Connect the momentum of the league and go for the Emperor's Cup!

　Today is the Emperor's Cup, which is the last tournament of this season. It is the 4th round, the first appearance for the J1 team, and they will be playing against J2's Avispa Fukuoka. Fukuoka is currently in 2nd place in the J2 league and is in the midst of the promotion battle to J1. In addition, they have a tough schedule with 3 matches in the league and the Emperor's Cup in this week, and they will face Yokohama FC on Jun 6 (Sun), so they made significant changes to the lineup today. They have been facing the matches with a young squad with an average age of 23.6.

　On the other hand, Tokyo, after winning intense games against Tokyo V and Gamba Osaka in the league, will face the match with only 3 days of rest. "To be honest, the players are also fatigued," said Manager Hara. However, he firmly stated, "I don't want to disrupt the current rhythm and momentum of the team." In place of Toda, who injured his leg in the previous match against Gamba Osaka, Noriyuki Suzuki will play as the left midfielder, and the rest of the lineup will be the same as the Gamba Osaka match. Additionally, after the Sec. 26 match against Omiya on October 1st, Kaji, who had been absent from the team, will be on the bench.

　The former coach was cautious, saying, "Fukuoka's fresh players are highly motivated, and on the contrary, that is scary." Every year, in the first match of the Emperor's Cup, they are forced to struggle against teams in the lower category, so they want to win by any means necessary. "In the league matches, we have reduced the number of goals conceded, scored goals, and been able to come from behind and win consecutive matches. We will continue to play good soccer and go for the Emperor's Cup," said the former coach, connecting the good rhythm of the league and starting off on a good note, fighting until the final round on New Year's Day.

Unable to score a decisive goal, the first half ended in a 0-0 draw

　The match started at 13:00 with a kickoff in Fukuoka at Ajinomoto Stadium, where the sunny weather in the morning began to darken. Tokyo dominated the ball from the start. They placed Lucas as the starting point in the front line, used the pitch widely, and created chances from fast passing. However, they were unable to score a goal against Fukuoka's focused defense.

　In the 16th minute, a wave attack was launched, and Noriyuki Suzuki dribbled to the center, creating chances for Yoshiro Abe, Kajiyama, but they couldn't finish. In the 20th minute, Kanazawa unleashed a powerful shot, but it was blocked by the opponent's goalkeeper's excellent save. In the 26th minute, Noriyuki Suzuki crossed from the left and Yoshiro Abe had a big chance to jump in freely. However, this also didn't result in a goal. As time passed, the game continued with a series of chances created but not converted.

　On the other hand, Fukuoka, in the 12th minute, FW Ota, a tall player who received a right cross, shot towards the goal where GK Doi jumped out, but the ball cut to the left. Fukuoka continued to solidify their defense and launch counterattacks, but Tokyo also benefited from the lack of coordination from the opponent and did not face any major threats.

　Fukuoka continued to struggle defensively. Towards the end of the fatigued first half, Tokyo threatened Fukuoka's goal with corner kicks and set plays, but were stopped by a determined defense. As a result, Fukuoka's valiant efforts shone through in the first half, and the score remained 0-0 as they headed into the second half.

Abe Yoshi and Suzuki Nori secure a solid victory with their goals!

　In the first half, Kanazawa, who felt a strain in his left foot, was replaced by Kaji in the second half. Fujiyama shifted to left back and exerted more control over the ball, putting pressure on the Fukuoka goal. In the 52nd minute, Fujiyama connected with Shigeki Suzuki, who sprinted up the side and delivered a pinpoint cross in front of the goal from the cut by Shigenobu. Yoshiro Abe scored a perfect header! With a fast and sharp attack, they shook off the Fukuoka defense and took the lead.

　Tokyo, which dispelled the unpleasant atmosphere of not being able to score despite creating chances, directly aimed for the FK obtained by Lucas being fouled in the 57th minute. The powerful left-footed kick changed its course after hitting the opponent's DF and went into the goal! They added another goal as if piling on.

　After that, we dominated the game with a calm style of play. In the 60th minute, Sasa was substituted for Lucas to bring a more aggressive approach towards the goal. However, in the 62nd minute, Yoshiro Abe's powerful shot from outside the box was saved by the goalkeeper and resulted in a corner kick. In the 63rd minute, Suzuki broke through the left side, crossed the ball to Abe, whose shot was deflected and picked up by Baba for another shot. However, it missed to the right of the goal. In the 76th minute, Kaji ran up from the side and took a low shot aimed at the bottom right corner of the goal, but it was saved by the goalkeeper and resulted in a corner kick. In the 79th minute, Sasa received a pass from Abe on the right side and took a shot in front of the goal, but it was also saved by the goalkeeper.

　Substitute Kurisawa for Baba in the 80th minute. In the 82nd minute, Fukuoka tried to score a goal, but MF Ariyoshi took a shot in front of the goal from an early restart, but Doi stretched his leg and made a nice save! Fukuoka had a chance to shoot after the rebound, but the Tokyo DF cleared it and escaped the pinch. The game ended 2-0. Although we couldn't score any additional points, it was a safe victory, and we advanced to the 5th round to play against Urawa Reds.

　【Player Comments】《Noriyuki SUZUKI》"(The free kick goal) was kicked to go into the frame. It's a lucky goal, but I'm really happy. I am instructed to kick the free kick so that it goes into the frame, and even if it doesn't go in, someone can follow up. I kicked it as usual, and it hit the wall, but I had a feeling that it might go in when the ball was floating. (The assist) There were chances in the first half, and if I can deliver it like that, a player like Yoshiro ABE will definitely score. I was focused on taking risks and delivering crosses. It would have been good to score one goal in the first half, but whether it's 1-0 or not, if we win, we can move up, so I tried not to be too tense and aimed to score in the second half. I fought without overthinking. It had been a while since I made plays that led to goals, and I want to consistently make plays that contribute to such goals. Using those around me easily is a challenge." 《Yoshiro ABE》"There were chances in the first half, so I was glad to score in the second half. A good cross came from Noriyuki, so I tried to jump in front of the opponent as quickly as possible. In the first half, I jumped in without thinking, and my head angle was off, so this time I paid attention to the angle. Fukuoka changed their lineup, and it became a difficult match, but there were many close chances, so I thought if we could score one goal, we could do it."

　[Summary of Coach Hara's Press Conference] "We had a very good match against Gamba last week, but with only three days between games, it was difficult to switch gears. Especially in the Emperor's Cup, there is always the challenge of facing J2 or JFL opponents in the early rounds. Considering Fukuoka's condition and schedule, I thought they might change their lineup... but I was a bit surprised that they changed it quite a bit. That said, their motivation was high, and I told the players they would be fresh and moving well, and indeed, until about the 30-minute mark of the first half, Fukuoka put up a good fight. However, I believed that the opponent would gradually tire, and if we used the sides carefully, not just the center, chances would definitely come. In the first half, there were parts where players like Kajiyama and Tadashi Baba held onto the ball too much or tried to do difficult things, so at halftime, I reiterated, 'Let's keep it simple and use the sides.' I think we regained our rhythm when Norio Suzuki's cross was converted by Yoshiro ABE at a good time. Today, we said we would approach the match with the same mindset as in the league. First, we want to focus on this Emperor's Cup, and then switch our mindset for the remaining five league matches, one by one. We want to work hard towards the next Antlers match."

　[Summary of Fukuoka Coach Matsuda's Press Conference] "In the end, the difference in strength was evident. While we have good players in our team, I wanted to showcase individual abilities, and where we fell short, we compensated with our organizational strength, demonstrating resilience and aiming for goals on the counter. I think we held up well in the first half. In the second half, we lost possession due to mistakes in our build-up, leading to a quick attack and a cross. The quality of the cross was good, but we were broken down on the sides, and conceding there was painful. (Was it not the best lineup?) I do not consider it a B team. There are players with injuries or poor condition during the interval with the league matches. I wanted them to approach it with the mindset of representing Avispa with players in good condition. There is no better opponent to confirm whether the organizational strength cultivated in daily training can hold up. I told them to focus on showcasing their abilities and challenging themselves. However, I believe this can only be achieved through winning."