The "Tokyo!" call echoes through the stadium!

The away match against Sendai, which was the first of the season, kicked off in the harsh cold of 5 degrees at Sendai Stadium, which boasts top-class facilities in the country. Sendai gathered over 10,000 spectators in their opening match last week and was introduced in sports news as a region where 'Tohoku is hot right now!' On this day, nearly 5,000 spectators cheered loudly, filling the venue with the spirit of Sendai, but the approximately 50 supporters who rushed from Tokyo countered with their 'Tokyo! Tokyo!' chants, showing enough flair and creativity despite being only one-hundredth in number. It can only be said, 'As expected!' and there’s no way the players wouldn’t be inspired by this.

A back-and-forth evenly matched first half

In the first half, FC Tokyo built the game with Almir's long and short passes from deep in the midfield, creating chances from Sato's dribbles and Amaral's hold-up play. Following the previous match, Amaral's movements were good, and in the 30th minute of the first half, he hit the crossbar with a looping shot from a ball dropped by Okamoto, showcasing his proactive play. In defense, Sandro and Komine displayed an excellent combination, while Asari's tight checks and the calm judgments of Fujiyama and Umehara ensured stability without any signs of being broken down. However, the poor condition of the pitch and the opponent's tight marking made it difficult to create decisive moments. On the other hand, Sendai's new foreign player Nixon became a key figure with his dynamic movements, creating chances in combination with Abe up front. The back-and-forth battle gradually shifted to FC Tokyo's rhythm due to the difference in defensive strength.

Ride the wave with the new player's first goal!

As the second half began, the opponent's energy levels dropped, and balls that had not passed through the defense in the first half started to get through gradually. Coach Okuma's strategy of "not losing in terms of energy" began to show its effectiveness. On the right side, a sharp overlapping run by Umeyama from Sato's dribble led to exquisite through passes, and the pattern of "craftsman" Umeyama's highly accurate crossing was seen multiple times. On the left side, chances were created from the wall pass between Fujiyama and Almir. In the 15th minute of the second half, Fujiyama persisted with a dribble on the left side and passed to Okamoto in the center. Okamoto, while being marked by an opponent, managed a powerful shot from a difficult position. The goalkeeper barely deflected it, but Sato was there to easily score. Furthermore, in the 19th minute of the second half, this time a direct pass from Sato on the right side reached Okamoto, who delivered a quick cross. Almir, running in, took a strong shot from the center. The goalkeeper managed to deflect it again, but Almir pushed it in for a goal. With the first goals from the two new signings, the team completely gained momentum. Although they failed to secure additional points and, conversely, conceded easily, this game confirmed FC Tokyo's strength in securing a solid victory away under poor conditions.