＜Match Preview＞
Entering the national team activity period, the league is interrupted and Tokyo will play their first match in the Emperor's Cup. The opponent is Fuji University, representing Iwate Prefecture. This will be Tokyo's third appearance in the Emperor's Cup, after a two-year absence. In the previous 100th tournament, they defeated Sony Sendai FC, representing Miyagi Prefecture and belonging to the JFL, and advanced to the 3rd round.
It is also a tournament where there are many upsets where lower category teams, commonly known as "giant killers," defeat higher category teams. However, for Tokyo, it will be a game where they aim for victory in order to win the title. Even if the opponent is a college student, their attitude towards official matches remains unchanged.
However, it is still a valuable opportunity to be able to challenge various player selections and tactical aspects in actual matches. Coach Albert has emphasized throughout the season that he focuses on the team's growth along with his commitment to winning.
While overcoming the challenges that were exposed in the first half, we will deepen the sense of growth that we gained in the Shimizu S-Pulse and Kashima Antlers matches before the break, and eagerly take on the challenge of the next phase. Winning the first match is important, but more importantly, whether we were able to challenge on the field of actual competition for growth will be the criteria for assessing Tokyo's situation in the second half of the season.
[Albert PUIG ORTONEDA Interview]
Q: I think there is little information about university students as opponents. Are there any difficult aspects in the preparation stage?
A: There is no impact. Fortunately, we have been able to thoroughly gather sufficient information. We have also been able to hold meetings using video in the same way as other official matches. As Tokyo experienced last season, matches against university students are expected to be difficult. I have also conveyed this to the players, but in tomorrow’s match, since we are in a growth process, we want to firmly set growth as our goal and achieve it. Whether the opponent is a J-League team or a university team, we must accomplish growth through the match.
Q, when watching the match between Fuji University and Jobu University in the 1st round, did you feel that the set plays were dangerous?
A, I think their most cautious point is their bold play and intense defense due to their youth. When comparing the J-League with college players, I believe the biggest difference lies in the tempo of the game. In J1 League matches, there are moments of calmness followed by a change in pace, creating a varied game flow. On the other hand, in J2 League matches, there tends to be a longer duration of high-intensity play. As you go down the lower categories, such as college players, there is a tendency for a continuous flow of high-intensity running for 90 minutes. When facing such teams, we must first match their intensity. However, we want to express our playing style firmly in our own flow without being influenced by the opponent.
Q: If the goal is growth, I think it is important to continue the league matches. Will the selection of members mainly consist of players who participate in the league matches?
A: In the Levain Cup, due to various conditions, we played in that manner. From here on, we want to always focus on winning every league match and Emperor's Cup match. We aim to maintain that mindset until the end of the season and compete at 100% in every game.
Q, is the Emperor's Cup the title to aim for?
A, of course, we hope to win both the Emperor's Cup and the league. However, I think winning every single match is unrealistic. Rather than looking at the long term, we want to have the mindset of absolutely winning the match in front of us and focus on each game one by one. We already understand the strengths of all the players. From there, we select the members based on the players' characteristics and compete accordingly.
Q: There was a period where we were struggling to score goals, but we have gradually started to increase our goal tally. What areas do you feel have improved and allowed for growth?
A: I think it is the confidence we have gained. That is always important.
Q: How do you plan to deal with potential upsets in the Emperor's Cup?
A, I believe it is important to start the match with as much focus and concentration as possible. We still have many areas to improve. In that sense, we focus on growing with each match we play. Therefore, it is only natural that we must start each match with full concentration.
Q: What do you want to try in tomorrow's match to advance to the next stage of the game?
A: As the team grows, we present new challenges, especially tactical ones, to the team and encourage them to absorb these. In that sense, there are still tactical themes that remain as challenges, so I hope we can successfully turn those into growth tomorrow.
[Player Interview]
＜Keita YAMASHITA＞
Q: The opponent is Fuji University, the representative team of Iwate Prefecture. What kind of analysis have you conducted?
A: I think it’s important that we focus on playing our own style of football, regardless of the opponent. There is a difficulty in playing against university students, but since this is a tournament, we want to make sure we win decisively in both performance and results.
Q, I think there is also an impression that college students come with a strong presence and hard work.
A: I think the opponent has nothing to lose. When I was in college, I also had the mindset of taking on professionals, and I believe they can perform beyond their usual level. However, FC Tokyo in J1 has the pride that we must not lose, so I want to firmly demonstrate the difference in strength and win.
Q: Is there a different sense of tension in tournament matches compared to regular matches, as this is the first time this season?
A, since it is a one-off match, I want us to firmly dominate from the first half and bring out our own style of football. It is important that each player takes responsibility and plays seriously, rather than letting their guard down just because the opponent is a university team, and if we can do that, I believe we can win.
Q, as a team, will you continue to play the new style of football that you have been building so far in tomorrow's match?
A, just because we are playing against college students doesn't mean we can play freely in any way we want, and I think there will be times when things don't go well. However, I want us to finish the match with both the content and the result in a good way.
Q, the team is on a two-game winning streak in the league, with both games scoring 3 goals. What kind of aim do you have for tomorrow's match?
A: In every match, I want to score as many goals as possible. While the team has been able to score, I personally haven't scored yet, so I really want to play with the mindset of scoring goals. I have a sense of what scoring looks like in my mind, so I want to produce results in official matches and first leave that as experience, and I want to score goals in any way possible.
Q, how do you want to make use of this match?
A, the only titles left to win are the Emperor's Cup and the league, and since the Emperor's Cup is a single-elimination match where losing means it's over, I think everyone is very determined and wants to give their best.
