I want to seize the opportunity and secure consecutive victories

　Sec. 8 of the league, we will play against Gamba Osaka away. It will be another away game following the previous round, but we want to build on the victory we achieved in the Oita match and aim for consecutive wins.

　G Osaka, who is facing us, is continuing to fight alongside the ACL. It is a tough schedule to play the previous match in 4 days after the away match in Indonesia on 4/22, and then play this match in 2 days. However, Coach Jofuku tightens his focus, saying, "If we stand on the pitch taking advantage of the opponent's fatigue, we will suffer." And he points out the points to be wary of, saying, "G Osaka is not only one of the top teams in the J-League but also in Asia in terms of ball circulation and possession. This season, they have also made significant reinforcements, increasing their height and scoring power."

　Tokyo will face the same members as the previous match. It is expected that the opponent will dominate the ball to some extent, so it is important for the team to coordinate defensively and not give space and time. And once we steal the ball, we want to launch a quick counterattack and take control on the sides. Kajiyama, who scored his first goal of the season in the Oita match, said confidently, "We will fight not to lose to the opponent's passing game. We want to coordinate with the front line and create many shooting opportunities," aiming for a victory with two or more goals for the first time this season.

　Shigeki Moriya shows his determination, saying, "Even if we are pushed to the limit, I want to compete with all my strength. In the early stages, we will endure to prioritize balance and fight, and when the opponent's stamina drops in the final stages, we will go all out to win." G Osaka will try to take the lead and make the game easier. In response to this, if we can withstand the time we should endure, Tokyo should be able to create their own opportunities. We want to make sure to take advantage of those chances. While suppressing the opponent's strengths, we will give it our all and aim for 3 points! The match started at 19:03 with Tokyo's kickoff at the Expo '70 Commemorative Stadium.

Conceded the first goal in an unfortunate way and trailed in the second half.

　Entering the game calmly, Tokyo did not let G Osaka take the initiative from the start. They defended by creating blocks against the opponent's ball circulation and quickly launched attacks by stealing the ball. In the 14th minute, Ishikawa stole a ball that became half-hearted in the opponent's territory and dribbled it all the way. He brought it to the front of the goal and took a left-footed shot, but the opponent's defender blocked it. Cabore seized the rebound and took a shot with all his might, even though he was marked by the opponent's defender, but it went over.

　However, in the 19th minute, a cross kicked by MF Sasaki from the opponent's throw-in hit Hayabusa and resulted in an own goal. We conceded the first goal in an unlucky manner. Then the flow started to shift towards G Osaka. In the 21st minute, a powerful dribble shot by FW Leandro hit the right post. Then in the 25th minute, from G Osaka's left throw-in by MF Endo, MF Lucas -> MF Sasaki -> FW Leandro connected smoothly, and finally MF Lucas evaded Sahara and broke into the area, only to have his shot blocked... We lost the second goal.

　Tokyo, who wants to counterattack, made a fierce breakthrough into the area from the left side in the 27th minute. However, Cabore's liner cross did not result in a shot. In the 30th minute, Kajiyama -> Ishikawa unleashed a powerful middle shot, but the opponent's goalkeeper made a great save. After that, Tokyo attempted to counterattack several times with long balls, but the ball couldn't be controlled. G Osaka calmly circulated the ball with their defense line and launched attacks at the right moment, not allowing Tokyo to find their rhythm. As a result, they ended the first half trailing by two points.　

Despite scoring 2 points, suffered a heavy defeat

　It was the second half after the recovery, but in the 47th minute just after the start, Tokyo's feed was taken away and easily carried to the goal, and they were overwhelmed by G Osaka's passing play, allowing FW Leandro to score an additional point. It was an important point to see which team would take the next one, so it was a painful goal to concede. Nevertheless, they did not give up and continued to attack. In the 50th minute, Hayu crossed from the right throw-in. Sato tried to head it while competing with the opponent's DF, but it went to the left.

　In the 57th minute, Hanyu received a return pass near the right corner of the area after Tokunaga's attacking run from Inamoto's side change and took a direct shot, but it went wide to the left. In the 58th minute, Mokuhara was brought in as the right full-back, Inamoto was moved to center-back, and Tokunaga was deployed as a defensive midfielder. In the 61st minute, Akamine was substituted for Kondo. In a scene from the second corner kick, Akamine, who had just come on, volleyed the ball but was blocked by the opponent's defender. However, in the immediate 68th minute, they were caught off guard and conceded the fourth goal.

　In the 69th minute, Suzuki was substituted for Hanyu. As the opponent's physical strength began to decline, Tokyo gained control of the game by winning the ball in high positions. Then, in the 79th minute, Ishikawa on the left side dribbled past two opposing defenders and scored a determined goal. In the following 81st minute, Kajiyama stole the ball in the center and passed it to Suzuki, who came up from the left side, and he confidently scored the second goal. He scored his first two goals of the season and launched a fierce attack with momentum. However, it was already too late... Tokyo suffered a bitter defeat, conceding four goals against G Osaka's skillful soccer.

　【Player Comments】《Ishikawa》"As we conceded one goal, then another, the energy on the pitch started to fade. It's frustrating and regrettable, not just for this match but also because there's another one coming up soon... That's the part that angers me, including myself. However, even if we were in a 2-0 situation, I don't know what would have happened if we had scored one goal. But we immediately conceded the third goal in the second half, and that's also a problem that we couldn't hold our ground in such situations. (Did we defend too much overall?) I think we should have gone forward more when the situation called for it. We need more dynamics, and I think we lack enough tactical maneuvering during the match. (Were we afraid of G Osaka?) Hmm... I'm neither of those. It feels like we adapted to the opponent. It's not a loss where we think 'there's nothing we can do' because there's a difference in strength. We've been continuing with these kinds of matches. We want to take the initiative and play our own style of soccer. We want to play a game where we can impose our style on the opponent... Next, we'll be back home, so we want to play that kind of match."《Suzuki》"It's a match where we can't believe we lost after giving our best... It's a wasted opportunity. Everyone was working hard, but I feel like we lacked confidence. We were dragging on, losing the second balls, and we were afraid of the opponent's counterattacks and individual breakthroughs, so the whole team kept dropping back, and our only attacking option was long balls. Even if we won the ball back, our teammates were far away, and when we kicked it, it was taken away again... It became a repetitive cycle. (Did the flow change after you came on?) Well, the situation was already like that. However, if we could use that kind of soccer from the beginning, it would be great... The previous players also need to cooperate, and we need to press as a team. The defenders are strong players upfront, so if we limit the options in front, I don't think we would have been beaten this much. Personally, I've been in good form for a while, so there are parts where I can be confident in my play and goals today. I want to carry that forward to the next match."

　[Summary of Coach Jofuku's Press Conference] "Despite the difficult situation of an away night game, many fans came to support us, which we are very grateful for. However, we were unable to meet their expectations, which is very disappointing. (How did you plan to break down G Osaka's defense?) We needed to nullify their strengths and focus on making good defensive plays and delivering crosses from the sides. Unfortunately, we conceded a goal in an unlucky manner, making it more difficult for us. (The substitute players made good movements, didn't they?) Regardless, the players who came on in the second half were aware of the situation... However, what was particularly painful for us was that we had to make changes to our defensive line."

　[G Osaka Nishino's press conference summary] "I feel that everyone was able to share the soccer we are trying to do today for 80 minutes. I think the last 10 minutes were very regrettable, so I want to make it a future challenge. I feel like we got too relaxed. Today, once again, everyone reviewed the pressing and were able to have a coordinated defense, from which we saw some short counters and aggressive attacks. I think we have made some adjustments and are gradually achieving what we are aiming for since the last match. If we have good defense, Gamba can definitely have good attacks. If we have more periods of good defense and have a solid compact defense, we can take the ball and put it in the front line in a good way. It is a way of thinking that raises the awareness of defense. I don't want to demand that from Cho Jae-jin or Leandro, but it is necessary to score goals. In addition to that, there is good pressing, good ball movement, and how to enter the area."