The quarterfinals of the Emperor's Cup JFA 101st Japan Football Championship took place on Wednesday 27 October. In the fixture between Urawa Red Diamonds (J1) and Gamba Osaka (J1), Urawa won the match 2-0 to get one step closer to achieving their goal of qualifying for next year’s AFC Champions League (ACL).

The two clubs had just played each other in a league fixture played on 16 October, in which Urawa dominated at their home field, but ended in a 1-1 draw after the two sides each converted a penalty kick during additional time of the second half.

Determined to redeem the points they have missed out in the league fixture, Urawa scored the opening goal in the 10th minute, when HIRANO Yuichi delivered a pass to Kasper JUNKER, who drove into the box before striking a left footed shot into the Gamba goal. In the 42nd minute, ESAKA Ataru responded to a cross sent by YAMANAKA Ryosuke to setup the goal of SEKINE Takahiro to make it 2-0 before halftime.

In efforts to rally back, G.Osaka introduced Tiago ALVES and KURATA Shu in the second half but led by goalkeeper NISHIKAWA Shusaku, Urawa managed to keep a clean sheet to secure their spot in the semi-finals.

Top three finishers of the league will qualify for the ACL, and Urawa is currently in fifth place, just three points behind third-place Vissel Kobe. With the Emperor’s Cup semi-finals against Cerezo Osaka scheduled on 12 December, the team can focus on their five remaining league fixtures, as coach Ricardo RODRIGUEZ mentioned, “There are two competitions left, and we want to finish with a good result in both of them.”

Coaches and Players' Comments

Ricardo RODRIGUEZ, Coach (Urawa Red Diamonds)
In the last match, we created many chances but failed to convert them. This time we managed to capitalise on our given opportunities. The match would have become more difficult if we conceded a goal, but the players did well to showcase their patience in defence and tried to score the third goal. All in all, it was a great match.

NISHIKAWA Shusaku (Urawa Red Diamonds)
This clean sheet gives us confidence moving forward. A lot of supporters showed up to make the stands red. That is what the Urawa Reds supporters are all about, and it gave me goosebumps, and their presence gave us a great boost. We are aiming to qualify for the ACL, and the Emperor's Cup is the closest way to achieve that. We will try to win the title at all costs.

MATSUNAMI Masanobu, Coach (Gamba Osaka)
The way we entered the match was not bad, but Urawa was more critical in the attacking third, as they were able to capitalise on the few chances they had. In the second half, we had several chances, but we were unable to score. However, I don't think we should be too pessimistic about this result. We just need to change our minds and move on to the next league game.

IDEGUCHI Yosuke (Gamba Osaka)
In our last match against Urawa, we gave them too much space and allowed them to play the football they wanted. That is why we entered this match with the intention to apply aggressive pressure from our front line. Although we were able to execute our game plan, it was disappointing that we conceded from counterattacks.

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]
【Quarterfinals】Wed. 27 October［Backup date: Wed. 17 November］
【Semi-Finals】Sun. 12 December
【Final】Sun. 19 December

Tournament Information