Resuming the 1st stage with the survival of the championship race at stake

　J1 League 1st Stage resumed yesterday. The Tokyo vs Vegalta Sendai match in Sec. 11 was held on Sunday, one day later than other matches. It is the first match after the league resumed, but today is an important match that will determine the survival in the championship race. We must take 3 points at home and gain momentum for the end of the 1st Stage.

　Tokyo lined up with Amaral at the top, Abe on the left, and Kelly in the center in a 4-5-1 formation. Due to accumulated warnings, Kaji was suspended and special designated player Tokunaga (currently studying at Waseda University) made his first start at right back. 12th place Sendai had several key players returning from injuries after the break, including GK Takakuwa, DF Komura and Morikawa, and MF Zaizen. However, they were missing key players such as MF Iwamoto, Silvino, and FW Marcos, making it difficult to field their best lineup. However, they must be wary of the strong counter attacks from FW Yamashita and Sato, who are known for their solid defense. The match started with Tokyo's kickoff under cloudy skies and high humidity of 75 percent.

First goal with a brilliant free kick by Miyazawa!

　Within the first minute, Tokunaga crosses from the right. In the second minute, Ishikawa breaks through the right side from the combination of Ishikawa and Tokunaga, and in the fifth minute, Ishikawa crosses again. In the ninth minute, Amalao heads down Miyazawa's FK, but Jean's shot goes over the frame. In the eleventh minute, Kelly swings to the side from Tokunaga's persistent dribble, and Kelly meets Ishikawa's cross, but Sendai DF cuts it off. On the other hand, Sendai also tries to create chances from counters, but their passes don't connect. As Tokyo takes control, Miyazawa takes a middle shot in the 16th minute. In the 20th minute, Kanazawa persists on the left side and earns a CK. In the 21st minute, Ishikawa receives a ground FK from the right side and shoots directly in the center. Although it is blocked by the DF, chances continue to be created one after another.

　And in the 24th minute, Sendai DF committed a handball foul outside the penalty area. Tokyo was awarded a free kick of about 25m, with Ishikawa and Miyazawa lining up in front of the ball. Miyazawa then used his magical left foot to directly aim for the goal, and the ball curved beautifully into the right side of the net! The first goal was scored by Miyazawa's artistic free kick.

　Tokyo, who had gained momentum, continued to dominate the game and create chances. In the 26th minute, Amaral received a ground cross from Tokunaga and passed it to the left, where Miyazawa was advancing into the penalty area. Miyazawa took a shot, but it went over the goal. In the 28th minute, Abe took a chance on the left side and Ishikawa picked up the loose ball, dribbled past the defenders on the left side, and sent a strong ground pass across the goal, narrowly missing Amaral on the far side.

In the second half, Sendai dominated but did not allow any goals.

　At 32 minutes, Sendai MF Ishii takes a middle shot, but this is Sendai's first shot. At 34 minutes, MF Moriyasu, who made a pass cut, attacks himself and takes a shot, but Shigeno cuts it. At 36 minutes, Tokyo connects Abe's cross in the center, and Ishikawa crosses. Kanazawa shoots the loose ball that the DF cut, and GK Takakuwa bounces it off, and Kelly follows up. Unfortunately, it was offside, but they created a good opportunity from a wide attack. At 42 minutes, Abe receives a pass from Ishikawa's dribble at the post, and Amaral, who ran in from behind, takes a shot. However, the ball goes wide. In the midst of Tokyo's attack and Sendai's counter, at 43 minutes, Sendai launches a quick attack, and FW Yamashita passes to the right side. Ishii crosses and FW Sato heads the ball with exquisite timing, but it misses the goal. Tokyo couldn't score an additional goal, but they lead by one point as they head into the second half.

　However, in the second half, it was Sendai who created the first chance. In the 48th minute, from a left throw-in, DF Motohara crossed the ball and Yamashita returned it on the far side, and Ishii volleyed it in the penalty area. The ball just cut to the left. But this one play made Tokyo's coach Hara say, "We got scared and pulled back." In the 50th minute, Motohara ran up to the penalty area from a counter and took a shot. In the 52nd minute, Yamashita again met Motohara's cross in front of the goal and took a direct shot. Both were saved by Tsuchi's save, but Sendai, who picked up a loose ball in the midfield, created a decisive opportunity from Motohara's sharp movements and accurate crosses.

　Tokyo, who persistently defends and does not allow any goals, has fallen behind in the attack, unable to connect passes and make advances. In the 67th minute, Amaral's header from Kanazawa's cross became the first shot of the second half. However, in the 68th minute, Toda was substituted for Abe. The intention of coach Hara was to "use his abundant stamina to make big movements and run towards open spaces. To pick up loose balls and change the flow of the game." This strategy paid off as they gradually regained their rhythm.

Toda's beautiful goal puts Sendai in the lead!

　In the 71st minute, Kelly from Kanazawa broke through and earned a CK, but Jean's header went to the left of the goal. In the 74th minute, Kelly persisted on the left side and Miyazawa, who had moved up to support, entered the penalty area. The cross was cut by DF, but Ishikawa followed up with a powerful shot. It was a decisive moment, but the ball was cleared by DF Fabiano with a header. It was a magnificent fine play that was blocked. In the following 75th minute, Toda received Kelly's pass outside the left area and took a shot. In the 76th minute, Toda dove in for a diving header on Tokunaga's early cross. Although he couldn't score, he showed a determined attitude by not giving up and bringing it to a finish.

　Sendai substituted FW Nakahara for midfielder Moriyasu in the 75th minute and switched to a 3-top formation to go for the "first goal". In the 80th minute, Tokyo also substituted Bamba for Amaral. Bamba was instructed to "create space up front and move the ball". In the 84th minute, Asari was substituted for Miyazawa to maintain balance while still aiming for "another goal". And it happened right after that. Asari, on the left side of the midfield, passed to Ishikawa for a side change. Ishikawa made a breakthrough on the right side and sent a fast, low cross from the goal line. In response, Bamba, who had jumped into the center of the goal, was used as a decoy, and Toda, who was left free behind him, perfectly volleyed the ball into the bottom left corner of the goal! It was a stunning goal!! Sendai pulled away with the long-awaited additional goal and the game was over. They also climbed up to 6th place in the rankings with a victory in their first game after the league resumed. With the top 10 teams all tied with just one point difference, Sendai will aim for consecutive wins in the remaining 4 games and push forward!

【Player Comments】《Toda》"When I came on as a substitute, we were being pushed back, so I focused on defending from the front and went into the game with the mindset of winning no matter what, even if it was just 1-0. I missed a diving header in front of goal, but that play helped me visualize hitting the target. Ishikawa provided a great cross and I think it was 80% his goal, but I'm glad I was able to score."《Tokunaga》"I was nervous at first, but as I started to shout and communicate, I got used to it. I was able to communicate with Ishikawa and he created space for me to attack. We didn't think about the pace and just went all out from the beginning, so my legs cramped up at the end, but the most important thing is that we won. I feel like I need to communicate more with my teammates from now on."

【Summary of Manager Hara's Press Conference】"In the Nabisco Cup match against Kashiwa, we didn't score despite playing well. However, we didn't concede any goals, so I wanted to continue playing this style of soccer. Sendai is a team that defends deep and launches sharp counterattacks. We told our players to spread out to the sides and attack simply, as we can score from the flow of the game and gain momentum if we can score the first goal from a set piece. Although we achieved our goal with Miyazawa's goal, we wanted to score another goal in the first half... In the beginning of the second half, we had a tough time, but we didn't concede and the momentum changed when Toda came on. His earnestness and attitude of "for the team" were evident. I'm glad he scored the winning goal. As for Tokunaga's inclusion, both I and the players knew his abilities. He played with confidence and became a key player. I watched the Urawa vs. Oita match yesterday, and the game changed completely with just one free kick. That's how close the J-League is. In the midst of a tight race, it's important for us to keep winning one game at a time."

[Sendai/Shimizu Coach Press Conference Summary] "The first half was a back-and-forth development. Although we lost a goal from a free kick, I think we were able to bring down Tokyo's attacks. In the second half, we created several chances until around the 20-minute mark, and I think it was good. However, when we tried to score a goal and took risks, we were caught on the counter. It wasn't a bad development, but... There were many injured players, and the young members who came on as substitutes may not have been functioning yet."