In their first final, Albirex Niigata lost in a penalty shootout against Nagoya Grampus after a fierce battle. Although they missed out on the club’s first title, coach Rikizo Matsuhashi (56), who was in his third year in charge, and his players played an aggressive style of football that excited the packed city hall. The runner-up prize was 50 million yen.

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After a 120-minute battle with Nagoya, Niigata lost in a penalty shootout, falling short of the club’s first victory. After the match, coach Rikizo Matsuhashi said, “There’s always a line that you have to cross.Today, I may have crossed that line one step with my right foot, but I couldn’t cross that line with my left foot.” He looked back on the fierce battle in the rain with a “typical” expression.

The match was a tough one, with Nagoya trailing by two points in the first half with solid defense and quick attacks. Still, the coach looked into the eyes of his players at halftime and boosted their morale by saying, “The stage is now set. We’re going to turn this around.”

Taking the coach’s words to heart, the players played Niigata’s style of football in the second half, combining passing and individual skills. FW Kaito Taniguchi (29) scored one point in the 26th minute of the second half, tied at 0-2, and midfielder Yota Omi (22) scored a penalty kick in the same extra time, bringing the game back to square one. They gave up the lead again in the 3rd minute of overtime, but in the 6th minute of the second half, tied at 2-3, Omi scored his second goal of the day, tying the score for the third time. Although he missed his first V, he captivated the 62,517 fans who rushed to the stadium.

From J1 Yokohama coach, he became J2 Niigata coach in 2021. He was promoted to manager in 2022, succeeding former manager Albert (56), who instilled a possession style in the club. With the slogan “J1 standards”, he suddenly led to re-promotion to J1 in the same year. It’s been 3 years since then. Attacking soccer has permeated and matured. He showed his strength in this tournament. Still, he is not satisfied, saying, “There’s still a long way to go. I’m gradually gaining strength, but everyone, including myself, has to learn more.”

As the players returned to the locker room with the Nagoya players celebrating their second victory in three tournaments, they said, “Those who have felt really painful and frustrated will go to the top.I’m sure today I felt more frustrated than ever before.” I think we’ve done that. We have to carry this on to the next step.” Although he did not reach his first title, he showed solid growth.[Tadashi Kobayashi]

[Levain Cup]Nagoya wins penalty shootout for the second time in 3 years V Niigata does not win the title for the first time / Final live details