First match after the league resumes - a game neither can afford to lose!　

　In Sec. 26 of the league, we face Vegalta Sendai away. After winning the Emperor's Cup match against Kitakyushu on 10/11, combined with the league match against Shonan, this marks our second official consecutive win this season (following the Nabisco Cup qualifiers on June 6 against Kyoto and June 9 against C Osaka). Although challenges and points for improvement remain, and we cannot yet say we have overcome the league difficulties, there was surely a sense of accomplishment and fulfillment that can only be gained through victory. The players uniformly expressed strong determination, saying, "From here on, we will approach the remaining 9 matches as if they were a tournament," aiming to turn the confidence gained from consecutive wins into team growth and accumulate points.Vegalta Sendai currently sits 13th with 27 points. Having been eliminated in the 2nd Round of the Emperor's Cup, they appear to have focused their preparations on this Tokyo match, including holding a training camp after Sec. 25. Depending on the result of this match, the rankings between Tokyo and Sendai could swap, making this an "absolutely must-win match" for Sendai as well. Coach Okuma analyzed, "Sendai's strength lies in their sharp and precise counterattacks. They also have height up front. They don't seem to spend much time on attack buildup, but their attacking fullbacks are powerful, and in some ways, they resemble Tokyo."Tokyo welcomes back Konno, Gonda, and Kim Young-gun from national team duties, and Kajiyama and Hanyu have returned from injury for the Emperor's Cup. Coach Okuma commented, "With injured players returning, the other players' attitudes have changed. A competitive spirit has emerged, creating a tough but positive atmosphere," reflecting the fresh motivation. To prevent the opponent from counterattacking, it is important not to lose the ball carelessly while attacking and to finish as many attacks as possible. We want to break down the opponent's defensive line through a combination of fast attacks and organized passing play, creating coordinated and powerful offense.As Coach Okuma aims, "We want to address the lack of scoring ability not just as an individual issue but as a team challenge," increasing the number of chances should lead to a higher probability of goals. Although a tough game is expected, we will enter the match focused from the start, fight with determination without being overwhelmed by Sendai's home momentum, and aim for victory! The match kicked off at 14:04 at Yurtec Stadium Sendai with Sendai starting.

Took the lead with Oguro's goal, but equalized and ended in a draw at halftime

　From the start, both teams showed passionate play, leading to an attacking battle. In that context, Tokyo scored the opening goal early on. In the 9th minute, from Ishikawa's right corner kick, Hirayama's powerful header was cleared by the Sendai defender covering, resulting in a throw-in. From this right throw-in, Ricardinho delivered a cross, and near the near post, Oguro twisted his body almost like a back header to make a header shot! Oguro's skillful shot gave Tokyo the lead.After that, Tokyo continued to connect their focused defense to attack. In the 18th minute, from Konno's right free kick, Mukuhara advanced and sent a low cross. Oguro, running into the goal area, volleyed the ball after it bounced once, but it went off target... In the 26th minute, from Tokunaga to Mukuhara's cross, it led to a right corner kick. From Ishikawa's kick, Konno headed the ball forward, and Oguro tried to shoot but lost his balance and the ball went off target. However, Sendai quickly sent the ball to their forwards Akamine and Nakahara, gradually launching more forceful attacks.Tokyo also pushed the ball forward on counters, and as the intensity increased on both offense and defense, in the 30th minute, Tokyo lost a cleared ball to Sendai, and Saito, the defensive midfielder, unleashed a powerful long-range shot. The ball brushed Gonda's hand and hit the right post, but the first to react to the rebound was Sendai MF Yang. He slid in from the left area and connected with a sliding shot... Tokyo's defenders were a step late in responding, and they were caught off guard in a moment of defensive lapse, allowing Sendai to equalize.

Although they took the lead with Hirayama's go-ahead goal, they conceded consecutive goals in the final stages and lost the match.

　In the second half, Tokyo wanted to score an additional goal first. At the 52nd minute, Nakamura sent an early cross aiming behind Sendai's DF from midfield. Hirayama skillfully slipped between the opposing defenders and headed the pinpoint ball into the goal! Once again, Tokyo successfully took the lead early as planned. However, Sendai did not lose heart and thoroughly gathered the ball up front to launch a counterattack. At the 59th minute, from a powerful post play by Sendai FW Akamine, MF Sekiguchi took a decisive shot, but Gonda made a great save to escape the danger. At the 64th minute, Hanyu was brought on, but Sendai also introduced attacking players MF Fernandinho and FW Hirase. Gradually, Tokyo's defensive line stretched, and they could not stop Sendai's momentum. Still, Tokyo, concentrating on defense centered around Gonda, conceded a free kick in their own half at the 86th minute after failing to keep possession up front and suffering a counterattack. Sendai MF Yang sent a sharp kick forward; Gonda rushed out but could not touch the ball. Behind him, Sendai DF Elizeu broke through and pushed the ball in to equalize. Gaining even more momentum from this, Sendai caused Tokyo to lose composure. At the 90th minute, Sendai MF Saito delivered a right cross, and despite being surrounded by Tokyo defenders, FW Akamine headed it down. MF Fernandinho ran into the right area and was left unmarked, scoring a free shot... Tokyo had controlled the match by always leading and progressing as planned, but conceding consecutive goals near the end resulted in a painful come-from-behind loss. 【Player Comments】《Hirayama》"I wanted to finish with a victory. (This was a commemorative goal for my 100th J1 appearance?) The goal was from a planned move. It was good to score, but... I think the third goal conceded could have been prevented. I also need to defend for the full 90 minutes, including set-piece defense. However, when the second goal was scored against us, everyone was very down. At that point, we couldn’t mentally accept even one point. I also wanted to get all three points, so we ended up counterattacking up front and pulling back in defense. I regret not creating more time to keep possession." 《Oguro》"It was good that we could control the match while always leading. After Sota scored the second goal, we had time to keep possession and played good football. We had chances to score the third goal and finish the game, but including myself, we couldn’t convert, and it ended like this. But we have to move forward positively. We want to unite, keep our spirits up, and aim for the next match." 【Coach Okuma’s Press Conference Summary】"Regarding how we managed the match, I think both the team and I were heading in a good direction. Football is unpredictable, and as I said before the match, mistakes lead to goals like that. The team couldn’t cover for those mistakes well enough. We need to examine why we couldn’t endure until the end and improve the team’s strength to fight the remaining matches." 【Sendai Coach Teguramori’s Press Conference Summary】"This was a battle between teams fighting to avoid relegation. When we hosted Tokyo at home, it was a high-pressure big match. Our plan was that although they are lower in the standings, they are not a weak team. We aimed to take the lead with solid, steady defense and a focus on keeping a clean sheet. That was our approach. I thought the score wouldn’t change easily between these teams, but an early goal changed things quickly. When that happened, Tokyo prioritized defending by forming blocks whenever they led. That allowed us to move the ball and regain rhythm in the first half, enabling us to equalize. At the restart of the second half, we conceded another goal by ourselves, but the players didn’t lose spirit and stayed focused, fighting for all three points until the end. The home supporters believed in the three points and backed us, which I think created that miraculous final situation. We want to carry this victory into the remaining eight matches."