Revenge Series 3rd Round, Aiming for the First 4 Consecutive Wins

　Sapporo, Kobe, and Kyoto have been defeated, and Tokyo is riding a wave of momentum with three consecutive victories. In this round, which marks the remaining one-third of the 2nd stage, they will face Vegalta Sendai.

　Sendai was promoted to the J1 League this season and finished 9th in the 1st stage with a performance that could be called a whirlwind. However, they are currently in 15th place in the 2nd stage and are not in good shape with three consecutive losses. In the previous match of the 1st stage, they lost 1-3 at home against the away team Sendai, so this is a crucial match where they must not lose in order to seek revenge and achieve their first 4-game winning streak and advance to the top.

　However, Sendai's side attack, launched from the left MF Iwamoto who has returned from injury and the right MF Ando, has destructive power. Marcos, a forward with height and finishing ability, and Yamashita are also players to watch out for. The key to victory will be to win the battle on the sides.

　The starting lineup for Tokyo remains unchanged from the previous match, following the ironclad rule of "WINNING TEAM NEVER CHANGE". MF Yukihiko SATO returns to the squad after three games and is on the bench. The home game at Tokyo Stadium, which is the first in three weeks, started with Tokyo's kickoff under the gloomy sky.

Revenge Part Three 

After consecutive victories over Consadole, Vissel and Purple Sanga the opponents for the 11th game of the second stage were Vegalta Sendai.
Sendai, in their first season in the top flight, caused a minor sensation by posting some good results in the first stage but have since slumped badly and entered the game languishing in 15th place, currently on a three game losing streak.
Vegalta are not to be taken lightly, however, as TOKYO discovered when they visited Sendai in April and came away with a 1-3 defeat; with Iwamoto on the left of midfield, Ando on the right and a strike force of towering Brazilian Marcos and slippy, darting Yamashita they have sufficient attacking capability to upset any team.
With the old adage of "Never change a winning team" in mind, TOKYO manager Hara didn't, but his inclusion of flying right winger Sato on the bench indicated the importance he laid on gaining the upper hand along the flanks.
F.C. TOKYO kicked off in front of a raucous crowd of nearly 18,000 on a chilly, rainy evening.

Amaral's fourth consecutive goal gives the lead

　It was expected to be an attacking game, but the match started early. In the 3rd minute, Miyazawa's cross on the left side was cleared by the opponent's defender, and Toda received it near the end line. Kelly connected with Toda again after a scramble, and Toda passed to the front of the goal area while losing his balance. Amaral, who was free in this area, swung his right foot and scored! Taking advantage of the disarray in Sendai's defense and goalkeeper coordination, Tokyo takes the lead with King's goal, making it 4 consecutive goals.

　With this one point, Tokyo players were filled with confidence. They pressed from the front, passed quickly, showed an active attitude in switching between offense and defense, and dominated the ball. However, in the 7th minute, Sendai took a loose ball in the midfield, and Suzuki, the right full-back, overlapped. Marcos, who received a through pass in the right penalty area, took a shot but missed the goal. In the 8th minute, Iwamoto aimed directly for the goal from a right corner kick, but Doi made a save. In the 12th minute, Marcos aimed for the goal with a header from a cross from the right side, but Jahn cleared it. In the 23rd minute, Marcos received a pass from behind and immediately turned around to take a shot, but Mobata effectively blocked the shooting lane. Tokyo defenders calmly dealt with Sendai's chances and did not allow any decisive threats.

　Tokyo gradually gained an advantage in the battle on the side, and in the 26th minute, Kelly advanced with a bet on the midfield and passed to the space on the left side. Miyazawa received the ball and sent a cross, but Toda was unfortunately offside in front of the goal. In the 27th minute, Amalao competed for a loose ball with a header from a direct pass by Kaji -> Ishikawa -> Kaji, and Ishikawa ran in from the center to take a shot and win a corner kick. In the 29th minute, Ishikawa made a through pass to the front line from a counterattack. Toda broke through behind the defense and took a shot from outside the left penalty area, but narrowly missed the goal. In the 30th minute, Kaji put pressure on Sendai's goalkeeper who received a back pass, causing a mistake. In the 32nd minute, from a free kick outside the right penalty area, Miyazawa aimed directly for the goal, and the game progressed with Tokyo's rhythm.

Four Games Four Goals 

Given both teams' commitment to attacking football an open, exciting game was anticipated but the speed with which TOKYO took the lead surprised everyone in the stadium. With only three minutes on the clock Miyazawa crossed from the left; a defender headed clear but only as far as Toda, standing right on the byline to the left of the goal. Toda headed the ball back into the danger area where a game of head tennis ensued until Toda again squirted the ball into the path of Amaral who, never one to look a gift horse in the mouth, gleefully blasted it into the net from close range.
The Vegalta defence's inability to clear the ball cost them dearly and gifted Amaral a fourth goal in consecutive games.
The early lead invigorated TOKYO and forced Vegalta into a more aggressive approach. Both teams played the ball around in exemplary fashion with Suzuki overlapping down the left in the 7th minute before pulling the ball back to Marcos who shot wide. Iwamoto attempted to curl a corner under the bar soon after but TOKYO keeper Doi was alert to the danger and made a fine fingertip save. Jean cleared a Marcos header in the 12th minute and Moniwa blocked the same player's drive in the 23rd. The TOKYO defence, steadied by the early goal, dealt comfortably with Vegalta's best efforts and, having weathered the nascent fight back, pushed forward in search of a second.
With Kelly orchestrating the midfield TOKYO began to find space on the flanks. Toda was given offside in a marginal decision after a cross from Miyazawa in the 26th minute, a slick move resulted in a well struck effort from Ishikawa being turned around the post for a corner soon after and Toda fired fractionally wide following a defence splitting pass from Ishikawa in the 30th minute. The Vegalta defence wobbled mightily and keeper Takahashi nearly gifted Kaji another goal as he fumbled with a short back pass. A minute later Ishikawa tried his luck from a free kick and a second goal seemed a certainty for TOKYO.

Amaral, strong in chances! Seizes the opportunity and scores an additional point

　And in the 36th minute, Tokyo, who had stolen the ball in the midfield, raised a cross from the right side through Kaji. Amaral, who had drifted to the left side after the opponent's defender cleared the ball, picked it up and kept possession. However, Amaral, seeing no pressure from the opponent, took a shot from outside the penalty area that crossed the goal. The ball mockingly sucked into the far-side goalmouth, leaving the Sendai defenders behind, and Tokyo scored an additional point! In great form, Amaral's performance puts him in 4th place in the top scorer race with this goal. His fearless attitude of not missing chances leads to additional points, and Tokyo gains an advantage in the game.

　In the 38th minute, Ishikawa attempted to break through from the center of the midfield to the front of the goal. In the 40th minute, Kaji attempted to break through from the right side into the penalty area. Immediately after, Kelly received the ball from the right short corner and skillfully turned around, evading the opponent player who came from behind to mark him. He then crossed the ball from the end line, and Jean jumped in and headed the ball, but it went slightly to the left of the goal. Tokyo, who had the advantage in the situation, comfortably entered the second half with a 2-goal lead.

　In the second half, Sendai substituted Ando with MF Murakami. Murakami formed a double pivot with MF Chiba from the one-man midfield. Sendai tried to launch a counterattack, but Marcos received two consecutive yellow cards for rough play and was sent off in the 51st minute. Losing a key player early in the second half put Sendai in an even more difficult situation.

　Tokyo thoroughly implements the "simple play" targeted by Manager Hara. In the 53rd minute, Ishikawa received a pass from Amaral and took a shot from the left penalty area corner. In the 54th minute, Kaji connected directly with Kelly after Fujiyama's interception, and Miyazawa made a perfectly timed through pass to the front line. Kelly's shot was cut off by the defender, but Tokyo overwhelmed Sendai with fast passing and clear intention. In the 56th minute, Fujiyama sprinted up the left side and made a powerful shot from just outside the penalty area. It narrowly missed the top right corner of the goal, but it was also a good attempt.

　Today, Tokyo's defense is stable, and they were able to cut Sendai's counterattacks with their defensive line. I could watch the game with peace of mind.

Amaral Seizes The Moment! 

It came in the 36th minute. TOKYO won the ball in midfield and fed Kaji whose cross from the right was cleared out to Amaral on the left. Expecting another center, the Vegalta defense backed off, allowing Amaral time and space on the ball. He took one touch and fired in a low shot that evaded the mass of players in the area and skated inside the far post. The goal, his fifth in four games, boosted Amaral to fourth place on the list of leading scorers.
Searching for a third goal to kill off the game before the break, TOKYO poured forward. Kelly produced a dazzling turn to throw off a couple of defenders and reach the byline; Jean directed his cross just the wrong side of the post. Vegalta somehow hung on and a thoroughly satisfying first half finished 2-0.
Sendai shuffled their formation for the second half, replacing Ando with midfielder Murakami and moving to a double defensive half system. Any thoughts of a comeback were effectively dashed, however, when leading scorer Marcos was dismissed in the 51st minute after some foul play and dissent earned him two yellow cards.
With their danger man taking an early bath, Vegalta's already fragile confidence collapsed completely and TOKYO totally dominated the game.
Comfortably maintaining possession, TOKYO passed the ball around searching for an opening: Kelly had a shot blocked in the 54th minute, Fujiyama blasted inches wide a couple of minutes later.

A shutout victory, 4 consecutive wins for the first time in 2 years!!

　In the 65th minute, Sato was substituted for Toda, and Sato was positioned as the right midfielder and Ishikawa as the left midfielder. The expectations of the stands also increased. In the 68th minute, Kaji received a pass from Sato and ran to the end line, overtaking Sato, and sent a ground cross. Amalao tried to connect with his foot, but narrowly missed. In the following 69th minute, Sato cut inside from the right side and passed to Kaji on the outside. Kaji's cross crossed the goal, but Ishikawa, who picked it up far away, crossed it back into the goal area, overwhelming Sendai with a big development. On the left side, Miyazawa ran into the space created by Ishikawa, creating chances one after another.

　However, Tokyo, who had been attacking, had fewer shots. In the 82nd minute, Sato boldly attempted a middle shot. In the 84th minute, Shimohira was substituted for Miyazawa. Immediately after, Amaral took a powerful shot but the goalkeeper made a save. In the 86th minute, Keri was substituted for Kina.

　Defensively, Jean and Shigeki Mogi showed stability, repeatedly catching Yamauchi offside and avoiding damage. In the 89th minute, Jean attempted to receive a cross after Fujiyama's interception and overlap, but unfortunately, it was offside. In injury time, Sato was fouled in the penalty area, but the whistle was not blown.

　In the end, we were unable to score any additional points, but it was a dominating performance. We achieved revenge for the 1st stage and secured our 4th consecutive victory with back-to-back shutout wins. Tokyo also escaped the relegation zone thanks to the results of other matches, and now we will face the road of revenge against Nagoya and Shimizu in the next match. We will strive to climb up the rankings in the remaining 4 matches with our own strength.

[Summary of Manager Hara's Press Conference] "I was prepared that it wouldn't be easy to win. I was also concerned about Iwamoto's attacking power, but since the focus was on the attack, I thought we could create chances from the right side if Kaji and Ishikawa could handle it well. In the midst of concentrating on the first three consecutive wins of the season, Amaral was very energetic and the ball settled with him. We have been talking about playing simply here, and I think we were able to create a rhythm by easily developing from Amaral to Kaji, Kelly, and Ishikawa, with Toda getting involved. However, Marcos was sent off and from that moment, we also dropped a little. We wanted to score one or two more points from there, but our desire to win was too strong and it may have turned into a safety. With this four consecutive wins, we can aim for the top. We have four remaining matches and strong opponents, but we want to value each match and raise the team's strength as much as possible."

[Sendai Shimizu coach's press conference summary] "It was the same in the previous match, but we conceded a goal in the early stages in a form close to a mistake and were shaken. We recovered a little afterwards, but fell behind by 2 goals again, and in the second half we approached the game with a different system. However, we ended up with a red card due to an unnecessary play, and as a result, it's regrettable but it turned out that we shot ourselves in the foot."

Four Out Of Four 

Sato replaced Toda in the 65th minute and moved to the right wing while Ishikawa shifted to the left of midfield. His appearance thrilled the crowd who were delighted to see both players on the field at the same time.
Barring the most bizarre of occurrences the points were clearly in the bag and the TOKYO faithful roared their team on in search of more goals. In the 68th minute Sato fed Kaji whose near post cross Amaral just failed to convert and in the 69th minute a double side change flummoxed the Vegalta defense but failed to produce another goal. As the game wore on the number of chances decreased and manager Hara replaced Miyazawa with Shimotaira and Kelly with Kina.
Vegalta produced nothing of any note in attack, allowing Jean the comfort of getting forward to join the attack on occasion. He even overlapped and centered but was given offside. In injury time Sato was flattened inside the area but the referee chose not to award a penalty and soon after the final whistle blew on a comfortable 2-0 victory. The win was TOKYO's fourth on the trot and second consecutive clean sheet.
Next up on the revenge trail are Grampus.

F.C.TOKYO manager Hara:
" 'Keep it simple' was the approach for today's game. Iwamoto is a danger for Sendai but we knew Ishikawa and Kaji could handle him. Amaral is in fine form and scored a couple of real poacher's goals today. We found our rhythm and played well early on. When Marcos got sent off I think we relaxed a little and I would have liked to have seen a couple more goals but ensuring the win was the most important thing. We have four games left, all against strong opposition, but we're going to give it our best and hopefully finish higher up the table ".

Vegalta manager Shimizu:
"Well, today's game followed the same pattern as last week's. We gave away a soft goal early on, then began to make inroads only to concede again. We changed the system for the second half but shot ourselves in the foot with the sending off. It's disappointing but that's the way it went".