match Match Schedule & Results

[Reserves]
GK:30, Katsuya MATSUSHIMA
DF:3, Shunji GOKATSUDE
MF:7, Keisuke AOKI, 29, Shuto ABE
FW:24, Kenta OKUMA, 32, Ryo SATO

○ Match Digest
In the previous match, FC Tokyo U-18 suffered a defeat away against Yachiyo High School, and the battle to avoid losing continues as they aim to return to the Premier League. Today, at their home ground, the Tokyo Gas Musashino-En Multipurpose Ground, they face Yokohama FC Youth. Before the match, the players and staff pledged, "Let's call out to each other as a team and fight with a sense of unity." Under the harsh late summer conditions with strong sunlight beating down since early morning, a battle testing the strength of their spirit kicked off at 11:00.

The players, who encouraged each other with "Let's start focused from the beginning," embodied this spirit as YAJIMA immediately stole the ball from the opposing DF and took a mid-range shot right after kickoff. Following that, NAGASAWA made a move down the right side, creating a chance. Meanwhile, Yokohama FC gradually settled the ball around the 10th minute, spreading play from the back line and midfield to both flanks, delivering crosses to create opportunities. At the 12th minute, a shot was taken inside the area but went just outside the upper right corner of the goal. Tokyo, having survived this tense moment, saw HASUKAWA on the left side actively shoot at the goal at the 19th and 23rd minutes from passes by SASAKI, threatening the goal. Afterward, although Yokohama FC held the ball somewhat more, they did not create clear chances until the deadlock was broken at the 35th minute. Exploiting a brief lapse, the opposing FW broke through the center and scored the much-needed opening goal. However, just five minutes later, when YAJIMA used his body to draw the opposing DF while trying to receive a long feed from TAKUYA WATANABE, SASAKI broke through behind and skillfully evaded the defender with a precise outside trap, then scored a brilliant lob shot over the opposing GK’s head to equalize!! This dispelled the negative atmosphere after conceding, and the first half ended on this note.

At halftime, the players confirmed detailed positioning against the opponent’s ball circulation and, with strong determination to surpass the opponent even in the severe heat, headed back onto the pitch for the second half.

Right after the second half started, the team pressed the opponent through Hasukawa’s dribbling on the left side and Tamiya’s overlapping runs. At the 59th minute, Sasaki received a pass from Hasukawa and struck a powerful shot with his right foot, threatening the opponent’s goal. Defensively, Onishi firmly cleared the opponent’s long balls and aggressively approached vertical passes, preventing chances for a sustained period. However, at the 62nd and 68th minutes, the team was attacked and faced fierce shots near the penalty area, but goalkeeper Ohno saved them with his left hand alone. Afterwards, Tokyo made substitutions: at the 70th minute, Kamoike replaced Yamagishi; at the 84th minute, Watanabe Ryu replaced Nagasawa; and at the 86th minute, Aihara replaced Tamiya. On the left side, Hasukawa repeatedly used his speed to break behind the defense, and at the 88th minute, Sasaki calmly slotted the ball into the right corner of the goal after breaking through the center, but it was ruled offside. During added time, the bench also loudly encouraged the players, and Tokyo pressed strongly toward the opponent’s goal until the end, but the final whistle blew with the score tied at 1-1.

It was a match approached with renewed determination following the defeat in the previous game, but we were unable to secure a win. It is precisely in difficult times that we must clearly face what we lack and what we need, and overcome this obstacle. From the next match, we will face two teams—Yamanashi Gakuin University High School and Maebashi Ikuei High School—that we were unable to defeat in the first half of the season. Although there is one week until the next match, we want the team to continue building steadily and approach it with great confidence. And together with their teammates, we want them to keep fighting as one team toward the future they aim for.

Thank you very much to everyone who came to the venue today despite the severe heat, and for your warm support to the players.
We kindly ask for your continued warm support for FC Tokyo U-18.