Results over content, a match we absolutely want to win

　The 5th Round of the Emperor's Cup will be a match against Shimizu S-Pulse at Okayama Prefectural Momotaro Stadium. This will be the last tournament of the season, but the players are fired up, saying, "We want to take each match seriously and win as many games as possible to stand on the pitch at National on New Year's Day." Coach Kuramata also believes that "winning, regardless of the content, is the most important," considering this match against Shimizu a crucial point for moving forward.

　Shimizu, on the other hand, has lost FW Marquinhos from the team. However, in the final league match without their ace, they achieved a convincing 3-0 victory against Hiroshima, and the team seems to be in good form as usual. Although not particularly noticeable, in terms of defense, they have the second fewest total goals conceded in the league, following Urawa, and are unlikely to crumble easily. In attack, starting with FW Cho Je-jin, the left and right MFs Fujimoto and Toru TAKAGIWA, along with the defensive midfielder Edamura, launch a robust offensive. Additionally, great care is needed for MF Fujimoto's highly accurate free kicks.

　Tokyo, Jean has returned to Brazil due to injury. Hirayama will also be absent as he returns to Japan today. Baba has injured his left knee, and the team is in a state of full injury, but we want to fight together with the starters Masushima and Kurizawa stepping in. Coach Kuramata also said, "At this point, we are showing resilience in defense. Since our coordination is going well, even with Jean missing, we do not intend to change each person's role." Masushima expressed his determination, saying, "Of course, I will tightly mark FW Cho, but I want to be careful not to get too distracted and let players coming from the sides get to us, so I will pay attention to our coordination."

　In attack, against Shimizu's intense press from the front line, initially, we will let them challenge behind the DF line, and when the press starts to weaken, the key will be whether we can launch attacks using both flanks. Additionally, since we have lost both league matches against Shimizu this season without scoring a single goal, they are definitely an opponent we want to take revenge on. The match started at 1:00 pm with Shimizu's kickoff under a cloudy sky with light rain beginning to fall.

Took control in the first half and went into halftime with a one-point lead

　From the start of the match, Tokyo carefully defended in their own half, while Shimizu circulated the ball in the defense line, creating opportunities to pass to the FW at the right moment. Then, in the 5th minute, from a pass by Shimizu FW Cho, right MF Fujimoto dribbled inside, and the pass reached left-side MF Takagi Jun, who boldly attacked the area and took a shot. The ball hit the far post and went into the goal. With the first shot from both teams, a goal was scored against them. However, in the 8th minute, Tokyo quickly restarted with Lucas → Konno → Toda, breaking through the left side and earning a left corner kick. Kurizawa's kick was met perfectly with a header by Masushima at the near post, quickly leveling the score.

Rhythm is emerging in Tokyo. In the 12th minute, Shimizu FW Yajima breaks into the area and prepares to shoot, but Mashima blocks it. Immediately, they launch a counterattack, with Ishikawa passing to Tokunaga who overlaps. Toda meets the right cross with perfect timing and shoots, but the opposing GK blocks it. Lucas also reacted to the loose ball, but was also denied by the GK, missing a great opportunity. In the 16th minute, from a right corner kick, Ishikawa passes to Tokunaga and then to Kajiwara, and finally cuts inside to shoot, but the GK catches it. In the 18th minute, Kurizawa's kick from a right free kick is headed by Konno, but goes straight to the GK.

　Shimizu slowly connected the ball and attempted to attack, but Tokyo swiftly intercepted the ball and launched a counterattack. In the 28th minute, Shiota's kick was headed by Lucas to the front line, and Toda, who broke into the left area, took a shot but was saved by the GK, resulting in a corner kick. In this right corner kick by Kurizawa, Mashima again made contact, but unfortunately it went just to the right. In the 33rd minute, from a quick attack, the ball was passed from the left side by Kurizawa to the center to Lucas, and then to Ishikawa on the left, who took a shot from just outside the area. However, it lacked power and went straight to the GK.

　Then, in the 38th minute, Lucas was fouled just outside the right area, earning a free kick. Kurizawa's direct shot hit the crossbar. However, Kajiyama picked up the rebound inside the left area, calmly trapped the ball, and shot. This pierced the net and turned the game around. After that, the rain started pouring heavily, and both teams struggled to connect passes on the slippery pitch. In the final stages, Shimizu midfielder Fujimoto created a chance from a set piece in front of the goal, but thanks to a concentrated defense led by Shiota, they did not allow a goal and the match ended. They went into halftime with a one-goal lead.

The battle that went into extra time ended in a 2-3 defeat.

　Shimizu aggressively launched an attack from the start of the second half. In the 47th minute, FW Cho broke into space on the right side, delivered a cross in front of the goal, and the loose ball was picked up by MF Fujimoto, who shot but was blocked by Tokyo's DF. In the 54th minute, Shimizu's DF Yamanishi took a long shot. The ball that flew towards the goal was saved by Shiota, who deflected it for a corner kick. In the 58th minute, Shimizu was awarded a free kick in an excellent position just before the right area. MF Fujimoto's powerful kick aimed for the bottom right corner. Shiota saved it, and although MF Takagi Jun and FW Okazaki rushed in for the loose ball, they could not allow a goal with their bodies on the line.

　After withstanding Shimizu's fierce attack, the momentum shifted to Tokyo. In the 61st minute, Konno passed to Toda, who broke into the left space, and he sent a ball to Kurisawa, who surged forward between the defenders. Kurisawa took a shot from a tight angle, but it was blocked by the goalkeeper. In the 66th minute, Konno passed to Ishikawa, who dribbled down the right side. However, the cross was deflected for a corner kick. In the 69th minute, Toda caught up to Konno's long feed to the left front and delivered a cross. Lucas jumped in, and Ishikawa followed up on the loose ball, but his trap was too heavy, and he couldn't take a shot. In the 73rd minute, Kurisawa passed to Kajiyama, who sent it to Tokunaga on the side. The cross reached Lucas at the far post, but the shot did not connect. They couldn't score the one more goal needed to decide the match.

　In the 76th minute, Kawaguchi was brought on to replace Ishikawa. After that, Tokyo's counterattacks were sharp. In the 78th minute, a deflected ball from the opposing defender went to Kawaguchi on the right side, who charged towards the goal with a dribble. The cross from there flowed to the far side, and Toda rushed in, but his timing was off, causing the shot to veer to the right. In the 80th minute, Kawaguchi broke free from Kurizawa's pass and charged into the right area. Although he had a clear shot, he couldn't hit the target. With less than 10 minutes remaining, Shimizu started to throw the ball early to forward Che, beginning to pick up the loose balls. Tokyo's energy dropped, and they were forced to defend with their defensive line pushed back. In the 86th minute, a mid-range shot from Shimizu's forward Okazaki hit the crossbar, causing a scare.

　However, in the 89th minute, after enduring Shimizu's attack well, victory was within reach, but a free kick was awarded just outside the right area, deep near the goal line. MF Hiyoshi's kick was punched away by Shiota, but the rebound was kicked in by MF Fujimoto with a direct shot, leveling the score. The subsequent 4 minutes of stoppage time saw Shimizu's resurgence continue, but the match ended as is. The game went into an extra time of 15 minutes for both halves.

　Even in extra time, Shimizu continues to attack with the momentum of having equalized. In the 95th minute of the first half of extra time, Shimizu's right cross is saved by Shiota. The loose ball is picked up by midfielder Hyodo in the left area, and although he takes a shot, it lacks power, and Shiota catches it. In the 96th minute, Abe is brought on for Toda, but the flow does not change. In the 98th minute, midfielder Fujimoto is allowed to break through the center and takes a powerful shot from distance, but it goes over the bar. In the 100th minute, Kurisawa's right corner kick is met with a header by Masushima, but it goes over the target. In the end, there was only this one shot, and the first half concludes without any good chances.

　However, as the second half of extra time began, Shimizu seemed to tire and their legs started to slow down, giving Tokyo the advantage. From the start, Baba was brought in to replace Kurizawa, and just a minute later, Baba took a shot, signaling the start of a counterattack. In the 107th minute, Kawaguchi and Tokunaga made a run, sending a sharp cross, but it was blocked by the opposing defense. In the 108th minute, Abe initiated an attack from the left and won a corner kick. The attack began to gain rhythm, but in the 111th minute, they allowed a goal. A loose ball from a set piece was crossed in from the right by midfielder Hyodo, and FW Che scored powerfully from the clearance.

　With no choice but to attack, Tokyo in the 116th minute saw Kagawa's right cross met by Konno's header. Lucas dove into the center of the goal but couldn't score. In the 117th minute, Baba delivered a free kick from outside the right area into the goal area, but it was cleared to a left corner kick. Kajiyama took the corner kick, and Konno picked up the clearance and attempted a volley shot, but it narrowly missed to the right of the goal. Starting from the 119th minute, Masushima also moved up front to try to score, but the match ended as it was. In the end, despite having several chances after taking the lead, the inability to secure an additional goal resonated until the end, resulting in a comeback loss and failing to advance to the Emperor's Cup quarterfinals.

　[Player Comments] <Masushima> "We applied pressure from the front and were able to fight with concentration. Although we conceded the first goal, we didn’t let things slip after that, and I think the flow was good. I was determined to definitely score from the corner kick. A good ball came from Kuri, so I just had to connect near the post. Yohei quickly scored an additional goal, and the match proceeded with a one-goal difference, creating tension. We kept our focus and I was confident we could defend like we did in the league match against Omiya. But somewhere along the way, we became passive and might have only thought about defending. In the end, we conceded from a free kick, which made everyone’s efforts meaningless. It’s very frustrating and disappointing. I wanted to win and play more matches... This season had many ups and downs, but I was given chances to play and gained experience. I definitely want to make use of this next season." <Kajiyama> "Shimizu’s second goal was the turning point. It was already stoppage time in the second half, so we had to hold on. The opponent’s shot was skillful though... We created many chances, so not finishing them led to this result. Improving the accuracy of passes and shots is a challenge both for the team and myself that we have always faced. Also, personally, I clearly realized that eliminating fluctuations in my play is another challenge. I want to always deliver good performances. The team’s momentum picked up toward the end, so I want to keep that going next season and work hard."

　[Summary of Coach Kuramata's Press Conference] "It ended in a very disappointing result. I truly regret finishing the season in this way. The last goal we conceded from a set piece was a situation we faced many times this year, and I believe it highlighted our challenges. Reducing these goals against us is a key issue for Tokyo moving forward into next year, and I hope the next coach will address this thoroughly. In terms of the match, we conceded early, but aside from that, we were able to turn the game around with our style of play and ended the first half well. I told the players that Shimizu would come at us more aggressively in the second half, and if we could score one more goal, we would be closer to victory. However, despite having chances, we couldn't score. In that situation, Shimizu scored, we became defensive, and we couldn't regroup, which led to us being pushed back by their momentum."

　[Summary of the press conference by Shimizu and Coach HASEGAWA] "I'm glad we were able to win. The first half was completely controlled by FC Tokyo. We failed to properly check set plays as we usually do, which led to conceding a goal. We couldn't calm the game down easily. We scored the first goal, but then I think we became a bit defensive. FC Tokyo's quick start was very strong, and we were overwhelmed mentally as well. I think it was good that we managed to go into halftime with a 2-goal lead. If we had conceded the third goal, the match would have been over, but Seibu made a big save. In the second half, players like Hyodo and Hiramatsu, who came on midway, created momentum and helped us regain control in midfield. The pitch was slippery, making it difficult to play our style of football using space, but thanks to them creating that momentum, the fullbacks had more time to push forward, which increased the pressure on the opponent and led to the goal. To advance in the Emperor's Cup, we have to pick up points in games like this, and by playing such matches and receiving good stimulation, the team can become stronger. This year, we absolutely want to win the Emperor's Cup."