Reborn Sendai

This will be the first match against Sendai since the new coach took over. Although they have consistently struggled at the bottom of the league, Sendai has a reputation for their attacking power. With the addition of their new commander and two excellent reinforcements, Paulo Henrique (formerly of JEF) and Zaizen (former Verdy), both midfielders, they have transformed. In the last month and a half alone, since the two joined, they have earned 9 points out of a total of 18. This reinforcement has had a significant impact. Additionally, with the inclusion of Brazilian midfielder Henrique, Colombian holding midfielder Nixon, and Yugoslav defender Dubajic, Sendai has become a rare 'multinational team' with three foreign players from different nationalities. Although they have won both the 1st and 2nd rounds convincingly, the 'new Sendai' is not to be underestimated, and caution is necessary regarding their enhanced attacking power.

Sendai's Pace in the First Half

In this match, which was the first encounter in about four months, Tokyo fielded almost their best lineup, while Sendai struggled with a difficult formation missing key players such as forward Abe, midfielder Echigo, and Zaizen due to injuries. The substitutes were joined by Nixon, who missed the previous 2nd round, and new playmaker Henrique, creating a lineup that felt like a completely different team.

When the match started, Sendai was the first to control the ball. The new foreign player, Henrique, immediately showcased his outstanding stamina and ball control. Sendai's midfield press was strong, and the defensive midfielder, Nixon, stole the ball from a uniquely persistent defense, passing it to Henrique on the left flank via the technician, Tai Chiba, who is skilled with his left foot. From there, Henrique either initiated a dribble himself or created space to deliver exquisite passes for his teammates' runs, becoming the focal point of the attack.

On the other hand, Tokyo is keeping the ball in midfield with Almir, passing it to forward Amaral, and trying to spread it to the left and right. However, Sendai's press is strong, making it difficult to deliver timely passes. Amaral is struggling alone to keep the ball and manages to take a shot with individual skill, but both sides, left midfielder Okamoto and right midfielder Yukihiko, are tightly marked. When they can no longer circulate the ball rhythmically in the high midfield position (i.e., the front line), they began to rely on monotonous long balls aimed at Amaral's head from the defensive line. However, Amaral is closely marked by the 191 cm Dubaitch, making it hard for him to win, and the ball is consistently cleared away.

The match progressed at the pace of Sendai, who dominated the midfield with intense pressing. In the 20th minute, Nixon stole the ball in midfield, surged forward, and broke free from a forceful wall pass to take a powerful shot. The ball hit the right goal post and did not result in a goal. In the 27th minute, a floating pass in front of the goal caused confusion, and an unmarked player took a shot, but this was also saved by the crossbar. In the following 28th minute, Tokyo struggled to get the ball forward from midfield, and Asari made a careless, weak back pass. A Sendai player intercepted this, and in the ensuing scramble, Henrique seized the loose ball and surged forward. The goalkeeper, Suzuki, lunged to stop him, causing Henrique to fall, resulting in a penalty kick. Henrique confidently converted this penalty, giving Sendai the lead.

Although Tokyo fell behind by one goal and faced a tough situation, the defense, centered around Komine and Sandro, remained solid and did not collapse. After Koike replaced Asari, the ball possession in midfield increased, allowing the full-backs to join the attack. Gradually, Tokyo began to take control of the pace of the game.

Amaral explodes! Achieves the first hat-trick of the season!

As the second half began, Tokyo, with superior stamina, started to shine. In the first half, Sendai showed intense pressing, but as the second half progressed, their energy visibly dropped. Particularly, when Henrique, who had been active in the midfield, lost his stamina, Sendai's attacks became monotonous. Conversely, Tokyo saw Kaburaki, who came on in the second half, actively making runs behind the opposing defense, disrupting Sendai's defensive balance and increasing the opportunities for Amaral and Almir to become free. In the 58th minute, from a scramble in front of the goal, Almir delivered a superb looping pass behind the opposing defense. When Yukihiko sharply reacted and tried to break free, the opposing defender could not help but foul him. Yukihiko fell, earning a penalty kick. Amaral calmly converted this, leveling the score. Sendai, desperate to win at home, shifted to an attacking mode, disrupting their overall balance, which created space behind their defense, playing into Tokyo's hands. In the 60th minute, Shinjo stole the ball in midfield and connected it to Almir, who immediately passed it forward to Amaral, who was lined up with the Sendai defense. Amaral executed a superb trap to shake off the defender and charged towards the goal. He calmly scored before the goalkeeper could come out, turning the game around. Tokyo continued to press, with Almir creating chances with his versatile passing. In the 25th minute, he received a pass from Umeyama and ran deep down the right side, then delivered a heel pass directly to Amaral, who had made a run into the center. Although Amaral's shot went wide, it was a moment that created a scoring opportunity with artistic passing. Sendai's forward Segawa, who came on in the second half, tried to make chances on the right side using his speed, but Fujiyama showcased his strength in a one-on-one situation and shut him down. Conversely, Fujiyama stole the ball from there and created a chance with his attacking participation. In the 85th minute, Amaral intercepted an opponent's back pass and scored his third goal of the day, sealing the match.

Recently, Tokyo has been a slow starter, finding themselves in trouble in the first half. The next match against Oita (9/25, Komazawa) will mark the beginning of the final round of 9 matches. Yukihiko will be unable to play due to accumulated warnings, but I hope they can surpass their opponents with their determination and spirit, and explode from the first half.

Director Okuma's Comments

・In the first half, it was painful to concede a goal due to our mistakes when the opponent was in control. In the second half, we were able to outpace the opponent in terms of movement and play our style of football, but it was tough not to score when the opponent's marking was tight in the first half. I believe the key to today's victory was earning a penalty in a good period in the second half to equalize, and then taking advantage of the space behind when the opponent pushed forward trying to score.

・From now on, we will continue to treat each match with importance as before, but with the Nabisco Cup coming up, the condition will become challenging. It is expected to be a total war, so in addition to the 16 members, we want to try various combinations.