Miyazawa makes J-League debut!

The second match of the 1st round of the Levain Cup was held at Ventforet Kofu's home ground, Yamanashi Prefecture Kose Sports Park Athletic Stadium.

Tokyo, who won the first match 5-0 thanks to Robisu's hat-trick, faced the match with a fresh lineup, including Ozawa, who made his first appearance of the season as a goalkeeper, and Miyazawa, a rookie who also made his first appearance of the season as a defensive midfielder.

The Nabisco Cup determines the outcome based on the total score of the 1st and 2nd rounds, so the "5-point difference" from the 1st round is significant, and unless something extraordinary happens, Tokyo's advancement to the 2nd round was almost certain. On this day, the focus was on the newcomer Miyazawa, who made his J-League official debut in his hometown (Yamanashi Prefecture). Miyazawa is a rookie who joined this season from Chuo University and was a standout player for the Universiade team (Japan national team selection) during his third year in college. Even early in his time with Tokyo, he showcased his extraordinary talent in the Satellite League and practice matches. His left foot produces a variety of kicks, both long and short, that are incredibly accurate, and as a lefty not found in Tokyo, expectations are high. This season, Tokyo has a strong midfield, and he hasn't had many opportunities to play, but depending on his performance on this day, there is a possibility he could quickly become a "regular candidate," so there were high hopes for his efforts. A man with the potential to carry the future of Tokyo has finally made his J-League debut.

Energized Kofu

The first team to get into rhythm when the match started was Kofu. Kofu had just achieved their first victory of the season (vs Mito) at home in Kose four days ago in the J2 league, and with the added confidence of a "5-point difference", they have been playing an aggressive and speedy style of soccer. Kofu quickly spread the ball to both sides after winning possession, with right back Fujita making speedy attacking runs and passing to Ota, who showed sharp movements and strong ball control in the center to create chances. Tokyo's base tactic of "defending from the front" was weak, and they also struggled with many easy turnovers due to a lack of concentration against Kofu's quick pressing, leading to a difficult start to the game.

Goal is far away...

Tokyo finally started to create attacking opportunities after 10 minutes, and it was Miyazawa who led the way. Miyazawa was initially confused by Kofu's momentum after the kickoff and couldn't effectively press the opponent to steal the ball. However, in the 11th minute, he cut off the opponent's ball on the left side and dribbled forward, distributing a well-timed through pass to the front line. Perhaps gaining confidence from this play, he and Shimodaira, who formed a midfield combination that day, not only suppressed the opponent's ball source but also contributed to the team in both attacking and defensive aspects.

Tokyo, with its overall strength, gradually increased its ball possession rate, leading to more chances in front of the goal. In the 15th minute, the lively forward Toda made a personal effort to rush towards the goal, resulting in a foul by the opposing defender. When Rohi kicked a free kick from about 25 meters in front of the goal, it unfortunately went over the bar due to a fine play by the goalkeeper. Just after that, in the 16th minute, Miyazawa took a free kick from the center, but it narrowly missed to the right of the goal. In the 20th minute, Miyazawa took a free kick from a deep position on the right near the center line, and Rohi made a high header, but it was unfortunately stopped by the goalkeeper. In the 38th minute, after connecting with Shimohira, Rohi, and Toda in front of the goal, Toda rushed and took a shot, but it was cleared by the opposing goalkeeper. In the 44th minute, Kelly headed a left corner kick in the center, but it unfortunately went over the bar. Although Tokyo occasionally faced counterattacks from Kofu and overall lacked rhythm, they began to create numerous chances through Kelly's wide movements that transcended his position, Toda's aggressive rushes, and the intense attacking participation of both full-backs, raising expectations for scoring.

Robisu's final round goal! Securing a spot in the second round!

Tokyo, which created chances in the first half but returned with a 0-0 score, launched a fierce attack from the beginning of the second half. In the 2nd minute of the second half, Kelly, who received the ball on the right side, broke through with a one-two with Wagner Lopes and took a shot, but unfortunately it went to the right of the goal. After that, they consciously used side changes in their attacks, following the instructions from the coach during halftime, and there were more chances from the side with Miyazawa's accurate and long side changes and the participation of both side backs in the attack.

After 14 minutes into the second half, the long-awaited opening goal was finally scored. Fujiyama dribbled through the left side and crossed the ball, which hit the opponent's defender and bounced back. Fujiyama then headed the ball back into the center. Kaburagi, who had run into the near post area of the goal, headed the ball towards the center of the goal, and Lopes, who was waiting, struck it powerfully with a high header into the bottom right corner of the goal.

After that, in the 16th and 17th minutes, Kagamiki had consecutive chances, and in the 24th and 30th minutes, Robisu also had decisive chances, but they were unable to score additional points due to the opponent's goalkeeper's fine saves, among other things. On the contrary, after the 30th minute of the second half, Kofu's Deiri repeatedly threatened Tokyo's goal, making it an unstable game until the end. In the midfield, Shimodaira continued to apply intense pressure alone, but the defense from the front line, including Robisu, was weak, and the lack of clear ball recovery was the cause.

The match ended with Tokyo winning 1-0, and with a total score of 6-0 in the first and second rounds, Tokyo secured their spot in the second round. It was definitely a confidence boost to have a "5-point difference", but regardless, I want to sincerely celebrate this result. Oizumi, who made his debut, had no goals conceded, and Miyazawa also showed a decent performance, which is a bright spot. We will now switch our focus and prepare for the match against Ichihara on the 29th in perfect condition!

[Coach Okuma's Comment]

Today, there were 5 points in savings, so I gave a chance to players who are in good condition and have been working hard so far. Miyazawa played in his first official J-League match, and it is unknown whether his performance on this day will lead directly to J1, but he showed something very good when he had the ball. Although his defensive aspect as a midfielder is still lacking, if there is an opportunity, I would like to use him again in this kind of match.

In today's game, there were noticeable weaknesses overall due to a "5-point difference" in relaxation. In the future, I want to switch my mindset and work hard towards the J1 League.