Yojiro TAKAHAGI

"I started as an attacking midfielder, and I think I was able to get into areas that the opponent found difficult in the first half."
Sendai made adjustments, and in the second half, they were unable to create such situations.
We conceded a goal first, and after that, they built a solid block, making it impossible to create any space.

(What are the points for reflection?)
We should aim to exploit the opponent's weaknesses, like in the first half, with myself and the FW working together.
If we don't aim for the back even when the ball doesn't come out, the line won't drop and we won't break down. I want to discuss with the three of us and prepare for the next step.
It's disappointing to have lost, but there were many good aspects.
I believe it is more important to focus on the positive aspects and continue to build on them rather than only looking at the negatives.

(Was I moving quite a bit?)
By moving myself, I can create opportunities for other players to become free, and by moving again after that, I can create time to become free. I was conscious of that.

(It should have been a while since the top player in a two-top formation played in that position?)
Since I can play facing forward in a position close to the goal, I felt it was easier.
If I am to play in this position in the future, I need to be able to contribute to the attack a bit better. However, it was a game where I could feel that progress.

《Diego OLIVEIRA》

The first half was very good, and we created many chances. However, we couldn't convert those chances. I believe that was one of the factors in our defeat.
In soccer, no matter how good the play is, whether or not you score a goal determines the outcome of the match.
That is what we lacked today, but Sendai had it.
It's unfortunate, but I want to prepare to win next time without wavering.

(Although there were more moments of utilizing teammates than shooting myself?)
I think there were many situations where I made the final pass or cross today, but I'm not too concerned about that.
My shooting opportunities should come naturally within the flow of the game.

The results as a team are important, and while today is disappointing, we fought hard. We must accept the results based on that.

Summary of the press conference by Kenta HASEGAWA, Tokyo's coach

Compared to the opening match, there were many more opportunities to approach the goal, and I think it was a match where we could have scored first.
It is very unfortunate that, despite firmly bouncing back the Sendai attack centered around the center backs and not allowing any dangerous situations to develop, that shot went in.
I think the current issue is that we can't score a goal in the remaining time. However, we were able to move the ball smoothly in areas where we could spread it.
In matches against a three-back defense, there are often times when we can't take many shots, but today I think we were able to get close to the goal to some extent.
So, while we take a positive view of things, we still need to train in areas where we need to improve, and we want to fight for the three points.

《Q&A》
Q=Did the game change in the second half?
"The pressure was weak. Especially in the situation where we conceded a goal, the pressure was weaker compared to the first half."

Q=What specific aspects have become smoother in the development?
"Takahagi added an accent as an attacking midfielder. Since we were chasing a goal, I moved him back to the anchor position, but I think his strengths were more evident than when he played in the double pivot last time."

"Summary of the Press Conference by Sendai's Coach Shin Watanabe"

"First of all, thank you very much to the many supporters who came all the way from Sendai. Actually, during this week's training, there was a lot of snow in Sendai, and the field was in a condition where nothing could be done without shoveling the snow. Many supporters, front staff, and academy coaches helped shovel the snow. Without that, we would not have been able to prepare at all for the match against FC Tokyo, so I would like to take this opportunity to express my gratitude. Thank you very much. As for the match, FC Tokyo changed their system, which confused us in the first half. We had information about it, but we did not expect it to come from the very start of the game, so we were pressed for a long time. Therefore, we changed our positioning and proceeded with the match. The change made our defense clearer, allowing us to calmly advance the game. In terms of attack, at halftime, we clarified the areas where we could definitely create a numerical advantage, and I think we were able to create spaces to move forward. Looking back, we also won the opening game 1-0 last year, but things did not go well afterward, so without being satisfied with this, we want to steadily prepare for the next Levain Cup match against Kobe."

Q=Was the system change about midfield positioning?
"We started with a 3-4-3 formation, but midway through the first half, we changed to a 3-5-2 formation, just like in the previous match. At halftime, I added instructions for the attacking part, and I think we were able to progress the game well."

Was it your first victory at Ajinomoto?

"This morning, I talked to the players about that. However, what I told them was, 'There's no point in lamenting the past that cannot be changed. We can change the games ahead of us. Let's focus our energy there.' I don't know if they felt that was cool, but I believe it resulted in them concentrating well on the game in front of them and performing accordingly."