A match where results are required in any form

After finishing the league matches, there is a two-week interval before the Emperor's Cup resumes. We will face Vegalta Sendai in the quarterfinals. This match is a rematch of the final league match, but during this time, Lucas suffered a fracture and Hiramatsu was injured. The team was struck by shocking accidents, creating a temporarily somber atmosphere. However, Coach Ranko POPOVIC stated, "It is very unfortunate that the two cannot be on the pitch, but they are part of the FC Tokyo family. They are always with us. Of course, the other players also feel a strong desire to carry the spirits of the two and fight to win for them."

Sendai, on the other hand, has defeated Blaublitz Akita (representing Akita Prefecture), Mito, and Shimizu in the Emperor's Cup, advancing to the quarterfinals. In the final league match, forward Yanagisawa was injured and forced to withdraw, but on the other hand, midfielder Kakuta and defender Sugai have returned. They will approach this match with a different lineup than the previous encounter. Tokunaga stated, "Picking up second balls and winning battles for the ball will be important. Since both teams know each other's strengths, concentration will also be a deciding factor. We want to pay attention to the details throughout the match and secure the win," emphasizing the need to be cautious at the start of the game and maintain a compact formation to establish rhythm from the beginning.

Tokyo made changes to the lineup from the final league match. Hyun Soo JANG is in as center back. Additionally, Higashi has been brought in to replace Lucas. Takahashi stated, "For Sendai, this is a home game. Moreover, with the resignation of Coach Teguramori decided, their determination to 'give it their all' may be strong. However, we have 'circumstances' that we absolutely cannot lose to." Ishikawa also added, "We want to show more than we have relied on Rucon so far," expressing their feelings on the pitch, aiming to unite as a team and seize victory. The match started at 13:04 with Tokyo's kickoff at Yurtec Stadium Sendai.

Mistakes piled up, allowing the opponent to take the lead. The first half ended with the opponent's rhythm.

From the start of the first half, we couldn't pick up the second ball due to Sendai's strength in ball contests. Then, in the 3rd minute, Shiota's clearance was short, allowing Sendai to pick it up and launch a counterattack, quickly spreading to the right front line. MF Ota, who had moved up high, delivered a cross. This went over the center to MF Yang in the left area. The shot taken from here was saved by Shiota, but a short clearance from Yonemoto allowed the ball to be connected, and finally, FW Wilson in the center scored a volley, allowing an early lead to be conceded.

After that, Tokyo struggled with Sendai's long balls and could not regain a good rhythm in their attack. They fell into a bad flow, suffering from short counterattacks due to their own mistakes. Somehow, from a set piece, Ota sent a cross in front of the goal, but the timing was off, and they could not create a decisive moment. In the 23rd minute, Ota cut in from a high position in the front line and delivered a negative cross in front of the goal. Watanabe in the center of the area let it pass, and Yonemoto timed it perfectly from behind, but it went over the bar.

In the 29th minute, Hasegawa was fouled, resulting in a free kick just outside the left area. Ota sent the ball into the goal area, where Hyun Soo JANG touched it, but Watanabe couldn't connect and it went wide. Gradually, the passes started to circulate, and although they were keeping the ball, they struggled against Sendai's high defensive line, and there were no breakthroughs from the second line, so effective vertical passes were not made. In the 39th minute, Ota aimed directly at a free kick from about 30 meters in the center, but it just went over the bar. In stoppage time of the first half, from Hasegawa's setup, Vucicevic delivered a left cross. Yonemoto jumped into the right area but couldn't take a shot. In the end, they finished one goal behind.

In the second half of stoppage time, Ota scored directly from a free kick, leading to extra time.

The flow remains unchanged in the second half. Tokyo's goal kicks and balls to the front line are all rebuffed by Sendai. Wanting to change the momentum, Tokyo substitutes Ishikawa for VUCICEVIC in the 52nd minute. As Sendai's energy gradually begins to wane, Tokyo dominates possession of the ball. Sendai tightens their defense and aims for counterattacks. In the 57th minute, Ota cuts into the left area and sends a close-range final pass to Watanabe, who is waiting in the center, but it doesn't connect. Takahashi attempts a shot from distance off the rebound, but it is blocked.

In the 63rd minute, HASEGAWA brought the ball to the right front line and sent a negative last pass to the center of the area, but he couldn't connect between Watanabe at the near post and Ishikawa at the far post. In the 66th minute, HEYAMA was brought in to replace Watanabe. In the 73rd minute, while circulating the ball in the opponent's half, Ishikawa made a run behind, receiving a timely pass from Ota in the left area, and sent a last pass to the center. HASEGAWA in front of the goal let it go. HEYAMA was behind but couldn't connect. Although chances were created repeatedly from the sides, they were cleared just before scoring.

Conversely, in the 82nd minute, FW Akamine received the ball from a left throw-in by Sendai, evading Tokyo's defense along the left sideline, and delivered a floating last pass to the center. MF Yang made a perfect timed header but it narrowly went to the left, avoiding a crisis. In the 85th minute, Tokyo played their last card, substituting Hayashi for Higashi. In the 87th minute, Tokunaga's right cross was not converted into a shot by Hayashi on the left side of the area, and Hirayama in the center also failed to shoot. Ishikawa aimed for a volley from the rebound, but his powerful shot was blocked.

Even in the 4 minutes of stoppage time, Tokyo launches a fierce attack. Then, in a scramble just outside the area, Hayashi is brought down and earns a free kick. In a tense atmosphere, Ota's kicked ball finds the top right side netting, equalizing at the last moment. The second half ends and the match goes into extra time.