A battle to aim for three consecutive victories with the team united

In the previous match, we scored 4 goals in two consecutive games and achieved victory without conceding any goals. In this match, we will play against Vegalta Sendai away.
Manager Massimo said, "In the J-League, the top team Urawa can also lose to the lower-ranked C Osaka, so the competition is really balanced. Sendai is also a good team, and we should not underestimate them even if they are lower-ranked. That's why we need to make maximum effort and concentrate for the upcoming match, aiming for a third consecutive victory."

In this week's practice, Mutoh suffered a facial injury. Along with Yoshimoto, who injured his knee in the Kashiwa game, there was also time to adjust with a separate menu to prioritize their recovery, but there is no problem with their participation in the game. On the other hand, Nogisawa and Nakajima, who are members of the U-21 Japan national team, have returned to the team. Coach Massimo said, "Not only them, but Kajiyama's playing time is also increasing, and Higashi should be able to join us next week. We will overcome this difficult period, and from here on, our options will increase and the team will become even more reliable," and he talked about turning competition into a positive factor. In addition, Hayu will play his 300th J1 match.

Tokyo is currently in 15th place with 26 points. They had suffered 5 consecutive losses since the 21st round, but in the previous round, they made adjustments to their defense and managed to draw against Kawasaki. Although they couldn't secure a victory, they were able to stop the losing streak and their form is improving. Above all, in the 17th round on July 23rd at Ajinomoto Stadium, Tokyo won 3-0 against Sendai, but after that, MF Emerson joined Sendai. Especially for FW Wilson and FW Akamine, who are part of the FW lineup, they have their own strengths and breakthrough abilities, so we want to make sure not to let them bring their strengths into play.

In the past, Tokyo has ended up with 1 draw and 4 losses in the league Sendai match at away Yurtec.S. It should be possible to achieve something by accumulating 3 points and continuing to do so. The league match will be temporarily suspended after this round, and the activities of the Japan national team will be held. Yoshimoto also expects to send Mori, Ota, Muto, and Gonda to the national team with a good feeling and wants them to contribute to Tokyo's victory with their "typical" play before the national team. It is a match where the team aims for a 3-game winning streak, united as one.

It started at 15:34 with Sendai's kickoff in the midst of a chilly weather and occasional light rain.

Both teams lack a decisive factor and it's scoreless going into the second half

The match started with Sendai connecting from the kickoff, and forward Wilson made a big side change to the left front.
DF Sugai, who advanced forward, aimed for a bold shot. He escaped with a save from Gonda and was also attacked from the left corner kick, but managed to overcome the early pressure by staying focused.

14 minutes into the game, Tokyo passed the ball around with Hanyu passing it to Kono in the center, who tried to drop it to Muto, who was trying to provide support nearby. However, they were targeted and lost the ball, allowing Sendai to counterattack. Tokyo managed to contain Sendai's speedy attack in their own half and quickly moved forward. Muto advanced into space, engaging in a one-on-one with the opponent's defender, but instead of taking a shot, he chose to make a final pass to Edu in the center. However, he was surrounded and lost the ball. In the 18th minute, Ota attempted to clear a early cross from Sendai, but the ball slipped through and fell in front of Muto in the right area. Muto took a step forward with the ball and took a decisive shot, but it was saved by Sendai's goalkeeper, resulting in a corner kick...

20 minutes have passed, and both teams are fighting fiercely with their fighting spirit, engaging in intense and speedy attacks and defenses. Sendai has the upper hand in terms of momentum, but Tokyo is calmly defending and trying to bring the game into their own style from the build-up. In the 23rd minute, Yoshimoto feeds the ball to the front line. However, it is intercepted, and Sendai counterattacks. MF Nozawa dribbles up and DF Ishikawa, who came up from the left, crosses the ball. However, Sendai MF Ota, near the right area, fails to strike it cleanly. This loose ball is connected again and targeted by MF Nozawa, but it also misses widely.

At the 35th minute mark, Tokyo is struggling to contain Sendai's strong attack and is trying to counterattack. However, Tokyo is unable to create space even when they have possession of the ball. They are unable to exploit the gaps in Sendai's defense.

40 minutes, from Sendai's FK, connected by precise passing on the left front line, and MF Yanagi was released to the left area. From the cross, Sendai MF Ota entered the heading shot position, but Ota approached and Kanda caught the ball. Furthermore, in the 44th minute, from Sendai MF Nozawa's side change, DF Sugai went up on the right and crossed. This was cleared by Tokunaga, but the loose ball was quickly taken away and sent forward, and FW Wilson in the left area just in front of the hand turned and shot. However, Kanda caught it in front.

Sendai's speedy development and attacks led by MF Nozawa were well suppressed, and they tried to counterattack. However, even though they controlled the ball, they struggled to create space. They couldn't break through Sendai's defense and ended the first half with a scoreless draw.

Conceded a goal in the 75th minute... Once again, unable to secure a victory at away Yurtec.S

Entering the second half in the 53rd minute, Sendai was unable to control the passing play on the left side and was pushed into the goal area, but somehow managed to intercept and dribble from Muto! He carried the ball a long distance and aimed for a ground shot from just outside the area, but... it went wide to the right. After the 60th minute, Sendai was pressed by their fast-paced attack and faced a wave of attacks, but managed to withstand it and tried to connect to their own attack somehow.

64 minutes, Sendai's right cross is caught by Gonda who jumps out. From here, a counterattack is launched, Gonda passes to Kawano, and Yonemoto aggressively charges through the center with a dribble... but is cut off by the opposing defender...

In the 75th minute, Tokyo passed the ball to Sendai in front of the goal, and MF Liang sent it to the right. FW Wilson received a vertical pass from here and shot from the front of the goal. Konda saved it! However, Sendai FW Akamine quickly reacted to this loose ball. Tokyo conceded a goal and it's 0-1. In the 77th minute, Tokyo launched a counterattack, with Kono in the center passing to Edu on the right. Edu tried to switch the opponent's DF in the right area, but failed and fell, and instead received a foul and a warning. This is his 8th warning in total.

Scene of player substitution in the 78th minute. Tokyo replaced Hanyu and Kono with Kajiyama and Watanabe. And in the 80th minute, in a fierce midfield battle, Edu received his second warning and was sent off. Tokyo was forced to play with 10 players. After that, in the 87th minute, they wanted to make a comeback by substituting Nakajima for Yoshimoto, but...

In the second half, Sendai further increased their momentum and launched speedy attacks from quick passing. They were able to hold back well in their own half, but conceded a goal in the 75th minute. After that, they tried to counterattack using offensive substitutions, but in the 80th minute, Edu received his second warning and was sent off. With 10 players, Tokyo couldn't stop Sendai's momentum. Once again, they couldn't grasp victory in the away match at Yurtec.S Sendai, and it became their first defeat since the 12th round on May 6th.

[Player Comments]
"Mori Shige"
"I expected it to be a difficult match, and it turned out to be just that. As for the content, I don't think it was that bad, but the opponent's strength also influenced the result. It also made me realize the power and force of the teams fighting to stay in the league. However, we need to make adjustments in the finer details of our own way of playing. I will be going to the Japan national team for now, but I want to review what we as a team should do once again."

"Hanyu"
"We understood that it was an away game and that Sendai was in a situation where they were fighting to avoid relegation, so we prepared for that. However, I don't think we were able to show anything that surpassed our opponents. It's very disappointing. Above all, it was a very hectic 90 minutes. I feel responsible for not being able to control the game. Even when we had possession of the ball, we felt some stress from Sendai's pressure and ended up passing the ball. We also lacked the judgment of whether to quickly attack or calm down again. Personally, and as a team, I don't think we were able to do things that would bother our opponents."

(Although I achieved 300 games in J1, I couldn't win in my milestone game. It's really disappointing, but I guess it's just like me... (bitter smile). I realized that I still have a lot to learn and reflect on, and I have to make use of it in the next game. It became a game that made me think that there were things I could have done better and things I could have done... However, I was supported by everyone and was able to come this far. I am happy and grateful that the coach and teammates have recognized me as a player and that it has been accumulated. I also have a strong desire to play for the people who have supported me, including the fans and supporters.)
Although we lost today, both individually and as a team, we should be able to do more. We have the desire to do more. We want to work harder and harder.

[Summary of Massimo FICCADENTI's press conference]
"I predicted that it would be a difficult game, and it turned out to be just that. Sendai closed down the spaces and looked to counterattack. However, we also had several chances. Especially in the first half, there were opportunities for Muto. The impression is that the opponents also had chances, but there were no decisive ones. In the second half, we conceded a goal to the opponents during the period when we were pushing forward. And then, Edu's expulsion became a significant penalty. However, there was still time left, so I think we could have done something."

[Sendai - Coach Susumu WATANABE's Press Conference Summary]
"First of all, I am very happy to be able to deliver a long-awaited victory and 3 points to the supporters. We have been going through a tough period where we couldn't win, but we received encouragement and strong support from the fans, including powerful cheers, which even continued in the away game against Kawasaki in the previous match. Finally, we were able to repay that support. I think it is the result of the players putting their hearts and souls into this game. As our new start, we want to continue playing tight games like today's and accumulate points in the remaining 7 matches."