A full-scale battle, challenging the formidable opponent Gamba!

　Sec. 32 of the league will be a match against Gamba Osaka, welcoming them at home. In the previous match against Niigata, we suffered a comeback defeat due to mistakes. However, Coach Hara reflects, "We were focused on defending and had a good balance. The problem was the mistakes when we were attacking." This match is about maintaining that balance and how well we can attack. The focus will be on facing the strong opponent Gamba, playing in our own rhythm, and creating as many chances as possible.

　However, Hirayama, Inoha, and Ishikawa are absent due to the Olympic representative qualifying tournament, while Doi and Akamine have left the team due to injuries. Ishikawa also avoided participating due to poor condition. In the midst of a total war, Coach Hara said, "I want to use motivated and energetic players. I want them to fill the gaps left by Akamine and Ishikawa with young energy." As a result, Ikegami and Morimura were selected as starters for the first time in the league. On the other hand, Kanazawa returned. Baba and Kajiyama also recovered remarkably and will be on the bench. The formation is set up with Imano and Ikegami as a double defensive midfield, Morimura as an attacking midfielder, and Kurizawa on the right side.

　G Osaka, who is currently in second place with 64 points, will face off. They are 5 points behind the first-place Urawa, and if they lose this round, their chances of winning the championship will diminish. There is also a possibility that Urawa will secure the championship this round, so G Osaka will do whatever it takes to secure 3 points. Due to the injury of left full-back Yasuda, it was expected that they would switch to a 3-back formation, but they have chosen a 4-4-2 formation. They have approached the match with a formation aimed at countering Tokyo's side attacks.

　In the away game of the first half, Tokyo took a 2-point lead but suffered a big comeback due to a lack of concentration. This time as well, it is expected to be a tough match where we cannot let our guard down for a moment, but we will unite as one and challenge without hesitation. We want to create a rhythm from good defense to good offense and bring the pace to Tokyo, aiming for victory. The cold weather of the past few days has also settled down, and it is a calm autumn day at Ajinomoto Stadium. The match against G Osaka, which can be called a big game aiming for a comeback victory, started with Tokyo's kickoff at 14:04.

Ikegami and Morimura show their full potential, but still fall behind...

　From the start, they confronted G Osaka with passionate play. In the first minute, Morimura flew out to intercept Lucas' through pass and won a corner kick. In the following 2 minutes, Ikegami, who received G Osaka's clearance, took a bold middle shot. In the 7th minute, Lucas took a middle shot from the left side. They seized the ball with intense pressing against G Osaka's attempt to pass and gained rhythm. In the 10th minute, Kurizawa quickly intercepted the opponent's clearance and won a corner kick from a cross. However, G Osaka also seized this corner kick, and midfielder Endo passed to forward Valé, who ran into the right area and took a shot. Shioda made a save, but they showed their threat by bringing it to a finish from a sharp counterattack.

　In the 14th minute, Lucas dropped Suzuki Nori's liner cross in front of the goal, but Morimura's jump was slightly delayed. Tokyo completely controlled the pace, and Ikegami repeatedly connected passes and attacked the front line. However, they still couldn't create a decisive chance. On the other hand, G Osaka gradually began to grasp the rhythm from the counterattack. In the 20th minute, Fujiyama fouled G Osaka MF Endo, who launched a quick attack, giving them a free kick almost directly in front of the goal. In the 25th minute, Konno stopped G Osaka MF Futagawa, who was in a shooting position just outside the penalty area, with a foul, resulting in another free kick. Both of MF Endo's shots missed the target, and they escaped the danger.

　Tokyo had many long balls, and in the 28th minute, they lost the ball to G Osaka in the opponent's half, MF Endo → FW Magnouves dribbled forward. FW Valee met the minus cross from the goal line, and the shot hit the bar. It narrowly avoided a pinch. Immediately after, Tokyo also launched a quick attack, Lucas → Suzuki Nori shot from the left area. However, it was caught by the goalkeeper. In the 33rd minute, Kurihara took a volley shot from the CK that Suzuki Nori took, but it was defended by the DF.

　In the 41st minute, Inamono connected the ball with Lucas through a pass exchange on the right side. Kurizawa expanded the play with a cross to the front of the goal. Suzuki Nori jumped in, but the ball narrowly missed to the right of the goal, missing a big chance. However, in the 44th minute, Kanazawa was intercepted by G Osaka MF Terada as they tried to keep possession, and FW Magnou Alves received a pass and dribbled up the center from the right. Although there was a distance to the goal, the shot with speed pierced the net, and it was a goal... It was a disappointing goal to concede after fighting well up to this point, but without getting discouraged, they switched their mindset and headed into the second half.

Baba and Kajiyama create the rhythm, Lucas scores the equalizer!

　However, G Osaka also came out attacking from the start of the second half. In the 47th minute, FW Magnouves passed to right MF Terada. MF Terada cut inside to the goal line and allowed FW Magnouves to take a volley shot from the last pass, but Shibata made the save. Tokyo tried to regain momentum and substituted Baba for Morimura in the 51st minute. Baba created a rhythm in the attack with his agile movements, and in the 58th minute, he received the ball outside the penalty area, feinted to evade G Osaka DF Shijikurei's mark, and swung his right foot with full force. The opponent's GK touched it and it didn't go into the goal, but Tokyo gained momentum.

　In the 63rd minute, Kajiyama was sent to the pitch instead of Ikegami in an attempt to further attack. However, in the immediate 64th minute, Shigeki stopped G Osaka FW Valley, who had escaped behind the DF, with a foul. This play received a red card and was sent off, putting them in a situation with one less player. However, without giving up, they continued to fight back by rearranging their formation with Imano as a center back. In the midfield, Baba, Kajiyama, and Kurisawa exchanged passes to dominate the ball. In the 70th minute, G Osaka FW Valley advanced to the front line with a powerful dribble and took a shot, but they were not allowed to score an additional point thanks to a mistake.

　With a fighting style that doesn't make you feel outnumbered, in the 75th minute, Lucas on the left passed the ball directly to Kurisawa from Baba in the middle, and finally Kajiyama took a shot from just outside the area. They grasped the attacking rhythm from the flowing passing play. In the 75th minute, Rychely replaced Suzuki Nori. Immediately after the substitution in the 76th minute, Rychely picked up Fujiyama's long feed clearance, and Kanazawa dribbled towards the center. Baba, who followed from behind, returned the ball with a lob to Kanazawa, who ran into the goal area. Kanazawa connected to the right area while falling, and Kurisawa contested the floating ball with a header, sending it forward. Lucas controlled the ball with his chest and shot with his right foot! The ball pierced into the top left corner of the goal, equalizing the score.　

　Tokyo attacks the G Osaka goal with the umbrella. Both fullbacks also push forward, and in the 82nd minute, Kurisawa on the right -> Lucas in the center -> Kanazawa on the left, again towards the center. However, Lucas narrowly misses... In the 84th minute, Baba enters the penalty area and is brought down by the opponent's defender, but no foul is called. In the 87th minute, Kajiyama directly aims for the goal with a free kick obtained on the right side, but fails to hit the target. Despite the attacking efforts, they couldn't score a second goal and the match ended in a 1-1 draw. However, although they couldn't take the lead, each player showcased their strengths and displayed dynamic plays. It can be said that it was a game where they gained something.

　【Player Comments】《Ikegami》"In my previous appearance in the Nabisco Cup, I keenly felt the importance of achieving results, so I focused on that above all else. Unfortunately, we couldn't secure a win, and I feel disappointed about it. Coach Hara instructed us to maintain balance and compactness, along with players Konno, Shigemori, and Fujiyama, and I made it my top priority. Lately, I've been involved in scoring during satellite matches and practice games, so I wanted to showcase more of that kind of play today as well. There were moments where the attack was delayed on my part, so I want to review videos and make improvements. I want to not only compete for a position but also strive to take a position through practice."

　[Summary of Coach Hara's Press Conference] "In place of Akamine, who injured his knee, I used Morimura today. I also started Ikegami for the first time, and I had the feeling and expectation that both of them would do well. There were still some sweet spots, but they both fought well with high motivation. I used them in the starting lineup because Baba and Kajiyama returned, making it possible to use them in crucial moments for a certain amount of time. However, they were not in condition to last 90 minutes, so I thought if the opponent got tired, we could create a situation to take the initiative in the second half. Around September, we were playing decent matches, rather good matches, but I feel the team got confused after the news of my resignation came out. There are many serious players, and the desire not to lose in the Tamagawa Classico was too strong, leading to more individual plays and disrupting the rhythm. However, after that, we had the Emperor's Cup, and the last match against Niigata was certainly not bad. But when using Asari in the midfield away, everyone’s awareness of 'let's defend' became stronger. Therefore, today, I left Asari for emergencies and deliberately used Ikegami. I think the extra goal just before halftime was unnecessary, but at halftime, I told them, 'Continue playing the soccer you are playing now. When Baba and Kajiyama come in, the ball will move more, and chances will come.' Then, Shigeno got sent off, but everyone fought without fear and connected the ball. Generally, I think the concentration increases when a player is sent off, but today we became 10 men while being one goal down. Konno said, 'I want to go forward with a three-back,' but I instructed him, 'Wait a bit longer. Stay back, and if Kajiyama and Baba connect, chances will come.' If that still doesn't work, I was planning to push Konno up as well. Tokunaga and Kanazawa were also more aggressive than when we had 11 players. In defensive situations, even when we were equal in numbers with the opponent, no one was left over, and we were shutting them down. I think there are hints there. The players fought without blaming the referee's decisions and did not give up. I am really happy about that. If we can fight with that mindset from the time we have 11 players, we should be able to play even better soccer. Kajiyama has been out for about two months, and he was suddenly dispossessed of the ball in the match, but in the end, he showed his original strength. Baba also connected with Lucas for one-twos and broke through. I think the rhythm changed with the entry of a technically skilled player who doesn't easily get dispossessed even against Gamba. In the next match, Shigeno and Konno will be suspended, but we have prepared so that anyone can step in. The next match is the final home game, and I want to fight with all our might in the last two league matches and connect it to the Emperor's Cup."

　[Summary of G Osaka Nishino's press conference] "Gamba's usual soccer = finishing from possession, there were few instances of breaking down while controlling the ball. In the first half, there were opportunities to counterattack and reach the finish, but they were isolated incidents. If we had used both sides a little more effectively, I think we could have finished from possession. I was hoping to break down more when we had a numerical advantage, but the overall play was too rushed and lacked composure. There were several scoring opportunities, but the condition of the field was a bit poor, so we couldn't show Gamba's characteristic passing play. Perhaps the thought of victory crossed our minds, and there was stiffness, so it wasn't smooth. Today's big match was dependent on external factors, but we couldn't win it ourselves despite the great potential. However, in the remaining two matches, we want to strive for victory as much as possible."