FC Tokyo and Emperor's Cup

This is the first participation for FC Tokyo in the Emperor's Cup, but counting from the days of its predecessor, Tokyo Gas FC, this marks the sixth consecutive year and sixth appearance. The first participation was in 1994. It was the first tournament managed by Coach Okuma (who was appointed as acting coach just before the tournament that year), and remarkably, they achieved a stunning victory by defeating Kashima Antlers in the first match, advancing to the top eight and making a brilliant debut. In 1995, they were eliminated in the 1st Round, and in 1996, they lost in the 3rd Round to a J-League team, but in 1997, they created the now-familiar 'Tokyo Gas whirlwind.' In the 2nd Round, they struggled against the high school team Ehime FC Youth, barely securing a victory with a golden goal in extra time, leaving some uncertainty in the early stages, but they woke up from the 3rd Round. They decisively defeated Nagoya Grampus Eight in the 3rd Round, and in the following 4th Round, they also defeated the talented Yokohama Marinos, who had many national team players at the time. Furthermore, in the quarterfinals, they overcame Bellmare Hiratsuka, featuring Nakata (currently at Perugia, Italy), after extra time, achieving a remarkable feat of defeating three J-League clubs in a row to reach the top four. In the semifinals, they faced Kashima Antlers at the National Stadium (Kasumigaoka Stadium) for the first time, and although they unfortunately lost, they made the name 'Tokyo Gas' resonate throughout the nation.

So far, the record in the Emperor's Cup is 11 wins and 5 losses, showing a winning trend. This year, they also advanced to the best four in the Nabisco Cup, further enhancing the image of "Tokyo being strong in cup competitions." It will be interesting to see how far they can progress this year.

Is fatigue a concern?

One week after the "Miraculous Comeback to J1 Promotion," the players had no time to recover from the fatigue of the J2 League and had shifted their focus to this year's final big tournament, the "79th Emperor's Cup All Japan Soccer Championship." The lineup for this day was significantly different from a week ago, as ace Amaral had temporarily returned to Brazil, and KAGAMI, who scored the crucial final goal in the recent Niigata match, was in Australia for training, leaving the core of the attack absent. Additionally, Asari and Go KABURAKI were sidelined due to injuries, and Yukihiko had been adjusting with a different training regimen for the past week, forcing himself to play despite the strain, revealing the effects of "overwork" as he had not taken more than three consecutive days off since starting in January. On the other hand, the opponent for this day, Kusatsu Higashi High School (Shiga Prefecture representative), may not be widely known nationally, but this was their second appearance in the Emperor's Cup in two years, and they had qualified for the winter high school championship for the fourth time in three consecutive years, steadily improving their strength in recent years. Last year, they finished third in the national youth championship, which included J-League youth teams, and won the Kinki tournament for two consecutive years, making them a formidable presence, even as high school students. Considering the difficulties of playing against high school students and the current situation in Tokyo, they were certainly not an easy opponent.

High-level high school students!

The match kicked off at 1 PM in a chilly environment with a temperature of 13°C. The uniform of Kusatsu Higashi High School had the same design as J2's Montedio Yamagata, and due to the local support, the students of the school repeatedly showcased their "unique cheering," creating an illusion of battling in Yamagata. Right from the start, the local Kusatsu Higashi, in the challenger position with nothing to lose, displayed a boldness. Recently, high school students have significantly improved their skills, and apart from physical contact, many are on par with professional teams tactically. Especially at the national level, this is even more evident. The team built their play around the number 10 player, a game maker, with a rhythmic passing style characterized by fewer touches. In the midfield, Kusatsu Higashi was actually quicker in passing, connecting three or four passes, but that was as far as it went. The Tokyo defense line was not going to be broken. No matter how strong they are at the national level, being breached by high school students would tarnish the reputation of "solid defense, Tokyo." Komine and Sandro were not kind to the high school students. Sandro, with his gold hair (dyed by his wife after promotion), looked intimidating and showcased a tough playing style, embodying the image of a "scary older brother," while left-back Fujiyama reminded everyone of the professional level with his sharp reading of the game.

Dissatisfaction with battles that leave anxiety for the future...

On the other hand, Tokyo's attack struggled as the forwards Okahara and Enomoto were completely ineffective, often losing the ball and failing to find their rhythm. Almir served as a pivot, distributing the ball from the midfield to the left and right, but the frontline's hold-up play was unsuccessful, and they continued to lose the ball without breaking through. Unable to establish a base in the front line, Tokyo's pride in their 'wings' could not create effective formations, leading to an increase in monotonous attacks by launching long balls from the back. The only real chance came when Almir advanced with individual skill. In the 12th minute, Almir received a header pass in front of the goal, executed a sharp feint, and scored powerfully with his left foot, taking the lead effortlessly. After that, Tokyo gradually began to circulate the ball in midfield, and left-back Fujiyama also started creating chances with his signature dribbling. In the 26th minute, this time Almir sent a cross from the right side, and Yukihiko, who ran to the near post, headed it in to score the second goal. This was also not a goal created from a complete breakdown of the defense, but rather a gift due to the lax marking by the high school players in front of the goal.

After that, finally, an attack that mixed short and long passes with the speed characteristic of J clubs was seen, creating chances, but the forwards were ineffective and could not score additional points. In the second half, Seigo KOBAYASHI and other young attackers were brought in, but there was no significant improvement, and once again it was a back-and-forth battle. Kusatsu Higashi High School seemed well-trained, showing no signs of fatigue even in the second half, and rather became sharper in their movements. In contrast to the high school students desperately trying to score a point against a J League team, Tokyo's attackers were lacking decisiveness, repeatedly executing ineffective attacks. The defense was relatively stable, and I didn't think they would concede a goal, but there was no atmosphere suggesting they could score additional points. In the end, the match ended with the time up. Although the lineup was insufficient, it was a rather disappointing match against high school students. Two years ago, when they reached the semifinals, they also struggled against high school students in the 2nd Round, but that was that. If facing high school students, I want to aim for a resounding victory with a large number of goals. From the results of other matches held that day, it was decided that the opponent for next week on December 5 (Sunday, 13:00, Nishigaoka) would also be a high school team (Wakayama Prefecture representative, Hatsushiba Hashimoto High School / third appearance). The fierce battle between J clubs awaits from the 3rd Round match against Shonan Bellmare Hiratsuka. Before that, I want to properly rebuild the team.

[Coach Okuma's Comments]

Usually, there are few opportunities to play against high school students, which made it difficult. We struggled because we couldn't establish a base in the front line until the end, and as a result, we couldn't dominate the match. It was disappointing that players who usually don't play couldn't perform mentally, and I wanted them to showcase more. This year's goal for the Emperor's Cup is not about how many wins we can achieve, but rather focusing on how much we can do in this situation where both physical and mental fatigue is accumulating, and how far we can go while pushing each other. I want to play as many matches as possible to give young players valuable experiences.