11 first round fixtures of the Emperor's Cup JFA 101st Japan Football Championship took place on Saturday 22 May.

Pick-up Match

SC Sagamihara 3-1 (1-1, 2-0) Komazawa University

At Lemon Gas Stadium Hiratsuka, tournament debutant SC Sagamihara (J2) faced Komazawa University (Tokyo). The match started with the university side taking the initiative by applying aggressive pressure from their frontline.

Despite conceding the opening goal to Sagamihara in the fifth minute, Komazawa University continued to showcase their aggression to create many opportunities. Their efforts got paid off during additional time of the first half, when TOSHIDA Yusei responded to a long-throw and flicked a header towards the far side, allowing AIZAWA Kaito to score the equaliser.

With momentum on their side, Komazawa University continued to apply pressure in the second half, but the J2 side effectively exploited the gap behind the university side’s offence to set up the goal scored by YURI in the 53rd minute.

In efforts to change the dynamics of the match, Komazawa University made two changes in the 60th minute. ESAKI Takuro continued to deliver excellent set-pieces throughout the match, but the university side started to lose their accuracy in their run of plays. Despite making two more changes in the 74th minute, the tide did not change for Komazawa, as SC Sagamihara drove the final nail in the coffin during additional time to seal the match.

As a result, tournament debutant SC Sagamihara earned their first ever Emperor's Cup victory to reach the second round.

Coaches and Players' Comments

MIURA Fumitake, Coach (SC Sagamihara)
We have seen and faced the university sides in the past, and there were times we were overwhelmed by their energy. With this being our first Emperor's Cup, we prioritised the result than the process in the first round. After watching our opponent’s match footage, we noticed that they were capable of delivering long balls to their attackers from any position, so we focused on blocking the long balls and taking a collective approach to cover the area. Despite conceding the equaliser, we stuck with our game plan to score the second goal and managed to dominate the closing minutes to seal the match. We hope that this performance can bring momentum to our league matches.

TAKESHIGE Akihiko (SC Sagamihara)
We knew that our opponent was going to utilise long balls, so we were prepared for them. Some may say that we are the heavy favourite to win this match, but knowing how strong these university sides are, we didn’t consider this match as an easy match at all. That is why we thoroughly prepared ourselves. It has been a while since I played a match, but I knew I was in great condition, so I was not worried. However, I did fumble the ball a few times and lacked accuracy with my kicks, so I am not satisfied with my overall performance. The Emperor's Cup takes place during the regular season, so a win can bring positive momentum to the team. It also brings competition within the team, which helps us raise the overall level of the team.

AKITA Koichi, Coach (Komazawa University)
We were overwhelmed by our opponent. We wish we could have played better, but that is the difference between a professional team. It just showed that we didn’t have what it takes to win this match. I am sure our players were able to feel and learn many things from this match, so I hope they will make the most of this experience. (Regarding university OB ANDO Tsubasa) He was always good at controlling and shooting the ball, but it was evident that he has improved a lot since he played for us. He is a lot quicker to position and prepare himself to face the goal now.

INOMATA Kazuma (Komazawa University)
We conceded in the early minutes of both halves, which was an aspect we had to improve on. Professional players are good at using their time when they have the lead, and we ended up conceding while they had control over the ball. It felt like we were manhandled by their attackers at the individual level. Although there were some moments where we won the ball, they overwhelmed us for most part of the match. The way they managed the match was the biggest difference between us and the pros. We hope to make the most of this experience to become a better team.

Emperor's Cup JFA 101st Japan Football Championship

【1st Round】Sat. 22, Sun. 23 May［Backup date: Mon. 24 May］
【2nd Round】Wed. 9, Wed. 16 June
【3rd Round】Wed. 7 July［Backup date: Wed. 14 July］
【Round of 16】Wed. 18 August［Backup date: Wed. 13 October］

Tournament Information