Sec. 5, seeking to take 3 points at home before the break

Sec. 5 of the 2nd stage, which will be held on a weekday. We will face Vegalta Sendai at home. In the previous match, tactical substitutions worked well. Nathan Burns marked his first goal in Japan, and gradually the new players are fitting in and showing a new way of playing. However, we have not won in the last two matches, and the team is feeling a sense of crisis. The players say, "We want to clarify again what stage we will fight from here and what we aim for," and "We cannot afford to lose consecutive matches, especially at home." After this match, the J1 League will have a break of about two weeks, but this is an important match where we want to grab a victory and gain momentum for the future.

However, Takahashi will be suspended due to accumulated warnings. Along with Kajiyama's absence, two midfielders will be missing. As a result, Nozawa will start for the first time since the June 3rd Nabisco Shonan game, forming a double midfield with Yonemoto. In addition, Ota will return and Maruyama will be used as a center back. Mita will also start for the first time since the June 27th Shimizu game, with Mita and Hayashi playing on both sides in a 4-4-2 formation.

Tokyo, on the other hand, is currently in 7th place with 23 points in the 1st stage. However, in the 2nd stage, they have only managed 1 draw and 3 losses due to the absence of FW Wilson. Despite being in a difficult situation, Sendai's style of utilizing their attacking power from their strong defense is their strength. In particular, in their previous match against Tokyo in the 1st stage, Tokyo had a 3-point lead but ended up conceding 2 goals in the final minutes, showing that Sendai can be a tough opponent when they gain momentum. That is why it is important for Tokyo to prevent Sendai from gaining any momentum. They must maintain their quick transitions and high intensity, while also being prepared for Sendai's attacking plays. Tokyo wants to secure a victory by playing their own style of football, without becoming mentally passive.

A moment of silence was observed for the victims of the recent Chofu small aircraft accident before the start. As the night went on, the humidity increased and the game started at 7:03 PM with a kickoff in Tokyo.

Mori Shige scores his 6th goal of the season, Maeda scores 2 goals, leading by 3 points

The start of the game saw both teams fighting for possession. In the 8th minute, Sandaza was fouled on the right side of the penalty area, earning a free kick. In the 9th minute, Ota sent a sharp free kick into the box, and Morishige ran in to redirect it with a header, changing the direction of the ball and scoring! Taking advantage of a set piece opportunity, Morishige marked his 6th goal of the season and gave his team an early lead.

After that, Tokyo gradually dominated the ball. They created scenes of attacking while connecting passes. In the 19th minute, Nozawa went up the center and passed vertically to Maeda. Maeda's post-play led to Yonemoto expanding to the right. From the coordinated form, Tokunaga sent a cross, but it just missed Maeda in front of the goal. However, in the 23rd minute, Sendai cleared the pass to the front line. Nozawa pressed and took the ball from the Sendai midfielder who was trying to move up the center, and passed it to Maeda just before the area. Maeda passed through two opposing defenders and created a 1-on-1 chance with the goalkeeper, scoring with his left foot. GOAL!! Taking advantage of Nozawa's ball recovery and Maeda's persistence, they scored an additional point.

After that, there were some scenes where Sendai was attacked mainly by set plays, but Maruyama led a tough defense and reached the 34th minute, where midfielder Sandaza sent the ball forward with a header. It became a battle with the opponent, but Maeda cut off the opponent's header and broke through to the front line. He dribbled into the left area, with Sandaza running to the right, but he himself shifted the timing and cut back the Sendai DF. From there, the soft shot he took was sucked into the net for a goal! Tokyo had scored 3 goals with only 3 shots so far, and ended the first half with a lead that seemed to decide the match.

Conceded one goal, but sealed the game with a counterattack

However, the score followed the same pattern as the away game in the 1st stage. Therefore, attention was focused on the second half of the game. Sendai made two substitutions in the second half, replacing FW Hamon Lopez with FW Okuno. They launched a counterattack with momentum. In the 47th minute, Sendai MF Liang's cross flowed from the center to the far side, and left MF Kanekubo took a free shot. Immediately after, FW Kanazono broke through, but Maruyama quickly competed and did not allow him to finish.

Tokyo made a substitution, bringing in Iwashita for Sandaza in the 54th minute. In the 59th minute, Tokunaga intercepted the ball on the right side of their own half and dribbled through the center again, with passes from Yonemoto and Iwashita. He carried the ball for a long distance of 80 meters, evading Sendai's defenders and taking a decisive shot, but it was saved by the opposing goalkeeper...

In the 66th minute, Mita → Ishikawa launched a counterattack, but there were not enough attacking players against Sendai's defense. They tried not to force it and tried to reconnect, but there were also scenes where Sendai held onto the ball and they couldn't break their rhythm. In the 68th minute, from a pass exchange on Sendai's left side, it was connected to the midfield MF Liang → defensive midfielder Tomita, and MF Kanekubo went up the center. In response, Tokyo's defense was weak and they allowed a shot from just outside the area to score... they conceded a goal.

In the 77th minute, Hashimoto was substituted for Mita. They regained their rhythm from defense and launched a sharp counterattack. In the 82nd minute, they were pushed back to their own goal, but Yonemoto stole the loose ball and charged forward. Maeda on the right side passed to Ishikawa on the front line. They created a good opportunity, but Ishikawa's shot went wide to the right. In the 87th minute, from a direct pass by Yonemoto and Maeda, Hanyu once again moved to the left front line. Hashimoto jumped in from the far side to cross the ball into the goal, but was unable to shoot as he was sandwiched by the opposing defenders.

Although we were unable to score a fourth goal, we were able to hold off Sendai's counterattack and secure the win with a 1 goal difference at the final whistle. Maeda's two goals, along with Morishige's opening goal, contributed to the victory and we were able to take all 3 points as a team.

[Player Comments]
"Maeda"
"I am happy to have scored two goals today. (My) first goal was a good pass from Nozawa. I was able to place the ball in a good position with my first touch, and it came loose from the Sendai DF. I was able to calmly assess the GK's position and score. For the second goal, Sandaza was running to the right, so I tried to pass. The Sendai DF was drawn in, so I was able to dodge them. After scoring in the previous game, I couldn't score in the following games, so I want to continue to contribute to victory by producing good results."

"Nozawa"
"I didn't want to make any special plays, but I wanted to contribute to the victory by using my usual strength. In the end, I was tired and couldn't get involved with the ball, but I was able to end with a win and that makes me happy. (On the play that led to the second goal) I was able to steal the ball from the opponent and I think I was able to show the "intensity" that was my challenge. After that, I saw Maeda's movement, but in order to not be noticed by the Sendai DF, I passed without looking at the opponent. However, today, it wasn't a position I grabbed with my own strength, but a chance that came around due to my teammates' injuries and suspensions. That's why I want to continue to grow and contribute to the victory by getting involved in the game."

[Summary of Massimo FICCADENTI's press conference]
"It was a great first half. Although there were some scenes where we ended up just keeping the ball in the second half, overall I am satisfied. We were able to achieve this result despite facing many problems such as injuries and suspensions for today's match. The team has improved in various aspects such as tactics and combination in the front line. We will now enter the break period and wait for the injured players to recover, and then we will all challenge the next match together."
(About Maeda)
I don't like to single out one name, but it's clear to everyone that he's a player worthy of praise. Last season, he had problems such as injuries, and there were also difficult times when he couldn't even make it to the bench after coming to Tokyo this season. However, he has a proven track record and a true professional attitude, and he has left us with such great results today. A great player who sets an example.
(Nozawa responded to being used as an assist?)
He responded to our expectations and he will have more chances. He must have had a tough time, but he is maturing. Maruyama also showed a fantastic performance today. Even if he cannot play in the game, by training well, he can achieve results when the chance comes. Not just them, but all players showed great plays deserving of victory. The players today were only thinking about winning on the pitch."

[Sendai - Manager Susumu WATANABE's Press Conference Summary]
"Despite being held on a weekday night, I am grateful that many fans and supporters gathered. We were expecting a tough match against Tokyo as we have been struggling to win in the 2nd stage. We entered the game with a plan to change the lineup a bit and play simply by taking advantage of the space and picking up loose balls. However, we conceded a goal right after the restart as we were behind in the ball contest. We were planning to change the lineup and positions to score, but DF Watanabe got injured and we had to make two substitutions. In the second half, we were able to show our style of receiving the ball in space, playing with our feet, and breaking through with combinations. However, it was natural for the game to become more pressing considering the score. We were unable to score one or two more goals in front of the goal, which shows our lack of strength."