Emperor's Cup preview: Machida's international player will continue to stay on the team, but FC Tokyo's goalkeeper will not be able to play
6686 Sports reported on November 16 that in the Emperor's Cup semi-finals, Machida Zevia will face off against FC Tokyo at the Tokyo National Arena. It is worth mentioning that this game is a Tokyo derby officially recognized by the J-League, so the Tokyo National Arena is the home team venue for both sides.
Machida Zevia lost 0-1 to FC Tokyo in the 36th round of the Japanese Professional League on November 9. The team's offense was very weak in the game. At the last moment, the opponent's repeated attacks declared that the gate was lost, and the defensive end failed to remain stable. In the last three games in various competitions, Machida Zevia has struggled to win and only scored one goal on the offensive end. As the season progresses, the competitive status of the forward players has gradually declined.
However, the good news is that due to various reasons, Machida Zevia’s international players Mochizuki Kaiki, Tani Koio, Soma Yuki, Wu Sehun, and Na Sang-ho have not been called up to the national team competition day in November. All of them can play for the team at full capacity.
After the end of the last round of the league, Machida coach Kuroda Tsuyoshi said: "We adopted a variety of strategies, and the game basically went according to plan. However, what is disappointing is that we have never been able to improve our ability to finish the goal, which has always been one of our strengths. It’s an old problem. Although the goal is hit hard, it goes over the crossbar, and the ball in the penalty area falls directly on the shoulders of the opponent’s players. These are all attributed to personal technical problems. Unless we reach the level of the top teams in the Japanese Professional League, it will be difficult to compete for the championship.”
Currently in the Japan Professional League standings, Machida Zevia currently ranks 7th in the league with 16 wins, 9 draws and 11 losses. This season, the team has no suspense about competing for the championship in the league. After losing to FC Tokyo, the team's chances of competing for the top three are also very slim. However, the team currently still has two fronts to compete in the Emperor's Cup and the AFC Champions League, and there will still be other performance pressures in the future.
In terms of lineup, Machida Zevia has a chance to welcome attacker Takuma Nishimura back to the game in this game, but the two central defenders Okamura Daihachi and Kikuchi Ruho are still unable to play in this game. In addition, in the last round of the league, the team made wingback Kaiki Mochizuki the central defender, and the original central defender Yuta Nakayama was pushed to the midfield position, which is a small strategic adjustment.
FC Tokyo's performance in the second half of this season is impressive. The team has only conceded 2 goals in the last 4 league games. The intensity of the defense has been greatly improved compared to the beginning of the season. In the last round of league matches, FC Tokyo continued to adopt the same strategy as before, allowing players who can determine the outcome of the game to come on stage in the second half to attack the opponent's defense. This strategy currently seems to be effective, and the team's defense is also very solid, with very few opportunities for opponents to penetrate into the hinterland.
After the end of the last round of the league, FC Tokyo coach Matsuhashi Rikizo said: "We have been conceding goals before, but today we showed the results of repeated defensive exercises under the leadership of the defensive coach. I think the key to future competitions is whether we can use the methods that performed well today. Sometimes, when our frontcourt press is not effective and forces the opponent to retreat to the half-court, it is crucial to stabilize the defense. He is bold and calm in attack. I am happy that he can show his ability in such a short playing time. ”
Currently in the Japan Professional League standings, FC Tokyo currently ranks 11th in the league with 13 wins, 9 draws and 14 losses. It has missed the opportunity to compete for the intercontinental competition this season. On the way to the previous cup promotion, FC Tokyo eliminated strong teams such as Urawa Red Diamonds and Osaka Sakura, and its competitiveness is still very impressive.
However, in terms of lineup, the most important part of FC Tokyo, core player goalkeeper Kim Seung-kyu, was called up by the South Korean national team and cannot play in this game. After Nozawa Daoshi went abroad in the middle of the season, Kim Seung-kyu has been the core goalkeeper of FC Tokyo, and the team's second goalkeeper is Hatano Go, who has had many playing opportunities this season.
In the previous 4 matches between the two teams, Machida Zevia had the advantage with 3 wins and 1 loss. In this game, Machida Zevia will strive to get back on the winning track and advance to the finals. Can FC Tokyo complete a double defeat against its opponents within a week?
