match Match Schedule & Results

[Reserve]
GK:30, Kazuki TAKASE
DF:27, Sodai HASUKAWA
MF:14, Daisuke MINAMI, 17, Junya ITO, 32, Masataka KOBAYASHI
FW:43, Hiroki HASEGAWA

○Match Report
[Continuing the Build-Up and Inheriting the History]

"Enjoying the best stage with Tokyo-style soccer," Coach Sato said these words to the players before the match.

The 3rd Round of the 2015 J Youth Cup, the 23rd J League Youth Championship, was held as a central tournament.
It was held over two days (24th and 25th) at the Tokinosumika Sports Center in Shizuoka Prefecture.

Tokyo appeared in the second match on the second day.
The opponent this time is Omiya Ardija Youth, the runner-up of the summer Japan Club Youth Championship (U-18) and currently third in the Premier League.
A team that connects the ball from the GK and creates chances through passing play.
In the Premier League, the match ended in a 1-1 draw.

Tokyo features Yanagi in the starting lineup and challenges with the 3-4-3 formation they have been building this season.
In contrast, Omiya uses a system with a 4-3-3 formation placing the anchor at the base of the midfield.

Coach Sato instructed, "We know each other’s strengths well. Let’s have confidence in what we have worked on. Enter the game calmly but passionately, and be mindful of the start."

In a slightly chilly atmosphere, watched over by many supporters, the match started with Tokyo's kickoff.

《First Half》
The match quickly saw the score change.
Tokyo scored first.
At 4 minutes, Koyama threw a throw-in from the left side, it was cleared once but Okazaki picked it up and passed it back to Koyama.
Koyama delivered an early cross slightly toward the far side of the center, and Okaniwa, who said after the match, "The ball came exactly where I expected, so I just had to connect," dived in and shook the net with a goal.
Tokyo took the lead, but it was Omiya who maintained possession of the ball.
However, Tokyo firmly maintained a unified mindset of "not letting the opponent control the ball, but making them do so."
Omiya carefully built up from their defensive line while looking for opportunities, but Tokyo, centered around Watanabe, set a high line and kept the team compact overall.
FW Sato and other forward players applied pressure, limiting the passing lanes, and when the ball entered the midfield, they closed in aggressively and launched a quick counterattack.
In the early stages, they launched attacks from the right side, and from around the 20th minute, they also established a base on the left side, pressing close to Omiya's goal.
As time passed, Tokyo gradually lowered their pressing position, calmed the match, and controlled the game.
At the 33rd minute, Yanagi, and at the 38th minute, Sato each attempted to break through alone on a counterattack but were stopped.
Even though Omiya held the ball for long periods, Tokyo maintained their pace and ended the first half leading 1-0.

《Halftime》
As usual, the players check their positioning and marking among themselves.
"The opponent is holding the ball, but let's think about creating our own time effectively. It’s tough for the forwards in this all-out battle, but let’s go as far as we can," encouraged Coach Sato to the players.
Both teams enter the second half without making any substitutions.

《Second Half》
As in the first half, Omiya holds possession for long periods, but when Tokyo has the ball, they show varied attacks, alternating between counterattacks and patiently building up to create chances.
At the 51st minute, Abe and Koyama broke through the left side with passing, and Sato made a well-timed run behind but was offside.
Then at the 54th minute, Yanagi and Okaniwa broke through the right side, and Yanagi delivered a soft early cross to the near post.
Ikiji connected this to Sato, who drifted to the left and took a left-footed shot that went over the goal.
Unable to score an additional goal, the momentum gradually shifted to Omiya.
At the 58th minute, an early cross from the right side flowed directly toward the goal, but Yamaguchi reacted quickly to deflect it.
Furthermore, Omiya recovered the rebound and took a shot, but Yamaguchi made a big save.
At the 62nd minute, he also saved a powerful long-range shot with a flying dive to his left.
However, at the 64th minute, the ball was switched from the left side to the right side, and a cross was delivered to the center in front of the goal, resulting in a conceded goal.
The score was leveled at 1-1.
Here, Tokyo made a substitution, switching from Ikiji to Uchida.
Both teams continued intense battles for the ball in midfield.
At the 80th minute, Okaniwa threw a long throw-in deep from the right side into the front of the goal, and Uchida took a shot. The grounded ball flowed to the far side, where Sato slid in but missed.
At the 89th minute, from the flow of a right corner kick, Suzuki picked up the loose ball and crossed to the far side, where Sato headed it but missed the target.
The match goes into extra time with two 10-minute halves.

Voices from the players echo, raising their spirits further with phrases like "Let's all win!", "Don't lose in spirit!", and "Run more than the opponent!"

《First Half of Extra Time》
Tokyo advances toward the goal from the left side, but the opposing DF line blocks with their bodies.
At the 98th minute, after a large switch to the left side, Koyama took on a one-on-one and won a left corner kick. This corner was cleared by the opposing DF.
At the 100th minute, ABE was fouled slightly to the left of center and earned a free kick, with Watanabe and Sato setting the ball.
Watanabe took a shot with his right foot on this ball, but it went over the goal.

《Second Half of Extra Time》
The second half of extra time started with Omiya's kickoff, and Omiya pressed toward Tokyo's goal with more intensity than in the first half of extra time, but the defenders left no openings.
At the 103rd minute, Tokyo connected from Sato on the left side to Abe in the center, then made a large switch to the right side.
Yanagi received this, dribbled through, and passed to Sato who had entered in front of the goal, but they could not score.
At the 109th minute, multiple players combined on the right side, connecting quick, short passes before flowing to the left side. In the end, Koyama approached the goal but was unable to score.
There was 1 minute of stoppage time.
At 110+1 minutes, with a penalty shootout looming, Tokyo scored a dramatic winning goal.
From the left side, Suzuki crossed to the near post, and Okuma desperately headed the ball back.
Yanagi, who said after the match, "I don't even know why I was there," chest-trapped the ball and pushed it in with grit, settling the match that lasted 110 minutes.

[Player & Staff Post-Match Comments]
Coach Sato
"It was a match that moved even us staff. After scoring, the defensive period became long, and we couldn’t create time to keep possession ourselves. There is still plenty of room for improvement in how we manage the game. The players faced the soccer match sincerely for 110 minutes. (Looking ahead to the quarterfinals) Since it’s a tournament, I want them to grow match by match. We want to maintain this momentum and, although we lost at Nagai last year, first we want to reach that stage."

Player Yamaguchi
"I felt that I had to protect Tokyo's goal. It was significant that I was able to make big saves, which is my strength, and help us win. Both individually and as a team, we had the image of letting the opponent have the ball. It wasn't that we were being passed around, but rather that we were consciously letting them pass the ball. (Looking ahead to the quarterfinals) I want to focus on winning each match one by one and raise my motivation for the upcoming games."

Player Yanagi
"Omiya is a team skilled in ball possession. It wasn’t that we were being controlled, but rather that we were allowing them to have the ball. We calmly defended well in front of the goal, making sure not to leave any gaps. (This time, you had a vertical partnership with player Okaniwa?) Okaniwa was in good form, and I trusted him and was able to perform steadily. I think Okaniwa’s strength is his crosses, so I was conscious of enabling that characteristic. (About the scoring scene?) In practice, I was aware of moving to the far post. Player Okuma blocked near post for me. I don’t even know why I was there. When I chest-trapped the ball, I had a clear image, and it was the happiest goal I’ve scored this season. (Looking ahead to the quarterfinals) There are few opportunities to play against Kansai teams, so I absolutely don’t want to lose."

Player Okaniwa
"Omiya was a team that drew in the Premier League and also achieved results in the summer tournament. However, since I hadn’t played much in the A team, I was able to get into the game well. Although the time they had possession of the ball was long, it felt like we were letting them have it. (About the scoring scene?) There were few players inside, so when I made a run, the ball came exactly where I expected, so I just had to connect with it. (Looking ahead to the quarterfinals) I want to steadily build up over the week."

Thank you very much for your warm support to the players today.
Continuing, we kindly ask for your passionate support for FC Tokyo U-18.