＜Match Preview＞
Entering the national team activity period, the league is interrupted and Tokyo will play their first match in the Emperor's Cup. The opponent is Fuji University, representing Iwate Prefecture. This will be Tokyo's third appearance in the Emperor's Cup, after a two-year absence. In the previous 100th tournament, they defeated Sony Sendai FC, representing Miyagi Prefecture and belonging to the JFL, and advanced to the 3rd round.
It is also a tournament where there are many upsets where lower category teams, commonly known as "giant killers," defeat higher category teams. However, for Tokyo, it will be a game where they aim for victory in order to win the title. Even if the opponent is a college student, their attitude towards official matches remains unchanged.
However, it is still a valuable opportunity to be able to challenge various player selections and tactical aspects in actual matches. Coach Albert has emphasized throughout the season that he focuses on the team's growth along with his commitment to winning.
While overcoming the challenges that were exposed in the first half, we will deepen the sense of growth that we gained in the Shimizu S-Pulse and Kashima Antlers matches before the break, and eagerly take on the challenge of the next phase. Winning the first match is important, but more importantly, whether we were able to challenge on the field of actual competition for growth will be the criteria for assessing Tokyo's situation in the second half of the season.
[Interview with Coach Albert]
Q: I think there is little information about university students as opponents. Are there any difficult aspects in the preparation stage?
A, there is no impact. This is because we are grateful to be able to collect enough information firmly. We are also able to have meetings using videos in a similar way to other official matches. It is expected that the match against university students will be a difficult game, as Tokyo experienced last season. We are also conveying this to the players, but for tomorrow's match, we want to firmly achieve the goal of growing because we are in a growth process. Whether the opponent is a J-League team or a university, we must achieve growth through the match.
Q, when watching the match between Fuji University and Jobu University in the 1st round, did you feel that the set plays were dangerous?
A, I think their most cautious point is their bold play and intense defense due to their youth. When comparing the J-League with college players, I believe the biggest difference lies in the tempo of the game. In J1 League matches, there are moments of calmness followed by a change in pace, creating a varied game flow. On the other hand, in J2 League matches, there tends to be a longer duration of high-intensity play. As you go down the lower categories, such as college players, there is a tendency for a continuous flow of high-intensity running for 90 minutes. When facing such teams, we must first match their intensity. However, we want to express our playing style firmly in our own flow without being influenced by the opponent.
Q: If the goal is growth, I think it is important to continue the league matches. Will the selection of members mainly consist of players who participate in the league matches?
A, the Levain Cup was played under various conditions, and we fought in that way. From here, we want to always be conscious of winning in all league matches and Emperor's Cup matches. We aim to maintain that until the end of the season and fight in every match with 100% effort.
Q, is the Emperor's Cup the title to aim for?
A, of course, I hope to win both the Emperor's Cup and the league. However, I think it is unrealistic to win every game. Instead of looking at the long term, I want to focus on winning each game in front of me and fight with that mindset. I already understand the strengths of all the players. Now, I will select the members based on the players' characteristics and fight.
Q: There was a period where we were struggling to score goals, but we have gradually started to increase our goal tally. What areas do you feel have improved and allowed for growth?
A, I think it's a place where confidence has been gained. That is always important.
Q: How do you plan to deal with potential upsets in the Emperor's Cup?
A, I think it is important to start the game with as much concentration as possible. We still have a lot of room for improvement. In that sense, we will focus on growing with each game. Therefore, I think it is natural that we need to start the game with full concentration.
Q: What do you want to try in tomorrow's match to advance to the next stage of the game?
As the team grows, new challenges, especially tactical challenges, are presented to the team and they are encouraged to absorb them. In that sense, there are still tactical themes as challenges, so I hope they can connect them to growth tomorrow.
[Player Interview]
＜Keita YAMASHITA＞
Q: The opponent is Fuji University, the representative team of Iwate Prefecture. What kind of analysis have you conducted?
I think it's important for us to be able to play our own football, regardless of the opponent. It's challenging to compete against university students, but since it's a tournament, we want to win decisively and dominate both in terms of performance and results.
Q, I think there is also an impression that college students come with a strong presence and hard work.
A, I think the opponent has nothing to lose. I also had the feeling in my university days that I wanted to beat the professional opponents, so I think I can bring out more power than usual. However, Tokyo in J1 has the pride of not being able to lose, so I want to show the difference in strength and win convincingly.
Q: Is there a different sense of tension in tournament matches compared to regular matches, as this is the first time this season?
I hope we can dominate from the first half and play our own style of soccer because it's a one-shot game. It's important for each individual to play with responsibility rather than relaxing because we are college students, and if we can do that, I think we can win.
Q, as a team, will you continue to play the new style of football that you have been building so far in tomorrow's match?
Because we are playing against college students, it doesn't mean that we can play freely and there may be times when things don't go well. However, we want to finish the game with both good performance and results.
Q, the team is on a two-game winning streak in the league, with both games scoring 3 goals. What kind of aim do you have for tomorrow's match?
In any game, I want to score as many points as possible. As a team, we have been able to score goals, but personally, I have not been able to score, so I want to play with the intention of really scoring. I have an image of scoring in my mind as a sensation, so I want to score goals in any form in official matches and leave it as experience value first and foremost.
Q, how do you want to make use of this match?
A, there are only the Emperor's Cup and the league matches left where we can win titles, and the Emperor's Cup is a one-shot battle where it ends if we lose, so I think everyone has a strong desire to win and wants to do their best.
