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

In the previous match, Tokyo fell to 5th place after losing to Kashima. While the ranking is one concern, avoiding consecutive losses is crucial in the league. This time, they face Gamba Osaka, who have yet to secure a single victory this season. However, with players like midfielder Inamoto, forward Kojima, and defender Miyamoto, all candidates for the Olympic generation, their youthful power and resilience should not be underestimated. Additionally, injuries have begun to affect regular players like Kinjo, adding to Tokyo's worries. Against Gamba, who will come in with their backs against the wall, how well can Tokyo demonstrate their organizational strength? While the outcome is important, the quality of the performance will also significantly impact future battles.

Out of breath in the rain battle!?

Replacing Seigo KOBAYASHI, who had been a starter until the previous match, Okamoto made his J1 debut today as the starting left side half. On the bench were also debutants in J1, Kaburagi and Kamino, who returned after four matches, marking a significant change in the lineup from the previous game. The weather at the National Stadium was chilly, a stark contrast to the fine weather until yesterday, and the kickoff took place under continuous rain. Contrary to the weather, both teams pressed aggressively in midfield and actively attacked. Early in the game, TUTO took a shot following a one-two with Yukihiko. Gamba also showed an equal exchange, with MF Vitau aiming directly from a free kick and Kojima taking a mid-range shot, but neither side created a clear chance. Gamba built their play around the energetic Vitau, involving the technically skilled MF Yamaguchi and Nigawa, then distributing to FW Matsunami's post. Fast-moving Kojima and left SB Araiba pushed forward to unsettle the defense, but their intentions were easy to read, and Tokyo calmly dealt with it. Conversely, Tokyo's attacks were well contained by Gamba's defensive midfield Inamoto and the withdrawn defensive line. At the 40th minute, Kaburagi was brought on for Okamoto, who had yet to find his rhythm, but the flow remained unchanged. Both sides ended the first half without creating notable opportunities.

First time this season, 3 goals conceded in 90 minutes! All-out attack did not bear fruit

The game changed in the second half. In the 49th minute, after a breakthrough dribble by Nikawa, Yamaguchi took a short corner to Vitau. From the resulting cross, Inamoto jumped in for a header. Tokyo failed to mark properly and conceded another goal from a set piece. Gamba, gaining momentum, dominated the ball. They quickly exploited Tokyo's gaps as they tried to attack, spreading wide. However, in the 61st minute, GK Doi caught a ball that came into the goal area and, noticing the opponent's defensive line was shallow, quickly kicked it forward. TUTO, competing with the opponent's DF, held on and connected the play, and Amaral, after a dribble, elegantly feinted past DF Miyamoto and scored powerfully with his left foot! Tokyo equalized with a swift counterattack.

Immediately after, in the 64th minute, Gamba's Kojima advanced with a dribble, and after Asari intercepted the ball, he wisely avoided forcing a pass and took it to a corner kick. This tactic paid off perfectly, as Yamaguchi crossed from the left and Kojima connected with a header, conceding the second goal from a set piece once again. Conceding right after equalizing was tough for the players themselves. Afterwards, Asano replaced Koike, and Kamino came on for Asari. With Yukihiko, Kaburagi, and Kamino up front, Tokyo set up an ultra-offensive formation with five players in attack to mount a counterattack. However, Gamba calmly responded, with Coach Hayano saying, "Since number 14 (Yukihiko) moved to the center, we switched to a double defensive midfield with Vitau and Inamoto, making the midfield square." On the contrary, Tokyo pushed forward too much, and in the 83rd minute, Kojima easily scored by connecting with Vitau, who broke through just offside, putting Tokyo two goals behind. Tokyo pushed Sandro up to midfield to launch a counterattack, but in the 86th minute, Sandro's shot narrowly went over the goal. Asano and Amaral also aggressively sought goals, but both relied mostly on individual skills. There were many overlapping plays between TUTO and Kaburagi, but the combination lacked sharpness, and the match ended without improvement.

The challenges are clear. Let's switch our mindset and move on to the next!

Gamba conceded three goals, which cannot be said to have been particularly well done. Two goals were conceded from set pieces, and the inability to respond with the organizational strength typical of Tokyo is something to reflect on. "This match clearly showed the aspects that can and cannot compete at the J1 level. We need to build the team around the parts that can compete. I feel a lack of strength in the midfield, and there are parts where we cannot utilize the two forwards due to the absence of a passer, but I believe that the members will not change significantly in the future, focusing on combinations of players who have been together relatively long. This match also made me realize that this way of fighting is indeed the right one," reflected Coach Okuma calmly. As we approach the middle of the 1st stage, concerns about injuries and fatigue are present, but we want to face the future without forgetting the challenger spirit.

Director Hayano's Comments

Today, the defensive challenge was to first contain the counterattack from the two forwards, Amaral and TUTO. In attack, we developed our play around Matsunami, and I believe that executing this very faithfully led to this result. Until now, we had struggled to score from set pieces, but today we managed to score two goals, which significantly changed the flow of the game. Previously, players tended to tire in the second half, but today there was a mindset to attack while maintaining possession of the ball. CB Asahina was a sudden inclusion due to the injury of Danbury, but there were aspects where we benefited from Tokyo's system. By increasing our focus on Amaral, I think we were able to bring out his strengths. While I am very happy with the victory, the situation has not improved, and we must clearly understand the current state that we need to change moving forward as we prepare for the next game.

Director Okuma's Comments

There was no buildup in the front line, and when we fell back, we couldn't create time for organization. With Kinama's injury, we exposed our midfield's lack of strength, including the defensive midfielders, but we need to consider this as a future challenge and think about our members and how we fight. We have spent a considerable amount of practice time on set-piece defense, but in J1, the accuracy of free kicks and crosses when given space is high. At the same time, I can only focus on my own mark, and there are few players who can give instructions about the surrounding situation. I believe this leads to conceding goals. We are careful to communicate with each other, but I think the reason we are still not doing it timely is that we haven't been able to achieve that yet.