Facing tough opponent G Osaka in the 17th round, utilizing individual strengths to challenge

　The league season has reached the halfway point, and in Sec. 17, Gamba Osaka will face off against the home team at the National Stadium. In the previous match against Kashima, they suffered a heavy defeat due to a lack of balance. This match, which they will face just two days later, will require adjustments not only in defense but also in the way they play the game. Coach Jofuku said, "By playing against all teams in Sec. 17, we can understand our position in terms of ranking as well as what works and the difference with the top teams. Therefore, today's match is important."

　The starting lineup will face the match with Konno as center back, swapping positions between Nagatomo and Tokunaga on the left and right respectively. Asari will be one of the double midfielders, and Ishikawa will start on the right side, both for the first time since the Nabisco Oita match on July 2nd. However, Coach Jofuku explained, "We didn't choose this formation just to rebuild the defense line after conceding 4 goals in the Kashima match. We selected the best players considering the team's internal combinations, the balance between offense and defense, and Gamba Osaka's characteristics."

　G Osaka, on the other hand, is currently in 4th place. Although their total goals scored so far is 25 and total goals conceded is 21, resulting in a goal difference of only +4, they have scoring power not only in FW Vale but also in their midfield. They make good use of the ball retention skills of MF Lucas and Nikawa, and the attacking runs of left DF Yasuda are particularly threatening. Although MF Endo is absent, they have accurate kickers and set plays should also be a point of concern. Allowing G Osaka's attacking line to easily face forward will create chances, so it is crucial to minimize the space and regain the tenacity shown in the first half of the Kashima match. In terms of attack, we want to utilize the penetrating power of Ishikawa and others to exploit the space behind G Osaka's high defensive line. We will challenge the formidable opponent G Osaka by making the most of each player's strengths.

　The Japan National Stadium, which still remains humid despite the slight relief from the scorching heat during the day. The match started with G Osaka's kickoff at 19:34.

Despite conceding the first goal, Tokunaga scores his first goal of the season! They manage to equalize, but...

　The start of the game saw G Osaka creating chances and causing chaos. In the 3rd minute, G Osaka was awarded their first corner kick, and MF Nikawa crossed the ball from the right corner kick to DF Yasuda on the opposite side. From there, DF Nakazawa headed the ball, but it hit the post. In the 6th minute, G Osaka's midfield passed the ball to FW Valley, who had slipped behind Tokyo's defense, allowing him to keep the ball in a deep position on the right side. LB Yasuda, who had moved up to support, cut inside Ishikawa and crossed the ball. The ball bounced in front of the goal and seemed to be heading towards the far side, but MF Lucas pushed it in from a difficult angle, resulting in a goal. Tokyo conceded an early goal.

　However, Tokyo today did not lose its balance and calmly connected passes to counterattack. Starting from the sides, they repeatedly created chances by exploiting the opponent's defense. In the 11th minute, Ishikawa dribbled up the right side and crossed. Hirayama in the far post jumped and headed the ball down to Cabore right in front of the goal. It was a decisive chance, but Cabore's right-footed shot was not successful and was blocked by the opponent's goalkeeper. In the 16th minute, Tokunaga on the left side passed to Ishikawa in the center, who then passed it to Kajiyama who had moved up from the back. Kajiyama took a shot from the middle. In the 17th minute, Ishikawa, who had advanced forward, sent a sharp cross between the opponent's goalkeeper and defender, but neither Cabore near the goal nor Hirayama in the far post were able to convert it.

　In the 18th minute, G Osaka FW Vallee broke through with a pass to the front line and took a shot. It went over the outstretched hand of Shibata, but narrowly missed to the upper right, avoiding a crisis. Immediately after in the 19th minute, Hirayama was fouled in the opponent's territory and won a free kick, and Kajiyama quickly restarted the game. Tokunaga, who received the pass, dribbled to the left area just before the hand and swung his right foot. The ball curved and was sucked into the upper right corner of the net, GOAL! Tokunaga, who was used as a left fullback, scored his first goal of the season and equalized the score.

　Tokyo grasped the rhythm after the equalizer and dominated the ball. Creating chances with Ishikawa at the center, but in the 22nd minute, the ground cross was passed to Kabore, but quickly closed down by the opponent's defender. In the 24th minute, Ishikawa cut inside and received a return pass from Hirayama in front of the goal, unleashing a powerful shot! However, it was saved by the goalkeeper. In the 33rd and 35th minutes, Hirayama and Ishikawa aimed from mid-range but missed the target. In the 36th minute, Hirayama dribbled into the opponent's half and tried to bypass the defender in the penalty area, but was closed down and couldn't take the shot. On the other hand, G Osaka also threatened the goal by utilizing the speed of their forward line from the left side, but Tokyo's defense concentrated and held them off, and the first half ended with a draw.

Resisting G Osaka's fierce attack, and securing 1 point

　In the second half, G Osaka brought in MF Sasaki as a right MF. With FW Valley leading the front line and MF Lucas playing as an attacking midfielder, they aggressively attacked from the right side. In the 47th minute, MF Lucas sprinted down the right side. He received a last pass in the center, but it narrowly missed FW Valley, avoiding a dangerous situation. In the 53rd minute, G Osaka continuously sent crosses, but they didn't reach FW Valley in the center. They were also helped by mistakes and didn't allow any goals. In the 54th minute, Ishikawa broke through vertically. He boldly challenged for the ball and won a corner kick from the cross. Ishikawa himself took the right corner kick, which was dropped by Sato on the far side, and Hirayama entered a shooting position, but the opposing DF cleared it just a step ahead.

　In the 57th minute, Emerson was substituted for Ishikawa and aimed for the second goal. However, as the heat increased, his physical stamina gradually decreased, and he was unable to finish as time passed. In the middle of the attack, the ball was lost, leading to a sharp counterattack by G Osaka. In the 68th minute, Hirayama had his pass intercepted by Kajiyama, and G Osaka quickly counterattacked. The powerful shot from the forward, Vale, missed the target, but G Osaka continued to dominate and push forward. In an attempt to break this situation, in the 75th minute, Cabore received a pass from Emerson and took a shot from the midfield, but it went wide.

　G Osaka increased their momentum by substituting MF Kurata in the 80th minute and DF Shimodaira in the 81st minute. Tokyo also made a substitution in the 81st minute, replacing Hayu with Akamine, but they were unable to break through and instead faced a series of dangerous situations. In the 82nd minute, FW Valley made a powerful dribble shot. In the 84th minute, Emerson had his attempted central breakthrough pass intercepted, leading to a counterattack. However, they maintained their balance and displayed resilience in defense. In stoppage time, G Osaka's MF Kurata passed to MF Nikawa, who had moved into the penalty area, and he took a shot on goal. Subsequently, FW Valley was allowed to enter the penalty area, but all of their attempts were thwarted by Shioda's excellent play.

　In the end, G Osaka failed to clear the attack and MF Kurata took a decisive shot from a close distance, but Shioda saved it and the time was up. The final line held firm and no additional points were allowed. The game, which had chances for both teams to win, ended in a 1-1 draw.

　【Player Comments】《Tokunaga》"In the end, it was a tiring and difficult match. But I want to take a positive view that we all worked hard to defend and managed to draw. For the goal, I received a pass from a free kick and was able to carry it close to the goal, so I prioritized shooting. As a left back, there are more opportunities to shoot from inside. I was conscious of that. It would have been best if we could have won... However, the fact that the soccer we have been working on all season was effective against a top team gives us confidence, but the result of a draw shows that we still lack strength. I want to work hard in practice in Kodaira." 《Ishikawa》"Our challenge was breaking through in front of the goal, so I focused on that. We had many chances, and I wanted to score as well... In the past, I held back my play considering the team balance, and there were conflicts. But recently, I think I've been able to connect while also being able to take initiative. I want to value that balance. Today, the opponent's back line was open, so I wanted to score when I broke through there."

　[Summary of Coach Jofuku's Press Conference] "Our goal this season has been to possess the ball like G Osaka, moving it around to break down the opposition. We have been training towards that. It has been tough since the league resumed, as we haven't won, but today was a good opportunity to see how much we could apply what we learned from G Osaka. I think it was a good timing to face them in the 17th match of the league halfway point. In the first half, we conceded a goal while our defense was a bit unsettled, but after that, we showed a willingness to move the ball and break down the defense. Fortunately, we equalized early, which helped us settle down. If our final ideas and precision had been a bit better, we might have scored another goal. We couldn't score there, but I wanted to avoid panicking when G Osaka pushed us back in the second half. The second half didn't start too badly, but we ended up tired, and when it started to rain and the pitch became slippery, we lost confidence in our technical skills and kicking the ball. In the latter stages, G Osaka dominated for a long time. That's something we need to reflect on. After playing these 17 matches, we have learned a lot about our own issues and from our opponents. Especially after the resumption, we fought against Urawa, Kashima, and G Osaka, who are leading the current J League, without being timid. Of course, we wanted to accumulate wins, but in terms of understanding our current strength, being able to fight without being timid is something that will lead to the next step. We want to carry the battles up to this 17th match into the second half of the 34 matches."

　[Summary of G Osaka Manager Nishino's Press Conference] "There was more fatigue than expected. I thought we would be able to move more, but I think the basic foundation was not in place. The players also feel that the performance was poor, but we have to play soccer in our own way. We tried to change the system, make substitutions, and somehow change the flow, and I think we were slightly revitalized when DF Shimodaira and MF Kurata came on towards the end. However, we were unable to sufficiently exchange passes in the midfield or develop and organize the game today. The distance between each other was a little too far, and the reactions from the backline and midfield, including the central midfielders, were low. Because there was no time, we couldn't effectively utilize both sides. We progressed the game in our own way, and we were able to create some chances, but in the end, we lacked energy."