Which word or phrase would work best to create a transition between these two sentences?

Question

Aaron invited all his cousins to his soccer game. ___________, only his two oldest cousins showed up.

In addition

In conclusion

Equally

However

Answer 1

The best word or phrase to create a transition between the two sentences is "However."

So the sentence would read: "Aaron invited all his cousins to his soccer game. However, only his two oldest cousins showed up."

This choice highlights the contrast between the expectation that many cousins would come and the reality that only two did.