Emperor's Cup held, starting off on a good note and fighting through to New Year's Day

　The Emperor's Cup is being held. In the 4th Round, which is the first match for the J1 teams, they will face TDK SC (JFL), the representative from Akita Prefecture. After suffering a heavy defeat in the previous league match against Kawasaki, there are concerns about the team's atmosphere, but all the players have already shifted their mindset, stating, "There is no time to look down." To fight through to the Final Round on New Year's Day, they want to treat each match with importance and aim for a good start.

　TDK is currently 13th in the JFL. In the Emperor's Cup, they advanced through the prefectural tournament to participate in the main event. They defeated Nirazaki Astros and Mitsubishi Motors Mizushima FC, and in the 3rd Round, they triumphed over Hokkaido Consadole Sapporo in a penalty shootout after a 1-1 draw, advancing further. There is no doubt they are on a roll, and they will approach this match determined to make an impact. It is crucial not to lose to their fighting spirit.

　TDK also has Masatoshi MATSUDA, a forward who played in Tokyo from 2000 to 2002, and he has been a significant source of goals. The key point is to gather the ball for the tall and strong forward Matsuda, and to thoroughly control the ball after he competes for it. On the other hand, TDK will solidify their defense and counterattack. How to break down the opponent's withdrawn defense will be crucial for their attack. They want to score early with a simple attack without overcomplicating things and fight at their own rhythm. They aim to showcase their superiority and achieve victory in their first match.

　Coach Hara also said, "We will face it with our best strength," and today Asari, Hirayama, and Ishikawa are starting. TDK has a two-top with forwards Riki MATSUDA and Kinoshita, with Ikeda and Matsugae as the left and right midfielders, and a double pivot of Takabayashi and Narita in a 4-4-2 formation. The match started at Ajinomoto exactly at 13:00 with TDK's kickoff.

Struggled against a tight defense, ending the first half without scoring

　Right from the start, TDK broke through the left side, and MF Ikeda charged in from outside the left area. Tokyo failed to mark him and allowed a shot. The ball veered to the right, avoiding a goal, but TDK created a scoring opportunity early on. This shaky start led to continued situations where TDK brought shots in the early stages. However, after escaping a crisis thanks to some mistakes, they gradually took control of the ball and began to attack. In the 7th minute, Kanazawa broke through behind the DF line on the left side and delivered a cross. In the 8th minute, from Ishikawa's left corner kick, Lucas attempted a header but missed the target. In the 12th minute, Noriyuki Suzuki broke through behind the opponent's DF line but was caught offside. In the 13th minute, Tokunaga overlapped and sent in a cross from a deep position, but the opponent's DF cut it out.

　Although crosses were sent in from both sides, they could not create a decisive chance in front of TDK, who solidified their defense with numbers. Losing the ball in the center led to repeated counterattacks. In the 20th minute, the ball was quickly connected in the Tokyo area, and TDK's MF Matsugae took a shot near the penalty arc. Kanazawa barely managed to get a foot on it, resulting in a corner kick. In the 28th minute, Norio SUZUKI's feed allowed Hirayama to hold the ball up front. Lucas, Ishikawa, Kanazawa, and Konno passed wide to look for a chance, but they could not break through TDK's defense, which was reinforced with numbers, and their pass was cut off, leading to a counterattack.

　Then TDK was unable to control the balls thrown into the front line one after another, losing their rhythm. In the 31st minute, they lost a pass in midfield, and TDK's midfielder Takabayashi connected with FW Matsuda, who passed to FW Kinoshita flowing to the right, who boldly shot from the right area. It went to the right, but TDK was able to create an attacking shape. However, in the 36th minute, TDK substituted MF Sato for the injured left MF Ikeda. Ikeda was a player that Coach Hara had warned about, saying he had good technique and kicking ability. Forced to make a substitution, TDK finally began to regain their rhythm, creating chances from Fujiyama's interception and Tokunaga's cross.

　In the 38th minute, from Tokunaga's right throw-in, Lucas moved to the right in front of the goal. Ishikawa, who ran in, took a shot from a tight angle, but the goalkeeper made a save. Hirayama aimed for the rebound with a half-volley, but it hit the defender. In the 39th minute, Tokunaga delivered a right cross, and from the scramble in front of the goal, Kanazawa and Konno tried to score one after another, but were blocked by the defender. In the 44th minute, Norio SUZUKI inside the area passed to Hirayama outside, who brought it forward and took a shot, but it went over the bar. In the end, they couldn't convert their chances and finished the first half without scoring.

Hirayama and Konno score! They extend their lead over TDK with a goal from a set piece.

　In the second half, aiming to correct the issues from the first half, we took control from the beginning. In the 48th minute, Ishikawa's long pass found Taira SHIGE breaking into the right area, and despite being challenged by the opposing defender, he got into a shooting position. We earned a corner kick. In the 51st minute, Tokunaga's cross was met with a perfect header from Lucas, but it was denied by a great save from the GK. However, this led to a left corner kick, and Tokyo brought in Kurisawa to replace Kanazawa, who had injured his foot. Shortly after, Noriyuki SUZUKI's left corner kick was headed back by Mobiwa at the far post, and Taira SHIGE scored with a header in the center! We finally took the lead with the long-awaited opening goal.

　However, just after that, when Tokyo's concentration momentarily faltered, TDK advanced into Tokyo's area with quick passing. Unable to stop this, TDK's midfielder Takabayashi seized the loose ball from Shigenobu's clearance and passed it to forward Matsuda in the left area. Unable to mark properly here, Matsuda was free to take a shot and quickly equalized the score.

　However, without getting discouraged here, Noriyuki SUZUKI took the left side back position, and Kurizawa played as the left midfielder, launching a counterattack. Kurizawa frequently got involved with the ball and dominated the match. In the 63rd minute, Tokunaga's right throw-in was headed by Lucas into the center, leading to Hirayama → Kurizawa in the left area. It was a decisive chance, but the shot was blocked by the defender and caught by the goalkeeper. In the 70th minute, Tokunaga, who advanced, was fouled, earning a free kick on the right side. From Kurizawa's kick, Lucas attempted a header shot but missed the target.

　TDK also used substitute players and launched sharp counters from a solid defense. In the 75th minute, TDK's midfielder Chino, who had surged forward, became a solid pivot and spread the play to the left. Forward Togashi, who ran in from behind, created a scoring opportunity with a flowing combination, but was saved by a mistake. Aiming to take the lead, in the 76th minute, Akamine was brought in to replace Asari. Kurizawa took the holding midfield role, while Lucas followed on the left to aim for the goal. Gradually, a rhythm emerged from Tokyo's characteristic side-based attacks, and the match progressed within TDK's territory, but they couldn't secure an additional goal. In the 79th minute, a shot from Hirayama, following a contested ball from Akamine, shook the net, but it was offside...

　After a period of not being able to score the second goal, in the 82nd minute, from Kurizawa's free kick on the right side, Konno scored a magnificent header to take the lead. Despite struggling against a tight defense, they finally pulled ahead of TDK and won 2-1. They advanced to the 5th Round. The next match will be on December 8th, where they will face Sagan Tosu in Marugame.

　【Player Comments】<Konno> "Today, I was only thinking about winning. My personal challenge was to receive the ball firmly and try to break down the opponent. We couldn't break through easily and only scored from set pieces. In that sense, it's disappointing. We disrupted our own rhythm in the first half. I thought we could score without rushing, so it would have been better to play a bit more calmly. (About the goal) During the free kick, the opponent's marking was confused. I thought I could make it, and a good ball came, so I was able to score. It was a tough match, but I think winning will lead to the next step." <Hirayama> "Reflecting on the match against Kawasaki, I wanted to make the most of chances today. I was thinking about focusing on scoring goals and using teammates nearby if possible. (There was a close offside call, right?) I think I am gradually able to play more towards the goal than before. Since I haven't had results in the league matches, I want to keep winning in the Emperor's Cup and use this momentum to prepare to win with the Olympic team as well."

　[Summary of Coach Hara's Press Conference] "I watched TDK's JFL matches, but the motivation in the Emperor's Cup is different from the JFL, so I told the players to fully focus on the match. However, perhaps due to the heavy 0-7 defeat in the previous game, the players' movements were stiff, and we couldn't execute attacks with rhythm. There are no easy matches in the Emperor's Cup. If we can score one or two goals early, it becomes easier, but if we fail to do so and the opponent gains rhythm, the game becomes tough. I told the players that even if that happens, they should stay calm and respond properly, and I would bring in fresh players, so they should avoid playing selfishly out of frustration. We finally scored first and should have taken control of the rhythm, but we stopped playing thinking the ball had gone out of bounds, and the opponent immediately equalized. That broke our rhythm again, but Kurisawa and Akamine, who came on later, skillfully recovered the ball and helped us regain rhythm. TDK usually competes in a tough environment and includes former J.League players and former Tokyo players. We were somewhat overwhelmed by their momentum. (How do you evaluate Hirayama?) Akamine, who had been a regular starter, was a bit tired, and with the Olympic qualifiers approaching, Hirayama improved his condition, so I started him. Against a defensive opponent, I wanted to use his height for hold-up play to keep him on the field as long as possible. However, his ball circulation at the back and his movement off the ball were slow, and he often took too much time to play after receiving the ball. He finally looked good in the second half. Without the offside calls, he might have scored a hat-trick. His shots in those situations are really skillful. If he can master his runs into the box, his feints, and timing, he can become a more dangerous player in the penalty area. (Did you struggle against a defensive opponent?) Everyone played slowly, but from a certain point in the first half, the ball started moving, which is their true strength. However, perhaps influenced by the Kawasaki match, players were afraid to pass forward and often kicked the ball away immediately. The forwards said the defenders wouldn't pass the ball, and the defenders said the forwards weren't moving, which is a typical situation when things don't go well. So at halftime, I instructed them to move the ball one tempo faster and get it to the two forwards quickly. Still, the Emperor's Cup is difficult. Matches against J2 or JFL teams are completely different from regular J1 matches. That's the challenge and the appeal of cup competitions. Today's performance wasn't good, but we want to build on the fact that we won. Including the match against TDK, we will fight hard in each game. The league matches are coming soon, so we want to prepare well for those too."

　[Summary of the press conference with TDK SC's acting coach Sho SASAKI] "In this tournament, we aimed to compete against J clubs, and winning against Sapporo gave us the motivation to face it with high spirits. I regret the last set play, but it made me realize the strength of J1. Today, I thought, 'We are the challengers. So I want us to give it our all.' Everyone stayed focused, and I want to praise the players for that. I thought Lucas and Akamine would start for Tokyo, but Hirayama came in, and I analyzed that they would simply throw the ball in. However, both Lucas and Hirayama found their timing well, leading to many shooting opportunities, so I instructed to sandwich them in midfield at halftime. In the final stages, we faced more breakdowns, but until then, we held on well. Indeed, I regret the last set play by Konno."