match Match Schedule & Results

[Reserves]
GK:21, Kohei Yamaguchi
DF:-
MF:-
FW:-

○ Match Digest
Tokyo, having won the match against the higher-ranked Waseda University on Wednesday the 25th, will challenge the final of the Tokyo Soccer Tournament Student Division after two days’ rest. Winning this will grant them the right to participate in the 19th Tokyo Soccer Tournament main competition, bringing them one step closer to qualifying for the Emperor's Cup. Their opponent in the final is Kokushikan University.
Coach Sato prefaced by saying, "The back-to-back matches with only two days in between are the same for the opponents. To win the summer club youth tournament, we need to get through consecutive matches successfully." He then sent the players off with the words, "Let's enjoy seeing how far we can go against university students and showcase our own style of soccer."
Before the match, the players naturally felt their morale rise upon hearing the report of the victory in the Yokohama F.Marinos Youth match held in Nasu at 3:00 p.m. The game, originally scheduled for 5:50 p.m. at Waseda University Higashifushimi Ground, kicked off at 6:15 p.m. with Kokushikan University in possession due to the previous match going into overtime.

Calmly responding to the opponent's ball to the front line immediately after kickoff, at 1 minute in, Hasukawa boldly made a move and earned a corner kick. Fueled by the loud cheers of the Tokyo supporters, Tokyo showed no intention of yielding an inch to the opponent, but the early phase saw the opponent maintaining possession. However, even as the opponent circulated passes, Tokyo firmly closed the center and responded without panic. At 9 minutes, the opponent took the first shot, but Tokyo closely marked and limited the shooting angle.

At the 12th minute, Koyama received the ball switched from right to left, dribbled inside, and made a through pass to Okuma, but it did not reach him.

In the midfield one-on-one situations where the opponent had the upper hand, nearby players quickly came in to cover, showing a focused team response from Tokyo. At the 17th minute, a low and fast cross came in from the opponent’s right side, causing a brief scare, but it did not connect with any player in front of the goal.

Then, at the 20th minute, Tokyo broke the deadlock. Abe, who had been applying intense pressure from the start, threw his body in to block just as the opposing DF was about to clear. Quickly reacting to the loose ball, Hasukawa struck it with his left foot, and the ball was swallowed by the side netting. The players rushed over in celebration of the long-awaited opening goal!

The opponent, having conceded one goal, attempted breakthroughs through direct passes and third-man runs, delivering crosses from their right side, but goalkeeper Ito actively caught them. Up front, Okuma and Nagasawa also recovered the ball through aggressive pressing back. In midfield and defense, they allowed the opponent to circulate horizontal passes but were strict in one-on-one duels against vertical passes, not letting them play freely. At the 29th minute, the opponent’s long throw reached the center of the goal, and a shot was taken from the rebound, but it went wide. Even after that, the opponent kept pushing forward with runs behind the defense, but Takada and Onishi showed solid covering, firmly clearing crosses in the center and not allowing any goals.

Even when under attack, Tokyo never became passive. At the 34th minute, the moment Onishi looked up, Yamagishi, who had made eye contact and broken through behind, trapped a floated ball from Onishi and took a shot. Then, Yamagishi, who broke through on a through pass from Takahashi, delivered a cross, but it was just a step too late for Hasukawa. Although they did not add to their lead, Tokyo pressed close to the opponent's goal.

In the 41st minute, a pass mistake in midfield led to losing the ball and allowing a shot, but it went wide. In the 42nd minute, Okuma held off an opponent and laid the ball off, which Hasukawa met with his right foot, but it went just outside the left side of the goal. By the 45th minute, they were pushed deep into their own half and faced a powerful shot from a backward pass, but it did not hit the target. The final stages saw a back-and-forth battle, but Tokyo went into halftime leading 1-0.

At halftime, the players confirmed the key moments to regain possession of the ball. Seeing the players resolving things among themselves, Coach Sato added, "In addition to quickly attacking after firmly closing down the center, it would be even better if we could increase the time we hold the ball even against this opponent. With 45 minutes remaining, let’s all fight through this opportunity to grow even more!" He encouraged the players and sent them back out.

From the second half, the opponent brought on two players and launched a continuous attack by connecting direct passes from the left side. However, FC Tokyo responded with concentration even to the opponent's corner kicks, and at the 49th minute, Okuma made a sudden run behind the defense but the ball did not reach him, and the opposing goalkeeper caught it.

At the 53rd minute, a cross from the opponent’s right side was met with a header, but GK Ito caught it cleanly in front. From here, the momentum shifted to Tokyo. At the 54th minute, Takahashi, now accustomed to the opponent’s physical play in midfield, held the ball and played a through pass to Hasukawa on the left side. Hasukawa broke free from the opponent and cut deep, but his final pass to Nagasawa narrowly missed. Next, Nagasawa carved out space on the left side and took a shot, but it was blocked by the opponent, resulting in a corner kick. At this corner, Okuma connected with a header but couldn’t direct it on target. At the 55th minute, Nagasawa broke behind the defense and faced a one-on-one with the opposing DF, even fooling the opponent’s GK’s timing before shooting, but a desperate block prevented the goal. Then, at the 58th minute, Koyama, who had become the starting point on the left side, played a soft floating pass behind the opponent’s DF. Okuma controlled it and floated a ball back to the center, which induced a handball by the opponent’s DF, earning a penalty kick! Nagasawa calmly flicked the ball past the opponent GK’s hand and scored an additional goal!!

After that, the opposing team launched a counterattack. At the 61st minute, a powerful long-range shot flew on target, but GK Ito made an excellent save with just his right hand. Then, at the 63rd minute, although they were shaken from side to side and forced to shoot, the defenders positioned themselves in the shooting lanes and blocked with their bodies to hold firm. Even against the opponent’s direct free kick at the 67th minute, GK Ito aggressively came out to punch the ball away, preventing a goal.

Having firmly endured this phase, Tokyo forced the opponent to foul in an attempt to stop Nagasawa’s skillful hold and breakthrough. In the 68th minute, involving Koyama, Hasukawa, Okuma, and Abe on the left side, Yamagishi made a run on the opposite side to meet Okuma’s low cross, but the opposing defender narrowly cleared it. Immediately after, Tokyo made their first substitution, replacing Okuma with Watanabe Ryu, and in the 70th minute, they expanded play to the right side through flowing passing and delivered a cross, which was caught by the opposing goalkeeper. In the 71st minute, Watanabe Takuya injured his right ankle upon landing from a challenge and collapsed, leaving Tokyo temporarily with ten men as they endured a difficult period. However, centered around Onishi, they held firm during this time, and Watanabe Takuya, with his ankle taped, returned to the pitch.

Even when under attack, Tokyo never loses concentration; the defenders slide into the shooting lanes to block the opponent's shots. Then, in the 79th minute, Watanabe Ryu broke free, skillfully controlling a ball from behind with a perfect trap, dribbled forward, and carefully passed to Takahashi, who was making a run. Receiving the ball centrally, Takahashi deceived the opponent with a right-foot trap and aimed for goal with his left foot, but could not find the target.

Never falling into a defensive stance, Tokyo cleared the opponent's corner kick with a punch by GK Ito in the 84th minute, then immediately launched a counterattack by picking up the loose ball. Yamagishi on the right side outran the opponent and, while falling, crossed the ball inside. Abe, who ran up through the center, controlled it and passed it sideways. Watanabe Ryu, who ran in, left the opposing defender behind with a one-touch move and calmly slotted the ball past the opposing GK in a one-on-one to secure the decisive third goal!!

As the match entered its final stages, the supporters' cheers further encouraged the players. In the 87th minute, Tokyo brought on Shimodaira to replace Hasukawa, calming the game. In the 88th minute, although the opponent cut inside from the right side and took a shot, it was firmly blocked. Later, the opponent's corner kick was headed on, but the goalkeeper Ito confidently caught it after a solid physical challenge. After that, Tokyo kept moving the ball well to maintain possession against the pressing opponents. In the 89th minute, defender Yamaguchi was brought on to replace defender Watanabe (Taku), who had been giving his all until the end. Entering stoppage time, Nagasawa controlled the ball up front, used the time, and the final whistle blew to end the match.

The players maintained an attacking mindset while firmly withstanding a superior opponent. After the match, Coach Sato praised them, saying, "Wonderful. With everyone's concentration, you can achieve this much." However, he also said, "Let's not be satisfied with the current situation and work hard every day to make this the standard," aiming for even greater heights. FC Tokyo U-18, having finally secured the right to participate in the main round of the Tokyo Metropolitan Soccer Tournament, will face YOKOGAWA MUSASHINO FC on Wednesday, June 25. Against even stronger opponents, the team wants to unite as challengers and take on the challenge together.

Thank you very much to everyone for your warm support for the players today as well. We kindly ask for your continued warm support for FC Tokyo U-18.