Whatever the form, the result is required for this match.

After a two-week break following the end of the league season, the Emperor's Cup resumes. Vegalta Sendai will face off against each other in the quarterfinals. It will be the same match-up as the final round of the league, but during this time, Lucas suffered a broken bone and Hiramatsu was injured. The team was struck with a shocking accident, and a somber atmosphere temporarily hung over them. However, coach Ranko POPOVIC said, "It's very unfortunate that these two cannot be on the pitch, but they are still part of the FC Tokyo family. They are always with us. Of course, the other players also carry their feelings and are determined to fight and win for them."

The opponent Sendai has advanced to the quarterfinals by defeating Blaublitz Akita (representative of Akita Prefecture), Mito, and Shimizu in the Emperor's Cup. FW Yanagisawa was injured in the final round of the league and was forced to withdraw, but on the other hand, MF Kakuta and DF Sugai returned. They will face each other with a different lineup from the previous match. Tokunaga said, "It will be important to pick up the second ball and win the ball. As we know each other's tactics, concentration will also determine the outcome. We want to pay attention to the details throughout the match and win." They will need to be careful with the start of the match and maintain a compact formation to gain control of the game from the beginning.

Tokyo made changes to their lineup from the final round of the league. They brought in Chang Hyun Soo as center back and replaced Lucas with Higashi. Takahashi said, "It's a home game for Sendai. Also, with Teguramori's resignation decided, their determination to 'do it' may be strong. However, we have our own "circumstances" that we absolutely cannot lose." Ishikawa also said, "We want to show more than what we've relied on Lukon for so far," expressing their individual thoughts on the pitch and aiming for a team victory. The match started at 13:04 with Tokyo's kickoff at Yurtec Stadium Sendai.

A series of mistakes led to conceding the first goal. The first half ended with the opponent's rhythm.

Unable to pick up second balls due to Sendai's strength in the ball. Then, in the 3rd minute, Shioda cleared the ball short, and Sendai picked it up and quickly launched a counter attack on the right side. MF Ota, who had moved up to a high position, crossed the ball. It went over the center and to the left area where MF Yanagi was waiting. The shot from here was saved by Shioda, but the rebound was short and connected, and finally FW Wilson in the center was able to score a volley, and we conceded the first goal.

After that, Sendai's long balls continued to trouble Tokyo, and they were unable to regain a good rhythm in their attacks. They were caught in a bad flow, repeatedly conceding short counters due to their own mistakes. Despite Ota's efforts to send crosses into the box from set pieces, they were unable to create any decisive opportunities due to poor timing. In the 23rd minute, Ota dribbled up to a high position on the front line and sent a negative cross into the box. Watanabe in the center of the area let it through, and behind him, Yonemoto timed his shot perfectly, but it went over the bar.

In the 29th minute, Hasegawa received a foul and took a free kick from the left area. Ota sent it to the front of the goal, but Chang Hyun Soo couldn't finish it and it went out of bounds. The passes started to connect little by little, but Sendai's high defensive line made it difficult and there were no runs from the second line, so there were no effective vertical passes. In the 39th minute, Ota took a direct free kick from about 30m in the center, but it just went over the goal. In stoppage time of the first half, Vucicevic crossed from Hasegawa's play, but Yonemoto couldn't shoot in from the right area. In the end, they finished the first half trailing by one point.

Ota scores a direct free kick in stoppage time of the second half, and the game goes into extra time.

The flow remains the same in the second half. Tokyo's goal kicks and balls to the front line are all bounced back by Sendai. Tokyo, who wants to change the flow, substitutes Ishikawa for Vucicevic in the 52nd minute. Gradually, Sendai's movement begins to decrease, allowing Tokyo to dominate the ball. Sendai is defending and aiming for counterattacks. In the 57th minute, Ota dribbles through the left area and sends a close-range last pass to Watanabe waiting in the center, but it doesn't connect. Takahashi tries a shot from the rebound, but it is blocked.

63 minutes, Hasegawa brings the ball to the right sideline and sends a minus last pass to the center of the area, but cannot connect with Watanabe and Ishikawa between them. In the 66th minute, Hirayama was substituted for Watanabe. In the 73rd minute, while passing the ball in the opponent's half, Ishikawa makes a run behind the defense and receives a well-timed pass from Ota in the left area, sending a last pass to the center. Hasegawa in front of the goal lets it go through, but Hirayama behind him is unable to finish it. Despite creating multiple chances from the side, they are unable to score due to being cleared at the last moment.

In the 82nd minute, FW Cabore, who received the ball from Sendai's left throw-in, dribbled past Tokyo DF on the left side of the front line and sent a lofted pass to the center. MF Yanagida jumped in with perfect timing for a header, but it narrowly missed to the left and avoided danger. In the 85th minute, Tokyo made their final card and substituted Hayashi for Higashi. In the 87th minute, Tokunaga's cross from the right was received by Hayashi in the left area, but he couldn't get a shot off. Ishikawa attempted a volley on the rebound, but his powerful shot was blocked.

Even in the 4 minutes of stoppage time, Tokyo launches a fierce attack. Then, in the midst of a melee just outside the area, Hayashi is fouled and earns a free kick. In a tense atmosphere, Ota's kick is sucked into the upper right side net, equalizing the score at the last minute. The second half ends and goes into extra time.