The remaining two second round fixtures of the Emperor's Cup JFA 103rd Japan Football Championship took place on Wednesday 21 June.

Featured Match

Roasso Kumamoto 2-2 (0-2, 2-0, Ex: 0-0, 0-0, PK: 5-4) FC Ryukyu

At Egao Kenko Stadium in Kumamoto, Roasso Kumamoto (J2) squared off against the Okinawa representative, FC Ryukyu (J3).

The match started with Kumamoto creating opportunities through quick passing, but the Ryukyu defence displayed great composure to repel all threats. In the 25th minute, Ryukyu’s TAKAYASU Takayuki carried the ball down the left side before passing it to ABE Takuma, who assisted the goal of KANAZAKI Mu to put the Okinawa side in the lead.

Gaining momentum from the opener, Ryukyu doubled their lead in the 38th minute, when IWAMOTO Sho converted the pass of Abe.

To start the second half, Kumamoto introduced HIGASHIYAMA Tatsuki in place of MATSUOKA Rimu, which paid immediate dividends. In the 49th minute, Higashiyama converted the cross delivered by ABE Kaito to cut the deficit in half. Four minutes later, AIHARA Shohei laid off a pass to setup the goal of OMOTO Yuki to equalise the game.

In an effort to change the dynamics of the game, Ryukyu made two substitutions in the 66th minute, but Kumamoto remained in control of the pace. Nevertheless, despite having several chances to take the lead, Kumamoto was unable to capitalise, as the game went into extra time tied at 2-2.

After both sides fell short of finding the back of the net during the added 30 minutes of play, the match entered a penalty shootout to determine the winner.

In the shootout, Kumamoto’s goalkeeper TASHIRO Ryuga denied Ryukyu’s first spot taker, which turned out to be the difference, as the J2 side advanced to the third round where Sagan Tosu (J1) await.

Coaches and Players' Comments

OKI Takeshi, Head Coach (Roasso Kumamoto)
We are not concerned about the goals we conceded since the quality displayed by our opponents made it absolutely fair for them to score those goals. However, it is concerning that we lacked quality in our crosses and execution at the final third, so those are some of the areas we need to improve on. It was great that we were able to win the match with the solid performances displayed by the players who came on as substitutes. Seeing how many fans stayed late to support us through the shootout, I feel relieved that we were able to advance to the next round.

OMOTO Yuki (Roasso Kumamoto)
Many of our recent matches have been played at our own pace from the start, so it was great for the team that we were able to come from behind to tie the game and ultimately win on penalties. We hope to carry this momentum into the league matches. It is hard to create chances when the opponents are dropping deep in their half, but we were able to generate some close opportunities in the first half, so we hope to raise the quality of our plays in the final third.

KINA Tetsuhiro, Head Coach (FC Ryukyu)
Despite playing through matches with just two days in between, the reserve players really performed well to make a case for themselves. We were able to establish our rhythm as the match progressed and score two goals from Kumamoto. However, we need to reflect on the fact that we conceded two goals at the start of the second half. Since there is some element of luck involved in a penalty shootout, I don't have much to say about it.

UEHARA Makito (FC Ryukyu)
It was fantastic that we were able to capitalise on the momentum to score goals in the first half, but it is sad that we gave up goals early in the second half that significantly altered the outcome of the game. It wasn’t like we were caught off guard, but we conceded back-to-back goals in such a short period of time. We hope to make the most of this experience to do better in the league competition.

Emperor's Cup JFA 103rd Japan Football Championship

【1st Round】Sat. 20, Sun. 21 May [Backup date: Mon. 22 May]
【2nd Round】Wed. 7, Wed. 14, Wed. 21 June
【3rd Round】Wed. 12 July [Backup date: Wed. 19, Wed. 26 July]
【Round of 16】Wed. 2 August [Backup date: Wed. 9 August]
【Quarterfinals】Wed. 30 August［Backup date: Wed. 13 September］
【Semi-Finals】Sun. 8 October
【Final】Sat. 9 December

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