This season's Emperor's Cup, Round 16 as the first match

Facing Honda FC (JFL) in the Round of 16 of the Emperor's Cup at Ajinomoto.
This season, Tokyo participated in the ACL, making this Round of 16 the first match of the tournament. Additionally, Honda FC has the final match of the JFL remaining on the 13th (Sunday), so this matchup was scheduled for Wednesday ahead of the other matches.

Currently, Morishige, Maruyama, and Nathan BURNS are absent due to national team activities. Additionally, Maeda and Higashi are injured and will miss this match. Therefore, the center backs will be Takahashi and Yoshimoto, with Hirayama at the top and Kono in the attacking midfield role. Hayashi and Hiraoka will also be on the bench.

Honda FC, representing Shizuoka Prefecture, is participating in this tournament. They defeated Fujieda (J3) in the Shizuoka Prefectural Qualifying Final, and in this tournament, they have taken down J-League teams including Gifu (J2), Dai MATSUMOTO (J2), and Morioka (J3) over four matches, advancing further. Currently, they are leading in the JFL (Second Stage), and their team strength should never be underestimated.

Coach Shinoda also stated, "Honda FC is a very good team. They have history and tradition, and many players with high skills. If we create even a moment of weakness in terms of ball contests or transitions, there is a possibility we could be defeated." The former Tokyo team knows the fear of a 'one-off match,' having experienced both causing and being subjected to 'giant killings.' To climb the path to the title step by step, we must fight without being careless and without creating openings, aiming for advancement to the Semifinal Round.
 

Today, as the first cold wind blew, the match started at 19:04 with a kickoff in Tokyo at Ajinomoto, where the cold felt even harsher at night.

Unable to grasp the rhythm, leading to conceding the opening goal...

From the beginning, both teams pressed each other, and the battle for the ball continued. However, today in Tokyo, after winning the ball, they couldn't launch a quick attack, and time passed without picking up the pace.
5 minutes: Muroya advances and delivers a left cross.
9 minutes: Hashimoto attempted 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 in the DF just before the area and sends a pass to the left forward. Muroya overlaps at the right time and delivers a low cross, but it just missed Hirayama at the near post and Kono, who jumped in the center.

15 minutes: Gradually outpaced by Honda FC in switching play, moving the ball across the pitch extensively and being put under pressure.
18 minutes: From center back Suzuki of Honda FC, a vertical pass was made to right side back Hosogai through holding midfielder Tsuchiya. In the right side of Tokyo's half, midfielder Kagawa turned to face forward and sent a through ball behind the DF. Tokyo was completely unable to apply pressure against Honda FC's direct passes... In response to the through ball, FW Kuno broke into the right area and unleashed a powerful shot into the bottom left corner... They conceded the first goal of the day, but afterwards, they tried to calmly mount a counterattack without panicking.

22 minutes: Mizunuma's left corner kick was met by Hashimoto, but he couldn't get a header off.
23 minutes: Muroya sent a shot-like cross from the left side towards the goal. It was caught by the opposing GK, but Hirayama rushed in, and although it spilled from the GK's hands once, it did not cross the line.

From midway through the first half, Kono and Mizunuma changed positions, preventing Honda FC from finding their rhythm, and Tokyo began to have more possession of the ball, but they couldn't capitalize on it when moving forward.
41 minutes: Nakajima dribbled past the opponent and attempted to break through the center of the area, but lost the ball in front of Honda FC's defense.
44 minutes: Hashimoto on the right brings the ball inside, and Kajiyama spreads it to the left. Muroya, who overlapped, cut in and aimed for a mid-range shot, but it went straight to the goalkeeper.
45 minutes: A free kick was awarded to Honda FC in the center of the Tokyo defense, and FW Furuhashi aimed directly from a position 28-29m in front of the goal, but Akimoto made the save.

In the first half, Tokyo had only two shots, both taken by Muroya. On the other hand, Honda FC also managed just two shots, resulting in a tight match. However, one of those shots was converted into a goal, allowing them to take the lead and ending the first half.

Nakajima equalizes! Sei MUROYA scores his first professional goal to turn the game around, advancing to the Semifinal Round.

Substituted Ogawa for Kajiyama as left back in the second half. Muroya moved to the right, and Hashimoto shifted to the defensive midfielder position, aiming to equalize first.
48 minutes: Right after the start of the second half, Honda FC attacked with momentum and speed, but we held on tenaciously.
51 minutes: Nakajima on the left side of the opponent's half passes to Ogawa, who makes a forward run. Ogawa overlaps and sends a left cross into the area. Mizunuma drops it, and Hashimoto spreads it to the right. Muroya's cross hits an opponent and deflects, but Hashimoto competes with the opposing defender for the loose ball, which Tanabe heads to Nakajima just in front of the left area. Nakajima receives it, turns, and shoots with his left foot. The shot grazes the opposing defender, changing its course and resulting in a goal. Finally, they have equalized at 1-1.

54 minutes: Mizunuma aimed for the space behind Honda FC's high DF with a long through pass into the area. Nakajima made a run to meet it but just missed it by a little.
58 minutes: Hayashi is brought in to replace Kono. The team shifts to a two-top formation with Hirayama, aiming for an additional goal. With Hayashi's introduction, the ball started to settle in the front line, but as the lines gradually stretched, the game picked up pace. Honda FC also launched fast-paced attacks, leading to several shooting opportunities.
69 minutes: Hayashi dropped the feed from his own half and passed it around, Nakajima to Ogawa, who advanced into the left area. Hayama met the short cross sent in front of the goal, shaking the net, but... this was offside.

80 minutes: The match continued with intense back-and-forth play, but Hayashi received a pass from the defensive line, turned forward, and passed to Mizunuma on the left, who then sent it to Nakajima in the center. Nakajima further maneuvered inside, adjusted his timing for the shot, and passed to Sei MUROYA on the right. MUROYA picked up speed, trapped the ball, and broke free to face the goalkeeper one-on-one. A Honda FC defender attempted to slide in and block, but MUROYA executed a skillful lob shot into the left net, scoring a goal!! MUROYA marked his first professional goal and successfully took the lead.

86 minutes: Nevertheless, Honda FC, refusing to give up, had a shot from MF Kurimoto on a free kick just outside the left area that hit the post... In added time, a right cross was delivered, and MF Tomita struck a powerful volley just outside the area, but the bouncing ball was caught by Akimoto. Despite struggling against Honda's counterattacks until the end, everyone stayed focused and held on, leading to the time-up.
Nakajima and Muroya scored to secure a comeback victory, advancing to the December Semifinal Round.

[Player Comments]

"Muroya"
"I understood the difficulty of this match from before the game. We conceded first in the first half, but the team as a whole did not panic. However, our players were not well positioned relative to each other, and since Honda is a good team, we couldn't push back. Still, during halftime, we all discussed that 'we can definitely turn this around,' and in the second half, I think we were able to play our football calmly. (Regarding my goal) At first, I didn't intend to score when I overlapped, but Nakajima sent a good ball. With my first touch, I found myself one-on-one with the GK, and I could see the GK's position, so I decided to take the shot. I think I was able to finish it calmly."

《Nakajima》
"Honda is a strong and good team. There were difficulties, but I wanted to dominate. I felt that I couldn't do that and realized I need to grow more. (Regarding the goal) The shot itself was lucky, but I think it was a big goal for the team. There will be a bit of a break before the Semifinal Round, but during this time, I want to level up both individually and as a team. I don't know who our opponent will be yet, but both teams are strong, and I'm looking forward to it. I want to work hard every day and strive to play well."

Summary of Coach Yoshiyuki SHINODA's Press Conference

"It was good to be able to advance to the next stage. Regarding the match, conceding a goal in the first half made it a difficult game. We lacked speed, had too many moments of stagnation, and ended up conceding without breaking down the opponent. It was a game we need to reflect on. In the second half, we made substitutions, allowed Ogawa to take a higher position, and focused on breaking down the sides. However, our accuracy is still lacking. There were many mistakes in the timing of crosses and overlaps. Honda is truly a good team, and their earnest play and attitude towards victory are something we feel we must learn from. While we did not have the mindset that we were superior, it is a fact that we struggled against them from the JFL. We want to clearly identify both our areas for improvement and the positives, and continue our training."

【Honda FC・Coach Hiroyasu Iba's Press Conference Summary】
"In the first 30 minutes and the last 30 minutes, we practiced playing solidly for a total of 60 minutes. The first half was a tight game, but we managed to score one goal from a single shot. However, we conceded a goal at the start of the second half, which took away the team's momentum. Ultimately, we lost by a single goal, but personally, I think it was a complete defeat. We were unable to do anything. In the last 10 minutes, when we needed to score, we were able to push more players forward, but looking at the game as a whole, I also have the impression that the team's center of gravity shifted backward. It was a valuable experience, so I want to use this game to prepare for the final league match, where a win will secure the championship."