Round 16, the first match of this season's Emperor's Cup

Emperor's Cup Round 16, facing off against Honda FC (JFL) at Ajinomoto.
Tokyo played in the ACL this season, so this round 16 is their first match of the tournament. In addition, Honda FC will have their final JFL match on Sunday the 13th, so this match was held on Wednesday ahead of the other games.

Currently, Morishige, Maruyama, and Nathan BURNS are absent due to their respective national team activities. In addition, Maeda and Higashi are injured and will not be playing in this match. As a result, Takahashi and Yoshimoto will form the center back duo, with Hirayama playing at the top and Kono at the attacking midfield position. On the bench, Hayashi and Hiraoka will also be available.

Honda FC, representing Shizuoka Prefecture, participated in this tournament. They defeated Fujieda (J3) in the Shizuoka Prefecture qualifying final, and have advanced through four matches against J-League teams including Gifu (J2), Matsumoto (J2), and Morioka (J3). They are currently leading in the JFL (Second Stage), and their team strength cannot be underestimated.

Manager Shinoda also said, "Honda FC is a very good team. They have a rich history and tradition, and many skilled players. If we give them even a moment of opportunity in terms of ball control or transitions, there is a possibility of being defeated." They know the fear of a "one-shot match" where anything can happen, as they have both caused and been victims of "giant killings" in the past. In order to climb towards the title step by step, they must not let their guard down and aim for victory in the quarterfinals by not giving any openings.
 

On a day when the first cold wind of winter blew, the match started at 7:04 PM at Ajinomoto Stadium, where the cold was even more intense at night.

Unable to grasp the rhythm, the game unfolds with the opponent scoring the first goal...

Both teams pressed each other from the beginning, and the battle for the ball continued. However, today's Tokyo was unable to launch quick attacks after winning the ball, and the tempo did not pick up as time passed.
5 minutes: Muroya advances and crosses from the left.
9 minutes: Hashimoto tried to send a cross from the right side, but was blocked by the opposing DF.
12 minutes: Nakajima dribbles past the opposing DF and charges forward. He draws the DF near the area and sends a pass to the left front line. At a good timing, Muroya overlaps and sends a low cross, but it narrowly misses both Hirayama near the goal and Kono who jumped in the center.

15 minutes: Gradually, Honda FC is able to surpass us with their quick switching and move the ball around the pitch, putting pressure on us.
18 minutes: From Suzuki, the center back of Honda FC, a vertical pass is made to Hosogai, the right back, connecting with Tsuchiya, the defensive midfielder. Kashiwa is facing forward by Kagawa in the right side of the Tokyo team, and a through pass is sent behind the DF. Tokyo is unable to press against Honda FC's direct pass... As a result of the through pass, Kono is released in the right area and a shot is taken with great determination, landing in the bottom left corner... Although they allowed the first shot of the day, they calmly prepared for a counterattack.

22 minutes: Hashimoto jumped into Mizunuma's left corner kick, but the header was not strong enough.
23 minutes: Muroya's shot-like cross from the left side heads towards the goal. It was caught by the opposing GK, but Hirayama followed up and although it slipped from the GK's hands, it couldn't cross the line.

In the second half, Kono and Mizunuma changed positions, and Tokyo was able to increase their possession time without letting Honda FC get into a rhythm, but they were unable to make effective attacks even when moving the ball forward.
41 minutes: Nakajima dribbles past the opponent and tries to break through the center of the area, but loses the ball to Honda FC's defense.
44 minutes: Hashimoto on the right side brings the ball inside, Kajiyama expands to the left. Murai overlaps and cuts in, aiming for a middle shot from in front of the opposing DF... but the GK blocks it in front.
45 minutes: Honda FC gave a FK to Tokyo Jinnaichuo in the center, but FW Furuhashi was directly targeted from the front of the goal at a position of 28-9m, but Akimoto saved it.

In the first half, Tokyo only had two shots, both taken by Muroya. On the other hand, Honda FC also had two shots, resulting in a tight game. However, one of those shots was able to score a goal, giving them the lead at the end of the first half.

Nakajima scores the equalizer! Sei MUROYA's first professional goal leads to a comeback victory, advancing to the quarterfinals.

Substituted Kajiyama for Ogawa at left back from the second half. Muroya moved to the right, and Hashimoto dropped back to defensive midfield, aiming for an equalizer.
48 minutes: Immediately after the start of the second half, Honda FC attacked with momentum and speed, but we persevered and defended well.
51 minutes: Nakajima on the left side of the opponent's field, passes to the left front line to draw out Ogawa's attack. Ogawa overlaps and sends a left cross into the area. Mizunuma drops it, Hashimoto expands to the right. Muraya's cross hits the opponent and bounces, but the opponent DF and Hashimoto compete for the ball, and Tanabe heads it to Nakajima in the left area in front of the goal. Nakajima receives it, turns around, and shoots with his left foot. The ball grazes the opponent DF and changes course, scoring a goal. Finally, they catch up to a 1-1 tie.

54 minutes: Waternuma aimed for the back of Honda FC's high DF and made a long through pass into the area. Nakajima followed up with a run, but just barely missed it.
58 minutes: Lin is substituted for Kono. The game is now aiming for an additional goal with a two-top formation with Hirayama. With Lin's entry, the ball is now settled in the front line, but the game is gradually picking up pace as the line becomes stretched. Honda FC is also launching speedy attacks and creating shooting opportunities.
69 minutes: Lin drops the feed from his own zone and passes it to Nakajima -> Ogawa, who advances to the left area. In response to the short cross sent to the front of the goal, Hirayama steps out in front of the opposing DF and shakes the net, but... this is offside.

80 minutes: After that, the exchange of attacks and defenses continued to be intense, but Lin received a pass from the DF line and turned forward. He then passed to Mizunuma on the left, who then passed to Nakajima in the center. Nakajima then moved further inside and shifted the timing of his shot, passing to Muroya on the right. Muroya took advantage of his speed to break through with a trap, facing the GK in a 1-on-1 situation. The DF from Honda FC tried to block him with a sliding tackle, but Muroya skillfully lifted the ball into the left net, scoring a goal!! This was Muroya's first professional goal, and it gave his team the lead.

86 minutes: Honda FC, who never gives up, had a shot from MF Kurimoto from a free kick just outside the left area, but it hit the post... In additional time, a cross was sent in from the right and a powerful volley was struck by MF Tomita just outside the area, but the ball bounced and was caught by Akimoto. Despite being troubled by Honda's counterattack until the end, we concentrated as a team and managed to hold on until the final whistle.
Nakajima and Muroya's goals secured a come-from-behind victory, advancing them to the semifinal round in December.

[Player Comments]

"Muroya"
"We knew how difficult this game would be before the match. We were down in the first half, but the team didn't panic. However, our players were not in sync and with Honda being a good team, we couldn't push back. Still, at halftime, we all talked and said, 'We can definitely turn this around.' In the second half, we were able to calm down and play our own soccer. (On his goal) When I overlapped, I didn't intend to score, but Nakajima sent me a good ball. With my first touch, I was one-on-one with the GK and I could see his position, so I decided to take the shot. I think I was able to calmly score."

"Nakajima"
"Honda is a strong and good team. It was difficult, but I wanted to overwhelm them. I couldn't do that and felt that I lacked strength, so I think I need to continue to grow. (About the goal) The shot itself was lucky, but I think it was a big goal for the team. We have a little time before the quarterfinals, but during this time, I want to improve both individually and as a team. I don't know who our opponent will be, but both teams are strong and I am looking forward to it. I want to work hard every day and be able to play well."

[Summary of Manager Yoshiyuki SHINODA's Press Conference]

"It was good to be able to move on to the next stage. As for the game, it becomes a difficult game when we concede a goal in the first half. We lacked speed and had a lot of stagnant time, and we ended up conceding without being able to break down the opponent. It was a game that we need to reflect on. In the second half, we changed the members and had Ogawa take a high position, and we focused on breaking down the sides. However, our accuracy is still lacking. There were many mistakes in the timing of crosses and overtaking. Honda is a really good team, and we feel that we need to learn from their earnest play and attitude towards winning. We didn't have the consciousness that we were superior, but it is a fact that we were troubled by them in the JFL. We want to clearly identify the points we need to reflect on and the good points, and continue training."

[Honda FC・Hirokazu Ihata's Press Conference Summary]
"We have been practicing to play solidly for the first 30 minutes of the first half and the last 30 minutes of the second half. The first half was a tough game, but we were able to score one goal with one shot. However, we conceded a goal at the start of the second half, which took away our team's momentum. In the end, we lost by one goal, but personally, I think it was a complete defeat. We couldn't do anything. In the last 10 minutes, we were able to put more players up front to score, but overall, it seemed like the team's focus shifted to the back. We had a good experience, so we want to use this game to head towards the final league match where we can win the championship."