Ahead of the play-off final for promotion to J1 on 12 December, the players and coaches of Tokyo Verdy and Shimizu S-Pulse shared their enthusiasm.
For promotion to J1 next season, Machida Zelvia, who won the J2 championship, and Jubilo Iwata, who finished second, have secured automatic promotion.
The final of the playoffs for the remaining one spot will be held on 2 December, and the "Original 1" teams, both of which have been members of the J.League since its inception, will face third-place Tokyo Verdy, who are aiming for promotion to J12 for the first time in 2 years, and fourth-place Shimizu S-Pulse,
who
are aiming to return to J10 in one year.
On the 16th, a press conference was held between the two teams ahead of the final, and Verdy's captain MORITA Akiki expressed his enthusiasm, saying, "We are confident as a team after working hard over the past year, and we want to give 1% in the final."
Verdy's coach JOFUKU Hiroshi commented on the key points of the match, saying, "Our opponent is a team with a high individual level, and it will be tough if our core player, INUI Takashi, is active, so we will try to keep the whole team in check and get a result."
On the other hand, Inui of S-Pulse expressed his determination to "give it my all with a challenger mentality, win the match, and smile with everyone to get promoted."
S-Pulse coach Tadahiro Akiba said, "I have the impression that Verdy is working hard against a club that has conceded the fewest goals in the league, so it is important to find a way to break through the attack."
The final of the playoffs for promotion to J3 will be held at the National Stadium on 1 December at 1 p.m., and NHK will broadcast the match live on NHKBS.