Use the struggles from the last match as a springboard to advance in the 4th Round!

　In the 3rd Round of the 83rd Emperor's Cup held on December 14, one week ago, Tokyo struggled greatly against their opponent, Honda from the JFL, and ultimately won in a penalty shootout, a bitter experience that allowed them to advance to the 4th Round held on this day. The 3rd Round of the Emperor's Cup has been a tough hurdle for Tokyo, and any victory is a victory; they celebrated their first win in the Emperor's Cup since their promotion to J1. Now facing the 4th Round, their opponent is Kobe. This season, Tokyo has won both league matches against Kobe, completely overcoming their past struggles. If they can showcase the soccer they have been playing so far, they should be able to win.

　However, one must not let their guard down. Kobe has momentum after a 3-0 victory against J2 Yamagata in the 3rd Round. Kaz (Miura Kazuyoshi), who scored in that 3rd Round, is also in great form, and it is said that he is strengthening the team's unity, which is shaken by company issues, as captain. We cannot underestimate Kobe, who is fired up for revenge against Tokyo, having suffered two complete defeats this season.

　Tokyo placed Abe on the right in a three-top formation due to Ishikawa's injury, with Jean, who has recovered from injury, stepping in for Moniwa to partner with Fujiyama in central defense. Amaral started on the bench, just like in the 3rd Round. Young players such as Suzuki, who returned from the World Youth, and Kajiyama from the U-18 Japan national team were also among the substitutes as they prepared for the match.

Despite overwhelming offense, we allowed the first goal due to a momentary lapse.

　Before the match, Coach Hara announced, "We have received information that the bus tour heading this way is significantly delayed due to snow near Nagoya. No matter how late they are, let's win with all our heart for those who are coming here." With this motivation, Tokyo increased their unity and dominated the match from the start with intense pressing.

　Right from the start, Kelly aimed for the goal with a header from a cross from Kanazawa on the left, but Todai sharply closed in on the ball, just a step short, allowing the goalkeeper to catch it. Yusuke KONDO, who has started in three consecutive matches since the final match of the league, showed his presence with a powerful shot from a sharp turn right in front of the goal in the 15th minute. Abe, who moved to the right, actively challenged the opponent with sharp dribbling when he got the ball, posing a threat. In the 33rd minute, when Abe received the ball on the right side, he unleashed a strong shot from near the right corner of the penalty area, grazing the goalkeeper's hand and hitting the crossbar. Tokyo showcased their build-up from Kelly's hold, with side attacks through wide plays by Miyazawa and Miura, closing in on the Kobe goal.

　On the other hand, Kobe's two-top of Miura Kazuyoshi and Kojima made significant movements to create opportunities in the center, but the support from the midfield was slow, and with Tokyo's strict marking, they often missed chances due to passing errors. The passionate and intense defense from Jean and Fujiyama in the final line also prevented Kobe from creating any real chances.

　As Tokyo aggressively attacked, in the 37th minute, the ball was dribbled through the midfield and passed to Bismarck on the right, who easily crossed it into the center. Kazuyoshi Miura headed the ball near the goal. The ball flowed to the far side, where Park, who had run in from behind, powerfully kicked it into the net. While Tokyo was dominating the match, they were caught off guard for a moment in the midfield and allowed the first goal.

Despite allowing a 2-point lead, Abe ignited the counterattack with a powerful shot.

　In the first half, Tokyo allowed a lead of 0-1 despite having a dominant performance with 6 shots compared to Kobe's 3. At the start of the second half, they substituted Amaral for Yusuke KONDO, taking a gamble. With the supporters in the goal area energized by Amaral's entry, the Tokyo eleven rallied. The attacking frequency of side backs like Kaji and Kanazawa also increased, and they repeatedly threatened the Kobe goal, but the final crosses and shot accuracy were lacking, failing to produce a decisive blow. Kobe's defense line was solid, and they aimed for an additional goal with counterattacks after tightly marking Amaral to disrupt the play.

　In the 64th minute, Kobe's counterattack strikes again. After gaining possession on the left side, Kobe quickly feeds the ball behind Tokyo's shallow defensive line. Caught off guard, Tokyo's center-back hurriedly clears the ball, which turns into a mistake, landing right in front of Kobe forward Kojima, who runs into the center. The unmarked Kojima calmly kicks the ball into the goal as it drops. This results in a painful second goal conceded.

　Tokyo found themselves trailing by two goals during a difficult period, but they did not panic. Coach Hara had already brought in Suzuki for Toda in the 61st minute, and in the 66th minute, he substituted Miura for the young 18-year-old Kajiyama. This was the third substitution of the match, and it proved to be a brilliant move.

　With less than 20 minutes remaining, in the 71st minute, a precise pass from Kajiyama found Kelly, who had made a run into the space on the right side of the front line. Kelly broke through vertically, feigned a cross, and passed back with a heel flick. Kaji, who had surged up the right side, ran in and delivered a sharp, low cross, which Abe, positioned in the center, met with a powerful diving header that shook the net for a goal! They closed the gap to one point.

　Tokyo, with a beautiful play that could be described as "this is attacking soccer," raised the banner of counterattack with Abe's stunning and powerful shot, gaining even more momentum. In the 75th minute, a free kick taken by Miyazawa from the left side led to a scramble in front of the Kobe goal, and it seemed that Abe had pushed it in for the equalizer! However, it was ruled offside. Then in the 81st minute, after a free kick hit a Kobe defender and the ball flowed to the left side, Kanazawa persisted and delivered a cross, and Jean, who had moved up, aimed for the goal with a high header, but it went over the bar.

Showed determination to catch up in the dying moments of stoppage time... cried in the penalty shootout

　Despite overwhelming pressure, Tokyo could not find the decisive blow as time was not on their side. As the match approached its conclusion, the 90 minutes of play ended, and 3 minutes of stoppage time began. The drama unfolded there. A ball sent forward by Jean became tangled in the center just outside the Kobe penalty area, and the ball reached Kelly. Instead of pushing forward aggressively, Kelly made a backheel pass towards the goal while facing away, which turned into a through ball, allowing Abe to break free and slide the ball accurately into the net. They equalized in the nick of time. In contrast to the jubilant Tokyo Eleven, the Kobe Eleven slumped their shoulders in disappointment. The situation had changed dramatically in just a few seconds.

　The match immediately entered extra time after the whistle for the end of the second half. It was Tokyo's second consecutive extra time, but it goes without saying that Tokyo, with their momentum, was clearly in the lead. In the 93rd minute of the first half of extra time, a shot from Kajiyama rolled in front of the free Amaral, but the hurried shot went wide of the left goal. In the 98th minute, Kelly headed a free kick taken by Miyazawa from the left, and the shot flew to the right corner of the goal, but was stopped by a fine save from the goalkeeper. In the 104th minute, the ball was passed from the right by Kelly to Kajiyama to Amaral, and finally, Kanazawa, who ran in from the left, took a powerful shot, but it went over the goal. As the second half of extra time began, in the 108th minute, Jean headed the ball back to the center from the right after a free kick, and Abe jumped in, but unfortunately it went to the right of the goal. After that, in the 111th minute, Suzuki forcefully broke through the left side and crossed the ball back to the center, but it was cleared by the Kobe defense. Kobe's counterattacks were limited to one shot each from Okano and Bando, but in the end, the match was not decided after 120 minutes, leading to a penalty shootout for the second consecutive match.

　In the 3rd Round, Tokyo was the second to kick, but this time they were the first. Just like in the 3rd Round, Amaral was the one to take the kick. Amaral calmly scored, giving Tokyo the lead. However, Kobe's first kicker, Kojima, also scored perfectly. After that, Tokyo's second kicker, Kelly, scored, but Kobe's Shijikurei also scored, keeping the pressure on. Tokyo's third kicker was Abe, but he was stopped by the goalkeeper. In contrast, Kobe's third kicker, Tsuchiya, scored, allowing them to take a one-point lead. From there, Tokyo's fourth kicker, Kanazawa, and fifth kicker, Jean, scored consecutively, but Kobe's fourth kicker, Kitamoto, also scored, and finally, the fifth kicker, Sugawara, scored perfectly to end the match. Tokyo showed determination by scoring two goals in the last 20 minutes, but their inability to score one more goal was the reason for their defeat. FC Tokyo's 2003 season ends with this elimination from the Emperor's Cup. Thank you for your warm and passionate support throughout the year. We look forward to your continued support next season.

【Player Comments】《Abe》"It was my first start in a while, and the good tension helped me score two goals. I was happy to equalize with my goal at the last moment, but missing the penalty is what I regret the most. I wanted to win because it was Amaral's last tournament, and I'm really disappointed that it ended this way." 《Miyazawa》"We were in a tough situation, trailing by two goals, but in the second half, we were able to play our usual soccer and catch up. Even though we had the advantage in extra time, it's regrettable that we couldn't finish it off. I wanted to play soccer with Amaral until New Year's Day, and it's disappointing that we can't make that happen." 《Amaral》"Today's loss is sad, and I feel full of regret. This is my last match in Tokyo, and leaving the team feels like leaving my second family, which is lonely. However, even when I'm gone, my fighting spirit will remain with this team. The current players, as well as those who will come in my place, will carry it on. The team is steadily improving, so I believe we can win a title next year. I want to sincerely thank all the fans who have supported us up to this point."

[Summary of Coach Hara's Press Conference] "The outcome of the penalty shootout is unavoidable. The players caught up well and did a great job. The content was better on our side, and we overwhelmed the opponent with a wide use of the field we have been working on for a year, but we cried over our inability to score one more goal. The challenge is that we couldn't score at crucial moments. However, as a team, I feel we have improved, finishing fourth in the league. Young players like Yusuke KONDO, Suzuki, and Kajiyama, who performed well today, are also gaining strength and growing. I wanted to reach the Final Round and win this Emperor's Cup for Amaral, but it is frustrating and disappointing that we couldn't achieve that. Amaral will leave the team now, but his spirit and soul will remain forever. The tradition of enduring through tough times for this team is thanks to Amaral. We must carry on his aspirations and become even stronger."

[Summary of Vissel Kobe Coach Soejima's Press Conference] "In today's game, we united to take revenge in the league match. We had a two-goal lead but were caught up and ended up going to penalties, but winning is the most important thing in a tournament. There is value in being able to advance to the next stage."