who delivered a cross. Hirayama connected in the center of the area, but his shot was mishit and lacked power. In the 6th minute, Hanyu on the left flank cut back past the opposing defender and entered the area. He aimed for the goal, but was thwarted by the right post... Nevertheless, Kamatamare Sanuki was not allowed to play freely, and Kajiyama was actively involved in a concentrated defense, developing a variety of attacks.

　In the 10th minute, Kajiyama intercepted the ball in midfield and passed it to Hirayama, who moved to the right and surged into the right area. After receiving a return pass, he cut back inside past the opposing defender and scored with his left foot into the near post to take the lead! In the 16th minute, Kajiyama intercepted again and passed to Suzuki, who had moved to the left. Despite being pressured by the opponent, Suzuki dribbled into the center and struck the net from just outside the area, securing an additional goal.

　In a calm game flow, we secured two goals, but Kamatamare Sanuki gradually found their rhythm, connecting several passes in midfield and looking for opportunities. However, our coordinated defense did not allow them any freedom. In the 34th minute, Miku Hara sprinted up the right side and delivered a cross. Hirayama in the center attempted a direct shot after a chest trap, but it was saved by the goalkeeper, resulting in a corner kick. In the 35th minute, Suzuki took the right corner kick, and Bruno QUADROS headed it in to add another goal.

　In the 42nd minute, via Hanyu, Yonemoto advanced to the right side and delivered a cross. Here, Akamine jumped in and scored a powerful header that was “typical” of him. Kamatamare Sanuki also moved the ball wide to create chances, but they could not break through Tokyo's defense. Tokyo created many chances and scored a total of 4 goals, ending the first half.

No goals in the second half, but each player showcased their strengths for the victory. On to the 3rd Round!

　At the start of the second half, Ohtake, who returned from injury, replaced Kajiyama on the right side. Suzuki moved to the left, and Hanyu took on the role of a defensive midfielder. In the 55th minute, Ohtake showcased his sharp dribbling, connecting with Hanyu, then Suzuki, and finally Akamine with one-touch passes, displaying a fast-paced attack, but ultimately, they were blocked by the defense.

　Conversely, Kamatamare Sanuki also demonstrated their decisiveness, and in the 59th minute, forward Sho SASAKI advanced from the left to the center and took a shot. It was perfectly on target, just grazing the crossbar, but goalkeeper Shiota saved it with one hand! It went out for a corner kick. Following that, this right corner was taken by midfielder Asahi, and central defender Kanzaki made a perfect header. However, Shiota made a solid save! During this period, Kamatamare Sanuki managed to gain the momentum. In response, Tokyo substituted Asari for Hanyu in the 62nd minute. Immediately after, Hirayama was fouled, earning a free kick just outside the right area. Otake aimed directly for the goal, but the shot grazed the right post... The rebound was shot by Hiramatsu at the far post, but it went wide of the target.

　In the 68th minute, Fujiyama was brought on for Bruno QUADROS. With Fujiyama positioned as the left side back and Hiramatsu in the center, the team aimed to stabilize the match while looking for opportunities. In the 75th minute, Hiramatsu connected with a cross from Fujiyama, who overlapped after Asari, but the shot did not hit the target... In the 79th minute, Hiramatsu linked up with a pass from Akamine, and Suzuki slid in to push the ball into the goal, but it was ruled offside. In the 83rd minute, Akamine burst forward just past the offside line, creating a one-on-one situation with the goalkeeper, but the shot was blocked...

　In the end, thanks to Kamatamare Sanuki's solid defense in the second half, there were no goals scored. Nevertheless, they calmly responded to Kamatamare Sanuki's counterattacks and shut them out. In the second half, fresh players were brought in, each utilizing their strengths, leading to a safe finish and advancing to the 3rd Round.

　[Player Comments] {Shiota} "Since it's a tournament match, advancing is the most important thing. I think being able to move on is the biggest gain. It had been about 10 months since the game at Ajinomoto, but rather than personal matters, I focused on contributing to the team and playing the style of soccer we are pushing forward as a team. The coach also mentioned that today, the first theme was to respect the opponent. The first theme was to approach the game with proper respect for the players who continue to play soccer with passion. I believe we were able to fight with concentration and show respect to the opposing team until the end."

　Although the representative players are absent and it may not be the usual members, everyone usually practices together in Kodaira, so I believe that here too, everyone respected each other, played with trust, and compensated for the teamwork aspect. Kamatamare Sanuki played good football. I thought there would be a few critical moments, so I was prepared, and I think it was good that we were able to keep a clean sheet.

　"(Regarding the opening goal) In the last few matches, our team's theme has been to assess the situation and push forward even if we lose balance, so we aimed for that today as well. When I passed to the side, their fullback committed, creating space behind him, so I passed to Hirayama and moved forward. I received the pass and managed to turn the opponent well, but I was quite close to the goal, so I thought I would kick it near post."

　[Summary of Coach Shirofuku's Press Conference] "Kamatamare Sanuki left a very good impression as a team. Their fearless approach to connecting passes and moving towards the finish encouraged us, and our intentions are similar. That’s why we didn’t want to lose and it was a match we couldn’t afford to lose. Even so, we had a favorable impression, and in terms of showing a fighting spirit until the end, it was a match from which we also learned. This week was not about playing the 2nd Round of the Emperor's Cup, but rather the final week of the J.League season to create a miracle, a single chapter. Today’s match was the culmination of the week’s efforts. We made training tougher than usual, and despite having no national team players and including three goalkeepers in the squad today, even in such circumstances, we have continued our ongoing efforts to become the kind of team we want to be heading into the final stages of the J.League and the Nabisco Cup. We did not want to spoil just this one week."

　Having prepared with such feelings, it was absolutely impossible to let my guard down. I was able to enter the match in that way, and I believe the first half reflected that kind of game. In the second half, the more chances we missed, the stronger the desire to score became for some players, leading to even more missed opportunities. This is precisely where we are confronted with the challenges we face, and it needs to resonate deeply within us. Of course, no one wants to miss, but the technical aspects and final decisions are areas we need to work on. In terms of attitude, I want to commend the players who managed to secure the win today, despite the difficulties. The technical aspects of finishing are certainly something we are working on this season, and we can only continue to push forward. Each individual must also take this to heart. This was a match that made me feel that once again.

　[Kamatamare Sanuki Coach Hachukata's Press Conference Summary] "First of all, my first word is 'regret.' However, I want to thank the players who played their football until the end. FC Tokyo is indeed a wonderful team in J1. Although it may sound strange to say this after conceding four goals, it is also true that we can compete and that we can have confidence. I want to carry this experience forward. I want to work hard to reach our goal of promotion to the J League."