The round of 16 fixtures of the Emperor's Cup JFA 102nd Japan Football Championship are about to take place on Wednesday 13 July.

With all the J1 clubs making it through the second round, it looked like it was going to be a tournament with very few upsets, but things changed in the third round. The J2 clubs have made a strong showing and now occupy five of the 16 remaining slots.

Perhaps it was V-Varen Nagasaki (J2), who had the toughest challenge in the third round. Despite conceding the opener to FC Tokyo (J1) in the third minute, they managed to score goals in the 14th and 32nd minutes to take the lead but gave up the equaliser just before the break. After a scoreless second half, Nagasaki scored the decisive goal during overtime, claiming the victory in a match that lasted 120th minutes. The team is now led by coach Fabio CARILLE, replacing U-18 coach HARADA Takeo, who was in charge as an interim coach in the third round. Since coach Carille took over the helm, the team has been unbeaten in three league matches. Currently sitting in fifth place in their league, they will be keen to gain momentum from a win against a fellow Kyushu side Avispa Fukuoka (J1), as they seek to climb up the league table.

Tochigi SC (J2) have reached the round of 16 by beating Yokohama F. Marinos (J1), who are currently leading the J1. Despite conceding nearly twice as many shots as their opponent, they did not concede a goal and fought back, scoring two goals in the second half to seal the victory. They have also shown their resilience in their league, with two wins, two draws, and one loss in their last five matches. They will be facing Kyoto Sanga FC (J1), who they played twice in J2 last season, drawing one and losing one. Tochigi will certainly be looking to win this time to show how much they have improved since last season. Having reached the fourth round of the Emperor's Cup twice during their time in the JFL, will they be able to prove their evolution as a J club by reaching the quarterfinals for the first time?

Of the J2 clubs competing in the round of 16, Thespakusatsu Gunma (J2) currently hold the lowest league ranking. They have lost their league match last weekend and have now lost five in a row, but they took on Urawa Red Diamonds (J1) in the third round of the Emperor's Cup and came away with a 1-0 victory. The Gunma side has made it to the fourth round many times but have not been able to advance through to the top eight. If they can break through that barrier against Sanfrecce Hiroshima (J1), it should give them a boost to their league campaign.

The match between Tokyo Verdy (J2) and Jubilo Iwata (J1) has been postponed to Wednesday 20 July after the Tokyo side suspended its activities due to several confirmed cases of COVID-19.

Please stay tuned for more action from the Emperor's Cup JFA 102nd Japan Football Championship, as the teams battle it out in this single elimination tournament.

Emperor's Cup JFA 102nd Japan Football Championship

【1st Round】Sat. 21, Sun. 22 May [Backup date: Mon. 23 May]
【2nd Round】Wed. 1, Wed. 8 June
【3rd Round】Wed. 22 June [Backup date: Wed. 29 June]
【Round of 16】Wed. 13, Wed. 20 July]
【Quarterfinals】Wed. 7 September［Backup date: Wed. 28 September］
【Semi-Finals】Wed. 5 October
【Final】Sun. 16 October

Tournament Information