Final match of the league, focusing on victory as a culmination of this season

　Time flies, and we have reached the final match of the league this season, Sec. 34, where we will face Vegalta Sendai at home. Although the last match ended in a draw, we took control and scored two goals with cohesive football. It cannot be denied that it feels like we are finally… at the end of the season, but we can say that we fully demonstrated the essence of Tokyo in both offense and defense. As a result, our ranking below 9th place in the league has been confirmed, but the players are determined to give their all in the final match, saying, "We want to showcase everything we have built up this season as a culmination."

　Coach Popovic also expressed his enthusiasm, saying, "In front of many fans and supporters, everyone will give their all and fight to the end. I hope today's match will send a good message for the next season." This match is crucial to conclude the season positively and connect it to the next, focusing on both the content of the game and the victory, as the team comes together for this battle.

　Sendai, despite losing to Niigata in the previous match and missing out on the championship, has secured second place this season. Both teams have nothing to lose, but "Sendai will surely bring their frustration from missing the championship (Ishikawa)." Additionally, Sendai has not experienced consecutive losses this season, and their ability to switch focus to the upcoming match has been a key factor in their rise in the standings. As you know, Sendai's two top scorers are forwards Akamine and Wilson. Tokyo wants to connect good defense to good offense to prevent them from easily receiving the ball.

　In the away match of the first half of the league, Tokyo suffered a heavy defeat of 0 to 4. This match is also a chance for revenge. It seems that it will be an intense game where both sides clash with the determination that they "cannot lose," but above all, it is a home game. The support from the stands will serve as additional strength in the pursuit of victory. Tokyo will approach the match with the same lineup as the previous game, with Watanabe at the top and Hayato HASEGAWA and Lucas on the sides. The cold wind of December blows, but the temporarily fallen rain has stopped, and the sun shines at Ajinomoto. The match started at 15:34 with Tokyo's kickoff.

Full of dynamism, Lucas leads with 2 goals!

　At the start, Sendai tried to gain momentum by passing from the defensive line. In response, Tokyo aimed to regain possession from a compact formation and quickly launched a counterattack. In the 6th minute, Kajiyama on the left side passed to Hayato HASEGAWA, who made a run into the central space with a backward pass. Yonemoto and Takahashi made runs into the box. Although they couldn't take a shot due to overlapping positions, they persistently spread the play to the right side. This time, they attempted to break through with a combination of Tokunaga and Lucas, but it was cut off by the opposing defense. Nevertheless, Watanabe applied pressure on the opposing defense, and Takahashi, who followed up, took a shot from distance.

　Seven minutes later, Hasegawa from the midfield passed to Takahashi near the left sideline, aiming for the space behind the opponent's DF with a lofted ball. Lucas made a run to meet it, competing with the opponent's DF, and headed it down to carry it forward, shooting from the left area! He found the net on the opposite side with his left foot, successfully scoring the opening goal in the early stages.

　Taking this opportunity to strengthen their offensive, in the 17th minute, Tokunaga's right throw-in in the opponent's territory was dropped by Watanabe, positioned high on the right flank, to Lucas, who then passed it to Kajiwara just in front of the area. Receiving the return pass, Lucas then played it to Hasegawa inside the right area and made a run to the left. From this one-two with Hasegawa, he finally shot with the outside of his right foot from the center of the area into the opposite side of the goal, scoring! They secured their second goal with a flowing direct play!

　Sendai did not allow any real chances, but still, in the 29th minute, Sendai's left MF Yang and FW Akamine connected, with MF Yang shooting from just outside the left area. In the 35th minute, Sendai stole the ball from Tokyo in their own half and simply connected vertically, with right MF Ota passing to FW Wilson near the goal line, who crossed to the center. FW Akamine made a powerful header at the near post with perfect timing... and they conceded a goal. In the 41st minute, Sendai pressed Tokyo's high defensive line, and FW Wilson attempted a dribble shot, but Gonda made the save. Tokyo was quick to start and transition, not allowing Sendai to find their rhythm for a counterattack, ending the first half.

Team J1 League's highest with 6 goals! Concluding the 2012 season with a goal rush

　It was Sendai that created a chance at the start of the second half. In the 47th minute, forward Akamine broke free to meet a long pass from defender Kamada. He controlled the ball at his feet and managed to take a shot, but it went just slightly to the right. Then, just after that, in the 49th minute, from a left corner kick taken by Hasegawa, Hyun Soo JANG scored with a header! Right after the crisis, Sendai took advantage of the set-piece opportunity to pull ahead.

　In the 56th minute, from the left side, Kajiwara made a through pass to Hasegawa near the left corner of the area. Watanabe, who matched this, advanced left to dribble past the opposing goalkeeper. From a tight angle, he brilliantly struck the ball into the net! Immediately after this, Ishikawa came on for Watanabe, and in the 69th minute, Nemanja VUCICEVIC came on for Lucas. Although there were moments when Sendai held the ball, they maintained quick starts and concentration, leading to a speedy attack. In the 81st minute, Hirayama came on for Yonemoto. The stands were electrified, resulting in an impressive goal rush.

　In the 82nd minute, Hirayama initiated a counterattack with a dribble, passing to Ishikawa on the right. Ishikawa's pass to the center was let through by Kajiyama, who advanced into the area. VUCICEVIC, who had come up from the opposite side, passed to Kajiyama in the area with skillful control to the left area. With a one-touch play, he bewildered the opposing defender, and VUCICEVIC, who ran in, easily pierced the ball into the goal!!

　In stoppage time, Ishikawa surged into the center of the area from VUCICEVIC's pass. Although he couldn't shoot due to being surrounded by DF, VUCICEVIC showed great persistence and reacted to the loose ball, evading the opposing DF with a roulette to score the sixth goal. Just before the time was up, a free kick was awarded to Sendai in the Tokyo half, allowing FW Muto to be left free from Sendai's quick restart, resulting in a goal... Although they couldn't finish the match neatly, they were full of dynamism, starting with Lucas's goal, and won by scoring a team-high six goals in J1! As a result, they returned to a record of 14 wins, 6 draws, and 14 losses, but their ranking did not change, finishing the league season in 10th place.

　[Player Comment]《Lucas》"I have always wanted to score in double digits... I'm glad I was able to achieve that. Especially the second goal was something the coach has been asking for, and I was able to break through the opponent with a direct play and score from there. I want to work hard to aim for a title next season!"

　"Nemanja VUCICEVIC" "Sendai was a team that was competing for the championship until last week. It was really great to win 6-2 against them. What I wanted to show in today's match is that if we continue to believe in ourselves positively, we can win against strong opponents with Tokyo's football. (Regarding my two goals) I am really happy, but it was a victory achieved by the entire team.

　I think I was fortunate to join Tokyo and have great teammates. At first, I couldn't show my true abilities, but I was supported by my teammates, club staff, and supporters. The fans and supporters gave me more than I could have on the pitch. I want to score goals again next year and share the joy together.

　[Summary of Coach Ranko POPOVIC's Press Conference] "Before the match, I promised to show a game that would warm everyone up so that you wouldn't freeze, but I wonder if you were warmed up. In the last match of the season, we were motivated to showcase everything we have done throughout the year. In that sense, I am satisfied. I can't single out anyone in particular because everyone shone. We gave it our all and demonstrated our team strength. This season, there were times when we struggled with injuries, and even when our performance exceeded that of our opponents, the results did not always follow."

　When everyone is together, the team's strength inevitably changes. And the importance of scoring the first goal is undeniable. Even when there were decisive chances, we struggled in some matches without converting them, but when we score at the right moments like today, we can achieve such results. Even if the results don't follow, I believe we were able to demonstrate the importance of continuing to trust ourselves and sticking to our approach. If we had changed what we needed to do during the season, today's match wouldn't have happened. I feel we were able to fully showcase Tokyo's style, and I believe we proved that Tokyo's style is a soccer that utilizes the characteristics of the Japanese. I think we showed how we want to fight next season, but we want to further improve our quality.

　I am filled with gratitude for all the fans and supporters. Your unwavering support has truly been our strength at all times. Today, many supporters from Sendai also gathered, and both sets of supporters created a wonderful atmosphere. I would like to express my gratitude to all the fans and supporters who continued to support us and stand by us even during difficult times.

　[Summary of the press conference with Sendai's Coach Makoto TEGURAMORI] "Ideally, we would have won the previous match, and I thought this match would be a crucial one for those who came to the stadium today. We aimed to show the results of our efforts this season, but Tokyo had the same intention. This means it would be an intense match, so we tried to demonstrate our strategies. However, we conceded two early goals and fell behind. It was good that we managed to score one goal back in the first half, but shortly after a decisive chance for forward Akamine in the second half, we conceded the third goal. It wasn't so much that our concentration waned, but rather that we played a game that allowed Tokyo's momentum to increase. This season, the players have fought tenaciously, and even in losses, we have had close matches, but in the end, we showed a disappointing way to lose."

　In the end, after a match like this, I feel that we have finished as runners-up. I told the players that I never want to lose like this again, and even if we become runners-up, we must move forward without becoming complacent. We should carry the regret of finishing the season with two consecutive losses and prepare for the next season with determination. After the match, when I told Coach Popovic that 'Tokyo was wonderful,' he replied, 'We lost 0-4 at Yurtec Stadium.' I feel that debt has been repaid, but in life, there are good times and bad times. It was a good season for us, but I want to be mindful of that and continue to improve.