Sec. 5, the last match before the break, seeking to secure 3 points at home

Sec. 5 of the 2nd stage, which will be held on weekdays. We will face Vegalta Sendai at home. In the previous match, tactical substitutions worked well. Nathan BURNS marked his first goal in Japan, and gradually the new players are fitting in and showing a new way of playing. However, we have not won in the last two matches, and the team is feeling a sense of crisis. The players say, "We want to clarify again where we will fight from here, what we aim for," and they all agree, "We cannot afford to lose consecutive matches, especially at home." After this match, the J1 League will enter a break period of about two weeks, but this is a crucial match where we want to seize victory and gain momentum for the future.

However, Takahashi is suspended due to accumulated warnings. Along with Kajiyama's absence, two midfielders will be missing. As a result, Nozawa will start for the first time since the June 3rd match against Shonan Bellmare and form a double pivot with Yonemoto. In addition, Ota will return and Maruyama will be deployed as a center-back. Mita will also start for the first time since the June 27th match against Shimizu S-Pulse, with Mita and Hanyu serving as the wingers in a 4-4-2 formation.

Tokyo-based professional football league website

Before the start, a moment of silence was observed for the victims of the recent Chofu small aircraft accident. As the night went on, the humidity increased, and the match started with a kickoff in Tokyo at 19:03.

Yosuke MORISHIGE scored his 6th goal of the season, Atsushi MAEDA scored 2 goals, leading by 3 points

The start of the game saw both teams competing for the ball. In the 8th minute, Sandaza was fouled on the right side of the penalty area, earning a free kick. In the 9th minute, Ota delivered a sharp free kick into the goal area, and Morishige ran in near the goal to redirect the ball with a header, changing its course and scoring a goal! Taking advantage of the set piece opportunity, Morishige marked his 6th goal of the season and gave his team an early lead.

After that, Tokyo gradually took control of the ball. They created scenes of attacking while connecting passes. In the 19th minute, Nozawa moved up the center and passed vertically to Maeda. From Maeda's post-play, Yonehara expanded to the right. From the coordinated formation, Tokunaga sent a cross, but it just missed Maeda in front of the goal. However, in the 23rd minute, Sendai cleared the pass to the front line. Nozawa pressed and stole the ball from Sendai's central midfielder as they tried to move up. He then passed it to Maeda just before the area. Maeda passed through the two opposing defenders, created a one-on-one chance with the goalkeeper, and calmly scored with his left foot. GOAL!! Taking advantage of Nozawa's ball recovery and Maeda's tenacity, they scored an additional point.

After that, there were scenes where Sendai's set plays were attacked, but Maruyama defended rigorously and reached the 34th minute, where Sandaza in the midfield sent the ball forward with a header. It became a contest with the opponent, but Maeda cut off the opponent's header and broke through to the front line. He dribbled into the left area, with Sandaza running to the right, but he himself changed the timing and turned around the Sendai DF. The soft shot he took from there was sucked into the net like a goal! Up to this point, Tokyo scored 3 goals with 3 shots, widening their lead and ending the first half as if they had determined the outcome of the match.

Conceded 1 goal, but sealed the game with a counterattack

However, the score followed a similar pattern to the away game in the 1st stage. Therefore, attention was focused on the second half of the game. Sendai made two substitutions in the second half, replacing FW Hamon Lopes with FW Okuno, and launched a counterattack with momentum. In the 47th minute, Sendai MF Yanagisawa's cross flowed from the center to the far side, and left MF Kanekubo took a free shot. Immediately after, FW Kanazono broke through, but Maruyama quickly contested and prevented a finish.

Tokyo substituted Ishikawa for Sandaza in the 54th minute. In the 59th minute, Tokunaga intercepted on the right side of their own goal, dribbled through the center again from a one-two with Yonemoto and Ishikawa. He carried the ball for a long distance of 80 meters, evaded the Sendai defenders in front of the goal, and took a decisive shot, but it was saved by the opponent's goalkeeper...

In the 66th minute, Mita → Ishikawa launched a counterattack, but there were not enough attackers against Sendai's defense. Instead of forcing it, they tried to reconnect. However, there were also scenes where Sendai held onto the ball and they couldn't break their rhythm. In the 68th minute, from a pass exchange on Sendai's left side, it connected to the midfield MF Yanagida → defensive midfielder Tomita, and MF Kanekubo moved up the center. In response, Tokyo's defense was weak, and they conceded a goal from a shot that pierced through the area from just outside the box... they conceded a goal.

In the 77th minute, Hashimoto was substituted for Mita. They regained rhythm from defense and launched sharp counters. In the 82nd minute, they were pushed back near their own goal, but Yonemoto snatched a loose ball and charged forward. Maeda on the right side passed to Hashimoto in the front line, Ishikawa. They created a good opportunity, but Ishikawa's shot went wide to the right. In the 87th minute, starting from the midfield with Hayashi, Yonemoto and Maeda played a direct pass, and Hayashi moved to the left front line again. Hashimoto jumped in from the far side for a cross in front of the goal, but... he couldn't shoot as he was sandwiched by the opponent's defenders.

Although we couldn't score a fourth goal, we managed to hold Sendai to just one goal and the game ended. Maeda scored two goals along with Morishige's opener, contributing to the victory and earning all three points together as a team.

[Player Comments]
"Maeda"
"I am happy to have scored two goals today. I am grateful to Nozawa for sending me a good pass for my first goal. I was able to place the ball in a good position with the first touch and it came loose from the Sendai DF in a good way. I was able to determine the goalkeeper's position and calmly score. For the second goal, Sandaza was running to the right, so I tried to pass. As a result, the Sendai DF was drawn in, and I was able to skillfully evade them. After scoring in the previous game, I couldn't score in the following matches, so I want to continue to contribute to victory by producing solid results in the future."

"I didn't want to make any special plays, but rather to contribute to the victory by using my usual strength. Towards the end, I got tired and couldn't get involved with the ball, but I was able to finish with a win, and that's something to be happy about. (Regarding the play that led to the second goal) I was able to steal the opponent's ball, and I think I was able to show the "intensity" that was my challenge. After that, I saw Maeda's movement, but in order not to be noticed by the Sendai defenders, I passed the ball without looking at the opponent, in a near no-look manner. However, today, it wasn't a position I grabbed with my own strength, but a chance that came around due to my teammates' injuries and suspensions. That's why I want to continue growing so that I can contribute to the victory by getting involved in the game."

[Summary of Massimo FICCADENTI's press conference]
"It was a great first half. There were a few scenes in the second half where we ended up just keeping the ball, but overall I am satisfied. We were able to achieve such a result despite having many issues such as injured players and suspensions for today's match. The team has improved in various aspects such as tactics and combination in the front line. We will now enter the break period and wait for the injured players to recover, and then we want to challenge the next match together."
（About Ryoichi Maeda）
I don't prefer to mention one name, but it is clear to everyone that he is a player deserving of praise. Last season, he had problems such as injuries, and there were also difficult times when he couldn't even make it to the bench after coming to Tokyo this season. However, he has achievements and a true professional mindset, and he has achieved such wonderful results today. He is an exemplary and wonderful player.
（Nozawa responded to the assignment with an assist?）
He responded to the expectations and he will have another chance. There must have been difficult times, but he is maturing. Maruyama also showed a fantastic performance today. Even if they cannot participate in the game, they can achieve results when the opportunity comes by training well. Not only them, but everyone showed a wonderful play deserving of victory. The players today were on the pitch with only victory in mind."

[Sendai - Coach Susumu WATANABE's Press Conference Summary]
"I am grateful that many fans and supporters gathered despite the weekday night match. We expected the match against Tokyo to be tough as we have been struggling to win in the 2nd stage. We entered the game with a plan to make some changes in the lineup and play simple, focusing on taking advantage of the gaps and picking up loose balls. Unfortunately, we conceded a goal shortly after the restart as we were caught off guard in the aerial duels. We had planned to change the lineup and positions to try to score, but DF Watanabe got injured and we had to make substitutions. In the second half, I think we were able to show our style of receiving the ball in space, playing it with our feet, and breaking through with combinations. However, considering the score, it was natural for the game to become a push-and-press situation. The fact that we couldn't push through and score one or two more goals in front of the goal reflects our lack of strength."