The match against Júbilo Iwata, which was supposed to be the first home game of the Levain Cup and was postponed due to the impact of the novel coronavirus infection, will be played just two days after the home opening game of the J1 League.
The first match of the tournament, which took place on March 2nd against Avispa Fukuoka, was approached with a scramble formation that included players registered in the second division. The team, composed of both veteran and young players, fought well by maintaining possession of the ball and pushing the opponent. Although the result did not go their way, it proved that the tactical foundation is being established regardless of the composition of the team.
Given that this is the middle game of a consecutive match where the previous and following matches are played with a two-day and three-day interval respectively, Coach Albert has explicitly stated that he will actively utilize young players, and it is expected that the lineup will be changed from the previous two league matches.
"In the Levain Cup, we want to give young players a chance and we want them to grow. While expressing a fighting attitude, there may be mistakes, but we want to grow day by day and achieve something big. That's how we want to grow into a great club."
If you only capture a part of the words, it may sound like the Levain Cup is treated as an experimental field, but Coach Albert believes that it is natural to focus on winning when playing a game, and there is no need to verbalize it every time. It is a difficult approach, but he is working on a mission to balance the use of young players with an eye on the future of the team and the club, and the pursuit of victory.
In the Fukuoka match, which was a hybrid specification of veteran players and young players, Shuto Okaniwa was selected as a starter, and Yuta Arai, who was registered as a second type, was brought on in the second half and demonstrated his strengths. In addition, Yuki Kajiura, who made his debut in his rookie year, showed exceptional talent by finding spaces that the opponent disliked and heading towards the goal. In this Iwata match as well, we hope that the young players who have the opportunity will demonstrate their strengths without fear of making mistakes and show their ability to adapt to the playing model.
In particular, Okanote, who was substituted in the first half of the Fukuoka match, is burning with a desire for revenge in the next opportunity. Their intense motivation should elevate the Iwata match from an experimental stage to a real battle.
First night game at home this season.
We want to bring you a passionate night where you can see the future of Tokyo.
