A match to showcase the achievements so far, one week before the opening match in the preseason.

The final preseason match ahead of the league opener will be held away against Thespakusatsu Gunma. Last week's match against Tosu also saw a comeback victory with goals from Kono and Watanabe. Following that, in a practice match, the team faced Ulsan Hyundai and won 1-0, and drew 1-1 with Sendai, indicating that the team's level of completion is gradually increasing. Coach Ranko POPOVIC stated, "Today's match is to demonstrate the results we've achieved so far. It will also be a battle to express the ideal form of ourselves that we will showcase on the pitch in the upcoming league opener, which is just about a week away."

Tokyo's Lucas and Hyun Soo JANG will not participate in the expedition due to poor condition. However, Takahashi has returned from rehabilitation and is on the bench today. The starting lineup features Kaga and Morishige in the center of defense, with Yonemoto and Takumi HASEGAWA as the double pivot. On the left and right midfield, Lee and Ishikawa are positioned, with Azuma playing as the attacking midfielder and Watanabe as the lone striker.

Gunma, under the leadership of coach Tadahiro AKIBA starting this season, has added 15 new players including FW Aoki and FW Hira-shige. Although there were times when results did not follow due to building the team from scratch, they established a 3-4-2-1 system after completing their training camp in Chiba. With excitement building towards the season opener, Coach AKIBA stated, "Being able to face FC Tokyo before the opening match is significant for the team. Since it will be the team's debut at Shoda.S, I want to show aggressive soccer" as he challenges head-on.

Although it is sunny, it has become quite cold at Shoda Shoyu Stadium Gunma, where the match started with Gunma's kickoff at 13:04.

Mistakes were noticeable at the end, and the first half ended scoreless.

From the start, Tokyo tried to calmly circulate the ball, but the pitch conditions were not good, and with strong winds, mistakes occurred, preventing them from getting a shot off. In the 6th minute, Morishige passed forward. Watanabe dropped it, and Lee, who received it in the center, dribbled into the area and attempted a shot from slightly to the right, but it didn't connect well. Gunma also applied pressure from the front, and while Tokyo could connect the ball at the defensive line, they were unable to make effective passes in the vital area. There were also moments when they lost the ball to the opponent in a bad way and suffered counterattacks.

After 20 minutes, they seized the opponent's ball and quickly switched to an offensive play. In the 23rd minute, a through pass from Morishige to Watanabe, who was trying to break through on the left front line. He dribbled into the left area but sent a last pass to Lee on the opposite side, which did not connect. YoneMoto, who rushed in for the loose ball, aimed for a mid-range shot but missed. In the 27th minute, Lee, who ran onto Hasegawa's through pass, charged into the center of the area and attempted a forceful shot, but could not get it off against Gunma's solid defense. During this period, they created consecutive scoring opportunities but were unable to find the back of the net.

In the 41st minute, Ota from our side made a long feed to the right front line. From there, Higashi, who followed from behind in a cross with Ishikawa, controlled the ball and made a right cross. It was perfectly timed for Lee at the near post, who took a decisive header from close range, but it was saved, resulting in a right corner kick. After that, Tokyo began to show signs of fatigue and struggled to regain possession in midfield. Just before the end, an opponent forward, Hira-shige, jumped in on a left cross, but Gonda made a great save to escape to a corner kick. In the end, the first half ended scoreless.

Ota scores a priceless goal to secure the victory

At the start of the second half, Takahashi was brought in to replace Ishikawa. The formation was set with Hasegawa positioned as left midfielder. With the wind at their backs, they completely controlled the match with precise passing. However, Gunma maintained a concentrated defense, creating solid blocks just outside their area to prevent easy entry. As the stalemate continued, Tokyo gradually began to create opportunities for shots. In the 62nd minute, Yonemoto connected with Lee through short passes, and Watanabe turned and aimed for a middle shot in the opponent's territory, but it was saved by the goalkeeper.

In the 65th minute, Tokunaga broke through on the right side. After a cross was deflected, Hasegawa aimed for a mid-range shot but was blocked by the GK, resulting in a corner kick. From this left corner kick, the ball was connected, and Morishige, who had moved up, advanced into the left area. He tried to shoot after getting past the opposing defender but couldn't make contact, sending the ball wide. Conversely, in the 69th minute, a left cross from Gunma reached forward Hira-shige in the area, creating a crisis, but they couldn't take a shot. However, the dropped ball was followed up, and MF Kato took a shot. A decisive attacking shape was created, but the ball went over the bar.

In Tokyo, Takahashi returned to defense and Hasegawa moved back to the holding midfield position, changing to a formation close to 3-4-3. Then, in the 80th minute, right after Kono was substituted for Lee, Kono broke through on the right side following Kaga's feed. He carefully observed the goalkeeper's movement and took a precise loop shot just before the right area, but hit the left post. Ota, who was following from the opposite side, pierced the net for the goal, taking the lead. After that, four players were substituted in an attempt to score again, but they couldn't secure an additional goal. Despite the struggle, they fought tenaciously and achieved victory.

[Player Comments]
Ota: "In the first half, I couldn't move forward. It felt like no matter how much I ran, the wind pushed me back. It was tough. Still, we managed to keep the score at zero, and in the second half, I had confidence that we could play advantageously as a team. Regarding the goal scene, there was a change in the system, but it wasn't that I was 'there'; it was that I was able to 'get there.' I want to think positively about that. There were quite a few opposing players in front of the goal, but I was glad I could finish well. (You mentioned wanting to score a goal for a long time, right?) I woke up with a terrible pain in my neck from sleeping wrong this morning, but maybe it's easier to score in those situations (laughs). Winning is important, no matter the circumstances. I think it had meaning."

"Lee" said, "Since I was playing on the side, my focus was on doing my job in the midfield and getting involved in the goals. I wanted to increase the number of shooting opportunities, but the situation was difficult. However, I think we were able to create some shape in the second half. If we can improve the quality of our final plays, we can increase our shooting opportunities and score more goals. (What is necessary for scoring?) Individual skills may be needed, but... my strength lies in utilizing those around me with my movements, or being utilized by those around me. I want to enhance our coordination and create an aggressive shape as a team."

【Summary of Coach Ranko POPOVIC's Press Conference】
"I think the media also felt it was difficult to work in the stands, didn't they? Given the weather conditions, I believe it was not an easy environment for the players standing on the pitch either. Despite such temperatures and challenging winds, I think the players were able to give their full strength, and it turned into an interesting match where both sides pushed each other. What was very good today was that the team was well organized, disciplined, and fought tenaciously and patiently. Also, we controlled most of the match and did not allow the opponent to create many decisive chances. This is something we must continue to work on, and regarding the finer details of quality and precision, we want to improve further before the season opener. It is good that no one got injured today, and even in such conditions, I believe the players fully delivered what was required and maintained quality. I am satisfied that one week before the season starts, we were able to play a tenacious and tactically solid game like today."

【Gunma - Coach Akiba's Press Conference Summary】
"The players fought for 90 minutes in the unique wind of Gunma. I thought the game would change so much between the first and second halves with the wind direction changing, but they made solid judgments. In the second half, even with the wind against them, they kept going until the end. I believe that capitalizing on a single opportunity is the quality of J1, so I will take that seriously, reflect on it, and since there is still a week until the opening, I want to examine what was good and what was bad and come together once again to move forward. (Today we had 15 members, right?) This is my message. I have no intention of bringing players who are not at the level to play. I have clearly communicated that to the players. I will not bring players just because there is a quota. I have told the players that I will only take those who are truly at the level of the game going forward. That way, the company can save on expenses, right? (laughs)