The Vegalta Sendai Chronicle
The terraces21 Feb 2028
Anger at Vegalta Sendai spills outside the ground
It has stopped being a mood in the stands and started being something organised. Boards can ignore a bad atmosphere for a long time; they cannot ignore this stage of it for very long at all.
Transfer targets21 Feb 2028
Taishi Matsumoto is a medical away from Vegalta Sendai
The deal with Yokohama F. Marinos is done in every sense but the one that puts him on the pitch. Nothing goes wrong at this stage, except on the occasions when it does.
Squad21 Feb 2028
A falling-out at Vegalta Sendai
Shunta Araki and a teammate went at it, and not about football. Training grounds are small places and a long season makes them smaller.
Boardroom21 Feb 2028
5 academy graduates step up at Vegalta Sendai
Senior shirt numbers handed to boys the coaches have known since they were twelve. Most will not make it and all of them have already done the hard part.
Squad21 Feb 2028
A row about effort at Vegalta Sendai
Somebody said out loud what several people thought about how hard another man trains, and Renji Matsui was in the middle of it. The one dressing-room argument that is genuinely about football.
Market21 Feb 2028
Vegalta Sendai promote Wataru Minamino from within
The academy exists for exactly this morning. Wataru Minamino has come through every age group the club runs and has now been handed a senior number, and the people who coached him at twelve will be the proudest in the building.
Market21 Feb 2028
Vegalta Sendai promote Yosuke Sakai from within
The academy exists for exactly this morning. Yosuke Sakai has come through every age group the club runs and has now been handed a senior number, and the people who coached him at twelve will be the proudest in the building.
Market21 Feb 2028
Keisuke Mitoma steps up from the Vegalta Sendai academy
There is no fee, no unveiling and no agent on the steps. Keisuke Mitoma has been at this club since he was a boy and is now, formally, one of the first-team squad — which for a local readership beats any signing of any size.
Market21 Feb 2028
Vegalta Sendai promote Keisuke Kawashima from within
The academy exists for exactly this morning. Keisuke Kawashima has come through every age group the club runs and has now been handed a senior number, and the people who coached him at twelve will be the proudest in the building.
In brief
- Boardroom A promise the Vegalta Sendai board did not keep
- Looking ahead Sachiro Toshima faces his old club
- The dugout Ryunosuke Sagara knocks on the manager's door