Seize the first opportunity to advance to the finals with a strong desire for victory!

　The Emperor's Cup semifinal round will be played against Kashiwa Reysol. In the quarterfinals on the 20th (Sat), they achieved a come-from-behind victory against Shimizu with a calm game plan despite conceding the first goal. Coach Jofuku said, "There is a good sense of tension while being able to relax to some extent. In the middle of the league season, there was a period when the tension became too high and we became rigid. While utilizing that experience, we can compete for the top position in the final stages, and now it has become a natural state to aim for the top and fight." With a strong determination, they want to seize victory in the New Year's Day final battle.

　Kashiwa, who has advanced to the semifinals by defeating Kusatsu, Kyoto, and Hiroshima. They have abundant energy in both offense and defense, and their sharp counterattacks are their strength. Up front, FW Popo and MF Alex reliably create opportunities, and the whole team quickly launches aggressive attacks with the support of MF Kanno, Ota, and others coming from the sides. In response, it is important to match their energy, increase ball possession, and suppress the source of Kashiwa's counterattacks. Additionally, it is crucial to break through Kashiwa's solid defense centered around GK Kanno. We want to take control on the sides and draw out the central defenders, exploiting the empty spaces.

　Tokyo, Moneba is suspended due to accumulated warnings. Fujiyama will team up with Saura. In addition, Ishikawa has fully recovered from his injury and joined the substitute members. "There is no unnecessary tension or pressure now. We have been building up without wavering, both individually and as a team, so we are focused only on showing that. I want to contribute to the team and definitely achieve results, and I have confidence in that," he said with determination. Suzuki, who is on loan from Kashiwa, also said, "Tokyo can take action on their own against Kashiwa's strong soccer, and they can also play reaction soccer. We want to play our soccer as usual and win while accurately reading the flow," emphasizing the importance of fighting with a calm mind.　　

　Coach Shirofuku declared strongly, "Regardless of the outcome, the daily training we have done so far will never be in vain. It is about fighting with a competitive spirit every day for 365 days. We want to see how much of the soccer we have built up can be demonstrated. The players themselves will give us a satisfactory performance." They will show a strong determination surpassing Kashiwa without losing focus, calmly play their own soccer, and aim for victory! The match started at 13:06 with Tokyo's kickoff at the sunny Ecopa Stadium.

Suzuki takes the lead with a middle shot! Ending the first half with a lead

　Both teams were unable to create decisive chances with tough pressing on the ball from the beginning. In the 7th minute, Kabore -> Kajiyama made a through pass to Akamine in the penalty area. It was a great opportunity, but it was offside. In the 9th minute, Kashiwa FW Kanno crossed from the left side. Ota in the center tried to shoot, but it went well over the bar. In the 15th minute, Kashiwa MF Popo crossed and MF Alex ran into the goal area and headed the ball, but Shioda made a fine save and prevented a goal.

　Tokyo, as time passes, starts to control the flow of the game in the midfield. In the 18th minute, Sato dives to head the ball from Kajiyama's liner corner kick, but it hits an opponent player. Tokyo then wins a left corner kick from the loose ball and Suzuki enters the penalty area from a short corner with no angle to shoot. It hits the opponent's defender and the loose ball is connected, with Akamine volleying the ball in the end, but missing the target by a wide margin. On the other hand, Kashiwa also shows resilience and launches attacks with momentum, approaching the goal, but Tokyo counters with focused defense. It becomes a situation where there is no moment to relax.

　At the 31st minute, Tokyo launched a counterattack with Kajiyama passing a through ball to Cabore behind the opponent's defense. Although it was initially cleared, Kajiyama picked up the ball again and Suzuki received it in the center, unleashing a powerful shot. It pierced through the Kashima goal, giving Tokyo the opening goal. Seizing the momentum, Tokyo calmly controlled the game. They formed a solid block, defended well, and launched quick attacks after winning the ball. Towards the end of the first half, Kajiyama unleashed two powerful shots without any danger, and the first half ended smoothly. Leading by one goal, they headed into the second half.

Despite fighting until the end, we suffered a defeat by allowing a comeback in the second half.

　From the start of the second half, Kashiwa put in FW Fransa to go for the win. Tokyo also, as instructed by the coach at halftime, played a cautious game from the start to prevent the opponent from taking control. In the 54th minute, Kabore headed Shioda's goal kick, passed it to Akamine, and took a shot. It missed to the right of the goal. In the 60th minute, from a right free kick, Kabore connected with a loose ball and made a perfect through pass behind the opponent's defense. Hayashi, who ran into the area, reacted but couldn't shoot as he was closed down by the defender. In the 63rd minute, Suzuki broke free on the left side and crossed. Kabore tried to connect with the ball with his left foot but couldn't make good contact and it went over the frame.

　While concentrating on each other, they attacked each other quickly and continued with intense offense and defense. In the 68th minute, Kashiwa's left cross was connected to the center by midfielder Alex from afar, and forward França broke through with an exquisite trap and shot. This went through between the legs of Shibata and scored, equalizing the score. Tokyo, who wanted to counterattack, replaced Hayashi with Emerson immediately after conceding a goal, and substituted Ishikawa for Suzuki in the 73rd minute. It became an intense development where they fought for one point. In the 75th minute, Kajiyama took a middle shot from the ball that spilled outside the area in a melee in front of the goal. This was caught by the Kashiwa goalkeeper in front.

　In the 82nd minute, Kajiyama dribbled in from the right side and passed to Emerson, who was free on the left after attracting the attention of the defenders. He took a shot, but it went over the bar... Unable to capitalize on the chance and score an additional goal. Then, in the 88th minute, Lee, a substitute midfielder for Kashiwa, took advantage of a momentary gap in Tokyo's defense and scored a goal in the upper right corner, allowing Kashiwa to take the lead. Tokyo immediately substituted Kondo for Fujiyama and pushed Sato forward, launching a power play without giving up, but their attacks were repelled by Kashiwa's focused defense, and the game ended. They were unable to reach the finals for the first time and finished in the top 4 of the Emperor's Cup, concluding all the matches of this season.

　[Player Comments]《Suzuki》"Since the opponent is my former team Kashiwa, I tried to approach the game with the same mindset as usual, but I was somewhat conscious of it. I wanted to contribute to the scoring, and today's goal was a result of that desire, so I am genuinely happy to have scored. I had been focusing on taking long shots during practice in Kodaira. It was a good goal, just like in practice. It would have been perfect if the team had won. The fact that we lost means that Tokyo was lacking something, so it is meaningless if we don't connect this to the next opportunity. I want to see this as a chance for both personal and team growth. Next season, I aim for a higher position in the league and hope to win the Emperor's Cup next year, using today's frustration as material for improvement."《Nagatomo》"Not being able to score an additional goal was a factor in our loss. We also failed to mark properly on the goals we conceded, and there were moments where we could have closed in a bit more. I think we lost in those areas. It's sad that soccer ended in December. We had aimed to play together until New Year's Day, so it's frustrating. This year, I experienced a lot of things. Personally, it wasn't always a good time, but I think I grew by reflecting on various aspects. I want to be able to play in a way that contributes more to the team and to be able to voice leadership. I feel a lot of regret because the supporters came this far, and I believe everyone bought tickets for New Year's Day. I want to show this frustrating feeling next year by fighting more in front of the fans and playing in a way that brings joy to everyone who supports us."

　[Summary of Coach Jofuku's Press Conference] "It is very disappointing. Many supporters came from Tokyo, and we approached the match with a very strong mindset, but it is very regrettable that we could not reach the Final Round as a result. I would like to congratulate Coach Ishizaki. I do not think the content showed that we were inferior at all. Our defensive and offensive plans were almost as intended in the first half, and the start of the second half was not bad either. However, we were caught by the forward Franca, whom we were most concerned about, and in the end, the vital area was left open, allowing midfielder Lee to score a wonderful shot, which was certainly a cause for concern, and we were unable to respond to that. Such opportunities do not come often, so I wanted to become a finalist, but I could not, and this frustration, along with the frustration from the final match of the J-League, must be utilized by both myself and the team next year. That is what has become an experience for us. Reysol played a very passionate game. I hope they can win the championship in our place. (What was the plan after being equalized?) The positions of Hanyu and Suzuki required considerable hard work, so how to add an accent there was the key. We were equalized just before bringing in Emerson, but I intended to substitute regardless of whether we were equalized or not. I wanted him to be the accent and to create our own time. Then, when Suzuki started to tire, I brought in Ishikawa to aim for a speedy attack up front.

　[Summary of Coach Ishizaki's Press Conference] "Last time we won against Hiroshima in extra time, and we tried to carry that momentum into the Semifinal Round, but MF Otani and MF Sugiyama were unable to play due to injuries. However, the players who came in did their best. We fell behind early, which was very tough, but it was good that we managed to turn things around in the second half. We did allow a few decisive chances, but if we can reduce those, I think we can have an even better match. FC Tokyo is truly wonderful, and it was a match where either side could have won, but I believe the desire of MF Lee to win the match was reflected in the goal. We only have two days in between, but I want to prepare well and aim for the Final Round. (Why did you bring in FW Franca at the start of the second half and FW Lee midway through?) We wanted to respond quickly after falling behind, but we weren't creating rhythm in our attack. So, I brought in FW Franca to calm things down. However, when he comes in, it does bring calm, but everyone tends to focus on him. MF Lee is a player who can burst forward past FW Franca. I wanted to create a situation where the ball goes to MF Lee when the focus is on FW Franca. The first goal was by FW Franca, and the second by MF Lee, so it was really great that the two substitutes scored. (A word towards the Final Round) Only two teams in Japan can play on New Year's Day. While savoring this joy, I want to win in the end and share the happiness with everyone."