The Emperor's Cup JFA 102nd Japan Football Championship quarterfinals took place on Wednesday 7 September. The match between Avispa Fukuoka (J1) and Ventforet Kofu (J2), both aiming for their first top four finish in the club's history, was a heated contest that went into overtime.

Gaining momentum from their back-to-back wins over J1 sides, Hokkaido Consadole Sapporo in the third round and Sagan Tosu in the round of 16, Kofu managed to score the opening goal in the 16th minute, when MITSUHIRA Kazushi converted a shot taken just inside the box. Despite conceding the equaliser in the 27th minute, Kofu continued with their aggression throughout the match, dominating the opponents 11-3 in the number of shots taken. Fukuoka showcased great tenacity to send the match into overtime, but the deadlock was broken in the 97th minute, when Kofu’s TORIKAI Yoshiki responded to a through ball to break into the box and slotted the ball into the net despite colliding with an opposing defender. This goal turned out to be the decisive goal that sent Kofu into their first ever Emperor's Cup semi-finals, as Torikai commented after the match, “I was fully determined to help the team advance through.”

Despite their struggles in the J2, the Kofu side have made extraordinary strides at the Emperor's Cup, as coach YOSHIDA Tatsuma praised his players after the match, “We faced a lot of pressure, but the players continued to challenge themselves to earn this win.”

Fukuoka on the other hand, couldn’t quite find their usual form in both offence and defence, as coach HASEBE Shigetoshi reflected on their loss against a J2 side, “I feel strongly responsible. There are no words for it.” Defender MIYA Daiki also shared his disappointment, “This was a match we really had to focus on results rather than the process.”

Coaches and Players' Comments

YOSHIDA Tatsuma, Coach (Ventforet Kofu)
We are thrilled to be into the final four. There were times when we almost gave into the pressure of our opponents, but the players continued to execute our football throughout the match. The players may have been in a bad mood after conceding the equaliser from a set-piece, but they continued to fight aggressively, which led to that opportunity in overtime.

TORIKAI Yoshiki (Ventforet Kofu)
(Reflecting on the final goal) I was knocked down just before taking a shot, and I thought it might be called a foul, but I managed to get up right away to take that shot. Seeing my teammates working so hard to keep the match 1-1, I knew what I had to do when I entered as a substitute. Once the match entered overtime, I was fully determined to help the team advance through, and I am so happy that I was able to do just that. We still have matches to play, so we will do our best to reach the final.

HASEBE Shigetoshi, Coach (Avispa Fukuoka)
Regardless of how we played, this was a match we had to win, and I feel strongly responsible for this result. Kofu is a very attack-minded team, so we had to focus on not giving up close opportunities. All and all, our performance was sub-par, and our opponents were simply the better team today.

Moriyama Kimiya (Avispa Fukuoka)
(Reflecting on his equaliser) I have been working on my mid-range shots at training. The ball came right to me, so I just tried to hit the ball as hard as I could, and I am glad it went in. As soon as I hit the ball, I had a feeling that it would go in, because I knew I made good contact. With the team struggling in the league, we really wanted to win this match, but ended up extending our losing streak (from their league matches). We really need to reset our minds and try to move on.

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