Survival game for advancing to the Final Tournament

　The 6th round (=final round) of the Nabisco Cup qualifying league was an away match against Vegalta Sendai. In the "Group B" to which FC Tokyo belongs, Yokohama FM (=10 points) who was in first place at the end of the previous round had already secured qualification for the qualifying league, and there was still a possibility for FC Tokyo (=8 points, 2nd place) and Sendai (=7 points, 3rd place) to advance to the final tournament. Tokyo, who is currently one point ahead, will secure a spot in the final tournament even with a draw, but Sendai has no hope of advancing to the final tournament other than a victory, and it is expected that they will come out with fierce determination, especially since it is a home game.

　Tokyo's starting lineup sees special designated player Tokunaga starting for the third consecutive game at right back, with Fujiyama replacing Shigeki in central defense due to accumulated warnings. Ashizawa replaces Miura, who is suffering from left Achilles tendon pain, in the defensive midfield. Amaral returns to the starting lineup for the first time in two games as the forward. On the other hand, Sendai is missing key midfielder Iwamoto due to injury, as well as center-back Komura and Fabiano, both of whom are suspended due to accumulated warnings. As a result, they have a far from ideal lineup.

　The survival game "The team that wins advances to the finals tournament" kicked off at 7:00 PM at Sendai Stadium, which was dyed yellow with approximately 14,000 Sendai supporters, despite being held on a weekday.

Allowing the first goal in five matches by taking advantage of a momentary gap

　Shortly after the start, Tokyo took the initiative in the attack. MF Ishikawa from the right, DF Tokunaga, MF Miyazawa from the left, and DF Kanazawa actively ran into the side spaces and provided accurate crosses. In the 3rd minute, MF Kelly, who came from the right side, became free in the center and took a shot, but it was blocked by Sendai DF. Then, in the 10th minute, Kelly passed through the ground from the right side, and FW Abe, who ran behind him, took a completely free shot, but unfortunately missed to the right of the goal.

　On the other hand, Sendai's triangle of FW Yamashita, Sato, and MF Mazaki freely changed positions with abundant mobility in the front line, frequently delivering early crosses from both sides. However, high balls were headed away by DF Jean, and through passes and central breakthroughs were consistently cleared by DF Fujiyama with sharp anticipation and covering, preventing any decisive opportunities. In the 9th minute, a well-aimed shot was taken by Sendai's Fukunaga inside the penalty area after being brought in from the left, but GK Doi made a superb save and prevented a goal.

　Tokyo continued to threaten the Sendai goal, and in the 19th minute, Amalao headed the ball kicked by Miyazawa from the right corner kick, but it went to the left of the goal. In the following 21st minute, Kelly kept the ball in the center and passed a perfect through pass to Abe in the penalty area, but Abe easily scored, only to be ruled offside. In the 24th minute, Jahn aimed for a diving header from the left corner kick, and in the 28th minute, Abe and Kelly forcefully broke through and took shots in the penalty area, but were stopped by the Sendai defenders' brave play. In the 29th minute, Kelly dropped a sharp cross from Tokunaga with his heel in front of the goal, but it was unfortunately cleared.

　In the chance in front of the goal, Tokyo surpasses, but in the midfield, the battle for the ball continues with Sendai's intense press, which pushes their bodies. In the 32nd minute, from the midfield slightly to the left, Sendai's MF Ishii kept the ball and passed it through to Sato on the front line. The Tokyo DF's mark was slightly delayed, and the shot was easily taken, passing through Doi's legs and rolling into the goal. Up until then, the ball had not been broken through the final line while being circulated in the midfield, but in an instant, they took advantage of the opening and stopped the clean sheet record that had been continuing since the 10th match against Ichihara on May 24th, and at the same time, they allowed a painful first goal.

Kei ISHIKAWA's individual skill roared! Equalized with a Super Shot

　Tokyo, who had been repeatedly attacking from the outside and creating chances in front of the goal despite conceding the first goal, continued to calmly build their game around Kelly. In the 43rd minute of the first half, a sharp cross from the right by Tokunaga was met with a header by Amaral, but unfortunately it missed to the right of the goal. Immediately after that, in the 44th minute, Kelly received a pass from Abe with his back to the goal and unleashed an artistic looping shot, but it was saved by the Sendai goalkeeper and did not result in a goal.

　At halftime, coach Hara instructed the players, "We are losing in the battle for the ball in the midfield. Let's be more aggressive." The players put that into practice in the second half. In the 48th minute, a cross from the left side was headed towards the goal, momentarily causing a tense moment. However, after that, Tokyo completely controlled the pace of the game. In the 52nd minute, Amaral broke through the right side and had a big chance to face the Sendai goalkeeper one-on-one. However, perhaps because he has been unable to score since the Nabisco Cup qualifying league match against Sendai (HOME) on April 9th, he forgot his shooting instinct and tried to dodge the goalkeeper instead, but was blocked. The loose ball rolled in front of Abe, who was positioned in front of the goal, and he took a precise shot with an inside kick, but it was once again saved by the Sendai goalkeeper, denying a goal. Furthermore, in the 54th minute, there was a fast passing exchange between Ishikawa, Abe, and Amaral near the left corner of the penalty area, and Amaral took a clean shot in the end, but it was blocked by the crossbar and couldn't shake the net. Amaral couldn't help but look up to the sky at this, making it seem like he has been abandoned by the goal. It was a scene that made one think so.

　The fierce attack from Tokyo continued. In the 55th minute, Ishikawa cut inside from the right side and took a left-footed shot, but it hit the Sendai DF and went straight to the GK. In the 58th minute, Amaral blocked the loose ball that the Sendai DF was trying to clear near the penalty arc, and the ball flew towards the goal with the momentum of a shot after hitting Amaral's foot, but it was deflected by the Sendai GK and did not go in. Furthermore, in the 59th minute, Amaral received the ball in the midfield and immediately sent a through pass to Kelly, who had moved forward without hesitation. Kelly took a powerful right-footed shot, but it narrowly missed the left side of the goal.

　61 minutes, Tokyo moves here. In place of Abe, who is not in good condition, MF Baba is brought in. As soon as Baba enters the pitch, he immediately adds an accent to the attack with his unique ball touch. In the 63rd minute, Amaral headed the sharp cross from Ishikawa from the right, but it was deflected by the Sendai GK. In the following 64th minute, Amaral, who received a pass from Kanazawa, quickly shot the ball with his right foot after floating it from the left corner of the penalty area. The ball flew to the far side and the GK gave up, but this time it hit the right post and bounced back, again not a goal. In the 68th minute, Baba received the ball in front of the goal and effortlessly dribbled past three players with quick steps, then made a last pass to Amaral inside the penalty area. However, the Sendai DF quickly closed in and prevented him from taking a shot, ruining a decisive chance.

　Overwhelmingly attacking while being abandoned by the opponent GK's divine fine play and luck, and unable to break the goal no matter what, I was worried if it would end with no goals. Just as I thought, in the 71st minute, Ishikawa received a pass on the right side, pretended to pass vertically, and rushed to the center. In an instant, he left two Sendai DF players behind and sharply flashed his left foot. The powerful shot pierced the goal net with his soul! Goal! With Ishikawa's super play, we finally succeeded in opening the Sendai goal where the god had been dwelling.

Amaral's valuable goal after 99 days led to first place!

　Sendai, who was caught up in a tie, launched a counterattack by continuously sending attacking players in the 73rd and 74th minutes. In the 77th minute, Sendai's Sato, who had sprinted with speed on the left side just on the offside line, shot with his left foot, but it crossed in front of the goal. On the contrary, in the 78th minute, Baba passed a perfect through pass from the center to Ishikawa on the front line, and Ishikawa shot after dribbling, but it was blocked. In the following 81st minute, Tokyo passed the ball around in front of the goal, and finally a decisive pass reached Nemoto, who had invaded the left side of the penalty area, but Fujiyama prevented it with a tackle that threw his whole body, not just his foot. Despite their long absence from the game, the play of Fujiyama and Asari on this day was a passionate one that made you feel the "soul" of a veteran player who had been with Tokyo for a long time. They are a great role model for young players and a valuable asset for the team, as they reminded us once again.

　And, one more person who should not be forgotten, "Tokyo's soul," did a great job in the very end. In the 86th minute, as the game was coming to a close, Ishikawa, who received the ball on the right side, challenged U-22 Japan representative's left-side player, Nemoto, head-on and broke through with a forceful charge towards the goal. From just near the goal line, he passed the ball into the box, where Amaral ran in and confidently pushed it into the net! This goal, 99 days after the Nabisco Cup qualifying league 3rd round against Sendai (HOME) on April 9th, became not only valuable for Amaral himself but also for the team. With this winning goal, they surpassed Yokohama FM (=same points, but a better goal difference) and secured their spot as the top team in Group 1.

　Amaral also missed several chances on this day and is still far from his true image, but this one point could be a turning point and could lead to future success stories. It is valuable for both himself and the team to connect this one point (= victory) to the remaining 3 league matches!

[Player Comments]《Ishikawa》"In the first half, I couldn't really bring out the ball and we had chances but couldn't score, so the flow was bad. However, in the second half, I was able to contribute to the comeback victory by scoring, so personally, I think I was able to grow a little more."《Amaral》"It was good. I think the supporters were waiting for my goal, so I think they were happy. It was a tough game, but it's good that we can go to the finals with this."

[Summary of the press conference by Coach Hara] "I knew it would be tough today from before the match. Sendai suffered a big defeat against Ichihara in the league, so I thought they would come to this home game with high motivation, knowing that a win would take them to the finals tournament. As expected, Sendai was dominant in the first half, with all the ball battles going their way. However, we were able to make adjustments at halftime and in the second half, we were able to fight and dominate Sendai with the same mindset. In the past few matches, we haven't conceded any goals in the first half, so I felt that we have grown as a team by not losing our motivation and balance in the second half and turning the game around to earn 3 points. We want to carry this momentum into the next match against Shimizu. Also, Ishikawa's goal was fantastic, but I was also delighted that Amaral, who I honestly thought wouldn't make it, scored in the end as if he had decided it himself. It's unfortunate that Amaral won't be able to play in the next match against Shimizu, but we want to prepare well and face it."

[Sendai and Shimizu coach's press conference summary] "The first half was good. We were chasing the ball very well from the front players and were able to play the game at our own pace. However, we were equalized in the second half and took an attacking formation in a situation where we had to win, but we ended up conceding a goal by being caught in the empty space."