It's a home game, so don't feel intimidated

　In this match, which will be the last home game of the 1st stage, we will face Gamba Osaka, both with 7 wins and 6 losses. With two matches remaining, Júbilo Iwata has already secured the championship for this stage, but no game should be treated as a mere formality. In that sense, Gamba's motivation is currently high. In the previous match, they achieved a resounding victory against Verdy with a score of 5 to 0, and with Inamoto's transfer to the Premier League confirmed, the team will likely come together to deliver a performance worthy of his farewell in the remaining two matches. Their focus and balanced attacking power are something to watch out for. Such games can often be difficult, but we hope that Tokyo will play their own style without hesitation, resulting in a rich and engaging match. We aim to not only secure a winning record for this stage but also to finish the final home game with a victory.

　In this match, Kelly and Komine are suspended due to accumulated warnings, with Kagami taking the position of attacking midfielder and Naito on the right side. Both Tokyo and Gamba set up a trapezoidal midfield with double defensive midfielders, employing similar formations. Right after the start, Tokyo's Kagami drifted to the side, showcasing an attack from Sato's long switch to Amaral in the center. On the other hand, Gamba's number 10, Vitau, who plays as a right-side midfielder, controlled the game and spread the play wide, with Inamoto and Endo, both defensive midfielders, pushing forward to add depth, leading to an active start for both teams.

Yoshihara, a skillful goal

　However, once the ball settled, Gamba slowly passed the ball around, looking for an opportunity to attack. In the 4th minute, the ball reached Vitau, who was in the midfield of the Tokyo area, evading his marker.

A pass was made to midfielder Endo, who had moved up to follow. Endo, completely free at this point, lifted a lobbed ball forward, and forward Yoshihara broke through behind the defenders. Yoshihara skillfully positioned his right foot to meet the dropping ball from behind, slightly to the right of the penalty area, and despite hitting the left corner of the post, he sent it into the goal. This goal, which can only be praised for Yoshihara's movement and technique, put Tokyo at an early disadvantage.

　However, in the 8th minute, Kagami acted as a pivot and passed to the left, where Sato made a run and delivered an early cross. Amaral attempted a header, but GK Tsuzuki caught it. In the 14th minute, Kagami received a return pass from Sato and advanced towards the goal again. When Sato sent a cross from the right, Naruhito Kobayashi cut in from the left, creating an attacking shape for Tokyo, although he couldn't take a shot. The temperature was close to 30 degrees with 74% humidity, and both teams' activity levels dropped, leading to a loose press in midfield. In the 22nd minute, Amaral dribbled alone into the penalty area, but the marking on him was tighter than usual, and he was brought down, resulting in a counterattack against his team.

　Gamba's Vitau served as the starting point, sending a pass to forward Ninobure, who also dropped back to receive a pass, making their movements stand out. Conversely, the occasional runs from left-side half Nikawa and the advances of midfielders Inamoto and Endo added some accents, but perhaps due to the heat, the precision of their play was lacking. In the 37th minute, within the penalty area, Yoshihara passed to Ninobure with a direct pass, but Vitau's shot went wide. Tokyo also had a chance in the 43rd minute when Seigo KOBAYASHI exchanged passes with Fujiyama, who advanced on the left side, sending a last pass into the space in front of the goal, but Asari, who ran in, was just a beat off and couldn't shoot. Tokyo ended the first half trailing by one goal.

Miura and Rohi's introduction shines through...

　In the second half, Tokyo brought in Miura to replace Shimohira, and right after the start, Miura broke through on the right side. In the 48th minute, he teamed up with Sato, trying to find a breakthrough through side attacks. Naito became the starting point, and in the 51st minute, Kobayashi Seigo dribbled up the middle and passed the ball to the left side, where Kagami aimed carefully and shot with an inside kick, but the goalkeeper barely caught it.

　On the other hand, Gamba's Vitau and Ninobure alternated vertical position changes to approach the goal, but Asari covered well to prevent a scoring chance at the 55th minute. At the 58th minute, Miura charged from the right side on a through pass from Kagami. However, the goalkeeper rushed out and forced a corner kick, and afterward, both teams' lines stretched out, leading to a desperate back-and-forth battle. To break through the tense period with substitutions, Gamba brought on FW Kojima for Ninobure at the 62nd minute. But Tokyo, whose rhythm was improving with Miura's introduction, saw Miura run onto a through pass from Amaral at the 65th minute; the defender cleared it to the side. From there, Amaral headed a cross from Sato, but they just couldn't capture the goal. Then at the 67th minute, Ropisu was brought on for Kagami. Ropisu, who also appeared in stoppage time last match, marked the striker's return after two months, and the stadium was sure to erupt. The counterattack mode surged all at once.

　In the 70th minute, from a free kick, Kobayashi sent a floating pass to the front of the goal. Miura broke through behind the defensive line, switching places with Rohi who came to receive the pass, and shot! ... However, the ball slipped past the side of the goal, missing the most decisive chance of the day.

One day, to compete with the world

　At this point, Gamba, not pushing themselves too hard, did not launch a quick counterattack even after regaining possession. Vitão kept the ball and slowly transitioned into a slow attack. However, in the 74th minute, seeing that Tokyo was pressing forward and there was no pressure in midfield, Inamoto advanced. Receiving a pass from Vitão, who had clearly confirmed this, he headed straight for the goal. He briefly passed to Kojima positioned in front of the goal area, slipped past the defenders, received the return pass, and calmly shot with his right foot. The ball pierced the net, and Tokyo conceded a painful second goal. During a time when they were pushing forward and just one step away, the day’s “main actor” dealt a decisive blow, but Tokyo did not give up the fight. In the 76th minute, Seigo KOBAYASHI was substituted for Toda. Naito advanced, and Tokyo’s eleven, including Róbusu and Miura, showed fighting spirit pushing forward until the end. However, in the 78th minute, Róbusu’s header from a corner went over the goal. In the 82nd minute, Róbusu attacked again following a pass from Amaral and took a middle-range shot, but it missed just by the width of one ball to the left of the goal... Immediately after, Róbusu appeared to be fouled inside the penalty area from a free kick, but the foul was called outside the area. From there, Sato’s direct free kick was blocked by the wall, and the match ended without Tokyo scoring. Gamba demonstrated their tactical skill, resulting in a frustrating defeat for Tokyo as they were forced to concede to what Gamba wanted to do.

　However, with the whistle, the battle comes to an end. After the match, the stadium was filled with warm applause and cheers celebrating Inamoto's new challenge. Tokyo sent a support message on two Aurora Visions saying, "Mr. INAMOTO, You can do it for the GUNNERS." After the TV hero interview, Inamoto himself went to greet the Gamba supporters behind the goal, and then the Tokyo supporters behind the goal. That beautiful scene well represented that soccer is a sport that connects the world. Of course, it is important not to forget the regret of today's defeat and to fight in each match starting tomorrow, but I hope that one day Tokyo will also produce players like Inamoto and become a team that can compete with the world.

[Coach Hayano's Comment] "Since we won by a large margin in the last match, I thought today would be a very difficult game. I believe we gained momentum when Yoshihara, who has been in good form, scored the opening goal. Along with the battle against the opponent, there was also the heat, and I instructed the players not to make mistakes during halftime. However, in terms of the game flow, we had fewer opportunities to break down the sides, and we couldn't apply pressure in the midfield, resulting in a lackluster game. It wasn't a satisfying game, but I want to build confidence from winning this important match after a big victory without conceding any goals. I want to instill a winning mentality in the young players."

[Coach Okuma's Comment] "We conceded goals due to Gamba's characteristics. They exploited the spaces behind our defense and executed quick counterattacks, which turned our intended strategy against us, making it inevitably difficult in this situation. It’s not that we couldn’t play the football we envisioned throughout the 90 minutes, but I feel we were completely defeated in terms of flow. I want to adjust and prepare so that we can play our own football in the final match."