Home at Ajinomoto Stadium for the final league match

The 16th round of the 2nd stage will be held. As the final home game, Vegalta Sendai will be welcomed and fought at Ajinomoto.

In the previous match against Kashima, we were able to demonstrate our quick switching and strength in ball battles, overwhelming both in attack and defense to secure a victory. Coach Shinoda emphasized the importance of being able to express what we have built up in this match throughout the 90 minutes on the pitch, saying "We have a sense of having played a good game, but the opponent's style of play and situation may be different, so what we were able to do against Kashima may not necessarily be possible in the next match against Sendai."

Especially in the final home game, "There may be people who have supported us throughout the year and watched the Kashima game and thought 'Let's go again'. In order to express our gratitude to those people, we want to play dynamic soccer and share the joy of victory with everyone. In order to do that, we will approach the game with a strong determination to fight."

In this section, Kono, who injured his ankle in the previous section, will be absent. As a result, Mizunuma will be used on the right side. For himself, it will be his first start since the 15th section against Iwata on June 11th. In addition, as in the previous section, Hashimoto will be the right side back. Muroya will move to the left, and Yoshimoto and Uinsu will be on the bench.

Tokyo, on the other hand, is currently in 12th place in the 2nd stage with 20 points. They are 3 points behind Sendai in the overall standings, sitting in 11th place. They will surely come out with all their might to accumulate as many points as possible. Above all, FW Lopes has scored 4 goals in the last 2 matches, and his attacking power must be guarded against. In this match, MF Mita, who is on loan from Tokyo, will not be able to play, so MF Tomita and MF Fujimura will be used in the midfield. Sendai is also expected to play aggressively, but we want to take the lead in both offense and defense and grab the victory.

Despite the cloudy sky, the game started at 2:04 PM in Tokyo under weather conditions where occasional thin sunlight could be seen and the coldness from yesterday was not felt.

Mizunuma shows a promising performance and scores the first goal of the season in J1

Demonstrating a sense of dynamism from the start, they launched quick attacks with swift transitions.
2 minutes: Tanabe → Higashi breaks through on the left side and sends a low cross to the center. Mizunuma, who ran into the penalty area at the perfect timing, created a scoring opportunity and shot with his right foot, but... it was saved by the opposing GK and resulted in a corner kick.

4 minutes: Sendai also attacked Tokyo's defense with numbers, and in the 5th minute, FW Nozawa's corner kick led to DF Oiwa's header shot. There were also moments where they were under pressure, but they calmly defended and turned it into an attack.
8 minutes: Nakajima, who went up the left side line, sends a cross and Mizunuma rushes into the goal area. Here, a foul is called against the opposing DF and Sendai gets the ball.

13 minutes: Maruyama, who intercepted the ball, moves forward and makes a vertical pass into the box. Mizunuma tries to make a run behind the defense, but it doesn't connect with Higashi. The opponent clears the ball and we get a left throw-in.
14 minutes: Nakajima receives Muraya's throw-in, Muraya passes to Tanabe again on the side line, who breaks through on the left front line. Nakajima receives the pass and turns around. With a strong dribble, he brings the ball into the center and then passes to Maeda in the middle. From there, he breaks through to the left area and calmly sends a lofted pass to the front of the goal.
A quick combination play broke down the left side, and Mizunuma in the center headed the ball into the goal. It was his first J1 goal in Tokyo, and he responded to the expectations of being a starter by scoring the opening goal.

19 minutes: Mizunuma breaks through the opponent's defense and crosses from the goal line to the center. Higashi in front of the goal tried to volley, but the opponent cleared it and only earned a right corner kick. After that, the game gradually settled down and became a tight battle with compact lines. Even when holding the ball in the opponent's territory, Nakajima was the key player, constantly switching the attack.

30 minutes: Sendai awarded a FK on the left side. MF Yanagi sends it to the far side, where DF Watanabe jumps out from the right area and takes a high header, but it goes outside the frame.
33 minutes: Sendai Central's MF Tomita → MF Fujimura, who was trying to take the ball away, was unable to do so as MF Liang received a vertical pass in the central area. MF Liang was able to switch places and take a shot, but it went straight to Akimoto.

36 minutes: Maeda, who received a vertical pass, was fouled from behind and earned a FK at the opponent's central position, about 23-4m away. Mizunuma took a short pass and Morishige aimed for it, but couldn't finish the shot and it went out of bounds.
42 minutes: Hashimoto, Mizunuma, Tanabe and others pass the ball on the right front line, but Sendai also takes good care and cannot penetrate the space. However, Mori Shige pushed up the line and floated a pass to the right front line. Higashi caught up and crossed from the goal line, but it flowed to the far side and crossed the line.

Although we were unable to score any additional points, we maintained a one-point lead and ended the first half.

Calmly withstand Sendai's counterattack, 3 consecutive wins in the league

47 minutes: Shortly after the start of the second half, a chance was created. From a FK on the left sideline, Mizunuma's kick was cleared, but Tanabe followed up near the area and sent a floating pass to the east of the left area. East was in a position with the opponent's DF on his back, but he took a direct shot from a right foot trap... only to be stopped by the opponent's GK's great save.
50 minutes: Sendai was given a free kick from the left area, and FW Nozawa's kick was returned from afar. Then, a counterattack was launched, and the left cross from there was somehow cleared, but during this time, Sendai held onto the ball and was attacked.

However, Tokyo also takes the initiative and steals the ball at a high position, aiming for a counterattack without giving the opponent the upper hand.
58 minutes: Muroya makes a vertical move and crosses to the left. Although he couldn't finish from here, he takes a second and connects, and Tanabe in front of the right area → This time Mizunuma puts in a right cross. However, Nakajima, who was competing with the opponent in front of the goal, couldn't reach the header by one step.
68 minutes: Even though Sendai dominates the ball, they create a solid block and defend. Muroya runs up the left side, skillfully cuts back inside despite being marked by two defenders, and sends a cross, but it is blocked. Still, they go for the loose ball and make it their own, with a decisive minus pass from the goal line to the front. However, it does not reach Nakajima... Immediately after, Nakajima himself tries to score from his favorite angle, but his feet get caught and he cannot find the target.

73 minutes: Sendai brought in MF Kanekubo and 75 minutes, MF Pablo Jogo to the front line. The driving force of FW Hamon Lopez and MF Pablo Jogo was utilized, and the time continued to be carried to the Tokyo goal.
80 minutes: Tokyo substitutes Nathan BURNS for Maeda. They defend their own goal without losing focus and try to counterattack from there.
83 minutes: Takahashi replaces Tanabe.
86 minutes: A counterattack from their own half, Nathan BURNS takes the ball up the right side, but his cross is blocked by Sendai DF and does not reach Mizunuma in the center or Nakajima in the far side.
89 minutes: Nathan BURNS quickly counterattacks again and moves up the center. Higashi runs alongside him, Mizunuma on the right side. Nakajima moves up on the left, and BURNS tries to connect with him, but the pass is weak and easily defended by the opponent.

In the latter half, there were moments when Sendai was pushed back by the momentum, but they kept their focus and prevented any goals, while also launching counterattacks at key moments. They were unable to score any additional points, but they successfully defended the opening goal scored by Mizunuma, and ended their final home game with a victory, achieving their third consecutive win in the league.

[Player Comments]
"Mizunuma"
"Before starting, I was conscious of doing what the team should do while showing my strengths. I think I was able to express my own style and color, including plays that liven up the team. I expected Sendai to be in good shape and aggressively counterattack, but we were able to withstand their momentum and fight patiently. Winning, whether it's 1-0 or by any margin, is the most important thing. This season may not have been what I envisioned, but even when I didn't have the opportunity to play, I always felt like something was missing and prepared myself to do my best when the chance came. All of that has been a plus for me, and there has been nothing negative. I was able to show that in today's result."

"Mori Shige"
"In the Kashima game, we were able to press from the front and defend positively, but today we were able to create a block and bounce back defensively. The opponent must have been uncomfortable with that. Compared to the last two games, Sendai had more possession of the ball, but I think we just passed it around in the back. In the first half, Sendai FW Nozawa received the ball and was able to turn forward, but in the second half we were able to fix that. We were able to maintain compactness, not let him turn forward, and keep a clean sheet. The coach changed in the middle of the season, but now under Coach Shinoda, we are training well and able to show that in the game. We are grateful for the support of the fans and supporters throughout the year."

[Coach Yoshiyuki SHINODA's Press Conference Summary]
"We were able to get 3 points for the fans and supporters who came to Ajinomoto. Thanks to the efforts of the players and staff, and their support, we were able to win and it was a good feeling. As for the content of the game, we were able to take the lead but we couldn't grasp the rhythm as we kept losing the ball after taking it. Still, we were able to advance the game advantageously by taking the lead. The opponent had a lot of possession time, but we only allowed one chance in the first half. We were able to create a block and defend. There were still challenges in terms of taking the ball, but I think we were able to control the team well in the first half. In the second half, we continued to go for the second goal, but we couldn't find our rhythm and it was the end of the game. So we brought in Barnes to counterattack, put in Takahashi to stabilize the midfield, and brought in Hanyu to finish the game. I think the whole team worked hard to get 3 points."
From the beginning of my appointment, I have been asking for a sense of dynamism from the players, and I believed that without it, the viewers would not feel anything. Regarding that attitude, I think I was able to show it. We cannot play perfect football, but I think we were able to clearly demonstrate our direction. From here on, I want to aim for football that can accumulate more points."

[Sendai - Manager Susumu WATANABE's Press Conference Summary]
"I heard that over 2,000 Sendai supporters gathered. Ajinomoto is a place where Sendai has never been able to win. We knew that data, but we sent out players to build a new history. We couldn't share the joy of winning 3 points with the fans and supporters, and we feel frustrated and disappointed. As for the game, the start was everything. We were scored on early, but there was also a scene where we were easily allowed into the box. GK Seki made a big save and we managed to get through, but we were a little shaken there. If that hadn't happened, I think the game would have been more tightly contested. In the past few games, we haven't been able to play the way we want, but we've been telling the players to focus on the game. However, it becomes difficult if we fall behind. However, we were able to demonstrate the power and attacking build-up that we have accumulated this season. However, we couldn't break through the final line of Tokyo, which has two national team defenders, and we didn't have many shots. I feel that we need to increase the number of individual breakthroughs and plays as a group. With only one game left in the 2016 season, we want to leave behind the frustration of today at Ajinomoto and end the last home game with a win."