| East Tokyo United | |
| |
| Nickname | ETU |
| Kanji | |
| Romanji | |
| Mascot | Pakka (Jersey #12) |
| Home Stadium | Sumidagawa Stadium |
| Captain | Shigeyuki Murakoshi |
| Manager | Takeshi Tatsumi |
| President | President Nagata |
| CEO | Kosei Goto |
| Last Season Finish | 15th |
East Tokyo United is a Japanese soccer club located in East Tokyo, Japan. Founded in 1989, The team gained popularity in the early 90's when they signed Takeshi Tatsumi and went on to become their most powerful player and would come become one of the most powerful clubs in Japan. A struggling club, of which Takeshi Tatsumi used to be the star and has now returned to as a coach with the intention of bringing ETU back into power.
Current Season Statistics[]
| Type | Stat |
| Japan League Games Played: | 29 |
| Japan Cup Games Played: | 8 |
| Total Games Played: | 37 |
| Japan League Games Won: | 15 |
| Japan Cup Games Won: | 3 |
| Total Games Won: | 18 |
| Japan League Games Drawn: | 8 |
| Japan Cup Games Drawn: | 1 |
| Total Games Drawn: | 9 |
| Japan League Games Lost: | 6 |
| Japan Cup Games Lost | 4 |
| Total Games Lost: | 10 |
| Japan League Points To Date: | 53 points |
| Japan Cup Position To Date: | Quarter Finals |
| Japan League Goals Scored To Date: | 52 Goals |
| Japan Cup Goals Scored To Date | 7 Goals |
| Total Goals Scored To Date: | 59 Goals |
| Top Goal Scorers: | Luigi Yoshida Yotaro Natsuki |
| National Team Players: | Daisuke Tsubaki Yotaro Natsuki |
| U-23 Olympic Team Players: | Daisuke Tsubaki Ryo Akasaki |
| All-Star Players: | Luigi Yoshida Yotaro Natsuki |
| Player | Position | Japan League Goals Scored | Japan Cup Goals Scored | Total Goals Scored |
| Luigi Yoshida | Midfielder/Forward | 5 | 4 | 9 |
| Yotaro Natsuki | Forward | 12 | 0 | 12 |
| Kyohei Sera | Forward | 6 | 0 | 6 |
| Ryo Akasaki | Midfielder | 3 | 2 | 5 |
| Yoshinori Sakai | Forward | 4 | 0 | 3 |
| Daisuke Tsubaki | Midfielder | 7 | 0 | 7 |
| Yusaku Sugie | Defender | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| Shigeyuki Murakoshi | Midfielder | 3 | 0 | 3 |
| Satoshi Tanba | Midfielder | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| Kenji Hotta | Midfielder | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Kazumi Kiyokawa | Defender | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Gabriel | Forward | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Unspecified | 4 | 0 | 4 |
Overview[]
East Tokyo United is a small club located in the muncipalty of Taito District in Tokyo.[1] It is typically referred to by its initials: ETU.The club was founded in 1989 by Yuri's grandfather,Takizone Nagata
Uniforms[]
ETU has two match kits. The first sports the teams colour of black and red. The second is a white kit typically used for away games. Their match kit is manufactured by Adidas and sponsored by OEDO Express, Circle Donuts, Rolling and Jet Beer.[2] The practice kit of ETU, also made by Adidas, consists of a red shirt and black shorts.
| Match Kit 1 | Match Kit 2 | Practice Kit |
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Home Stadium[]
Sumidagawa Stadium
ETU's home stadium is the Sumidagawa Stadium. Vice-president Nagata owns a store at the Stadium.[3] Katsura Fujisawa commented that it is somewhat small.[4] The Stadium used to be sponsored by the local municipality, Taito District, but they removed their support due to low attendance.ETU Fans call it "The Red and Black Hell"[1]
Mascot[]
Pakka the ETU Mascot
Pakka is the ETU mascot. He is a Kappa[5] and has the jersey with the number 12. He is stated to live in the Sumida River[6] and claims that kids are his enemies.[7] He is usually around for their home games and his image adorns the ETU team bus.[8] During the All Stars Game, Pakka received a red card during the mascots game show for tackling the Nagoya Grand Palace mascot.[9]
History[]
Tatsumi as ETU's #7
ETU, led by then-Head Coach Komada, was at the height of its popularity and strength while Tatsumi was a player. The team at the time was built around him and so his departure hit the team hard. Tatsumi also held the record of being the only ETU player to have been on the Japanese National Team and was in the 2002 and 2006 World Cups. Although, Tatsumi was with the National Team only for a short time[10].
The same season in which Tatsumi transferred to the Premier League, ETU struggled to remain in the 1st Division but managed to do so with the recruitments from then-Sporting Director Kasano. However, as he saw no business value with ETU, then-President Tsugawa decided to quit and went above Kasano to appoint Fuwa as Head Coach to replace Komada[11]. With Fuwa at the helm, ETU was relegated to the second division[12]. Fuwa blamed the front office for ETU's relegation, as he claimed that there was a lack of support from the front office which hindered his job. ETU's relegation to the 2nd Division led Kasano to take responsibility for the results and to resign as Sporting Director at the end of that season[11].
Murakoshi notes the reduced number of ETU fans
ETU suffered through more bad team managers, with the club management being able to do little to assist the team, and lost all their big name players with the exception of Murakoshi, who stayed with the club to honour his responsibility as the captain. It was Murakoshi that spurred the teams return to Division 1, which took four years from the time of relegation[13]. Kuroda was another player who stayed with ETU through its fall to Division 2, having joined the club for his rookie year during the season that saw them relegated[14].
Fernando, the previous #7
The season prior to Tatsumi joining the club as a manager was marked by a failed attempt by the club to add more striking power to its arsenal by hiring an ex-Argentine national player by the name of Fernando. Fernando was the previous #7 and was a very expensive player. However, the investment was an utter bust as Fernando could not get used life in Japan and had low moral. Fernando performed poorly and left the club poorer due to his high salary. The club avoided relegation due largely to the efforts of Natsuki, who always scored in the games ETU could not lose. Natsuki was doing so well that he was a serious contender for the title of the league's top scorer. However, Natsuki's injury ended his season early[14]. ETU managed to place 15th on the league ladder and thus, barely avoid relegation (teams placed 16th or below are relegated)[12].
Tatsumi's Task[]
ETU Club House
The club started the current season in dire straits. Last season, ETU's average attendance barely topped over 8000. As a result, they lost the support of the municipality: Taito District, from their home grounds. As ETU does not have a parent company, this was a devastating blow.[1] According to President Nagata, the club has bet its very existence on Tatsumi and if he fails to turn things around than it may well spell the end of ETU. Bringing Tatsumi back was Goto's idea, who himself took a huge personal gamble on him. Goto was warned by the Vice-president that if Tatsumi didn't work out, Goto's head would be the first to roll.[15]
Tatsumi with his players
However, the concrete milestones Tatsumi wants to achieve has never been made clear. Goto started the season identifying that ETU needed to win to survive. Tatsumi himself has only stated that he wises to make ETU strong again and erase its losing mentality.[15] Despite the losing streak at the beginning of the season and the loss against Albireos Niigata, or perhaps because of the losses, ETU has been getting stronger and the team cohesion improving constantly. Meaning that ETU stands a chance of finishing the season extremely strong. Katsura Fujisawa has commented that she believes that ETU will become the centre of a typhoon.[16]
However, ETU's problem isn't just that it generally languishes near the bottom of the league table. Due to the boring nature of their defensive football, they were not popular with the fans. Nor was ETU known to produce upsets. Under Tatsumi's leadership, ETU has started playing a more interesting brand of football and is capable of slaying giants. Being more attractive to fans and potential sponsors is also important to ETU's fortunes.
Akasaki with the national team
Then there is also the prospect of National representation. As noted by Goto, there are many clubs that don't like sending players to the national team but for a small club like ETU, national representation is a way of building their reputation.[17] Blanc and Tatsumi appear to have similar coaching styles and the national roaster for the years hasn't been drawn-up for the senior team (all players referred to as national players are from the previous seasons roaster).[10] Yuri Nagata believes that there is a strong possibility of ETU players being called-up due to the closeness she observed between Blanc and Tatsumi.[18] Yuri's belief was partly realised when Akasaki was invited to the Japanese Olympic Team, which has an age restricts and is composed of under 23 players, during their preliminary match against Hong Kong.[17]
ETU entered the league season summer haitu in 10th position with a totally of 24 points.[19] This is a dramatic improvement from their performance last season when the finished in 15th position and thus barely avoided relegation to division 2.[20] ETU is actually tied in points with JEM Chiba, who currently sit in 9th position, and was ranked lower then JEM Chiba due to goal difference.[19] ETU's improvement is undoubtedly a testament to Tatsumi's management.
Current Season[]
Kuroda and Sugie hanging back
Despite posting a draw against the reigning champions, Tokyo Victory, in their pre-season friendly,[21] ETU suffered a five game losing streak once the season opened. ETU was humiliated by Javelin Iwata with a score of 4-0 in the first match. This was followed by a loss against Sun Arrow Hiroshima, losing the game 2-0. This was largely due to their defensive line as initially Kuroda and Sugie were apt to lose their spirits when ETU was behind. They also refused to go along with Tatsumi's ideas and were replaced by Kamei and Kobayashi. However, Kamei and Kobayashi were too inexperienced and were continuously outplayed. This led to ETU posting a loss to Shimizu Impulse with a score of 2-1, where Sera scored a mere consolation goal in the last dying minutes of the match. Following this, ETU also lost to Shimizu Impulse once again in a cup match due to Kamei conceding a penalty from a poor tackle, in which Dori managed to save but Kamei's inexperience allowed a second shot on goal leading to their 1-0 defeat. Kuroda and Sugie eventually realized that the problem was them and returned, if only to stop Dori from suffering any more embarrassment from the defensive line.[22]
Tsubaki scores against Nagoya Grand Palace
ETU still posted one more loss, this time against F.C. Sapporo in a cup match, but Kuroda and Sugie displayed the kind of spirit that Tatsumi was looking for and as a result, Tatsumi unveiled the first of his special tactics for the game against Nagoya Grand Palace.[23]
With their first surprising win over Nagoya Grand Palace, a short winning streak followed with triumphs against F.C. Sapporo with a score of 3-1 in a cup match that saw Gino almost attaining a hat-trick and winning 1-0 against Yokohama Mariners with a goal from Murakoshi.
However, a string of draws started to occur beginning from the game in which Sera sustained an injury in the second cup match against Shimuzu Impulse.[24] ETU drew against Shimizu Impulse, Vanguard Kofu, Montebia Yamagata and Urawa Red Stars all with a score of 1-1. The draws exposed a lack of cohesion in the team, with Akasaki taking issue with Ishihama and Kiyokawa's motivation for playing and their general skill level. ETU ended the string of draws with a loss against Albireos Niigata but according to Sonoda, ETU played much better in the second half and would probably have posted a different result had Gino, who skipped the match due to having some issue with his foot, been on the pitch.[25]
Final score, ETU vs Osaka Gunners
ETU's next game was against the mighty Osaka Gunners, who were at the time undefeated and on top of the league table in both points and goals scored. ETU was widely expected to lose against them, with any chance of an upset victory being largely dismissed due to the fact that ETU did not have a history of upsets. The Gunners did go 2 goals up in the first half, with their dangerous striker Kubota leaving Sugie in the dust. However, the second half saw Tatsumi's plans come into effect and Osaka's playing style was put into disarray. ETU took advantage of this and scored two goals thanks to Akasaki and Sugie, with the latter having an assist from Gino during a set piece. Tatsumi then owned to Matsubara that he had intended to win the match 2-1 and hadn't planned for the need to score a 3rd goal. However, Tatsumi went on to say that he was relying on Sera to not let ETU stop at a draw - which is where many of ETU's fans were expecting it to stop as it is the norm for ETU. Sera did go on to score the 3rd goal to post a win.[26]
Natsuki scores against Oita Triplex
Following the victory against the Osaka Gunners's ETU posted a win against Oita Triplex and a draw against JEM United Chiba in their following two league matches. The draw against JEM United Chiba was unavoidable as ETU could not field its best line-up as Akasaki was away on national duty and Kuroda missed the game due to suspension from accumulating too many yellow cards.[17] In addition, Murakoshi received a yellow card in the game against JEM United Chiba and as a result did not play in the game against Kawasaki Frontier due to accumulation of yellow cards across league matches but was still available for Japan Cup matches. ETU also won all their remaining Japan Cup preliminary matches, thus qualifying for the quarter-final stage of the Japan Cup. At the end of the Japan Cup match, Gino asked to be rested.[27]
ETU's next league match was against Kawasaki Frontier, which ETU lost 2-1.[28] The game against Kawasaki Frontier was unusual in that the starting line-up consisted of a number of veteran players (Kenji Hotta, Tatsuo Ishigami and Yoshinori Sakai) who had lost their starting positions under Tatsumi. Tsubaki, despite being a rookie, was the match captain in Murakoshi's place.[29] Tatsumi later revealed that he had actually made the starting line-up selection based on which players worked the hardest during a Curry Fest he organized just before the game against Kawasaki Frontier. Tatsumi reasoned that players who think their job is to only kick a football will not help a club progress and for the club to progress, players have to think that they are not only playing with 11 players but the whole club.[30]Possibly because of the way Tatsumi selected the starting line-up, despite the loss, the game against Kawasaki Frontier was a confident booster for the older players and saw Ishigami return fully to the starting line-up in place of Ishihama.[31]
ETU won its next match 3-0 against F.C. Sapporo, which saw the return of Murakoshi after his red-card suspension, thanks to a penalty kick from Hotta and a goal from Sera. In addition, Sakai forced Sapporo to score an own goal - as such, Sakai would be the one attributed with that goal.[32]
ETU also won their 15th League match against Wissel Kobe 2-1.[33] The game against Wissel Kobe also saw the return of Gino to the starting line-up. Gino had been rested during the game against Kawasaki Frontier and F.C. Sapporo. ETU next played Kashima Wanderers and walked away with a nil-nil draw.[34]
ETU's 17th League match was a derby against Tokyo Victory which resulted in a draw.[35] ETU opened the scoring thanks to a goal from Tsubaki and went into half-time in the lead. However, Tokyo Victory's Mochida came on the field in the second half and turned the tide of the game, allowing Victory's Mikumo to score the equalizer.[36]
Following the 17th League match, the League season entered the customary summer hiatus - which ETU entered sitting in 10th position on the league table with 24 points.[19] ETU sat behind JEM Chiba, who also have 24 points, in the league table due to goal difference.[19]
The summer break period was marked by an "All Stars" game between the Japanese Stars and the World Stars from various teams in the league. Tatsumi was invited to join the coaching team for the Japanese Stars, with Natsuki and Gino included in the Japanese Stars line-up. The game was won by the Japanese Stars 3-1.[37]
Near the beginning of the summer break, Ishihama departed the ETU line-up for Vanguard Kofu[38]. After Ishihama's departure, ETU leaves for their summer training camp, during which the ETU players are subjected once again to Tatsumi's unusual training methods[39]. Towards the end of the summer training camp, two new players are introduced to the team: Gabriel and Tonoyama.
Following the end of the summer break, ETU's first league match was against F.C. Sapporo. Sapporo took an early lead but ETU soon equalized thanks to a goal from Murakoshi. The game is won by ETU thanks to a goal from Natsuki.[40]
Following ETU's win against Sapporo, their next league match was against Wissel Kobe. During the match Tsubaki fell for a feint and thus Kobe was allowed to take the lead 0-1 in the first half. ETU was unable to equalize, and the game went into the half-time break with Kobe in the lead.[41] However, ETU manages to equalize in the second half thanks to Kiyokawa and thus the match against Kobe ends in a 1-1 draw.[42]
ETU's next match was against Montebia Yamagata, against whom ETU took the lead during the 1st-half thanks to the goal from Sera but Gino failed to capitalise on an opportunity during the 2nd-half and Yamagata quickly equalised.[43] However, late in the 2nd half ETU substituted in their new recruit #17 - Gabriel. Gabriel began to disrupt Yamagata's with his stylish play and soon, ETU started making attempts at goal. It was during one of these attempts that Natsuki was fouled violently by a Yamagata player in the penalty area. This resulted in ETU being awarded a penalty kick and Natsuki selflessly handed-over to Gino, who is the more accurate and consistent performer in front of the goal. Gino easily scored and the game ended 1-2 in ETU's favour.[44]
ETU's 21st league match was a home game against Kawasaki Frontier. Once again, ETU had to face Kawasaki Frontier without Murakoshi - this time awarding the Captain's armband to Sugie.[45] ETU won 4-2 against Kawasaki Frontier, a huge upset that saw them featured on the cover of Football magazine.[46]
ETU's 22nd game saw them face JEM United Chiba in an away match.[47] Chiba opened the scoring and held the lead for someone time as Tsubaki's attempts are goal failed to find the back of the net. The score was finally equalised Akasaki in the second half.[48] Murakoshi scores from a header with an assist from Gabriel in the last few minutes of the match, winning the match 2-1.
ETU's 23rd match was against Sun Arrow Hiroshima, which had previously bested ETU in an away match near the start of the season. ETU scored within the opening minutes thanks to a goal from Sera in which Tsubaki aggressively delivered. Near the end of the match, Sakai is knocked in the face by an opposing defender in the penalty area which awarded ETU with a penalty kick. The kick is taken by Akasaki who scored to end the game defeating their opponents 2-0.
After Tsubaki and Akasaki return from National duty, ETU then played their 24th league match against Urawa Red Stars which ETU lost 0-1. Having recently experienced a humiliating defeat to Kashima during the Japan Cup, ETU once again was experiencing the mentality of a losing team like they had felt at the beginning of the league.
Following this, ETU faced Nagoya Grand Palace once again for their 25th match. Murakoshi then decides to handover the captain armband permanently to Sugie until he can once again prove to himself that he is worthy of being a good captain. Gino opened up the scoring with a goal early in the first half. However, in the second half Nagoya managed to equalize with a penalty followed by two goals from Pepe. ETU fought back and equalized with Natsuki scoring two goals. Gabriel then managed to win the game 4-3 for ETU with a last-minute goal.
ETU's 26th game was against the mighty Osaka Gunners whom they previously bested in a huge upset. The match opens up with a goal from Natsuki in the first half, with Osaka quickly equalizing with a goal from Hatake. Tsubaki manages to get a goal in as well, but Hauer equalizes again late in the second half with the match ending in a 2-2 draw.
Next, ETU played their 27th game against Yokohama Mariners whom they had never lost to under their previous manager. ETU took an early lead with Tsubaki slamming in the ball within the opening moments of the game, with a follow-up goal by Natsuki. Despite Yokohama equalizing with two goals in return ETU manages to score another game thus winning 3-2 and remaining unbeaten against Yokohama this season.
ETU's 28th game was against Vanguard Kofu whom they had previously drawed, this time with the recently departed Ishihama on the opposing team. Kofu manages to take an early lead with Ishihama breaking through his old friends Kiyokawa's defense. In the 2nd half however, ETU manages to regain their composure, winning by scoring a whopping 4 goals against Kofu, including a goal each from Sakai and Natsuki.
For their 29th match, ETU once again faced their derby rivals Tokyo Victory. This time with Mochida in the starting line-up. Victory takes the lead first this time round with a header from Leonardo, and soon ETU responds with a goal in kind. A breakdown in ETU's defense and Victory's sheer teamwork causes ETU to concede two more goals into the first half. In the second half, ETU fights back to equalize the score once again. Mochida's injury resurfaces as he is about to score the fourth goal for Victory, having to be subbed out of the match. The match is won by ETU with a last-minute goal from Tsubaki as he dashes to the ball in the penalty area for the final shot.
In their 30th match, ETU faced Shimizu Impulse, whom have never been defeated by ETU previously in both league and cup matches. Kamei scores his very first goal in the league in the early minutes of the match, with Shimizu following up with a goal in kind in the second half. The match is won by ETU with goals from Natsuki and Tsubaki, causing a surprising upset over their opponents.
In ETU's 31st match, the opponent is Oita Triplex. ETU takes the lead with a midrange shoot by Gino. Oita responds quickly with the equalizer, an own goal by Murakoshi. After a goal by Sera, Tatsumi subs-in Tsubaki, who gains two assists for Natsuki and Kiyokawa. ETU wins 4-1 and with that defeat, Oita gets relegated.
Pre-Season Friendly[]
| # | Opponent | Score | Winner | Home/Away | ETU Scorer | Man of the Match |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1[49] | Tokyo Victory | 2-2 | Draw | Home | Luigi Yoshida Shigeyuki Murakoshi |
League Matches[]
ETU's total point count for league matches is currently 56 points from 30 matches with 4 matches to play.
| # | Opponent | Score | Result | Home/Away | ETU Scorer | Man of the Match |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1[49] | Javelin Iwata | 0-4 | Loss | Home | None | |
| 2[49] | Sun Arrow Hiroshima | 2-0 | Loss | Away | None | |
| 3[49] | Shimuzu Impulse | 1-2 | Loss | Home | Kyohei Sera | |
| 4[49] | Nagoya Grand Palace | 0-2 | Win | Away | Daisuke Tsubaki Prince |
Daisuke Tsubaki |
| 5[49] | Yokohama Mariners | 0-1 | Win | Away | Shigeyuki Murakoshi | |
| 6[49] | Urawa Red Stars | 1-1 | Draw | Home | Yotaro Natsuki | |
| 7[49] | Vanguard Kofu | 1-1 | Draw | Away | Yotaro Natsuki | |
| 8[49] | Montebia Yamagata | 1-1 | Draw | Home | Yusaku Sugie | |
| 9[49] | Albireos Niigata | 1-0 | Loss | Away | None | |
| 10[49] | Osaka Gunners | 3-2 | Win | Home | Ryo Akasaki Yusaku Sugie Kyohei Sera |
Kyohei Sera |
| 11[49] | Oita Triplex | 0-1 | Win | Away | Yotaro Natsuki | |
| 12[17] | JEM United Chiba | 0-0 | Draw | Home | None | |
| 13[28] | Kawasaki Frontier | 1-2 | Loss | Away | Yoshinori Sakai | |
| 14[50] | F.C. Sapporo | 3-0 | Win | Home | Kyohei Sera Kenji Hotta Yoshinori Sakai |
|
| 15[33] | Wissel Kobe | 1-2 | Win | Away | (????) Yotaro Natsuki |
|
| 16[34] | Kashima Wanderers | 0-0 | Draw | Home | None | |
| 17[35] | Tokyo Victory | 1-1 | Draw | Away | Daisuke Tsubaki | |
| 18[51] | F.C. Sapporo | 1-3 | Win | Away | Shigeyuki Murakoshi Yotaro Natsuki Yoshinori Sakai |
|
| 19[52] | Wissel Kobe | 1-1 | Draw | Home | Kazumi Kiyokawa | |
| 20[53] | Montebia Yamagata | 1-2 | Win | Away | Kyohei Sera Prince |
|
| 21[54] | Kawasaki Frontier | 4-2 | Win | Home | Prince x2 Daisuke Tsubaki Satoshi Tanba |
|
| 22[55] | JEM United Chiba | 1-2 | ETU | Away | ||
| 23[56] | Sun Arrow Hiroshima | 2-0 | ETU | Home | ||
| 24 | Urawa Red Stars | 1-0 | Urawa Red Stars | Away | None | |
| 25 | Nagoya Grand Palace | 3-4 | ETU | Away | Luigi Yoshida2x Yotaro Natsuki
Gabriel |
|
| 26 | Osaka Gunners | 2-2 | Draw | Away | Yotaro Natsuki
Daisuke Tsubaki |
|
| 27 | Yokohama Mariners | 3-2 | ETU | Home | Daisuke Tsubaki
Yotaro Natsuki (?????) |
|
| 28 | Vanguard Kofu | 4-1 | ETU | Home | Yoshinori Sakai
Yotaro Natsuki Kento Ueda (?????) |
|
| 29 | Tokyo Victory | 4-3 | ETU | Home | Yotaro Natsuki
Tatsuo Ishigami Kyohei Sera Daisuke Tsubaki |
|
| 30 | Shimizu Impulse | 1-3 | ETU | Away | Takeshi Kamei
Yotaro Natsuki Daisuke Tsubaki |
|
| 31 | Oita Triplex | 4-1 | ETU | Home | Luigi Yoshida
Yotaro Natsuki Kazumi Kiyokawa |
|
| 32 | Javelin Iwata | 1-4 | ETU | Away | Daisuke Tsubaki
Daisuke Tsubaki |
|
| 33 | Alberios Niigata | |||||
| 34 | Kashima Wanderers |
Japan Cup Matches[]
Points total Japan Cup Preliminaries[17]
ETU has qualified for the top eight, quarter-finals, of the Japan Cup through Group C. This is the first time they have qualified in three years. ETU played a total of six games during the Japan Cup preliminaries, twice against each of the other teams in their group.[17]
The Japan Cup quarter finals pitted ETU against Kashima Wanderers with two games on Home and Away ground. It was marked by the absence of Tsubaki and Akasaki due to them being called up for the U-22 National Team. This, combined with the team forming doubts in their minds againm in turn contributed to ETU losing both matches. Having lost 2-0 during the home game and 5-0 during the away game, ETU was knocked out of the Japan Cup.
| Final Position | Team | Win | Draw | Loss | Goals Scored | Total Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Shimizu Impulse | 4 | 1 | 1 | 13 | |
| 2 | ETU | 3 | 1 | 2 | 10 | |
| 3 | F.C. Sapporo | 1 | 2 | 3 | 5 | |
| 4 | Yokohama Mariners | 1 | 2 | 3 | 5 |
| # | Opponent | Score | Result | Home/Away | ETU Scorer | Man of the Match |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1[49] | Shimizu Impulse | 0-2 | Loss | Home | None | |
| 2[49] | F.C. Sapporo | 1-0 | Loss | Away | None | |
| 3[49] | F.C. Sapporo | 3-1 | Win | Home | Ryo Akasaki Prince x2 |
Prince |
| 4[49] | Shimizu Impulse | 0-0 | Draw | Away | None | |
| 5[49] | Yokohama Mariners | 0-3 | Win | Away | Satoshi Tanba Prince Ryo Akasaki |
|
| 6[17] | Yokohama Mariners | 1-0 | Win | Home | Prince |
| # | Opponent | Score | Winner | Home/Away | ETU Scorer | Man of the Match |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kashima Wanderers | 0-2 | Kashima Wanderers | Home | None | |
| 2 | Kashima Wanderers | 0-5 | Kashima Wanderers | Away | None |
Tengu Cup Matches[]
| Opponent | Score | Winner | Home/Away | ETU Scorer | Man of the Match |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tokushima Vortex | 4-0 | ETU | Away | Katsuki Sumida
Tsuyoshi Miyano Shingo Yano Ryo Akasaki |
Player Roster[]
Members of team ETU
ETU's only representatives at the national level is Akasaki, who is part of the U23 Olympic side. However, Dori used to be a goalkeeper for Japan from 1995 to 2004 and played in the 1998 World Cup and The 2002 World Cup.[57]
Since Tatsumi took over, the ETU regulars cannot be classified as either "ageing" or "young", as about half the squad is in their early to mid-twenties and the other half late-twenties and above. Dori is their oldest starter at 33 but this is normal for a Goalkeeper as it is a position that peaks later, benefiting from experience. Tsubaki is their youngest starter at 20.
During their match against ETU, a number of Osaka Gunners players comments on the speed competent in ETU's playing style. Hiraga commented on ETU's attacks being speed-based,[58] and Shimura commented on the difficulty of containing ETU following a ball steal due to the number of fast ETU players.[59] However, it must be noted that Tatsumi favour players who are both fast and have stamina, so stamina is also a key component in ETU's playing style under Tatsumi.[60]
Shigeyuki Murakoshi is the captain of ETU and has been so for many years. He was briefly stripped of his captaincy under Tatsumi but soon restored to it after Tatsumi carried his point about Murakoshi no longer having to be the defacto coach of the team.[61] While Murakoshi was stripped of his captaincy, Gino was the reluctant match captain but this was done as part of Tatsumi's strategy and Gino has shown no ambitions for the captain's badge.[62]
When Murakoshi missed the game against Kawasaki Frontier due to accumulation of yellow cards, Tsubaki lead the team into the match as captain.[63] However, Kuroda was appointed "shadow captain", after he spoke aloud his desire to be the captain in place of Tsubaki, and was the one who actually organized the player huddle at the start of the match.[64] Kuroda is typically the player who takes charge when Murakoshi is either absent or has been forbidden from taking control. However, Kuroda does not command the loyalty of the players in the way Murakoshi does. As a result, Kuroda's efforts at leadership are often either mocked, typically by the older players, or outright subverted, usually by Akasaki and the younger players.
When ETU played Kawasaki Frontier for the second time during the current league season, Murakoshi again missed the game but this time the captain's armband when to Yusaku Sugie.[65]
ETU experience a minor change in its roster during the mid-season break with Ishihama leaving for Vanguard Kofu.[38]
Despite this, ETU gained two extra players after a training camp with a university team. 19yo Brazilian Gabriel Pereira and 24yo Mitsuru Tonoyama joined the team to the shock of the other players.[66]
Following a bad run of results, which was due to team's relegation mentality, Murakoshi decided to sacrifice captaincy to let the new generation take over . Sugie was declared as the new captain of ETU, with Satoshi Tanba and Akasaki being named as vice captains.
It is unclear why Kuroda wasn't considered but Murakoshu revealed the decision to be made after careful consideration. Sugie's concern for team's mentality and it's potential urged him to accept the role without many qualms. Murakoshi harbors no negative feelings towards this change and has also supposedly earned Tatsumi's respect by his act. The Skulls also accepted the decision, though reluctantly.
Assembly of almost the entire club
| Jersey # | Name | Position |
| 1 | Hiroshi Midorikawa | Goalkeeper |
| 2 | Kazuki Kuroda | Centre-Back |
| 3 | Yusaku Sugie | Centre-Back |
| 4 | Yoji Kumada | Midfield/Defender |
| 5 | Tatsuo Ishigami | Right-Back |
| 6 | Shigeyuki Murakoshi (Captain) | Defensive Midfielder |
| 7 | Daisuke Tsubaki | Central Midfielder |
| 8 | Kenji Hotta | Central Midfielder |
| 9 | Yoshinori Sakai | Striker |
| 10 | Luigi Yoshida | Central Attacking Midfielder |
| 11 | Yotaro Natsuki | Striker |
| 12 | Jun Suzuki | Defender |
| 13 | Shinichi Mukai | Defender |
| 14 | Satoshi Tanba | Left Midfielder |
| 15 | Ryo Akasaki | Right Midfielder/Right Winger |
| 16 | Kazumi Kiyokawa | Left-Back |
| 17 | Gabriel Pereira | Right Back/Right Winger |
| 18 | Tsuyoshi Miyano | Right Midfielder |
| 20 | Kyohei Sera | Forward |
| 21 | Shingo Yano | Midfielder |
| 23 | Tadashi Sano | Goalkeeper |
| 24 | Katsuki Sumida | Midfielder |
| 25 | Kento Ueda | Forward |
| 26 | Kobayashi | Defender |
| 27 | Takeshi Kamei | Centre-Back/Defensive Midfielder |
| 28 | Hiroi | Midfielder |
| 30 | Mitsuru Tonoyama | Central Midfielder |
| 31 | Hiroyuki Yuzawa | Goalkeeper |
| Jersey # | Name | Position |
| 22 | Osamu Ishihama | Right-Back |
| Jersey # | Name | Position |
| 6 | Yokoyama | ? |
| 7 | Takeshi Tatsumi | Attacking Midfielder |
| 8 | Tanaka | ? |
| 9 | Ewerthon | Striker |
| 10 | Matsumoto | ? |
| 14 | Fukasaku | Attacking Midfielder |
| Jersey # | Name | Position |
| ? | Kosei Goto | Defender |
| 7 | Fernando | Forward |
Management[]
Team Management[]
From the front:Tatsumi, Matsubara, Kaneda, Tokoro, Kaba and Nogucha
- Manager - Takeshi Tatsumi[67]
- Coach - Matsubara[67]
Other Coachs
Front Office Management[]
From the right: Kosei Goto, Yuri Nagata, President Nagata and Vice-President Nagata
- President Nagata
- Vice-President Nagata
- CEO - Kosei Goto
- Public Relations - Yuri Nagata
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Giant Killing manga; Chapter 2, page 07-08
- ↑ Giant Killing manga; Volume 3, page 02
- ↑ Giant Killing manga; Chapter 2, page 08
- ↑ Giant Killing manga; Chapter 25, page 18
- ↑ Giant Killing Manga; Volume 7, Jacket flap
- ↑ Giant Killing Manga; Volume 4, Jacket flap
- ↑ Giant Killing Manga; Volume 5, Jacket flap
- ↑ Giant Killing Anime; Episode 16
- ↑ Giant Killing Manga; Chapter 124, page 12
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 Giant Killing manga; Chapter 25, page 04
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 Giant Killing manga; Chapter 151
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 Giant Killing anime; Episode 6
- ↑ Giant Killing manga; Chapter 6, page 16
- ↑ 14.0 14.1 Giant Killing anime; Episode 11
- ↑ 15.0 15.1 Giant Killing anime; Episode 1
- ↑ Giant Killing anime; Episode 25
- ↑ 17.0 17.1 17.2 17.3 17.4 17.5 17.6 Giant Killing anime; Episode 26
- ↑ Giant Killing manga; Chapter 25, page 03
- ↑ 19.0 19.1 19.2 19.3 Giant Killing manga; Volume 18
- ↑ Gaint Killing Anime; Episode 6
- ↑ Giant Killing anime; Episode 3-5
- ↑ Giant Killing anime; Episode 6-8
- ↑ Giant Killing anime; Episode 8-13
- ↑ Giant Killing anime; Episode 15-18
- ↑ Giant Killing anime; Episode 18
- ↑ Giant Killing anime; Episode 19-25
- ↑ Giant Killing Manga; Chapter 88-90
- ↑ 28.0 28.1 Giant Killing Manga; Chapter 104, page 02
- ↑ Giant Killing Manga; Chapter 90, pages 12-13
- ↑ Giant Killing Manga; Chapter 101, pages 12-13
- ↑ Giant Killing Manga; Chapter 105, pages 14-15
- ↑ Giant Killing Manga; Chapter 104, pages 17-19
- ↑ 33.0 33.1 Giant Killing Manga; Chapter 105, page 16
- ↑ 34.0 34.1 Giant Killing Manga; Chapter 107, page 05
- ↑ 35.0 35.1 Giant Killing Manga; Chapter 122, page 03
- ↑ Giant Killing Manga; Chapter 108-123
- ↑ Giant Killing Manga; Chapter 125-128
- ↑ 38.0 38.1 Giant Killing Manga; Chapter 129-131
- ↑ Giant Killing Manga; Chapter 158-162
- ↑ Giant Killing Manga; Chapter 165-169
- ↑ Giant Killing Manga; Chapter 172-177
- ↑ Giant Killing Manga; Chapter 180-181
- ↑ Giant Killing Manga; Chapter 188-197
- ↑ Giant Killing Manga; Chapter 198-211
- ↑ Giant Killing Manga; Chapter 215-217
- ↑ Giant Killing Manga; Chapter 218-232
- ↑ Giant Killing Manga; Chapter 244, page 01
- ↑ Giant Killing Manga; Chapter 244-257
- ↑ 49.00 49.01 49.02 49.03 49.04 49.05 49.06 49.07 49.08 49.09 49.10 49.11 49.12 49.13 49.14 49.15 49.16 Giant Killing Manga; Volume 10, page 02
- ↑ Giant Killing Manga; Chapter 104, page 17
- ↑ Giant Killing Manga; Chapter 169, page 15
- ↑ Giant Killing Manga; Chapter 171, page 10
- ↑ Giant Killing Manga; Chapter 175, page 06
- ↑ Giant Killing Manga; Chapter 184, page 01
- ↑ Giant Killing Manga; Chapter 258, page 16
- ↑ Giant Killing Manga; Chapter 265, page 11
- ↑ Giant Killing Manga; Chapter 100, Sketch Page
- ↑ Giant Killing anime; Episode 21
- ↑ Giant Killing anime; Episode 24
- ↑ Giant Killing anime; Episode 2
- ↑ Giant Killing Anime; Episode 5
- ↑ Giant Killing Manga; Chapter 12, page 14-16
- ↑ Giant Killing Manga; Chapter 90, page 11
- ↑ Giant Killing Manga; Chapter 90
- ↑ Giant Killing Manga; Chapter 215, page 09
- ↑ Giant Killing manga, chapter 162
- ↑ 67.0 67.1 Giant Killing Manga; Volume 2, page 02
- ↑ 68.0 68.1 68.2 68.3 Giant Killing Manga; Volume 8, page 02