A match in which we want to take revenge, taking advantage of the reflection on the previous league match

　The Nabisco Cup final tournament has started. This season, we participated from the quarterfinals because we fought in the ACL, and in the first match, we played against Vegalta Sendai away. In the first half of the league match, we showed an even match from the beginning, but we were caught off guard just before the end of the first half and ended up conceding 4 goals in a self-destructive manner. We must not repeat the same mistakes against the same opponent. We want to seek revenge with a strong determination and challenger spirit by playing our own style of football.

　Sendai, on the other hand, advanced to the finals in second place in Group A. It seems that defenders Uemoto, midfielder Kakuta, and Sekiguchi have been injured and are struggling with injuries, but the team's unity remains intact. Their strong pressing and quick counterattacks are a threat. Additionally, Tokyo has been conceding many goals from set pieces recently, so they must be cautious of Sendai's midfielders Yanagida and Matsushita, who have high accuracy in their kicks, including corner kicks and direct free kicks.

　Tokyo is without representatives from the London Olympics, Tokunaga and Kanda. Backup member Yonemoto also returned to his home country on the 22nd. Considering their condition, he is on the substitute bench. Furthermore, yesterday it was confirmed that a new member will join next season, and Mita, a JFA/J-League designated player, made his first appearance on the bench. Nakamura said, "First and foremost, we want to keep the opponent from scoring, but we also want to attack boldly when the opportunity arises. Additionally, we want to move the opponent effectively with our passing."

　Of course, we aim to win 3 points in the first match, but as Shiota said, "I want to think of it as a 180-minute battle at home and away," it is also a match where calm judgment based on the situation will be tested. In order to show the points of growth from there, we will fight without being overwhelmed by the atmosphere of the away game and without losing our composure, and win! The match started at 19:04 at Yurtec Stadium Sendai with Tokyo's kickoff.

Susumu WATANABE and Kei ISHIKAWA's goals give a 2-point lead, but concede immediately after and head into the second half.

　Both teams were not allowing each other to freely move due to their strong defense, resulting in a continuous battle for ball possession and a back-and-forth game. Tokyo gradually started to build up their rhythm from set plays. In the 10th minute, Watanabe showed persistence in the front line and earned a corner kick on the right side. Ishikawa's kick was cleared, but Hasegawa, who received the loose ball near the right area, skillfully turned around from his clever dribble and aimed towards the goal with a powerful shot. However, the shot hit the left post...

　15 minutes, Ishikawa receives a side change from Tanizawa on the right and crosses. The ball is initially cleared, but Watanabe in the right front area connects with the loose ball from the scramble, and Lucas in the central area gets into a shooting position but is blocked. Then, in the 16th minute, we push forward in front of the opponent's goal, although it momentarily becomes the opponent's ball, Watanabe presses and earns a corner kick. From Ishikawa's right corner kick, Takahashi heads the ball that drifted towards the far side of the near post! The ball goes beyond the goalkeeper's outstretched hand and is sucked into the net, taking the lead.

　In the 30th minute, Morishige → Nakamura on the left side aims for the back of the opponent's DF with a floating pass. Ishikawa jumps out here and breaks through with a one-touch, facing the GK in a one-on-one situation. He calmly scores and leads by 2 points. However, in the 32nd minute, MF Yanagida takes a sharp kick on the right CK. Near DF Watanabe drops it far with a high-headed shot, and MF Tamura in the left area kicks it in, resulting in a goal against. After that, Tokyo tries to connect passes and grasp the rhythm, while Sendai also launches powerful attacks. The tense situation continues, with Tokyo leading by one point going into the second half.

Despite being caught up in a tie, they managed to maintain their focus until the end and finished with a draw.

　The game starts moving early in the second half. In the 50th minute, Sendai's central midfielder Matsushita quickly connects with forward midfielder Tamura, who has entered the central area, and midfielder Ota drops the ball to block Tokyo's defense with a post-play, allowing forward Wilson, who has circled to the right, to take a shot. He scores spectacularly, conceding a goal and equalizing the score. However, Tokyo also launches a counterattack. In the 52nd minute, Lucas sticks to the left front line and wins the ball, passing it to Watanabe, who is free in the central area. However, his decisive shot, controlled after a trap, goes... over the bar.

　55 minutes, Lucas headed a sharp right CK from Ishikawa, but it went wide. In the 63rd minute, Edmilson, a new addition, was substituted for Watanabe. Then, in the 65th minute, Ishikawa intercepted a loose ball cleared by his own team and sprinted down the right side. He initially passed the Sendai DF, but Edmilson chased after him and regained possession on the right front line. He then connected with Ishikawa, who had entered the right area. From this drop, Edmilson, who had circled around to the right area, took a free shot. It was a decisive shot, but it missed to the left.

　After that, Tokyo continued to attack, but after 70 minutes, Sendai began to take control. In the 79th minute, Mita made his debut, replacing Yawazawa. Despite trying to change the flow of the game, Sendai's momentum, fueled by their physicality, could not be stopped. In the 86th minute, Lucas injured his foot and was replaced by Kanemoto. In injury time, Sendai's midfielder, Liang, made a vertical run on the left side and crossed to the center, bypassing Mukuhara. Yuzawa, the forward on the far side, had a clear header opportunity, but... it narrowly missed to the right, avoiding a dangerous situation. In the end, they endured without losing concentration and finished the first away game with a draw.

　【Player Comment】《Ishikawa》"When the team was struggling, I was injured and had a strong desire to help, and I always wanted to score. In the first half, I think we were able to execute the desired game plan as a team. Especially in terms of positioning, I tried to position myself in a somewhat ambiguous position between the opponent's defensive midfielder and center-back or full-back, in order to confuse their marking. I think we were able to create some good opportunities by having options behind the defense... However, the challenge lies in how to change the momentum when things get tough in the second half."

　(By scoring 2 goals away, will the next home game be advantageous?) In reality, it's just the quarterfinals of the Nabisco Cup, so we don't really think that way. Our mindset was to score and win because we lost 0-4 in the league match. We struggled physically towards the end. Sendai came forward and posed a threat. But we learned from experience that if we don't continue to take control of the game ourselves, we will fall into the opponent's rhythm, so we want to face the challenge of what to do when things get tough."

　"Watanabe" "(The goal) was because Nao's corner kick was fast, and I tried to hit it with my head when the clearance came. I'm glad I was able to score, but honestly, I can't say I'm satisfied. I wanted to win firmly with a score of 2-0. The flow of the first half was not bad, and I think we were able to move well with Luccon and the two of us pulling out the ball. When the ball entered Nao, the opponent's DF stuck to him, and we were able to create a situation where we could aim for the back. I think that such an intention also led to the second goal, and although we had few shots recently, I think the number of times we brought it to the finish line increased today."

　The accuracy there is the issue. I also couldn't score when I received a pass from Lucon. Lucon said, "If the pass is weak, the opponent will intercept it, so I made a strong pass." But I also thought that if it's a direct pass, there's a high possibility of overshooting, so I tried to trap it and aim with an instep... I have to score in those situations. I think I can create more and more chances, and I want to be able to score goals."

　[Summary of Coach Popovich's Press Conference] "For those who were watching, it was an interesting match, with 4 goals scored by both teams. I think it was an enjoyable game. However, from our perspective as the ones playing, it wasn't necessarily the case. Regarding today's match, I believe we were able to show our own style from the beginning and control the game, breaking down the opponent's defense to score 2 goals. We had chances to score more goals afterwards, but we couldn't convert them. I don't want to phrase it this way, but if we had been able to convert those chances, we might have been able to finish the game to some extent."

　Regarding the goals conceded, we conceded a goal from a corner kick due to our own carelessness and showing vulnerabilities in our play. Morishige's negligent play was involved in the first goal conceded. As for the second goal conceded, a player who usually contributes to conceding goals in set plays failed to mark properly, resulting in the goal. This way of conceding goals has been repeated. We feel the need to reflect on the fact that we have not been able to fix this. We created chances and I think we were able to pose a dangerous attack for the opponent, but we couldn't convert those chances into goals.

　Especially the first goal conceded was a careless goal, and that goal allowed the opponent to come back to life. There were also moments in the last 15 minutes where we were pushed back. Sendai always fights without giving up, no matter what the situation is throughout the 90 minutes. We knew that, but I think it became a situation where it wouldn't be strange for the game to go either way. As for the content of the match, there are parts that I am satisfied with, but I am not satisfied with the result."

　[Sendai, Teguramori's press conference summary] "Today, in the meeting, since it's the first leg at home, we didn't want to give the opponent any goals. We talked about the game plan of 1-0, but it ended up giving the team solidity. I reflect on myself for allowing a goal from such a mistake. However, I am satisfied that we fought bravely even after conceding 2 goals, that we were able to score a goal in the first half, and that we quickly equalized in the second half. I think it's because the players' desire to win the Nabisco Cup title and the supporters' feelings have become one."

　After the 2-2 result, Tokyo may consider a 0-0 or 1-1 draw as acceptable at home. We told the players that the situation of having no choice but to win is advantageous for us. Today's game ended in a draw, but I think we were able to show Tokyo's toughness and resilience. We talked to the players about expressing this toughness and resilience at Ajinomoto Stadium and about winning for sure. Although today's game that could have been won ended in a draw, we will try to win in the next home game against Tosu. I think today's game was enjoyable to watch objectively. It was clear that we are growing. We were able to show that we can run even in the summer, which is a challenge for us this year, and I hope we can continue running this summer."