Sec. 17, Aiming for Consecutive Wins in the Mid-Season of the League

As the third game of consecutive matches, we will face Vegalta Sendai at home in the 17th section with only 3 days since the previous section. The J1 League will complete one full round of matches after this section and enter the second half of the season. In the previous section, we managed to secure a victory by overcoming a difficult period, but we want to accumulate more points and finish the first half of the season on a high note.

The players also discussed "These three consecutive games are very important" during the break. They vowed to fight with determination to achieve at least 2 wins and 1 draw. They also promised to continue the momentum gained from the previous away game and turn it into a victory. However, Edu will be suspended due to accumulated warnings in this game. Therefore, Hirayama will be used as a forward. In addition, Hayu will start for the first time in the league this season since the Nabisco G Osaka game on May 24th in the midfield.

Sendai, on the other hand, is currently in 12th place with 20 points. Although they struggled in the early stages of the season, they welcomed Susumu WATANABE as their new head coach in April and began to rebuild. They are trying to regain their "Sendai style" of solid defense and quick counterattacks that they have cultivated so far, and aim to rise up in the standings. Despite the ongoing injuries, there are also positive factors such as the return of MF Yanagida in the previous match.

Tokyo will thoroughly manage the risk of Sendai's counterattacks and aim to score the first goal by connecting good defense to offense. This match will also be a direct confrontation that will once again change the rankings depending on the result, but it will be a home game. We aim to continue our winning streak by taking advantage of the game.

The match started at 6:34 PM in Tokyo, amidst a temporary heavy rain and increasing humidity.

Hirayama scores the first goal! Kono and Takahashi extend the lead with their goals.

In the early stages, both teams fiercely clashed and the game was back and forth. In the 18th minute, Sendai FW Wilson's ball was pressed back by Kono and cut by Takahashi, and passed to the left side to Yonemoto. Yonemoto carried the ball forward and from there, Ota overlapped and sent an early cross. In response, Hirayama in the right area scored a high header over the opponent's DF and GOAL!! With Hirayama's goal, who responded to the expectations of being a starter, they took the lead.

With this, they were able to grasp the pace and show a coordinated defense with Hayabusa, Kono, and Muto. In the 33rd minute, they pressed Sendai FW Wilson on the right side, took the ball, and Muto on the right center dribbled up the space and passed it to Hirayama in the center. Hirayama, while losing his balance, stretched his right foot and dropped it to the left area with perseverance. Kono, who ran in at full speed, controlled the shot with his left foot while competing with the DF and scored it in the far corner. The quick coordination and Kono's bold attitude were effective in scoring an additional point.

At 38 minutes, Uchida exchanged short direct passes with Hanyu and Kawano near the right area. This created a rhythm, and Kawano ran through the penalty area and made a last pass to the left area from a shooting motion. Ota, who was advancing, tried to aim for the goal with a one fake. This was blocked, but at 42 minutes, they earned a corner kick from Tokunaga's right cross.

In the following 43 minutes, Kono's right CK was cleared by the DF in the center, but Takahashi controlled the ball with a trap in the left area and shot with his right foot. The ball grazed the far post and went in! Takahashi's first goal in the league in about a year (Sec. 16, Niigata match on July 13, 2013) extended the lead and ended the first half.

2 consecutive wins with no goals conceded! Finishing the first half of the season in 7th place.

In the second half, Sendai launched a counterattack. However, in the 48th minute, from a Sendai corner kick, Kono initiated a counterattack, dribbled and ran alone, and advanced to the right area. Furthermore, Hayashi, who provided support from the outside, sent a cross to the front of the goal. However, the ball grazed the left post and bounced back... Sendai continued to send crosses from both sides into the goal area, but Tokyo remained focused and continued to deflect them.

At 60 minutes, Sendai was given a FK from the left area outside the goal line. MF Liang sent a kick to the front of the goal, which was returned by MF Muto and received a wave attack in the area. They were shaken left and right and faced 4 decisive shots, but Kanda saved 2 in a row. DF also put their body on the line, blocking 2 shots and not allowing a goal.

Substitute Higashino for Kono in the 62nd minute. After that, Higashino and Hayashi changed to a 4-4-2 formation, with both sides defending and trying to suppress Sendai's counterattack. At the same time, they effectively countered, and in the 75th minute, Higashino broke through the opponent's defense, but was slightly offside when he received a pass from Hirayama. In the 78th minute, Higashino on the left side sent a through pass to Hirayama, who was trying to break through the area, but the opponent's goalkeeper came out quickly and cleared it.

In the 86th minute, Mita was substituted for Muto and was put into the front line to press and shut out Sendai's counterattack. In the final stages, both teams showed signs of fatigue, but in additional time, Watanabe was substituted for Hanyu. Everyone ran until the end and the game ended. With two consecutive clean sheets, they achieved a consecutive victory and reached 25 points. They also rose to 7th place for the first time this season and reached the halfway point of the season.

[Player Comments]
《Hirayama》
"Regarding the goal, Ota made a good cross. The crosses have been coming in a lot, but I haven't been able to score in many games. I'm glad I was able to score here today. The competition for positions is fierce, but I think every time a player comes on, they contribute to the team's victory. I always prepare myself to be ready to play at any time, and I think it's important to continue doing so."

"Hanyu"
"I think Tokyo had the easiest situation in terms of development. We were able to show what the team is working on now, which is to let the opponent hold the ball and always aim for a counter attack. Personally, I was thinking about calming the team down and creating a rhythm. I was also conscious of moving my feet to get into a good position and maintaining a good distance with the front line by pulling out the ball. Both individually and as a team, I want us to play higher quality soccer and have everyone come to Ajinomoto Stadium. In order to continue this momentum and move up in the rankings, I want us to fight together as one team."

[Press Conference Summary by Massimo FICCADENTI, Manager]
"The players showed great motivation, a strong desire to win, and excellent focus and concentration, allowing us to start the game in a fantastic way. We didn't give the opponent any freedom throughout the 90 minutes, and even when they attacked in the second half, we only allowed a few shots from outside the penalty area. We were able to defend well. We also achieved good results in our attacking play, so I am satisfied with the players' performance and this will only increase our confidence. We should be able to continue in a good way from now on. However, I also told the players that this result should not lead to arrogance. I believe it is most important to continue with humility."

[Sendai - Manager Susumu WATANABE's Press Conference Summary]
"First of all, I would like to express my gratitude to the many fans and supporters who came to Tokyo. We were unable to deliver 3 points to them, and I am filled with regret. As a reflection from the previous match, the game became too rough, so today we wanted to control the game from the start. Our aim was to avoid Tokyo's high press, keep possession of the ball, and move the opponent. We were not able to create opportunities for shots, but there were scenes where we were able to express our intention to move the opponent. However, we lost the ball and fell behind a little, and the situation became unclear in terms of challenges and cover. On the other hand, it was a reflection point that we ended up bringing out Tokyo's combination. While chasing a 3-point deficit, there were some moments where the players showed their attitude to go forward with power and try to get back the points in the second half. However, we need to re-examine our ability to take control and not lose in terms of running, and we want to fight in the second half with our feet on the ground."