In the previous match, we drew with Nagoya Grampus and have had three consecutive scoreless draws in the league. However, coach Albert Puig Ortoneda stated, "FC Tokyo is playing to win. Both Tokyo and I are not cowards," emphasizing that it was not a result of defensive play.
Even if you possess the ball and control the game, you need to score to win. In order to truly establish positional play that we will work on from this season, players who can steadily score goals are needed, starting from the breaking phase where the ball is intentionally moved.
This week's opponent is Gamba Osaka, led by Tomohiro KATANOSAKA who took over as coach this season. The commander-in-chief, who was entrusted with rebuilding the prestigious team that struggled to 13th place last season, is determined to "regain a strong Gamba" and continues to experiment. Both teams will be tested on whether they can express the soccer they are confident in.
In the 2009 season, 13 years ago, Naohiro ISHIKAWA, wearing the blue and red uniform, showed off his performance by scoring 15 goals throughout the season, starting with his first goal at the sacred ground, Japan National Stadium. This week, we hope to see a new hero born in Tokyo from the same National Stadium.
