On Wednesday 11 July, the third round action of the Emperor's Cup JFA 98th Japan Football Championship took place in various locations. In Kanagawa Prefecture, two teams based in Yokohama City, YOKOHAMA F･MARINOS (J1) and YOKOHAMA FC (J2) clashed in the “Yokohama Derby.”

The derby kicked off with great excitement surrounding the fully packed stadium, as the two national team veterans, 40 year-old NAKAZAWA Yuji and 51 year-old MIURA Kazuyoshi were given the armband for Yokohama FM and Yokohama FC respectively.

It was Yokohama FM who showed great ball movements early in the match. Facing a Yokohama FC side who positioned their three lines deep in their territory, F･Marinos effectively utilised the width of the pitch to create opportunities. However, the block created by the FC side kept them away from creating a goal threatening situation. In the 30th minute, MATSUBARA Ken forced a turnover from the Yokohama FC Captain Miura to initiate an attack, but came short from finding the net. In the first half alone, Yokohama FM were given three opportunities from their opponents’ mistakes, but failed to capitalise on those occasions.

Yokohama FC were forced to be in the defensive end for the most part of the first half, but the team was seen creating chances early in the second half, as Miura responded to a lobbing pass to penetrate the penalty area before delivering a cross. Their next opportunity broke the deadlock of the match as SAITO Kosuke fired a shot in the 68th minute. The shot was once blocked by the opposing goalkeeper, but TOSHIMA Akira was there to convert the loose ball to give the J2 side the opening goal.

Despite taking control of the match, Yokohama FM took fewer shots than their prefectural rival in the first half, as they only managed to take two shots. However, that was about to change after they conceded the opening goal. Their eagerness was well represented by the substitution that was made just one minute after the goal, when Hugo VIEIRA was brought onto the pitch. Vieira showed great enthusiasm in front of the opposing goal and scored the equaliser in the 74th minute when he headed in the pin-point cross delivered by OHGIHARA Takahiro. The J1 side fired nine shots in the second half alone, but came short of scoring the go-ahead goal, sending the match into overtime.

Vieira’s momentum carried into the first half of overtime as he converted the penalty kick he earned himself in the 97th minute, giving Yokohama FM their first lead of the match. The full packed crowd continued to cheer on the exciting derby match and Yokohama FC showcased their tenacious fighting spirit to respond to its supporters' enthusiasm. During the additional time of the second half of overtime, the FC side fired three shots from the inside of the box, but could not hit the target. Both teams showcased a great amount of pride in the Yokohama derby, but it was Yokohama F･Marinos who came out victorious.

Coach and Players' Comments

DF #27 MATSUBARA Ken (YOKOHAMA F･MARINOS)
Playing 120 minutes under this heat wave was really tough. We didn’t take much emphasis on the fact we were playing in a derby match, and stayed focused to play our game. When looking at the stands, it seemed like we had more fans in the crowed so that gave us great confidence. We couldn’t create real chances in the first half, and we didn’t take much shots from distance neither. It was evident that we didn’t finish our plays with a shot, so we made the adjustments in the second half to take more shots and deliver more crosses. I think the players who played in this match were given the opportunity to heighten their conditions, so we will prepare ahead of next week’s league match and start up the new segment with a good win.

MF #6 OHGIHARA Takahiro (YOKOHAMA F･MARINOS)
We allowed our opponents to execute their game plan of staying patient and capitalise on their one-chance. However, in a tournament, the most important thing is to win the match, so in that aspect we are satisfied with the result. We lacked movements in the first half, so we told each other to pick up the pace and create more action in the second half. When we scored the goal, I was able to pick out Hugo (Vieira) and send the ball to him. He connected with the ball very well to head the ball into the goal.

Araujo TAVARES Edson, Coach (YOKOHAMA FC)
It was an interesting match. Both sides created chances in the first half, but our opponents created more opportunities in the second half. We managed to convert our one-chance and displayed great persistency, but we gave up a penalty kick from our own mistake. But overall, the young players performed very well. I think Kazu (Miura) also displayed a great performance. We had a player who sprained his ankle, but played through the entire match, and I would like to thank all of my players.

FW #11 MIURA Kazuyoshi (YOKOHAMA FC)
We were so close, but we had to win. We played hard until the very end and we had our chances in overtime. We did not give up after the match was levelled at 1-1, and we had our opportunities to equalise after we gave up the lead. These are the types of matches we must win. The atmosphere surrounding the derby was awesome. The fans were great and it was my first derby since 2007. We played against a great team and it gave us great experience, but in order for us to move onto the next level, we must start winning these matches. Just like the World Cup.

【1st Round】Sat. 26, Sun. 27 May
【2nd Round】Wed. 6 June
【3rd Round】Wed. 11 July
【Round of 16】Wed. 22 August
【Quarterfinal】Wed. 24 October
【Semi-final】Sun. 16 December
【Final】Mon. 24 December

Tournament Information