Can they avoid consecutive losses? Match against bottom-ranked Gamba Osaka

In the previous round, Tokyo fell to 5th place after losing to Kashima. Not only the ranking, but also avoiding consecutive losses is crucial in the league. On the other hand, Gamba Osaka has not won a single game until this round. However, with players like MF Inamoto, FW Kojima, and DF Miyamoto, who are candidates for the Olympic generation, their young power and strength cannot be underestimated. In addition, injuries have started to occur in the regular lineup, causing anxiety for Tokyo. How well can they demonstrate their organizational strength against Gamba, who will come at them with their backs against the wall? The outcome is important, but the content of this match will also have an impact on future battles.

Are they out of breath in the rain battle?!?

Starting today, Okamoto, who was a starter until last week, was replaced by Okamoto, who made his first appearance in J1 as a left side half. On the bench, there were many changes in the members, such as Kagami, who also made his first appearance in J1, and Kamiya, who had not played in the last four games. The weather at the National Stadium on this day was cold and rainy, a complete contrast to the good weather until yesterday, and the kickoff was in the pouring rain. In contrast to the weather, both teams aggressively pressed each other in the midfield and attacked positively. Shortly after the start, TUTO took a shot from a one-two with Yukihiko. Gamba also showed an equal exchange, with MF Vitau aiming for a direct free kick and Kojima taking a middle shot, but they did not reach a decisive moment. Gamba started with Vitau, who has a lot of movement, and MF Yamaguchi and Futagawa, who are good at technique, and then developed to the post with FW Matsunami. A fast-moving Kojima also attacked with left SB Arai, but his aim was easy to read and Tokyo calmly dealt with it. On the other hand, Tokyo's attack was also dealt with precisely by Gamba's defensive midfielder Inamoto and the defensive line, which had pulled back. In the 40th minute, Kagami was substituted for Okamoto, who couldn't quite get into the flow, but the flow remained the same. The first half ended without either team creating any opportunities.

First time this season, 3 goals conceded in 90 minutes! All-out attack also unsuccessful.

The game changed in the second half. In the 49th minute, Nigawa dribbled and earned a right corner kick, which Yamaguchi passed short to Vitau. From there, Inamoto jumped in and scored a header from the cross. Tokyo couldn't keep up with the mark and once again conceded a goal from a set piece. Gamba, riding on their momentum, dominated the ball. They took advantage of Tokyo's attempt to attack and quickly attacked wide. However, in the 61st minute, GK Doi caught the ball that had been brought up in front of the goal and quickly kicked it to the front line, seeing that the opponent's DF line was shallow. TUTO, who competed with the opponent's DF, stuck with it and picked up the ball, and Amaral dribbled past DF Miyamoto with a brilliant feint and scored a spectacular goal with his left foot! Tokyo equalized with a quick counter attack, their specialty.

In the 64th minute, Gamba's Kojima, who had advanced with a dribble, did not try to connect the ball that Asari had cut off, and instead took it to a corner kick. This plan worked perfectly, as Kojima headed in the ball kicked from the left by Yamaguchi, resulting in a second goal from a set piece. It was a tough blow for the players to concede a goal right after equalizing. After that, Sasaki was substituted for Koike, and Kamiya for Asari. With a "super attacking formation" of Yukihiro, Kaburagi, Kamiya, and five players in the front line, Tokyo tried to mount a comeback. However, Gamba calmly adjusted their midfield to a square shape with a double pivot of Bitau and Inamoto, who had to deal with Yukihiro entering the center. On the other hand, Tokyo became more aggressive, and in the 83rd minute, Kojima scored a goal with a close-range shot from Bitau, who had just barely avoided being offside. Despite Sandro being moved up to the midfield to lead the counterattack, his shot in the 86th minute just missed the goal. Asano and Amaral also tried to score actively, but they relied too much on individual skills. There were also many scenes where TUTO and Kaburagi overlapped, but their combination play was not quite there, and the game ended with a 2-0 deficit.

The task is clear. Switch your mindset and move on!

Gamba, who were not able to respond with their usual organizational strength, conceded three goals. Two of those goals came from set pieces, and it was a clear reflection of the parts of the game that are and are not up to J1 level. "We need to find a way to build the team around the parts that are working. We felt a lack of strength in the midfield and were unable to utilize our two top players due to the absence of a passer. However, I don't think we will make any major changes to the lineup, as we will continue to rely on the combination of players who have been playing together for a relatively long time. This was also a game that made us realize that this is the way we should be playing," calmly reflected coach Okuma. As we approach the middle of the 1st stage, injuries and fatigue are a concern, but we want to approach the future with a challenger spirit that we will not forget.

"Coach Hayano's comments"

"Today, our defensive challenge was to first contain Amaral and TUTO's two-top counter. In attack, we aimed to develop our attacks around Matsumi and I think we were very faithful to that plan, which led to this result. We have struggled to score from set pieces in the past, but today we scored two goals and the momentum shifted greatly. In the past, our players have struggled in the second half, but today we had the mentality to attack while maintaining possession. CB Asahina was a last-minute substitution for the injured Dambury, but he was helped by Tokyo's system. By increasing our focus on Amaral, we were able to bring out his strengths. We are very happy with the victory, but we must not forget that the situation has not improved and we must continue to work hard in the next game."

"Coach Ooguma's comment"

"We didn't have enough time to build up our attack and when we fell back, we couldn't create enough opportunities. With Kina's injury and the lack of strength in our midfield, including the defensive midfield, we exposed our weaknesses. This is something we need to address and think about how we can improve as a team. We have spent a lot of time practicing our set piece defense, but in J1, the accuracy of free kicks and crosses is crucial. At the same time, we have few players who can give instructions and communicate with their teammates about the situation on the field. I believe this has led to conceding goals. We are always trying to improve our communication, but we haven't been able to do it in a timely manner, which I think is the cause of our problems."