Aiming for a courageous victory against the formidable Gamba Osaka

　In Sec. 8 of the league, we will face Gamba Osaka away. The previous match against Kyoto ended in a draw, and we have not achieved a victory since the match against Omiya on March 28 in the league. Particularly in terms of offense, the number of goals has been low, and we have been unable to play the soccer we desire, leading to frustrating battles. Coach Jofuku reflects, "It's not that the players' motivation is low or that they lack enthusiasm. It's about how to channel the energy for victory, which has not been unified." He organizes this challenge, and this match will be a bold attempt to aim for 3 points. On the other hand, G Osaka is currently in 13th place with 7 points. They are also suffering from injuries and have only one win in the league so far. Although key midfielder Endo and Lucas have returned to the lineup this match, Coach Jofuku states, "They originally have strength, and the quality of individual players' judgment is high. The quality does not change regardless of who plays." G Osaka has young and energetic forwards like Usami and Otsuka in the front line, but to prevent them from easily receiving passes, the midfield battle for control will be one of the highlights. Additionally, against a 3-5-2 formation with DF Kaji and MF Yasuda as wingers, how to create opportunities on the sides will be key. If we can score the first goal from there, our chances of earning 3 points will increase. Tokyo has seen Nakamura return to the starting lineup since the last match, and Kaji has made the squad for the first time since Sec. 2 of the league. Regarding the attacking line, Coach Jofuku candidly states, "It's not wrong to say trial and error," but emphasizes, "Rather than a process of elimination where someone is replaced because someone else is not performing well, I want the players who are prepared to seize their chances and break through." He is conscious of connecting results through competition. Last season ended with 1 draw and 1 loss, particularly suffering a heavy defeat away, and this match is one we want to avenge. Both teams aim for a similar style of passing soccer, and Coach Jofuku notes, "There is much to learn from G Osaka." However, he is determined, stating, "We have no intention of copying G Osaka at all. By learning from G Osaka, we can further utilize Tokyo's individual weapons and strong points." He boldly aims for a "battle of equals or better" and seeks victory. The match started with Tokyo's kickoff at 17:03.

Just one step away from creating a scoring opportunity...

　At the start, both teams cautiously entered the match, trying to find their rhythm in their own style of football. With neither side forcing the play, the game continued in a back-and-forth manner. In the 8th minute, Ricardinho dribbled into the center of the opponent's half and aimed for a shot, but the goalkeeper caught it. In the 11th minute, from a counter-attack, Ishikawa floated a ball behind the DF on the left flank. Ricardinho, who ran in, cut into the left area and took a shot, but it went wide. In the 19th minute, Kim Yong-gun advanced into the area, creating a chance by receiving a pass from Hirayama. By applying early pressure in the midfield, Tokyo gradually increased their time in possession, targeting opportunities behind G Osaka's DF. In the 23rd minute, Hirayama became the starting point in the front line, connecting with Ishikawa who ran down the left side, then to Hanyu, and finally to Nagatomo who came up from the right, shooting from the right corner of the area, but the goalkeeper saved it. In the 37th minute, after a switch from Kim Yong-gun, Ishikawa broke through on the right side and sent a fast cross, but Hirayama in the center couldn't connect. Then in the 39th minute, Ricardinho broke free from Hanyu's pass and connected with Ishikawa who came up free from the right. Ishikawa brought the ball into the area and aimed for a shot, but the opposing DF returned quickly, causing him to be a beat late and unable to finish. They missed a great opportunity and only managed to earn a corner kick. After that, G Osaka began to counterattack while passing the ball, creating situations that prevented Tokyo from fully grasping the rhythm. The match went into halftime scoreless.

Defeated by the opponent's high scoring ability, conceding 2 goals

　G Osaka brought in FW Lucas and MF Endo in the second half, changing to a 4-4-2 formation. However, it was Tokyo that created a decisive chance at the start of the second half. In the 51st minute, Ishikawa broke through on the right side and sent a perfect cross to the center for Ricardinho. However, Ricardinho was unable to connect... In the 55th minute, Nagatomo outmuscled G Osaka MF Yasuda and broke through to the sideline. He sent a backward pass to the center but couldn't finish. Kim Yong-gun picked up the clearance and unleashed a powerful shot from distance, but it was blocked by the defense. To regain rhythm, Kajiwara and Shigematsu came on in the 59th minute. In the 61st minute, a long feed from Kim Yong-gun was headed down by Hirayama, and Ishikawa took a precise shot from the right area, but it just went slightly left... In the 66th minute, G Osaka FW Lucas took a shot from the left side of Tokyo's half. The ball seemed to change direction at Gonda's hands and rolled into the net. They allowed the first goal. With this goal, G Osaka gained momentum and launched vigorous attacks starting from Lucas. After that, Tokyo also brought in Suzuki, but in the 75th minute, Tokyo's defense failed to clear a ball that came to FW Lucas, allowing FW Usami to pounce on the ball that rolled in front of the goal. Gonda saved the shot initially, but MF Endo skillfully connected the loose ball, allowing FW Usami to score. Tokyo, trying to counterattack, had Kim Yong-gun's powerful shot and Kajiwara aiming for the goal from a corner kick rebound, but ultimately suffered a frustrating defeat without scoring. 【Player Comments】《Kajiwara》"After I came on, we conceded a goal, and at that time, we couldn't seize the flow. However, it might be a natural result that if we don't convert our chances, this is what happens... If we could create more balance in spreading the opponent wide in front of the goal or stretching vertically... I think we could find more rhythm. In my third year under Coach Jofuku, I feel we have been able to connect well. From there, we need to score in the final moments... I want to be involved in plays in front of the goal and score together with everyone. I was the most frustrated about not being able to play in the match. I want to turn that frustration into my performance on the pitch. (How's your foot?) It was a difficult situation coming on as a substitute, but my ball sense is gradually improving. I didn't feel anything during the match, but I want to take care of it so that there are no rebounds tomorrow. And I want to gradually increase my playing time."《Kim Yong-gun》"I was frustrated and disappointed. But I also have a strong desire to fight more, and after the match, I couldn't get up for a while... (Did you actively aim for long shots and free kicks?) I felt that as a team, we had too few shots, so I aimed actively within the range I was allowed... I want to improve my accuracy more." 【Coach Jofuku's Press Conference Summary】"Last year, I felt very frustrated here, so together with the players, we prepared the best we could and fought today, but the result was 0-2, which we must accept. The content of the game, in the first half, went according to our plan in some ways, but I think the difference in precision in both teams' areas directly reflected the score. I don't know what our ranking will be this weekend, but I think the current ranking reflects the content within our area, and we must accept that the precision within the area is what our current ranking is. No matter how well we create chances, if we can't carry the ball to that point with precision, that is our current reality. I want to work on that with the players. There were also some unbelievable missed shots, but I want to view that as part of our ability." 【G Osaka Coach Nishino's Press Conference Summary】"The first half was not so much a stalemate as it was a mediocre match, and we couldn't find a way to attack. Fortunately, we didn't face any powerful attacks, but in terms of flow, we didn't function well offensively. Although we weren't at our best, we boldly switched two players, and we were helped by FC Tokyo's rhythm, but each player was able to calmly move the ball and seemed to be able to develop the play. The first half had too many long feeds, so at halftime, we calmed down and aimed to regain our tempo by moving the ball steadily, even if it was a bit delayed. Finally, we were able to distribute the ball quite well. There were very few good chances, but even in that situation, I am relieved that we were able to score and achieve results. Regarding the two (MF Endo and FW Lucas), I still feel they have a long way to go for a full 45 minutes, and I think we need to raise the overall flow a bit. I think Takashi (FW Usami) scored from an aggressive aim, and I feel we have seen some good positive materials emerge."