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 became a tough game due to fatigue. But I want to take a positive view of the fact that we were able to hold on and bring it to a draw. Regarding the goal, I received a pass from a free kick and was able to bring it close to the goal, so I prioritized shooting. As a left fullback, I also have more opportunities to shoot when I move inside. I was conscious of that. It would have been the best if we could have won... It gives us confidence that the style of soccer we have been working on this season worked against strong opponents, but the result of a draw shows that we still lack strength. We want to continue working hard starting from the training in Kodaira."《Ishikawa》"Breaking through in front of the goal was a challenge, so I was conscious of that. There were many chances, so I also wanted to score... In the past, I had conflicts and restrained my own play, considering the team balance. But recently, I think I have been able to connect while also making breakthroughs. I want to prioritize that balance. Today, there was space behind the opponent, so I wanted to score when I broke through there."

　[Summary of Manager Jofuku's Press Conference] "Our goal for this season was to possess the ball and break down the opponent's defense, just like G Osaka. We have been training towards that. We haven't won since the league resumed after the break, and it has been tough. But today was a good opportunity for us to challenge ourselves and see how much we have learned from G Osaka. It was a good timing to play against them in the 17th round of the league. In the first half, our defense was a bit unsettled and we conceded a goal, but after that, we had the attitude of moving the ball and breaking down the defense. Fortunately, we equalized early and settled down. If we had a bit more ideas and accuracy in the final moments, we might have scored another goal. We couldn't do that, but we didn't want to panic when G Osaka pushed us back in the second half. The start of the second half wasn't that bad, but we got tired towards the end and when it started raining and the pitch became slippery, we lost confidence in our technical skills and kicking the ball. G Osaka dominated us for a long time towards the end. That's something we need to reflect on. We played 17 games until the halfway point and there were many things we learned from our own challenges and opponents. Especially after the resumption, we fought against Urawa, Kashima, and G Osaka, who are leading the J League right now, without being intimidated. Of course, we wanted to accumulate more wins, but in terms of knowing our current strength, it was a fight without being intimidated, which will lead to the next step. We want to connect the battles until the 17th round to the 34th round in the second half."

　[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."