Sec. 17 of the league halfway point, aiming for consecutive wins

As the third match of a consecutive series, we will face Vegalta Sendai at home in Sec. 17, just three days after the last match. With this match, all opponents in the J1 League will have been faced once, and we will enter the second half of the season starting from the next match. In the previous match against Niigata, we managed to secure a victory after enduring a tough period, but we want to accumulate more points to conclude the first half of the season.

The players said, "During the break, we all discussed that 'this three-match series is very important.' Getting through it with two wins and one draw is the minimum result. We will fight with a focus on winning to achieve that." They vowed to maintain the momentum gained from the previous away match and turn it into victory. However, this match will see Edu suspended due to accumulated warnings. Therefore, Hirayama will be used as a forward. Additionally, Hanyu will start for the first time this season in the league since the Nabisco match against Gamba Osaka on May 24.

Sendai is currently in 12th place with 20 points. The beginning of the season was a tough battle, but in April, they welcomed Susumu WATANABE as the new head coach and began to rebuild. They are trying to regain their characteristic solid defense and quick counterattacks that they have developed until now, aiming to rise in the standings. Although there are still ongoing injuries, there are positive factors, such as the return of midfielder Yang in the last match.

Tokyo wants to thoroughly manage the risks against Sendai's counterattacks, connecting good defense to attack to score the opening goal. This is a direct confrontation that could lead to a change in rankings based on this week's results, but it is a home game. They aim to take the lead in the match and strive for consecutive victories.

Before the match, there was a temporary heavy rain, and amidst the increasing humidity, it started at 18:34 with a kickoff in Tokyo.

Hirayama scores the opening goal! Kono and Takahashi extend the lead

In the early stages, both teams clashed fiercely, resulting in a back-and-forth development. In the 18th minute, Sendai forward Wilson had the ball, which Kono pressed back, allowing Takahashi to intercept and pass to Yonemoto on the left. Yonemoto advanced the ball, and from there, Ota, who overlapped, sent an early cross. Hayama in the right area timed his header perfectly over the opposing defender to score a GOAL!! Hayama responded to the expectations of being a starter with this opening goal.

Taking this opportunity to gain momentum, Hanyu, Kono, and Muto demonstrated their synergy from a tough defense. In the 33rd minute, they pressured Sendai FW Wilson on the right side to regain possession, with Muto passing to Kono, who dribbled up the space on the right center and set up Hirayama in the middle. Despite losing his balance, Hirayama stretched out his right foot tenaciously to drop the ball into the left area. Kono, who sprinted in at high speed, managed to score with a controlled shot using his left foot, competing with the defender to find the far corner. The quick combination play and Kono's bold attitude paid off, securing an additional goal.

In the 38th minute, in front of the right area, Muto exchanged quick direct passes with Hanyu and Kono. This created rhythm, and Kono, who ran through near the penalty arc, made a last pass to the left area from a shooting motion. Ota, who was advancing, tried to aim for the goal with a feint. This was blocked, but in the 42nd minute, a corner kick was earned from Tokunaga's right cross.

In the 43rd minute, Kono's right corner kick was cleared by the defense in the center, but Takahashi controlled the ball that spilled into the left area with a trap and shot with his right foot. The ball grazed the far post and went in! Takahashi extended the lead with his first league goal in about a year (July 13, 2013, Sec. 16 against Niigata), ending the first half.

Two consecutive matches without conceding a goal! We head into the second half of the season in 7th place.

In the second half, it was Sendai that launched a counterattack. However, in the 48th minute, from a corner kick situation for Sendai, Kono initiated a counter, dribbling solo and advancing into the right area. Furthermore, Hanyu, who followed on the outside, sent a cross in front of the goal. However, the ball grazed the left post and bounced back... Sendai continued to throw in crosses from both sides in front of the goal, but Tokyo remained focused and kept clearing them away.

In the 60th minute, a free kick was awarded to Sendai from the left area outside the goal line. The kick sent by MF Liang was redirected by MF Mu to create a wave of attacks inside the area. They were shifted left and right, resulting in four decisive shots, but Gonda made two consecutive saves. The defenders also put their bodies on the line, blocking two shots, preventing any goals.

In the 62nd minute, Higashi was brought on to replace Kono. After that, the formation changed to a 4-4-2 with Higashi and Hanyu on both sides, solidifying the defensive block and suppressing Sendai's counterattacks. At the same time, effective counters were launched, and in the 75th minute, Higashi broke through behind the opposing defense, receiving a pass from Hirayama, but was just offside. In the 78th minute, this time from the left side, a through pass was sent from Higashi to Hirayama, who was trying to break into the area, but the opposing goalkeeper anticipated it and cleared the ball first.

In the 86th minute, Mita was brought on to replace Muto, maintaining the two-top formation. They tried to shut down Sendai's counterattacks by applying pressure from the front line. In the final stages, both teams showed signs of fatigue, but in stoppage time, Watanabe was brought on to replace Hanyu. Everyone ran until the end, and the match ended. They achieved back-to-back wins without conceding a goal for two matches, bringing their points total to 25. They also rose to 7th place for the first time this season, marking the halfway point of the first half.

[Player Comments]
《Hirayama》
"Regarding the goal, I received a good cross from Ota. There have been many matches where crosses were coming in, but I couldn't score. I'm glad I was able to score here today. The competition for positions is fierce, but I believe that every time the players on the field achieve results, it leads to the team's victory. I am always preparing to be ready to play at any time, and I think it's important to keep going."

Hanyu
"I think the situation was the easiest for Tokyo to play in. While allowing the opponent to hold the ball, we could aim for a counterattack at any time... This is what the team is currently working on. Personally, I was thinking about calming the team down and creating rhythm. I was also conscious of moving my feet to take good positions and maintaining a good distance with the front line by drawing the ball out. Both individually and as a team, I want us to play higher quality soccer and have everyone come to Ajinomoto. To keep this momentum and advance to the top, I want the team to fight together as one."

【Summary of Coach Massimo FICCADENTI's Press Conference】
"The players' motivation, their strong desire not to lose, their attention and concentration, and all aspects allowed us to start the match in a very wonderful way. Throughout the 90 minutes, we did not allow the opponent any freedom, and even during the times we were pressured in the second half, we were only shot at from outside the penalty area 2 to 3 times, and we were able to defend well. We were also able to achieve results in the attacking part, so I am satisfied with the players' performance, and such results will deepen their confidence even more. We should be able to continue in a good manner from now on. However, as I told the players, this result should not lead to arrogance. I believe it is most important to continue while maintaining humility."

【Sendai - Summary of Coach Susumu WATANABE's Press Conference】
"First of all, I would like to thank the many fans and supporters who came to Tokyo, and I feel very sorry that we could not deliver three points there. As a reflection on the previous match, it became a rather one-sided game, so I wanted to control the game from the start today. The aim was to maintain possession of the ball while evading Tokyo's high press and to move the opponent. Although we could not create a shape that led to a shot, there were moments where we expressed our intention to move the opponent. However, we fell behind a bit due to how we lost the ball, leading to a situation where our challenges and cover were unclear. Conversely, we ended up drawing out Tokyo's combinations, which remains a point of reflection. While chasing a three-goal deficit, the players' attitude to push forward with power in the second half and try to score back was expressed in several ways. However, we need to reassess how to take control during the 90 minutes and not lose in terms of running, and I want to fight in the second half of the season with our feet firmly on the ground."