Eliminate the bad aftertaste and use it as a stepping stone to advance to the top.

　Amidst the chaotic battle for the top, one-third of the 2nd stage has passed, and in Sec. 6, we will face Vegalta Sendai away. For Tokyo, who drew against Ichihara at the last moment in the previous match, this game holds significant meaning to approach the mid-season in a good shape. After this, there will be Sec. 7 in two days, and additionally, on the 17th (Wednesday) of this week, Moniwa and Ishikawa played the full match for the U-22 national team in Korea. It will be a tough schedule for both individuals and the team, but this match is crucial to shake off the unpleasant draw from the last game and aim for a higher ranking.

　However, Sendai is currently in 15th place. They are at the bottom of the annual rankings and are caught in the relegation battle. After the last match, the decision was made to replace the coach, and they welcomed new coach VERDENIK. For this match, Hajime ISHII will temporarily take charge, and while the situation is unstable, it is expected that they will fight hard to win in times like this. They cannot be underestimated, and rather, a difficult match is anticipated. Wrapped in Vegalta colors, Sendai Stadium, although the rain is sparse, the match began at Tokyo's kickoff in a chilly temperature of 17.6 degrees.

Kelly scores first from Miyazawa's corner kick!

　The match started intensely, with both teams creating chances from set plays. In the 3rd minute, Tokyo connected a free kick, and when Jean dropped the ball in the front line, Toda jumped in. In the 5th minute, Sendai's midfielder Silvinho took a shot, and in the 7th minute, Tokyo's Ishikawa became the kicker and approached the goal.

　The first scoring opportunity was for Tokyo. In the 9th minute, Ishikawa received a long pass from Miyazawa and delivered a cross, but Toda, who was free in front of the goal, missed with a jumping volley that went over the bar, missing the chance to take the lead. In the 14th minute, Ishikawa sent another cross after receiving a pass from Kelly, but the timing was off for Abe at the far side.

　Tokyo attempts to break through from the right with Ishikawa and Kaji after a switch of play, but scenes of losing possession in the center are noticeable. Sendai's counterattacks after regaining possession are sharp; in the 16th minute, Ishii dribbles through the midfield, connects with left midfielder Iwamoto, and forward Sato tries to dive in for a ground cross. Shortly after, Sato breaks behind the defense with a floating pass from Silvinho, creating a decisive moment, but Kaji clears it with a sliding tackle, resulting in a corner kick. Tokyo, often pushed back by Sendai's passionate play, leaves gaps in the midfield and allows attacks starting from Silvinho. The two forwards, Kim and Sato, frequently pressed into the goal area, but the back line held firm. In the 28th minute, Kim tries to break free in front of the goal while competing with Shigeno for a long pass, but Shigeno does well to contain him. In the 30th minute, Sato prepares to shoot from Nemoto's cross, but once again, Shigeno cuts it off.

　Conversely, at the 31st minute, Ishikawa caught up with Kelly's long pass, and Kaji delivered a direct cross, but Abe, who trapped the ball, was surrounded by defenders. At the 32nd minute, Kanazawa, advancing on the left side, was fouled, earning a free kick, which Miyazawa's kick was cleared by the defenders. However, from the resulting right corner kick, Miyazawa took the kick, and Kelly headed the ball at the near side. The ball that flowed backward was drawn into the left side of the goal—goal! The first corner kick of the day produced the opening goal!! Tokyo, having seized the momentum, saw Miyazawa attempt a goal from a right free kick at the 34th minute. At the 41st minute, Abe received Kelly's pass on the right side, dodged defenders, took a shot, and earned a corner kick. From the right corner again, Toda headed the ball fiercely at the far post, but the ball rose, and Jean could not follow up. Ultimately, no additional goals were scored, and the first half ended with a one-goal lead.

Caught off guard, allowed the equalizer, and then conceded the turnaround goal...

　Sendai, who seemed to sink after allowing the opening goal, changed their demeanor in the second half and revived. In the 49th minute, Kan matched Nemoto's early cross with a shot, but Dohi caught it. In the 51st minute, Abe headed a shot from a free kick for Tokyo. In the 53rd minute, Abe cut back a defender on the left side and unleashed a powerful shot, but the goalkeeper caught it. Shortly after, Sendai sent the ball forward from the goalkeeper, and Kan received it in the right penalty area, turned, and took a ground shot that just missed to the right. In the 55th minute, MF Mochizuki headed a shot from a left corner kick. In the 56th minute, Kan broke into the area following Silvinho's through pass, but fell while competing with Tokyo's DF and was penalized for simulation.

　In the 57th minute, Tokyo substituted Amaral for Abe. In the 60th minute, Kelly passed to Amaral, who made a one-touch pass to the right, and Ishikawa delivered a fast ground cross in front of the goal. Toda created a big chance with his signature pattern of running in, but was thwarted by Sendai defender Komine. This happened just after they missed the chance for an additional goal. Sendai, who had been holding the midfield, saw the space and Nemoto moved up to the center, sending a drive-like shot from outside the penalty area towards the goal. Doi initially deflected it, but Kan, who was lurking in front of the goal, persisted and pushed it in, equalizing the score.

　The stands erupted with excitement at this equalizer, and buoyed by the support, Sendai launched a relentless attack. In the 68th minute, after a foul on Kan, they earned a free kick from the right side, and in the 72nd minute, from a left corner kick, Iwamoto approached the Tokyo goal with a precise kick. Then, in the 74th minute, Sendai sent a penetrating pass from their own half to the front line. Iwamoto picked up the ball dropped in midfield, and seeing that Tokyo's press was weak, he dribbled smoothly towards the goal and took a looping shot. This floated over Doih's head and into the net. Despite being the enemy, it was a magnificent shot that allowed them to take the lead.

Yusuke KONDO's first J-League goal secures a valuable draw

　Tokyo, having suddenly fallen behind, won a corner kick from Ishikawa's right cross in the 75th minute. They connected the corner taken by Ishikawa, and Miyazawa crossed in front of the goal. Amaral unleashed a powerful header, but the ball hit the crossbar. Immediately after, Amaral again connected with a header from a left corner kick, but the ball went wide. In a bid to turn the tide, Tokyo brought in Yusuke KONDO in place of Miura in the 76th minute. At just 18 years old, he is currently the top scorer in the Satellite League with 7 goals in 8 matches and scored a hat trick in a practice match against Waseda University just three days ago, raising expectations for the introduction of this secret weapon that smells of goals. The team’s oldest player, Amaral, and the youngest, Yusuke KONDO, formed a two-top striker duo, with Miyazawa playing as a single defensive midfielder as they prepared to counterattack.

　Conversely, Sendai replaced Mochizuki with defensive midfielder Moriyasu. However, it was Tokyo that took the initiative. In the 79th minute, Kondo Yusuke boldly volleyed in response to Amarao's left cross. In the 80th minute, after Ishikawa's right corner kick was cleared, Miyazawa picked up the ball and unleashed a powerful mid-range shot from the left 45 degrees, but it just missed above the goal. In the 86th minute, Kondo Yusuke competed for a header from Kaji's early cross, but it went out of bounds. Shortly after, Kondo Yusuke headed down a cross from Kanazawa, and Toda tried to connect, but the opposing goalkeeper caught it just a step earlier. Kondo Yusuke, who was actively involved in the attack and created chances, saw his efforts rewarded with his first goal in J-League.

　In the 87th minute, after the opponent stopped the goal kick from Dohi with a foul, Tokyo earned a free kick about 30 meters on the right side. Kondo Yusuke flicked the ball with a header just as it was dropping, scoring a goal! They equalized at the last moment!

　In stoppage time, Sendai launched a quick counterattack, and Sato broke through. This was stopped by a foul from Tokyo's defense, giving away a free kick right in front of the goal. Just before the end, a free kick taken by Silvinho from near the penalty arc hit the wall and deflected, hitting the goalpost, allowing Tokyo to escape unscathed. In the end, a header from Kan from a corner kick also missed the goal, leading to the time-up. The intense battle ended in a draw, earning a valuable point away.

[Player Comment] Yusuke KONDO: "(Regarding the goal scene) I ran in to meet the free kick, but I got caught up..."

I thought I missed it, but it went in. I was absorbed in the game, but I wasn't nervous. Recently, I've been scoring in the satellite games and practices, so I thought if I got to play in a match, I would score. I want to get a little more used to the fast pressure of top-level games." {TODA} "I think we were able to capitalize on the lessons learned from the last match where we were defeated, and we pushed forward to catch up. I'm glad we didn't lose, but there were moments where we allowed the opponent to showcase their strengths, so I want to correct that without losing focus and prepare for the next match."

[Summary of Coach Hara's Press Conference] "We have been struggling to win in the past few matches, but today, even though we were behind, we managed to catch up well in the away atmosphere. I thought losing here would put the team in a bad state, but Yusuke KONDO scored a good goal, and we somehow managed to secure a draw different from last week's match against Ichihara. Sendai changed their coach, but I expected that all the remaining players and staff would approach the game with strong determination. As expected, Sendai showed great spirit, and before tactics came into play, we lost all the ball battles and were forced to defend long balls, making the start particularly tough. However, Kelly scored the opening goal from Miyazawa's corner kick, which allowed us to pick up the loose balls and set our rhythm. In the second half, Sendai came back highly motivated, so we brought in Amaral at a crucial moment to aim for a second goal with his ball retention skills, but unfortunately, we conceded an unlucky goal. Amaral's header hit the crossbar, and then there was a free shot—if he had scored then, he would have regained his form, and the team would have gained more momentum. Since the next match is coming up soon, we will prepare well and aim to take 3 points from Jubilo."

[Summary of Coach Ishii's Press Conference in Sendai] "In the end, we were caught up at the last moment, and the points slipped away, resulting in a very disappointing outcome. (In taking charge) there wasn't much time, but in the previous match against Kashima, Coach Shimizu instilled a defensive awareness in the players, and it showed in a good way. This match, we inherited that and approached it with a game plan that emphasized defensive balance. I believe the players faithfully executed their roles one by one. Additionally, there was the challenge of how much fight we could show, but they overcame the shock in a short period and demonstrated a unified attitude towards winning. For that, I am grateful. There are a few players who are not in good form, but in the past few days, we have been able to significantly boost motivation, and I think we can hand over to the new coach in good condition. I believe that under Coach VERDENIK, the players will show good performances."