A match where we want to take advantage of the reflections from the last league game and achieve revenge

　The Nabisco Cup Final Round tournament has started. This season, we are participating from the Semifinal Round due to our involvement in the ACL, and the first match is an away game against Vegalta Sendai. In the previous league match, we showed an even contest from the start, but we were caught off guard just before halftime and ended up conceding four goals due to self-destruction. We must not repeat the same mistakes against the same opponent. With a strong mindset and a challenger spirit, we want to take revenge with our own style of soccer.

　Sendai, on the other hand, passed through the qualifying Group A in second place. Recently, DF Uemoto, MF Kakuta, and Sekiguchi have been injured, and it seems they are struggling with injuries, but the team's unity has not been broken. Their strong pressing, utilizing their physicality, and quick counterattacks are a threat. Additionally, Tokyo has been conceding many goals from set pieces lately, and since Sendai's MF Yang and Matsushita have high kicking accuracy, they must be very cautious about restarts, including corners and direct free kicks.

　Tokyo is without Tokunaga and Gonda, who are representatives for the London Olympics. Additionally, backup member Yonemoto returned to Japan on the 22nd. Considering the condition, he will be a substitute member. Furthermore, it was confirmed yesterday that a new addition for next season has been decided, and Mita, a specially designated player by JFA and J-League, also made his first bench appearance. Nakamura stated, "First and foremost, we want to prioritize keeping a clean sheet, but when opportunities arise, we want to attack boldly. We also want to move the opponent with effective ball circulation."

　Of course, we aim to secure 3 points in the first match, but as Shiota said, "I want to think of it as a total of 180 minutes of competition, home and away," this match will also test our ability to make calm judgments according to the situation. In order to show the growth we have achieved from there, we will fight without being overwhelmed by the away atmosphere and without losing our composure, aiming for victory! The match started at 19:04 with a kickoff from Tokyo at Yurtec Stadium Sendai.

Watanabe and Ishikawa scored to take a 2-point lead, but immediately conceded a goal and went into the second half.

　Both teams maintained a tough defense, not allowing the opponent any freedom, leading to a continuous battle for the ball and a back-and-forth development. Tokyo began to gradually establish a rhythm from set plays. In the 10th minute, Watanabe showed persistence in the front line and earned a right corner kick. Ishikawa's kick was cleared, but Hasegawa received the loose ball just in front of the right area, skillfully maintained possession, turned to face the goal, and took a powerful shot from distance. However, the shot hit the left post...

　In the 15th minute, Ishikawa received a cross from Tanizawa's side change on the right. The ball was initially deflected, but Watanabe, in the right front of the area, connected from the scramble, and Lucas in the central area prepared for a shot but was blocked. Then, in the 16th minute, they pushed into the opponent's goal area, and although it became the opponent's ball for a moment, Watanabe applied pressure and earned a corner kick. From the right corner kick taken by Ishikawa, Takahashi flicked the ball at the near post, and Watanabe headed it as the ball flowed towards the far side! The ball went over the goalkeeper's outstretched hand and into the net, scoring the opening goal.

　In the 30th minute, Morishige was substituted for Nakamura on the left side, who aimed for a pass over the opposing DF. Ishikawa, who broke through here, made a one-touch escape and faced the GK one-on-one. He calmly finished to take a two-goal lead. However, in the 32nd minute, a sharp kick from MF Ryo on the right corner kick. DF Watanabe at the near post made a high header that dropped to the far side, allowing MF Tamura in the left area to score, resulting in a goal conceded. After that, while Tokyo tried to connect passes and find their rhythm, Sendai launched powerful attacks, maintaining a tense situation as they headed into the second half with a one-goal lead.

Although they were caught up to a tie, they maintained their focus until the end and finished with a draw.

　The match starts to move early in the second half. In the 50th minute, Sendai's MF Matsushita connects quickly with MF Tamura, who moves vertically. MF Ota enters the central area, drops the ball to block Tokyo's defense with a post play, and FW Wilson, who has circled to the right, takes a shot. It is a powerful goal, resulting in a conceded point, and they are equalized. However, Tokyo also launches a counterattack. In the 52nd minute, Lucas holds on to the ball on the left front line, passing it to the free Watanabe in the central area. However, the decisive shot he took after controlling it with a trap... goes over the bar.

　In the 55th minute, Ishikawa's sharp right corner kick was met by Lucas with a header, but it went wide. In the 63rd minute, Edmilson, a new signing, was brought on to replace Watanabe. Then, in the 65th minute, Ishikawa intercepted a loose ball after a clearance in his own half and sprinted down the right side. He initially passed it to Sendai's defense, but Edmilson chased it down, regained possession on the right flank, and connected with Ishikawa, who had entered the right area. From this setup, Edmilson, who had circled around to the right area, took a shot while free. It was a decisive opportunity, but it went to the left.

　After that, Tokyo continued to press, but after the 70th minute, Sendai began to take control. In the 79th minute, Mita made his debut, replacing Tanizawa. Although they tried to regain the momentum from the opponent, they could not stop the superior energy of Sendai. In the 86th minute, Lucas injured his foot and was substituted by Yonemoto. In stoppage time, Sendai's midfielder Yang made a vertical run in the left area, bypassing Mukuhara to cross into the center. Forward Yanagisawa had a decisive header, but it narrowly missed to the right, avoiding a crisis. In the end, they maintained their concentration until the last moment and managed to finish the first away match in a draw.

　[Player Comments] {Ishikawa} "When the team was struggling, I was injured and felt a desire to help, and I always wanted to score. In the first half, I think we were able to show the shape we aimed for as a team. Especially regarding positioning, I was thinking about appearing in a halfway position between the opponent's defensive midfielder and center back or full back, making it ambiguous for them to mark me. I believe we were able to create good opportunities several times, such as with the ball at our feet behind the defense... However, the challenge is how to change the flow when it becomes difficult like in the second half."

　(By scoring 2 goals away, will the next home game be advantageous?) In reality, it's half of the Nabisco Semifinal Round, but I haven't really thought that way. My mindset was that we lost 0 to 4 in the league match, so I wanted to score and win. In the final stages, it became physically tough. Sendai came forward, and there was a sense of fear. However, I realized that if we don't continue to take the initiative in the match, it will become the opponent's rhythm, so I want to focus on the challenge of what to do when it gets tough.

　Watanabe: "(The goal) was from Nao's quick corner kick, and since the clearance came, I aimed to head it. I'm glad I scored, but to be honest, I can't say I'm satisfied. I wanted to secure the win while it was still 2-0. The flow in the first half wasn't bad, and I think we were able to move well to draw the ball out with Rukon. When the ball went to Nao, the opposing defender bit, and from there, we were able to create a chance to attack from behind. I think that intention led to the second goal, and although we've had fewer shots lately, I believe we increased the number of times we brought it to the finish today.

　However, accuracy is an issue there. I also received a pass from Lins while free but couldn't finish. Lins said, 'If the pass is weak, it gets intercepted by the opponent, so I made a strong pass,' but I thought that if I went for a direct shot, I would likely miss, so I trapped it and aimed with my instep... I need to finish those kinds of chances. I believe I can create even more opportunities and want to be able to score goals.

　[Summary of Coach Ranko POPOVIC's Press Conference] "For those watching, it was probably an interesting match, not just for the team members. There were four goals scored by both teams, and I think it was an enjoyable game. However, from our perspective, it wasn't necessarily the same. Regarding today's match, I believe we were able to show our style from the start, control the game, and break down the opponent to score two goals. There were also chances to add more goals afterward, but we couldn't capitalize on those. I don't want to say this, but if we had finished those chances, we might have been able to close out the game to some extent."

　Regarding the goals conceded, we let our guard down and showed gaps in our play, which led to a corner kick and ultimately a goal. Morishige's careless play contributed to the first goal conceded. For the second goal, a player who usually marks during set pieces lost his mark, leading to another goal. The way we conceded these goals has been repeated. I feel we need to reflect on the fact that we haven't fully corrected this issue. We created chances and I believe we posed a dangerous attack to the opponent, but we were unable to convert those chances effectively.

　Especially the first goal conceded was a careless mistake, and that goal revived the opponent. In the last 15 minutes, there were moments when we were pushed back. Sendai always fights without giving up for the full 90 minutes, regardless of the situation. We understood that as well, but I think it became a situation where anything could happen. There are parts of the match content that I am satisfied with, but I believe I cannot be satisfied with the result.

　[Summary of Coach Makoto TEGURAMORI's Press Conference] "Today in the meeting, since it was the first leg at home, we didn't want to give the opponent any goals. We discussed a game plan for a 1-0 score, but conversely, that made the team a bit stiff. I reflect on how we conceded a goal from such a mistake. However, I am satisfied that even after conceding two goals, we fought bravely, managed to score one goal in the first half, and equalized early in the second half, creating a game situation where we almost could have won. I believe this was possible because the players' desire to win the Nabisco Cup title and the supporters' feelings united as one.

　Following the 2-2 result, Tokyo might think that a 0-0 or 1-1 at home would be acceptable. I told the players that a situation where we can only win is favorable for us. Although today's match ended in a draw, I believe we were able to show toughness and resilience. I spoke to the players about expressing this toughness and resilience at Ajinomoto and that we must win. Even though today's match ended in a draw, we will show our strength in the next home match against Tosu. I think it was an enjoyable match from an objective standpoint. It was clear that we are growing. We demonstrated that we can run even in the summer, which is one of our challenges this year, and I want to continue running through this summer.