Aiming to capture 3 points with the momentum and confidence gained from the ACL match against Beijing

　In Sec. 7 of the league, we will face Vegalta Sendai away. In the ACL match against Beijing on April 17, our fresh attacking lineup, including Watanabe, Otake, and Tanabe, was dynamic, and despite Gonda's injury leading to his substitution, Shiota helped maintain a clean sheet as we won 3-0. This will be a consecutive match following that, and we want to avoid back-to-back losses in the league after the previous match against Kashima. Based on the momentum and confidence gained from the Beijing match, we aim to secure 3 points away.

　Sendai is currently at the top of the league with 5 wins and 1 draw. In the Nabisco match against Kawasaki held on April 18, they faced defeat with a lineup that included 7 key players, such as goalkeeper Hayashi, defender Uemoto, and forward Akamine, who were all substituted. However, they remain unbeaten in the league. In addition to their solid defense and quick counterattacks from last season, this season they have implemented an aggressive defense that seeks to regain possession from the front line. Their quick transition attacks are still effective, having scored 14 goals so far, leading the league in total goals.

　Tokyo will be without Hasegawa due to suspension following the match against Kashima. Kajiyama is also out of the squad due to not being in condition. Therefore, the midfield will consist of Takahashi and Yonemoto, while Ohtake, who made his first start of the season in the match against Beijing, will also be in the starting lineup this week, with Watanabe positioned as the lone striker. Particularly in attack, the key will be how to shake up the opponent's DF, who has both height and strength, with speedy passing. From the developments of Ohtake, Hanyu, and Ishikawa, we want to create many situations where we can move between the DF in the front line and make entries back and forth.

　As Ishikawa said, "Proper risk management is also necessary," we want to determine the development of quick attacks and opportunities while not losing in the speed of switching between offense and defense, and while assessing the situation and flow of the match. Although it is a match against the leaders, as the players say, "What we need to do hasn't changed at all," we want to persistently exploit the opponent's weaknesses to break through their solid defense and lead to victory. The match started at 19:04 with Tokyo's kickoff at Yurtec Stadium Sendai.

In a tense atmosphere, we conceded the first goal during stoppage time of the first half due to a momentary lapse.

　From the start of the match, both teams engaged in a compact formation, battling for possession. There were moments when Sendai launched powerful counterattacks leading to shots, but Tokyo remained focused in defense, trying to move the ball forward. In the 17th minute, Takahashi from the midfield passed to Watanabe, who was making a run behind the defense, but it was called offside. In the 20th minute, Sendai's FW Akamine broke through on the right flank just at the edge of the offside, and the midfielder Ota sent in a cross. FW Wilson attempted a header, but Gonda caught it, ending the threat without incident.

　Defending against the opponent's attack with determination, Tokyo gradually begins to seize the momentum. In the 25th minute, a feed is sent from Hyun Soo JANG to Hanyu, who breaks into the area, but it is contested by a defender and results in an opponent's ball. In the 26th minute, after a series of passes between Watanabe and Ota on the left side, Yonemoto times his shot well in the center, but it goes well wide of the target. In the 29th minute, Ohtake and Hanyu connect with a one-touch pass, and Ota advances up the left side, showing a 'typical shape'. However, after Ota sends the ball inside and Ohtake drops it, Yonemoto's pass back to the left side goes out of bounds.

　Although they were often pushed back by the opponent's sharp counterattacks, they remained focused in defense. There were moments where they showcased Tokyo's characteristic passing play, but they struggled to advance into dangerous areas against the opponent's intense pressing. It seemed that the first half would end with both teams scoreless, but in stoppage time, they conceded a free kick to the opponent. Then, a ball slipped behind the defense, allowing forward Akamine to break free. It looked like an offside, but he timed his run perfectly, and Tokyo couldn't keep up with the marking. He easily pushed the ball into the goal... conceding a goal. The first half ended like that.

Due to Coach Popovic's dismissal, we were unable to seize the momentum until the end and lost the match.

　Tokyo, wanting to catch up, brought in Tanabe to replace Otake in the second half. Hanyu moved to left midfielder and Hanyu took the attacking midfielder position. In the 50th minute, following a vertical pass from Tanabe, Hanyu and Ishikawa connected and advanced into the area. Finally, Watanabe on the right side sent a grounded cross, and Ota at the far post received it free, but was stopped just as he evaded the opponent, unable to finish...

　In the 56th minute, Tanizawa and Lucas came on for Yonemoto and Hanyu. All three substitution slots were used early, with Lucas and Watanabe forming a two-top position. Tanizawa took the left side, and Tanabe entered as a defensive midfielder. However, immediately after that, Sendai's defensive midfielder Kakuda sent a right cross towards the front line, which was met by MF Sekiguchi who headed it in powerfully... allowing a two-goal lead. Just when it was time to attack, they were caught off guard.

　Still, Tokyo did not give up and continued to push their style of football. In the 72nd minute, Lucas appeared to collide with the goalkeeper while trying to break through just before the left area, but this resulted in a warning for Lucas. Furthermore, in the 75th minute, Coach Ranko POPOVIC was sent off... Coach Nagashima took over the command. Despite trying to connect passes and attack, they lost the ball in front of Sendai's tough defense and were unable to create attacking opportunities until the end. They also could not stop Sendai's momentum in defense, conceding additional goals in the 76th and 87th minutes, resulting in a total of 4 goals conceded and a defeat.

　[Player Comments] {Morishige} "Rather than being completely broken down by any of the goals conceded, we were just not focused. In that moment, we were caught off guard, but strong teams and teams with momentum definitely exploit those moments. Those were goals we could have prevented, and we need to reflect on that and make corrections. In attack, we want to discuss various ideas on how to break down defenses in front of the goal... I want to share this with the entire team and enhance the style we need to adopt."

　"Tanabe" "Sendai started moving quickly. I thought there would be a chance if we could keep it to just one goal conceded, but we ended up conceding while trying to attack too hastily. I felt that Sendai's team had a high level of completion, and they were thorough in kicking and running, showing a boldness as well. However, personally, I didn't think there was as much of a difference in skill as the score suggested. In the first half, I thought their defense was solid while watching from the bench, but once on the pitch, there were moments where we could have pressed with one-twos and dribbles. Our defense against long throws might be strong, but... Ultimately, I think we rushed too much vertically and became half-hearted."

　Since Sendai fell back and I immediately became a defensive midfielder after entering the game, I became unsure of where to receive the ball. Should we push forward even if it disrupts our balance? For example, it might have been okay for Morige and the others to push up and go for it... I think we needed to be a bit calmer in our play. However, the coach also said after the match, 'This is football. There’s no need to look down.' I want to properly accept the fact that we lost 0-1 ambiguously, rather than just attacking and conceding four goals, and use this as a lesson for the next match.

　[Coach Nagashima's Press Conference Summary] "I came here today looking forward to testing how much strength we have against the top-ranked Sendai in an away match. Regardless of our opponents, we have maintained our style in both offense and defense, but Sendai applied pressure from a higher position than last season, targeting short counters and aiming for the space behind our high defensive line. We anticipated this to some extent, but being exploited in that area shows our immaturity. Additionally, we conceded three goals in the final stages, totaling four goals. We must not collapse like this, and I am very disappointed that we lost focus until the end and failed to continue playing our football as a cohesive team."

　[Summary of the press conference by Sendai's coach Makoto TEGURAMORI] "Today's top match was a battle of collective team play, as we discussed in the meeting. The team that can continue to perform collectively will win. Recently, our team has been conceding goals, so we want to keep a strong attacking Tokyo to zero goals against us. That will build our confidence and demonstrate our strength again. The first half was a tightly contested game showcasing both teams' strengths. Scoring during stoppage time was very significant for us."

　In the second half, it seemed that Tokyo showed some fatigue from the ACL. The players seized the opportunity and pressed on. Throughout the game, we were able to fight collectively and demonstrate that anyone could step up during this series of matches. I believe this great victory is also thanks to the supporters who cheered us on with all their might, following the flow of the game. Watching Tokyo struggle in the ACL, I learned that if we qualify for the ACL next year, we will have to fight even in such circumstances. I think we had a slight edge in both mental strength and physical stamina today.