Whatever the form, a result is demanded in this match

After a two-week break following the end of the league season, the Emperor's Cup resumes with a quarterfinal match against Vegalta Sendai. It will be a rematch of the final round of the league, but during this time, Lucas suffered a broken bone and Hiramatsu was injured. The team was struck with a shocking accident and a somber atmosphere temporarily took over. However, coach Ranko POPOVIC said, "It's unfortunate that the two of them won't be able to step onto the pitch, but they are still part of the FC Tokyo family. They are always with us. Of course, the other players also carry their feelings and have a strong desire to fight and win for them."

Blaublitz Akita (representing Akita Prefecture), Mito, and Shimizu in the Emperor's Cup, and advanced to the quarterfinals. In the final round of the league, FW Yanagisawa was injured and forced to withdraw, but on the other hand, MF Kakuta and DF Sugai returned. They will face each other with a different lineup from the previous match. Tokunaga said, "It will be important to pick up the second ball and win the ball. Knowing each other's tactics, concentration will also be a key factor in the match. We want to pay attention to the details throughout the game and win."

Tokyo made changes to their lineup from the final match of the league. They brought in Chang Hyun Soo as center back and replaced Lucas with Higashi. Takahashi said, "It's a home game for Sendai. Also, with Teguramori's resignation decided, their determination to 'do it' may be strong. However, we have our own "circumstances" that we absolutely cannot lose." Ishikawa also added, "We want to show more than what we've relied on Lucas for so far." Each of them expressed their thoughts on the pitch and the team is determined to grab the victory as one. The match started at 13:04 with Tokyo's kickoff at Yurtec Stadium Sendai.

A series of mistakes lead to conceding the first goal. The first half ends with the opponent's rhythm.

From the start of the first half, Sendai was unable to pick up second balls due to their strength in the air. Then, in the 3rd minute, a cleared ball by Shioda was short and picked up by Sendai, leading to a quick counter attack on the right side. MF Ota, who had pushed up high, crossed the ball. It went past the center and to the left area where MF Yanagi was waiting. From there, a shot was taken but Shioda made the save. However, the rebound was cleared poorly by Yonemoto and connected to FW Wilson in the center, who scored with a volley, giving up the first goal early on.

After that, Sendai's long balls continued to trouble Tokyo, and they were unable to regain a good rhythm in their attack. A bad flow of short counters from their own mistakes. Ota managed to send a cross into the box from a set piece, but the timing was off and they couldn't create a decisive opportunity. In the 23rd minute, Ota dribbled up to a high position on the front line and sent a negative cross into the box. Watanabe in the center of the area let it through, and behind him, Yonemoto timed it perfectly but it went over the bar.

In the 29th minute, Hasegawa received a foul and a FK from the left area. Ota sent it to the front of the goal, and Chanhyons touched it, but Watanabe reacted to it, but couldn't catch up and it went outside the frame. The passes started to go around little by little, but they were struggling against Sendai's high defensive line and there were no runs from the second line, so there were no effective vertical passes. In the 39th minute, Ota directly aimed for a FK from about 30m in the center, but it just went over the frame. In the first half stoppage time, Vucicevic crossed from Hasegawa's development on the left. Yonemoto jumped into the right area, but couldn't take a shot. In the end, they finished the first half with a one-point deficit.

Ota scored a direct free kick in stoppage time in the second half, and the match went into extra time.

The flow remains the same in the second half. Tokyo's goal kicks and balls to the front line are all bounced back by Sendai. In order to change the flow, Tokyo substitutes Ishikawa for VUCICEVIC in the 52nd minute. Gradually, Sendai's movement begins to decrease, allowing Tokyo to dominate the ball. Sendai is defending and looking for counterattacks. In the 57th minute, Ota dribbles through the left area and sends a close-range last pass to Watanabe waiting in the center, but it doesn't connect. Takahashi tries a shot from the rebound, but it is blocked.

63 minutes, Hasegawa brings the ball to the right sideline and sends a minus last pass to the center of the area, but cannot connect with Watanabe near and Ishikawa far. In the 66th minute, Hirayama was substituted for Watanabe. In the 73rd minute, while passing the ball in the opponent's half, Ishikawa makes a run behind and receives a well-timed pass from Ota in the left area, sending a last pass to the center. Hasegawa in front of the goal lets it go through. Hirayama was behind but unable to connect. Despite creating multiple chances from the side, they were unable to score due to being cleared at the last moment.

In the 82nd minute, FW Cabore of Sendai received the ball from a left throw-in and dribbled past Tokyo DF on the left side of the field, sending a floating pass to the center. MF GROT timed it perfectly and headed the ball, but it narrowly missed to the left, avoiding danger. In the 85th minute, Tokyo made their final move by substituting Lin for Higashi. In the 87th minute, Lin from the left area received a cross from Tokunaga, but could not take a shot. Ishikawa attempted a volley on the rebound, but his powerful shot was blocked.

Even in the 4 minutes of stoppage time, Tokyo continues to launch fierce attacks. Then, in the midst of a chaotic situation near the goal area, Hayashi is fouled and earns a free kick. In a tense atmosphere, Ota's kick is deflected into the upper right corner of the net, equalizing the score at the last minute. The second half ends and the game goes into extra time.