Eliminate the bad aftertaste and lay the foundation for advancing to the top

　In the midst of a chaotic battle for the top spot, as the 2nd stage reaches one-third completion, the 6th round will see an away match against Vegalta Sendai. In the previous round, Tokyo was caught up in a last-minute equalizer by Ichihara and ended in a draw. For Tokyo, today's match holds great significance in approaching the mid-stage in a good position. Following this, the 7th round will be played after a two-day break, and in addition, on the 17th of this week (Wednesday), Mochida and Ishikawa played a full game for the U-22 national team in Korea. It will be a tough schedule for both individuals and the team, but they will want to shake off the unpleasant draw from the previous round and secure a spot in the top ranks in this match.

　However, Sendai is currently in 15th place. They are also at the bottom of the annual ranking and are in the midst of a battle to avoid relegation. After the last round, it was decided that coach Shimizu would be replaced and Verdenik would be welcomed as the new coach. In this round, interim coach Ishii will take command, and although the situation is unstable, they should come out fighting and aim for a win. They cannot be underestimated, and the match is expected to be a difficult one. The Sendai Stadium, enveloped in Vegalta colors, started the match with a kickoff from Tokyo in the chilly temperature of 17.6 degrees, with only scattered rain.

Kelly scores first from Miyazawa's corner kick!

　The match was intense from the start, with both teams creating chances from set pieces. In the 3rd minute, Tokyo connected a free kick and Toda jumped in after Jean dropped the ball in the front line. In the 5th minute, Sendai MF Silvino and in the 7th minute, Tokyo Ishikawa threatened the goal as the kicker.

　Tokyo had their first chance in the 9th minute, when Ishikawa received a long pass from Miyazawa and crossed it to Toda who was free in front of the goal. However, his jumping volley shot went over the bar, missing the opportunity to take the lead. In the 14th minute, Ishikawa received a pass from Kelly and sent another cross, but it didn't connect with Abe on the far side.

　Tokyo starts to break through from the side change with Ishikawa and Kaji on the right, but scenes where they are intercepted in the center stand out. Sendai's counterattacks are sharp after winning the ball, with Ishii dribbling through the midfield and passing to left MF Iwamoto, who then crosses low for FW Sato to attack. Shortly after, Sato breaks through the defense with a lofted pass from Silvinho, but Kaji slides in to clear it and Sendai escapes with a corner kick. Tokyo, who is often pushed back by Sendai's passionate play, leaves gaps in the midfield and allows attacks led by Silvinho. The duo of Kim and Sato frequently threatened the goal, but the backline held strong. In the 28th minute, Kim tries to break through the defense with a long pass, but is well defended by Mochida. In the 30th minute, Sato gets into a shooting position from Nemoto's cross, but once again Mochida makes the crucial interception.

　In the 31st minute, Kelly's long pass was caught up by Ishikawa, and Kaji crossed directly, but Abe, who trapped it, was surrounded by DF. In the 32nd minute, Kanazawa, who went up the left side, was knocked down and got a FK, but Miyazawa's kick was cleared by DF. However, when Miyazawa kicked the right CK obtained from this, Kelly headed the ball on the near side. The ball that flowed back was sucked into the left goal! The opening goal was born from today's first CK!! Tokyo, who caught the flow, also aimed for the goal from the right FK in the 34th minute. In the 41st minute, Abe, who received Kelly's pass on the right side, dribbled past DF and took a shot, winning a CK. Toda hit the ball with a header from the far side again from the right CK, but the ball floated up and Jean couldn't finish it. In the end, they couldn't score an additional goal and ended the first half with a one-point lead.

Caught off guard and tied, and then allowing a comeback goal...

　After conceding the first goal and appearing to sink, Sendai changed their attitude in the second half and made a comeback. In the 49th minute, Kin received an early cross from Nemoto and took a shot, but Tsuchiho caught it. In the 51st minute, Tokyo's Abe scored a header from a free kick. In the 53rd minute, Abe cut past the DF on the left side and took a powerful shot, but the GK caught it. Shortly after, Sendai's GK sent the ball to the front line and Kin turned and took a ground shot from the right penalty area, just missing to the right. In the 55th minute, MF Mochizuki took a header from a left corner kick. In the 56th minute, Kin broke through the area after receiving a through pass from Silvinho, but was taken down by a Tokyo DF and was called for simulation.

　Tokyo substituted Amaral for Abe in the 57th minute. In the 60th minute, Kelly → Amaral quickly passed to the right, and Ishikawa sent a fast ground cross to the front of the goal. Toda made a big chance from his favorite pattern of running in, but was stopped by Sendai DF Komine's defense. It was just after this missed chance for an additional point. Sendai, who had been keeping the ball in the midfield, saw space and had Nemoto move up to the center, driving a shot from outside the penalty area towards the goal. Tsuchi was able to deflect it, but Kin was persistent in front of the goal and pushed it in. The game was now tied.

　The stands were filled with excitement as Sendai, fueled by the equalizing goal, launched a fierce attack. In the 68th minute, a free kick from the right side earned by Kim, followed by a corner kick in the 72nd minute, saw Iwamoto come close to scoring for Tokyo with his precise kicks. And in the 74th minute, Sendai sent a through pass from their own half to the front line, where Iwamoto picked up the ball dropped by the midfield. Seeing Tokyo's press was weak, Iwamoto dribbled effortlessly towards the goal and scored with a looping shot over Doi's head. A stunning shot from an unlikely opponent, turning the game around.

Yusuke KONDO's first goal in J League results in a valuable draw

　Tokyo, who was suddenly behind, managed to take a corner kick from Ishikawa's right cross in the 75th minute. Ishikawa connected the corner kick and Miyazawa crossed it in front of the goal. Amaral then unleashed a powerful header, but the ball hit the crossbar. Shortly after, Amaral attempted another header from a left corner kick, but the ball missed widely. Tokyo, determined to win, substituted Miura for Yusuke Kondo in the 76th minute. Kondo, who is only 18 years old, has been dominating the Satellite League with 7 goals in 8 games and even scored a hat-trick in a practice match against Waseda University just 3 days ago. He is currently the team's secret weapon with a knack for scoring goals. The oldest player on the team, Amaral, and the youngest, Yusuke Kondo, formed a striking duo, while Miyazawa played as a defensive midfielder, as they prepared to launch a counterattack.

　On the other hand, Sendai substituted defensive MF Moriho for 81-year-old Mochizuki. However, it was Tokyo who took the offensive. In the 79th minute, Yusuke Kondo boldly volleyed Amaral's left cross. In the 80th minute, Miyazawa picked up the clear ball from Ishikawa's right CK and took a strong middle shot from the left 45 degrees. However, it narrowly missed the goal. In the 86th minute, Kondo Yusuke competed with an early cross from Kaji, but it crossed the line. Immediately after, Kondo Yusuke dropped Kanazawa's cross with his head, and Toda tried to score, but the opposing GK caught it just a step ahead. Kondo Yusuke, who was actively involved in the attack on the front line, created chances. The result was his first J-League goal.

　At the 87th minute, Tokyo earns a free kick from about 30m on the right side after the opponent commits a foul on the ball from Doi's goal kick. Miyazawa kicks the ball and Yusuke KONDO heads it in with a grazing touch, tying the game at the last minute!

　In stoppage time, Sendai launched a quick counterattack and Sato broke through. Tokyo's defense stopped it with a foul, giving away a free kick in front of the goal. In the final moments, Silvinho's free kick from near the penalty arc hit the wall and deflected, hitting the goal post. Tokyo escaped unscathed. In the last play, a header from Kim off a corner kick missed the goal and the game ended. The intense battle ended in a draw, earning a valuable 1 point away from home.

【Player Comments】《Yusuke KONDO》"(On the goal scene) I ran in to match the free kick and it went over my head."

I thought I was going to wait, but I managed to get in. I was completely absorbed, but I wasn't nervous. Recently, I've been scoring points in satellite and practice, so if I play in a game, I was thinking I would score. I want to get used to the fast pressure of the top game a little more."《Toda》"I think we were able to catch up by using the reflection of the previous game where we were defeated and going on the offensive. It's good that we didn't lose, but there are moments where we bring out the opponent's strengths, so I want to make adjustments without losing focus and face the next game."

[Summary of Manager Hara's Press Conference] "We have been in a situation where we haven't been able to win for a few games now, but today we were able to come back even when we were behind in the away atmosphere. I thought that if we lost here, the team's condition would become unpleasant, but Yusuke KONDO scored a good goal and we were able to bring a different draw from last week's match against Ichihara. Sendai changed their manager, but I thought that all the remaining players and staff would come with a strong mindset. As expected, Sendai had a strong mindset and we lost all the ball battles before tactics, and then we were thrown forward, especially at the start it was tough. However, Kelly scored the opening goal from Miyazawa's CK, which allowed us to pick up loose balls and get into our rhythm. In the second half, Sendai came back with high motivation, so we put in Amaral and aimed for the second goal from his holding power, but unfortunately we conceded in an unlucky way. If he had scored from Amaral's header off the crossbar or the subsequent free shot, he would have gotten into his groove and the team would have been able to gain more momentum. We have another game coming up soon, so we want to prepare well and take 3 points from Jubilo."

[Sendai, Ishii's press conference summary] "We were caught up at the very end, and the points slipped away, which was a very disappointing result. (In taking command) there wasn't much time, but in the previous match against Kashima, Manager Shimizu instilled a defensive mindset in the players, and we came out in a good shape. This time, we continued that and approached the game with a game plan that emphasized defensive balance. I think the players faithfully fulfilled their individual roles. In addition, the challenge was how much fight we could put up, but the players were able to overcome the shock in a short period of time and show a united attitude towards winning. I am grateful for that. There are also some players who are not in good condition, but in these few days, they were able to boost their motivation and I think we can hand over to the new manager in a good state. Under Manager Verdenik, I believe the players will show a good performance."