FC Tokyo and the Emperor's Cup

This is the first participation for FC Tokyo in the Emperor's Cup, but counting from the time of its predecessor, Tokyo Gas FC, this marks the sixth consecutive appearance this year. The first participation was in 1994. It was the first tournament under coach Okuma (who was appointed as acting coach just before the tournament that year), and remarkably, they achieved a stunning victory by defeating Kashima Antlers in the first match, advancing to the top eight and making a brilliant debut. In 1995, they were eliminated in the 1st Round, and in 1996, they lost to a J-League team in the 3rd Round, but in 1997, they created the memorable 'Tōgasu Typhoon.' In the 2nd Round, they struggled against the high school team Ehime FC Youth, managing to secure a golden goal victory in the second half of extra time, leaving some concerns early on, but they woke up from the 3rd Round. They decisively defeated Nagoya Grampus Eight in the 3rd Round, and in the following 4th Round, they also defeated the talented Yokohama Marinos, who had many national team players at the time. Furthermore, in the quarterfinals, they overcame Bellmare Hiratsuka, which featured Nakata (currently at Perugia, Italy), after extra time, achieving a remarkable feat of defeating three J-League clubs in a row to reach the top four. The semifinals were held at the National Stadium (Kasumigaoka Stadium) against Kashima Antlers, and although they unfortunately lost, they made the name 'Tōgasu' resonate throughout the country.

The results in the previous Emperor's Cup have been 11 wins and 5 losses, and Tokyo's image as a strong team in cup competitions continues to grow, as they have also advanced to the top 4 in this year's Nabisco Cup. It remains to be seen how far they can progress this year, and they are attracting attention.

Is fatigue a cause for concern?

One week after the "Miraculous Comeback to J1 Promotion," the players had no time to recover from the fatigue of the J2 League, as they shifted their focus to this year's final big tournament, the "79th Emperor's Cup All Japan Soccer Championship." The lineup for this day was significantly different from a week ago, with ace Amaral temporarily returning to Brazil, and KAGAMI, who scored a crucial final goal in the recent Niigata match, training in Australia, leaving the core of the attack absent. Additionally, Asari and Go KABURAKI were sidelined due to injuries, and Yukihiko had been adjusting with a different training regimen for the past week, forcing himself to play despite the strain, revealing the effects of "overwork" as they had not taken more than three consecutive days off since starting in January. On the other hand, their opponent for the day, Kusatsu Higashi High School (Shiga Prefecture representative), may not be widely known nationally, but this was their second appearance in the Emperor's Cup in two years, and they had qualified for the winter high school championship for the fourth time in three consecutive years, steadily improving their strength in recent years. Last year, they finished third in the national youth championship, which included J-League youth teams, and won the Kinki tournament for two consecutive years, making them a formidable presence, even as high school students. Given the challenging nature of matches against high school students and the current situation in Tokyo, they were certainly not an easy opponent.

High-level high school student!

The match kicked off at 1 PM in a chilly environment with a temperature of 13°C. The uniform of Kusatsu Higashi High School had the same design as J2's Montedio Yamagata, and due to the local support, the students of the school repeatedly displayed their "unique cheers," creating an illusion of fighting in Yamagata. Right from the start, the local Kusatsu Higashi, in the challenger position with nothing to lose, showed great determination. Recently, high school students have significantly improved their skills, and apart from physical contact, many are on par with professional teams tactically. Especially at the national level, this is even more evident. The game was built around the number 10 player, typical of a playmaker, with rhythmic passing and few touches. In the midfield, Kusatsu Higashi was actually more agile in passing, connecting three or four passes, but that was as far as it went. The Tokyo defense line was not going to be broken. No matter how good they are at the national level, being broken through by high school students would tarnish the reputation of "solid defense, Tokyo." Komine and Sandro were not kind to the high school students. Sandro, with his gold hair (dyed by his wife after promotion), looked intimidating and displayed tough play, embodying the image of a "scary older brother," while left-back Fujiyama reminded everyone of the professional level with his sharp reading of the game.

Disappointed with the uncertain future of the battle...

On the other hand, Tokyo's attack struggled as the forwards Okahara and Enomoto were completely ineffective, often losing the ball and failing to find their rhythm. Starting from Almir, they spread the ball left and right in midfield and distributed passes to the front line, but the front line's hold-up play was not successful, and they continued to lose the ball without being able to break through. Without a focal point in the front line, Tokyo's pride in their 'wings' could not create an effective shape, leading to a monotonous attack with more long balls being launched from the back. The only real chance came when Almir made a solo effort. In the 12th minute, Almir received a header pass in front of the goal, and with a sharp feint, he powerfully scored with his left foot, quickly taking the lead. After that, Tokyo gradually began to circulate the ball in midfield, and left-back Fujiyama also started to create chances with his trademark dribbling. In the 26th minute, this time Almir delivered a cross from the right side, and Yukihiko, who ran to the near post, headed it in to score the second goal. This was not a goal created from a complete breakdown of the defense, but rather a gift due to the lax marking of the high school players in front of the goal.

After that, finally, an attack with a mix of short and long passes characteristic of J clubs was seen, creating chances, but the forwards were ineffective and could not score additional points. In the second half, Seigo KOBAYASHI and other young attackers were brought in, but there was no significant improvement, and once again it was a back-and-forth battle. Kusatsu Higashi High School seemed well-trained, showing no signs of fatigue even in the second half, and rather became sharper in their movements. In contrast to the high school students desperately trying to score a point against a J League team, Tokyo's attack lacked decisiveness, repeatedly executing ineffective attacks. The defense was relatively stable, and I didn't think they would concede a goal, but there was no atmosphere suggesting they could score additional points. In the end, the match ended with the time up. Although the members were insufficient, it was a rather disappointing match against high school students. Two years ago, when they reached the semifinals, they also struggled against high school students in the 2nd Round, but that was that. If facing high school students, I would want a resounding victory with a large number of goals. From the results of other matches held that day, it was decided that the opponent for next week on December 5 (Sunday, 13:00, Nishigaoka) would also be a high school team (Wakayama Prefecture representative, Hatsushiba Hashimoto High School / third appearance). The fierce battle between J clubs awaits from the 3rd Round match against Shonan Bellmare Hiratsuka. Before that, I want to properly rebuild the team.

[Coach Okuma's Comment]

I have few opportunities to play against high school students, so it was difficult. We couldn't create a base in the front line until the end, so we couldn't dominate the game and struggled. It's disappointing that the players who don't usually play couldn't mentally do their best and I wanted them to appeal more. The goal of this year's Emperor's Cup is not "how many wins" but how much we can do in this (accumulated fatigue both mentally and physically) situation, and how far we can go while striving together. I want to have as many games as possible and give young players a good experience.