Surpass the opponent with spirit and aim for advancement to the Semifinal Round

　The 5th Round of the Emperor's Cup will be a match against Sagan Tosu at Marugame Stadium. In the final league match against Kofu, the team struggled against the opponent's momentum but endured together and secured a victory. Since the Emperor's Cup is a knockout tournament, results are prioritized over performance. We will relentlessly seek victory, aiming to outmatch our opponents in spirit and strive for advancement to the quarterfinals.

　Sagan Tosu is ranked 8th in J2 for the year. However, in league matches, they have been unbeaten in 5 games since the 48th matchday on October 28. In the Emperor's Cup, they won against Tsukuba University in the 3rd Round and defeated Albirex Niigata 3-2 in the 4th Round, advancing this far. Their momentum is on the rise, and their quick attacks from a solid defense cannot be underestimated. Additionally, Tosu's ace, forward Fujita, who scored 24 goals in J2 this season and is the top Japanese player, has been sidelined due to injury. Conversely, another forward, Kan, has been in excellent form recently, always aiming for the goal and capable of sharp strikes. Caution is necessary.

　In Tokyo, Baba, who injured his foot in the match against Kofu, and Kanazawa and Inohara, who are also not in perfect condition, will not be included in the squad. Noriyuki SUZUKI will play as left back, Kurizawa will be in left midfield, and Lucas and Kawaguchi will form a two-top formation. Coach Hara stated, "Tosu must have a high motivation to 'defeat J1.' This is a different stage from J2, attracting different attention than usual, and they have momentum. Even if we try to win with skill, it won't work. Each play, such as battles for the ball and who gets the second ball, will determine the outcome, so the most important thing is not to lose in those aspects."

　Kurizawa stated, "Of course, I want to take control, but even if there are times when things don't go well, I want to patiently endure, adjust our balance, and create our rhythm." With the season on the line if we lose, we want to continue winning with strong determination and a never-give-up spirit. The match kicked off in Tokyo at 13:04.

Although we fell behind first, Kajiyama equalized with a powerful long-range shot.

　The match begins with a fierce struggle for possession. However, gradually, Tosu sends the ball forward quickly and starts to find their rhythm. In the 8th minute, a one-two play from the left side sends FW Kan just offside, and although he takes a shot, Shioda makes a great save to avert the danger. But just after that, in the 9th minute, a counter-attack leads to a right cross from MF Nozaki, resulting in a scramble in front of the goal, where FW Joze's shot spills out and is kicked in by MF Eito, resulting in an early goal conceded. They allowed the first goal without being able to establish their rhythm.

　However, they never lost their spirit and counterattacked. In the 11th minute, Kurizawa brought the ball into the right area and passed a lob to Lucas, who was positioned in the opposite area. Lucas attempted to connect with Kawaguchi with a header, but the goalkeeper came out and caught the ball. In the 16th minute, Kawaguchi sent a cross from the right side near the goal line. Tokunaga picked up the loose ball from the Tosu defense and surged forward. He sent a cross from the right side, but the timing was slightly off for Lucas in the center, and he couldn't take a shot. Kajiyama followed up on the ball that flowed to the far side, but he couldn't get a shot off.

　Then, in the 19th minute, Tokunaga passed to Ishikawa on the right side, who cut inside and took a shot. The ball did not hit and rolled, but Lucas quickly intercepted it and dropped it back. Kajiyama, who followed up, struck the ball with his right foot decisively. The beautifully arced shot grazed the goalkeeper's hand and found the top right corner of the goal, equalizing the score. In the 23rd minute, an opposing defender cleared Kajiyama's side change to the right with a header. Lucas shifted the loose ball to the left, and Norio Suzuki, who had surged forward, aimed for the goal but missed the target by a large margin. It seemed they had regained momentum, but still, Tosu launched a quick counterattack starting from the defensive midfielder.

　In a back-and-forth development, Kurizawa was positioned in the center and Kawaguchi on the left, aiming to control the source of passes. In the 40th minute, Ishikawa's right cross was dropped by Lucas, and Kajiyama feigned a shot just outside the area before passing left. Kurizawa aimed from mid-range, but the shot went just slightly over the top left. In the 44th minute, Tokunaga's cross from the right was met with a header by Konno at the near post, but it went straight to the goalkeeper. Ultimately, both teams lacked precision in their last plays, ending the first half at 1-1.

Hirayama's goal pulls away from Tosu, securing a comeback victory

　In the second half, Tokyo took control of the ball and advanced the game with an advantage. In the 47th minute, Konno passed to Norio SUZUKI on the left side, who moved forward and delivered a cross from near the goal line. Kurizawa jumped in with his head in the center and took a precise shot, but it was blocked by the goalkeeper's save. In the 53rd minute, Tosu's MF Leonardo aimed for a direct free kick, which flew into the lower right corner of the goal, but Shiota made a good save to prevent it. However, after that, time passed without either side creating many chances. In the 63rd minute, Asari was brought on. Kajiyama moved up a line, and Konno also advanced to aim for the goal.

　In the 66th minute, Kajiyama dribbled from the left and passed to Konno in front of the goal. He got into a shooting position, but the shot hit the DF and went weakly to the GK. In the 75th minute, Ishikawa on the right passed to Lucas in the center, who then shifted it left for Kawaguchi to enter the area and shoot. However, this too was closed down by the DF, allowing the GK to catch it. Conversely, in the 76th minute, MF Leonardo sprinted through the left side of the area for Tosu. In a crucial moment, MF Eito jumped in for the last pass in front of the goal from the right. It was a decisive situation, but Norio Suzuki closely marked him, causing the ball to miss slightly to the left, avoiding the danger. In the 77th minute, Hirayama came on. Ultimately, this substitution proved to be effective.

　In the 80th minute, after a battle for the ball on the right side, Hirayama passed the ball to Kajiyama in the center. He sent a lob to Ishikawa, who ran into the goal area, and despite competing with the defender, Ishikawa skillfully connected the ball to Hirayama waiting on the right. Hirayama took a one-step shot and struck a sharp shot with his left foot, brilliantly scoring the go-ahead goal. The shot from Tosu in their counterattack was well saved by Shiota, and the game ended with a solid defense. They won the fifth round and secured a spot in the quarterfinals for the first time since the 2004 season. The opponent will be the winner of the match between Iwata and Hiroshima, which will take place on the 15th.

　【Player Comments】《Sota HIRAYAMA》"I thought I should score because Nao-san connected well. Recently, Coach Hara told me to move well in front of the goal and create chances. He also emphasized solid defense, so I believe I was well prepared today. It was a do-or-die game, and my desire to play longer led to the goal. I will continue to work hard to contribute to the team play in both scoring and defense." 《Kajiyama》"I could only see the position of the goal when I shot. I couldn't see the goalkeeper. I had been told to shoot more, so I was glad I could score. Coach Hara has always trusted me, and I want to respond to that trust the most. There is only a little time left to fight with this team. With that feeling, I absolutely didn't want to lose. (About Sota's goal?) Sota had a thorough talk with Coach Hara recently. Then, Moni-san told him, 'Hara is counting on you,' and it seems that changed his mindset. He may not look different, though (laughs)."

　[Summary of Manager Hara's Press Conference] "After the Kofu match, I kept watching videos of Tosu's games. They have not lost recently, and the stronger the opponent, the better soccer they play, so I thought today's match would be difficult. Before the match, I told the players to focus on loose balls, to compete firmly in one-on-one battles, and not to lose those duels. However, in the first half goal, none of that was achieved, and we were caught off guard by the opponent's quick reactions. But it was good that the goal came so early. After that, we calmed down and were able to get back to playing our own soccer. Regarding Asari's substitution, the opponent's two forwards were receiving the ball and distributing it, which disrupted our balance, so we placed him in front of our defensive line to stabilize the balance. Then, we clarified Konno's role and aimed to utilize the attacking power of both Kajiyama and Konno by stabilizing the defense. Hirayama had shown a lack of motivation in recent substitute appearances. Concerned that this might negatively affect other team members, he was left out of the squad for the Kofu match. After talking with him, he has been able to play with more determination these past few days. During the match, when I asked if he was ready, he clearly said, 'I'm ready!' so I thought he would be fine. As everyone knows, he has talent, so I want him to be able to show it consistently. His goal was very pleasing. Tosu is a very good team. Everyone works hard, and there are many things we should learn from them. Next, we face the winner of Iwata and Hiroshima in Kumamoto. We want to fight each match steadily."

　[Summary of Sagan Tosu Coach Kishino's Press Conference] "The absence of Fujita does not matter; the most important thing is that everyone attacks together when attacking and defends together when defending. When we scored first, everyone showed the attitude of moving forward. There were other chances in the first half, but it was necessary to decide the game quickly then. A 1-0 score can be said to be an interesting match in hindsight (a close game), but we definitely had to score a second goal. As a game, we performed well today, and the players who fought today showed great fighting spirit. I am full of frustration now, but Sagan Tosu is a very good team. I think we can be confident. Regarding the conceded goal, we failed to do what we always say—pressing the opponent properly. Even after scoring one goal, there was no intention to defend at all. However, from the middle of the first half, our back line had one extra player, which led to being pushed back by the opponent. The second half was about what we could do while both sides were struggling. In terms of individual precision, I have to say there was a difference. But football is not just about that. In that sense, I do not think there was any difference between the teams. The result was a loss, and it might be taken as an excuse, but I think Sagan Tosu and Tokyo are almost the same. Including the supporters and club staff who supported us, the whole team has leveled up. We can feel significant growth. Although I am not at all satisfied with the results, this season was an enjoyable time for me, and I think we have become a good team."