“Levain is fun” after defeat of J1 teams such as Gamba Osaka, Tottori midfielder “gets inspired” by match against Urawa | Football Tribe Japan

A total of nine games were played in the second round of the YBC Levain Cup on the 24th of this month, with Gamba Osaka losing 1-2 to FC Ryukyu. Given that J2 and J3 clubs have been witnessing a series of giant kills, with Kyoto Sanga and Shonan Bellmare also losing, foreign journalists have welcomed the change in the format of the Levain Cup. Aria Jasul Hasegawa, a midfielder who plays for Gainare Tottori and played against Urawa Reds, also gave a positive opinion.

Until last year, the Levain Cup was a tournament in which J1 clubs and some J2 clubs participated, but starting this year it will be a tournament format in which all clubs belonging to J1, J2, and J3 will participate. The first round is a one-shot match between clubs in lower leagues and the home stadiums of lower league clubs from the previous year.

Initially, there were a number of opposing opinions to this change in tournament format. However, the upset of a J1 club losing to a club in a lower category has created a new topic. For that reason, Sam Robson, who runs the J.League podcast “jtalkpod,” said, “The current format of the tournament is much better.Football is entertainment. I think everyone will say that the knockout stages are more fun because of the potential for upheaval.”

Furthermore, Hasegawa, who came on as a substitute in the match against Urawa held on the 22nd, welcomed the regulation change on X (formerly Twitter) on the 24th, saying, “What a wonderful tournament.” He wrote the following about his feelings during the match against Urawa and the large number of Urawa supporters.

“The atmosphere, the sense of speed, the intensity that you don’t usually get, and of course I’m not saying that J1 is better or J3 is worse, but it’s stimulating for me as a player, and above all, there are so many Reds supporters at a weekday night game. The whole town got excited when they came to Tottori.I think many children and people of Tottori Prefecture felt something as well, and it made me want to cherish my time as a soccer player again. was”

The Levain Cup is a new format, with some games being held at the homes of J2 and J3 clubs, with many J1 club fans and supporters filling the stadium. Some have pointed out the large ripple effect it will have on the local economy.