In the previous match, they drew with Nagoya Grampus, and it has been three consecutive scoreless draws in the league. However, coach Albert PUIG ORTONEDA stated, "FC Tokyo is playing to aim for victory. Neither Tokyo nor I are cowards." emphasizing that it is not a result of a solid defense.
Even if you maintain possession of the ball and control the game, you need goals to win. To truly establish positional play that we will work on from this season, players who can steadily score goals from intentionally moving the ball in breaking situations are required.
This week's opponent is Gamba Osaka, whose coach Tomohiro KATANOSAKA took office this season. The commander entrusted with the reconstruction of the prestigious club, which struggled in 13th place last season, is determined to "bring back a strong Gamba" and continues to experiment. It will be a match where both teams will be challenged to express the soccer they are confidently working on.
In the 2009 season, 13 years ago, the blue and red uniform was worn by Naohiro ISHIKAWA, the club communicator, who showcased his performance by scoring 15 goals throughout the year, starting with his first goal of the season at the sacred Japan National Stadium. In this match, we hope to witness the moment a new hero from Tokyo is born at the same National Stadium.
