A match we absolutely cannot lose!

　The Emperor's Cup 5th Round will be a match against Urawa Reds at Ehime Comprehensive Sports Park Athletic Stadium. It is the last tournament of the season, taking place one week after the end of the league matches, but Coach Hara cannot hide his concerns, saying, "To be honest, it seems that there is fatigue remaining after fully competing in the league." However, the players' spirits are united.

　Urawa is the opponent that has defeated us twice in this season's league matches. The players are all saying, 'We absolutely want to repay this debt,' and at the same time, under Coach Hara, who will lead the team for the last time in this tournament, they are fully motivated to 'unite and defeat Urawa!' The coach himself also stated, 'In the final tournament of the season, the level of motivation will determine the outcome of the match,' and with determination, they are ready to face a match they cannot afford to lose.

　Urawa finished the league in 2nd place. In the final match, they scored 4 goals against Niigata, indicating that the team's condition is good. In particular, there is sharpness in the attacks initiated by MF Ponte. "He is the key. The whole team connects the ball, and the moment it reaches him, they change the rhythm, and players like defensive midfielder Hasebe also make runs," said Coach Hara, who is particularly cautious about this. Additionally, it is essential to pay close attention to set plays centered around Tulio.

　Tokyo, on the other hand, is not in great condition as Jean has injured his left thigh and Toda has hurt his abdomen, causing them to withdraw from the team. The defense consists of Kanazawa and Kaji on both sides, with Fujiyama in the center. In attack, Sasa is positioned as the lone striker, while Yoshiro ABE, Kurizawa, and Noriyuki SUZUKI fluidly change positions. Coach Hara mentions, "It's uncertain whether Urawa will match Tokyo with a four-back formation or stick to their usual three-back setup," but in any case, Tokyo will launch an all-out offensive.

　"It's a knockout tournament, and if we lose, it's over," said Coach Hara, declaring, "We will face them head-on without any tricks. We will fight with all our strength and come back victorious!" The match started with Urawa's kickoff at 1:04 PM.

Caught off guard for a moment, allowing Urawa to take the lead

　From the start of the first half, Tokyo takes control. In the 1st minute, Noriyuki Suzuki breaks free from a through pass by Kajiyama, but is offside. In the 3rd minute, Kajiyama breaks through on the left side and enters the area, but fails to finish. In the 7th minute, Yoshiro ABE picks up a clearance from Urawa and passes to Lins. He takes a bold shot from outside the area, but it goes wide. In the 8th minute, Yoshiro ABE on the right side spreads the play to the opposite side; it is cleared once, but Kurizawa picks it up and passes to Kajiyama. He takes a shot, but it goes to the left of the goal. Conversely, Urawa occasionally launches counterattacks, but fails to create any significant chances.

　In the 11th minute, Kurizawa's dribble breakthrough was stopped by the defense, but his shot from the rebound resulted in a corner kick. In the 15th minute, Konno stole the ball in the center of his own half and passed it to Suzuki on the left side, who then sent it to Yoshiro ABE for a shot that went just left of the goal. Urawa was completely on the defensive against Tokyo's momentum. In the 23rd minute, a decisive chance arrived. From a left corner kick, Kurizawa took a shot after a short corner with Kanazawa, which was cleared by the opposing defense, but Kurizawa picked it up and sent a low cross to Yoshiro ABE, who delivered a powerful header! However, it went just left of the goal. Then, taking advantage of a momentary lapse, Urawa allowed the first goal.

　In the 30th minute, a cross from left side MF Mito was skillfully headed by FW Maric, and the shot went past Doih's side into the goal. The match then quickly transitioned into a fast-paced exchange of offense and defense. In the 34th minute, MF Ponte passed to FW Nagai, who broke through on the right side, but Fujiyama made a crucial cut to avoid danger. In the 39th minute, overlapping Kaji sent a cross from the right side, which the GK punched away. In the 43rd minute, a cross from the left side by Norio SUZUKI was headed by Sasa! However, the ball went over the bar.

　In the 44th minute, from a corner kick by Urawa, forward Maric calmly trapped the ball and shot in front of the goal, which seemed to be a goal, but Sasa cleared it off the goal line! It was a moment where he covered his face, but they did not allow an additional goal. The match ended the first half like this, entering the second half one goal behind.

Continued to attack but unable to score, the entire schedule for this season has ended.

　"One goal conceded is fine, the next goal is crucial," said Coach Hara, and they aggressively launched an attack from the start of the second half. A big chance soon arrived. Noriyuki SUZUKI broke free on the left side and charged toward the center. Surrounded by two defenders, he made an exquisite fake and delivered a last pass to the free Kurizawa on the right. Although it was a one-on-one with the GK, Kurizawa's shot was saved by the GK and did not result in a goal.

　In the 51st minute, Urawa GK Tsuzuki was injured and GK Yamagishi came in as a substitute. Tokyo made a substitution in the 54th minute, bringing in Miyazawa for Kurizawa, hoping to launch a counterattack. However, Urawa tightened their defense in the center and aimed for counterattacks, making it difficult to reach the opponent's goal. In the 55th minute, Norio SUZUKI's cross from the left side was contested by Yoshiro ABE, but he couldn't control it. In the 57th minute, there was a chance for a free kick just outside the area. Sasa took a powerful shot, but the ball went just over the bar. In the 59th minute, Norio SUZUKI ran onto a long ball from Fujiyama and delivered a cross from the left, but it was caught by the GK.

　In the 60th minute, Konno, who made contact with an opponent during a challenge, injured his foot and went off the pitch. Then, just one minute later, in a situation with one player less, they conceded another goal. MF Yamada broke free from a through pass by MF Hasebe and sprinted down the left side. He cut in towards the goal and calmly kicked the ball into the right side netting.

　Tokyo, which must attack even at the risk, substitutes Miura for the injured Konno and Kondo Yusuke for Kanazawa, increasing the number of attackers to launch a counterattack. In the 70th minute, a cross from Kaji on the right side is met by Sasa, who dives into the area for a direct shot! However, the ball goes to the left of the goal. In the 73rd minute, Suzuki Norio breaks through on the left side, connecting from Abe Yoshiro to Kondo Yusuke, but they are unable to take a shot. In the 78th minute, Suzuki Norio's powerful shot from a free kick just outside the area barely goes over the bar.

　In the 81st minute, a cross from the left side by Miyazawa was dropped by Sasa, and Noriyuki Suzuki, who had rushed into the area, made a powerful volley shot! However, the ball soared high. In the 83rd minute, Yoshiro Abe received the ball on the right side and delivered a cross. Shigenobu, who had moved up, shot the ball that was returned to the center! However, it was blocked by the Urawa DF and resulted in a right corner kick. Starting from Miyazawa, a relentless and fast cross was sent into the goal area, but the Urawa DF desperately cleared it away.

　In the 89th minute, a free kick from a great position on the left side of the area. Sasa's low and fast shot was caught by the GK. They continued to attack but couldn't score, and the whistle for the end of the second half blew. They lost 2-0 and were eliminated from the Emperor's Cup, marking the end of their schedule for the season. After the match, all players and staff greeted the fans. Coach Hara, who is leaving after this season, shook hands with each fan behind the goal and said goodbye in tears.

　【Player Comments】《Kajiyama》"I wasn't in bad shape. I was just careful to treat each match as important. In today's game, I couldn't capitalize on the chances I had. I wish I had been able to finish those opportunities. (It seems Urawa was defensive) Urawa's form doesn't matter. We just got caught out on the counter. (I received) a lot of advice from Coach Hara. There were various things that happened, but I am grateful." 《Miyazawa》"In a situation where we needed to score, I was told to keep sending long balls, but the opponent responded well, and we couldn't break through. I don't know how the game would have turned out if we had managed to score. It's the same in the league; if we had been able to finish the chances we should have, our ranking wouldn't be where it is now. This remains a challenge going forward. (I am) grateful to Coach Hara. I learned a lot and he used me in the matches."

　[Summary of Coach Hara's Press Conference] "With many players like Jean and Lucas out due to injuries, we talked about trying to beat Reds with the players we have now. The Reds played a very good match against Niigata the other day, so we approached the game with the mindset of not losing to that. In the end, we lost, but we were able to function well with players like Konno and Kaji in midfield picking up the ball, and we created rhythm with Yoshiro ABE's header and Noriyuki SUZUKI's breakthrough in the first half. However, we were caught off guard by Maric in a moment. We had chances afterward, but we couldn't convert them, especially in the decisive scene from Noriyuki SUZUKI's last pass at the start of the second half. I think today's match reflected those differences. Also, there was an incident with Konno, who has been leading our team, and we were countered while he was off the pitch. I believe the players did well. Since I will be stepping down this year, I feel that the players might have been overly motivated, which led to some misfires. They were too tense, and without that, I think Yoshiro ABE's header and Kurisawa's shot could have gone in. However, as a match, even with injuries, the other players performed well, so we were able to show our identity. The Reds have incredible strength when it matters. Although we didn't perform well today, they still have the ability to score, which is the strength of Urawa. I hope the Reds advance. I have been allowed to coach for four years, and I am very grateful for the support from many fans. I really wanted to win and play more matches, but I have no regrets. I have truly given it my all. During this period, many young players have grown, and I have also been able to spend four good years in a great environment."

[Summary of the press conference by Urawa's coach BUCHWALD] "The fact that Yoshiro ABE's shot in the first half did not go in, while Maric's shot did, was the key to this game. There were miraculous clearances by Sasa, but if those had gone in or not, this match could have turned out differently. I am satisfied with the result of the victory, but I am unhappy with the many simple mistakes. We need to improve. Today, Tsuzuki was injured and Yamagishi came in, but he played in a way that did not make us feel the change in goalkeeper. I am grateful to him."