A match where we want to take revenge by utilizing the lessons learned from the previous league game.

　The Nabisco Cup Final Tournament has started. This season, due to participating in the ACL, we will join from the quarterfinals and face Vegalta Sendai away in the first match. In the first half of the league match, we showed an even battle from the start, but were caught off guard just before the end of the first half and ended up conceding 4 goals due to our own mistakes. We cannot repeat the same mistakes against the same opponent. We want to seek revenge with a strong mentality and challenger spirit by playing our own football.

　Tokyo, on the other hand, passed through the qualifying group in second place. Recently, DF Uemoto, MF Kakuta, and Sekiguchi have been injured, but the team's unity remains strong. Their tough pressing and quick counterattacks are a threat, utilizing their strength in challenges. Additionally, Tokyo has been conceding many goals from set pieces, so they must be wary of Seto MF Yanagida and Matsushita, who have high accuracy in their kicks, including corners and direct free kicks.

　Tokyo is without London Olympics representatives Tokunaga and Gonda. Backup member Yonemoto also returned home on the 22nd. Considering their condition, he will be a substitute member. Furthermore, a new member for next season was decided yesterday, and JFA/J.League special designated player Mita also made his first appearance on the bench. Nakamura said, "While our priority is to keep the opponent from scoring, we also want to attack boldly when given the chance. We also want to move the opponent around with effective ball movement."

　Of course, we aim to take 3 points in the first match, but as Shiota says, "I want to think of it as a 180-minute battle at home and away," it will be a test of calm judgment according to the situation. In order to show the growth from there, we will fight without being overwhelmed by the atmosphere of the away game and without losing our composure, and aim for victory! The match started at 19:04 in Tokyo with a kickoff at Yurtec Stadium Sendai.

Watanabe and Ishikawa score to take a 2-point lead, but immediately concede a goal and head into the second half.

　Both teams played tough defense, not allowing the other to move freely. The ball was constantly being fought over, resulting in a back-and-forth game. Tokyo gradually started to find their rhythm through set pieces. In the 10th minute, Watanabe showed persistence up front and earned a corner kick. Ishikawa's kick was cleared, but Hasegawa, who received the loose ball just outside the right area, skillfully turned and took a powerful shot. However, the shot hit the left post...

　15 minutes, Ishikawa receives a side change from Tanihara on the right and crosses. It is initially blocked, but Watanabe in the right front area connects with the loose ball from the scramble and Lucas in the central area gets into a shooting position, but it is blocked. Then in the 16th minute, they push forward in front of the opponent's goal and although the ball briefly becomes the opponent's, Watanabe presses and earns a corner kick. From Ishikawa's right corner kick, Takahashi heads the ball near the far post! The ball goes over the stretched hand of the GK and into the net, giving them the lead.

　In the 30th minute, Morishige → Nakamura on the left side aims for the back of the opponent's DF with a floating pass. Ishikawa jumps out here with a one-trap and breaks through, facing the GK in a 1-on-1 situation. He calmly scores and leads by 2 points. However, in the 32nd minute, MF Yanagida takes a sharp kick from the right CK. Near the DF Watanabe drops it to the far side with a high head, and it is kicked into the left area by MF Tamura, resulting in a goal. After that, Sendai also launches powerful attacks against Tokyo, who tries to grasp the rhythm by connecting passes, and the game continues with an intense pace, leading by one point into the second half.

Despite being caught up in a tie, we managed to stay focused until the end and finished with a draw.

　The game starts moving early in the second half. In the 50th minute, Sendai's MF Matsushita quickly connects with vertical MF Tamura, and MF Ota, who has entered the central area, drops the ball to block Tokyo's DF with a post-play, and FW Wilson, who has gone around to the right, takes a shot. He scores a spectacular goal and Tokyo concedes, equalizing the score. However, Tokyo also starts to counterattack. In the 52nd minute, Lucas sticks to the left front line and wins the ball, passing it to the free Nakagawa in the central area. However, his decisive shot, controlled with a trap, hits the top of the bar.

　55 minutes, Lucas headed a sharp right CK from Ishikawa, but it went outside the frame. In the 63rd minute, Edmilson, a new addition, was substituted for Watanabe. Then in the 65th minute, Ishikawa snatched the ball that was cleared in their own half and sprinted down the right side. He initially passed it to Sendai DF, but Edmilson chased after it and regained possession on the right front line. He then connected with Ishikawa who had entered the right area. From this pass, Edmilson, who had circled around to the right area, took a free shot. It was a decisive shot, but it missed to the left.

　After that, Tokyo continued to attack, but after 70 minutes, Sendai began to take control. In the 79th minute, Mita made his first appearance, replacing Tanihara. Despite trying to turn the tide against their opponents, they were unable to stop Sendai's momentum with their superior physicality. In the 86th minute, Lucas injured his foot and was replaced by Yonemoto. In stoppage time, Sendai's MF Liang made a vertical run on the left side, dribbled past Mokuhara, and crossed to the center. FW Yanagisawa had a decisive header, but it narrowly missed to the right, avoiding a dangerous situation. In the end, they held on without losing focus and ended the first away game with a tie.

　【Player Comments】《Ishikawa》"When the team was struggling, I was injured and wanted to help, and I always wanted to score. In the first half, I think we were able to play the way we wanted to as a team. Especially in terms of positioning, I tried to show my face in the middle of the opponent's defensive midfielder and center back or full back, and make their marking ambiguous. I think we were able to create some good opportunities by using the space behind them and our footwork. However, the challenge is how to change the flow of the game when it gets tough in the second half."

　(With the away team scoring 2 points, will the next home game be advantageous?) It's actually the quarterfinals of the Nabisco Cup, but we're not really thinking about it that way. Our focus is on the fact that we lost 0-4 in the league game, so we want to score and win. Towards the end, we struggled physically. Sendai came forward and we were scared. But we learned from experience that if we don't continue to take control of the game, we'll fall into the opponent's rhythm, so we want to work on how to handle those difficult moments."

　"Watanabe" "(The goal) was scored quickly by Nao's corner kick, so I tried to hit it with my head. I'm glad I scored, but to be honest, I can't say I'm satisfied. I wanted to win firmly with a score of 2-0. The flow of the first half was not bad, and I think we were able to make good movements with Luccon and two others to pull out the ball. When the ball went to Nao, the opponent's DF was tight, and we were able to aim for the back from there. I think that such an aim led to the second goal, and although there were few shots recently, I think the number of times to bring it to the finish increased today."

　However, accuracy is an issue there. I also couldn't receive and score from a pass from Lins. Lins said, "If the pass is weak, the opponent will catch it, so I gave a strong pass," but I thought there was a high possibility of missing if I did it directly, so I trapped and aimed with an instep... I have to score in those situations. I think I can create more chances and I want to be able to score goals."

　[Summary of Coach Popovich's Press Conference] "For those who watched, it was an interesting game, with 4 goals scored by both teams. I think it was an enjoyable game. However, for us who were playing, it wasn't necessarily the case. Regarding today's game, I think we were able to show our own style from the start and control the game, breaking down the opponent and scoring 2 goals. We had chances to score more goals, but we couldn't finish them. I don't want to say this, but if we had finished those chances, we might have been able to finish the game to some extent."

　In terms of conceding goals, we showed a gap in our play due to carelessness and it led to a corner kick, resulting in a goal. Morishige's careless play was involved in the first goal. As for the second goal, there is a recurring pattern of players being marked out during set pieces, leading to a goal. We need to reflect on the fact that we have not been able to fix this issue. We created chances and were able to make dangerous attacks for the opponent, but we were not able to finish those chances.

　Especially the first goal was a careless one, and that goal allowed the opponent to come back to life. There were also moments where we were pushed back in the last 15 minutes. Sendai always fights without giving up for the full 90 minutes, no matter what the situation. We were aware of that, but I think it was a situation where it could have gone either way. As for the game itself, there are parts that we are satisfied with, but I am not satisfied with the result."

　【Sendai・Makoto TEGURAMORI's Press Conference Summary】"Today in the meeting, since it's the first leg at home, we don't want to give the opponent any goals. We talked about a game plan of 1-0, but it ended up giving the team too much solidity. I reflect on myself for allowing a goal from such a mistake. However, even after conceding 2 goals, the team fought bravely and was able to score one goal in the first half, and equalize early in the second half. I am satisfied with the fact that we were able to have a game that could have ended in a win. I believe it's because the players' desire to win the Nabisco Cup and the supporters' feelings have become one.

　After the 2-2 result, Tokyo may consider a 0-0 or 1-1 draw at home. We told the players that it's a great situation for us to only have to win. Today's game was a draw, but I think we showed our toughness and resilience as Tokyo. We talked to the players about expressing this toughness and resilience at Ajinomoto and winning no matter what. Today's game could have been a win, but we'll show that in the next home game against Tosu. I think we played an enjoyable game from an objective standpoint today. It's clear that we're growing. We showed that we can run even in the summer, which is our challenge this year, and we want to keep running this summer."