Expecting Fresh Power!

　Tokyo, missing its two key players, DF Jean and MF Kelly, who were injured in the previous match against Ichihara, brought in fresh power without hesitation for the match against G Osaka on this day. In the starting lineup, 20-year-old Moniwa stepped in as center-back in place of Jean, and 18-year-old Marcelo took the position of attacking midfielder in place of Kelly. On the bench, 18-year-old DF Oimata and 16-year-old MF Chan (nickname of Jang Eun OH) were also included. Except for Oimata, this was the first time for all of them to be part of the squad, following the already debuted rookies MF Baba (18 years old) and MF Maeda (18 years old) this season, showcasing Coach Hara's proactive approach to incorporating fresh talent.

　On this day, the focus was particularly on MF Chan's J debut. If Chan, who turned 16 years, 8 months, and 20 days on this day, participated, he would shorten the previous J-League youngest appearance record (set by Yuki Abe of Ichihara on August 5, 1998, at 16 years, 10 months, and 30 days) by 2 months and 10 days, creating a "new record." Expectations were high for this genius boy from Korea to establish a new record and for his performance, which was beyond what one would expect at his age.

　On the other hand, G Osaka will be missing their scoring source, forward Magrón, due to suspension. However, they have a solid lineup centered around former Brazil national team midfielder Marcelinho in attack and Japan national team defender Miyamoto in defense. With only two league matches remaining before the break for the World Cup, this match is crucial for both Tokyo, currently in 6th place, and G Osaka in 7th place, as they aim to stay in the title race. While Tokyo cannot deny a decrease in strength due to the absence of their two key players, they are counting on the unexpected energy brought by their motivated and fresh power to secure victory.

New Faces Fresh Hopes

Following the loss of key men Jean and Kelly to injury in the previous game against JEF U, F.C.TOKYO played the youth card for the 6th game of the season, away to Gamba Osaka. Twenty year-old Moniwa replaced Jean, eighteen year-old Marcelo filled in for his compatriot in the withdrawn striker position and sixteen year-old Jang Eun Oh debuted in midfield. Apart from eighteen year-old substitute Omata, all were making their first ever appearances and together with midfielders Baba and Maeda, both eighteen, who also made their first team debuts this season, are proof of the positive approach under new manager Hiromi Hara.
All eyes were on Jang Eun Oh who broke the record for the youngest player to appear in the J-League. At 16 years 8 months and 20 days he surpassed the previous mark, held by Yuki Abe of JEF U, by 2 months and 10 days. Great things are expected of the South Korean youngster.
Gamba were without suspended striker Magrao; however, with former Brazil midfielder Marcelinho directing the attack and Japan defender Miyamoto marshalling the defence were at full strength. With only two games remaining before the World Cup break both sides were aiming to bolster their points totals. F.C.TOKYO were hoping that youthful energy could replace the loss of several first team regulars.

Disrupting the unique low tension rhythm of Expo'70

　The previous match record shows that Tokyo has 1 win and 3 losses against G Osaka, indicating a poor compatibility. From the start, Tokyo plays with full effort and speed on both offense and defense, but often struggles to find their rhythm against G Osaka's slow tempo, which is based on high technical skills and a patient ball movement. On this day, the audience numbered 4,883, and there were noticeable empty seats in the stands, creating an indescribably laid-back atmosphere that encouraged the slow-paced soccer. Tokyo found themselves caught in this low-energy atmosphere from the beginning.

　At the start, Tokyo attempted to play their usual aggressive pressing football from the front, but the four players up front lacked coordination in their pressing, resulting in a half-hearted effort. This led to an inability to win the ball high up the pitch, and they were easily connected with the ball, creating a difficult situation. Until now, Kelly had been the key to both attack and defense, with the team moving in sync with him. However, Marcelo, who replaced Kelly, desperately chased the ball but lacked the balance of when to push forward and when to hold back, leading him to go solo and unable to win the ball. Consequently, the defensive midfielders Miyazawa and Asari were also drawn forward, creating a thin midfield that was exploited by Marcelinho, resulting in a bad rhythm. G Osaka collected the ball to Marcelinho, who then bewildered them with a variety of long and short passes.

　However, while G Osaka controlled the ball, they approached the goal at a somewhat slow tempo, and Tokyo gradually began to regain their composure. In the 6th minute, Miyazawa quickly restarted a free kick near the center circle, sending a through pass behind the opposing defense, which Seigo KOBAYASHI broke through for a big chance, but he was just a step short and the ball was cleared. Tokyo built their game around Miyazawa, using Amaral's positioning and Yukiho on the right side to increase their attacking opportunities. Marcelo also became actively involved with his tireless movement, and although he made many mistakes, he spread the ball to the side and ran into the goal area to take a shot. Although it didn't result in a goal, in the 17th minute, he connected with a header from a cross from the right, and immediately after that, he took a powerful shot from a corner kick where he received the ball dropped by Amaral, showcasing his proactive attitude.

Lack of Atmosphere Leads to Trouble

Gamba have proved difficult opponents for F.C.TOKYO—the record stands at Won 1 Lost 3—and were content to slow the pace of the game to prevent the visitors getting into their stride. A meager crowd of only 4,883 had turned out for the game; the slow tempo and lack of atmosphere seemed to disturb F.C.TOKYO. Unable to play their customary high pressure game, harrying opponents up field, they were reduced to a fruitless chase after the ball.
Defensive midfielders Miyazawa and Asari were stretched and had no answer to Marcelinho, the conduit for all Gamba's movements, as he sprayed passes around at will.
For all their possession Gamba didn't seriously threaten the F.C.TOKYO goal, and the visitors actually had the best early chance as a quickly taken free kick found Masamitsu Kobayashi unmarked but a last ditch tackle cleared the danger. F.C.TOKYO slowly began to work their way back into the game as the lively Marcelo made some headway in midfield—in the 17th minute he got his head to a right wing cross and soon after went close following an Amaral knock down.

Becoming timid and falling behind due to an unexpected goal conceded

　Although the defense was troubled by Marcelo, G Osaka's Matsunami and Yoshihara's two-top were completely shut down by the strong center backs Ito and Moniwa, not allowing any goals. In the 19th minute, they were broken through on the right side and faced a powerful shot, but Doi saved it. In the 21st minute, a superb through pass from Marcelo was sent behind the defense, but Ito won the duel and prevented the shot.

　However, during the time of "Now, let's go," an unexpected pitfall awaited. In the 22nd minute, from the left side, G Osaka's Endo took a free kick that Amaral, who was defending in front of the goal, miscleared, allowing the ball to slip through Doih's legs and into his own goal. This shocking own goal allowed the home team G Osaka to take the lead. For Tokyo, missing two key pillars of defense on this day, conceding an unexpected goal during a time when they were starting to find their rhythm cast a significant shadow mentally.

　This year's Tokyo football is characterized by aggressive pressing from the front line, winning the ball in high positions, and making sharp attacks towards the goal. However, on this day, the pressing from the front line players was weak right from the start, leading the entire team to play at a slow tempo that matched the opponent's pace, resulting in a lack of intensity in their football. The mistake that led to the goal further weakened the team's morale, pushing the situation in an even more difficult direction.

　Tokyo attempted to build the game around Miyazawa, but after a pass from Miyazawa, the next play was messy and they could not break through G Osaka's solid defense. When Kelly is present, the ball is played to Amaral, who drops it for Kelly to receive, and from there, they advance with dribbles or passes, creating opportunities relatively frequently as the ball moves to both sides once the opponent's defense is broken. However, on this day, they were unable to do that, constantly finding themselves in a numerically disadvantaged situation in the attacking zone, and Yuki and Seigo KOBAYASHI could not find a way to break through on their own. As a result, they had no choice but to take desperate long-range shots without fully breaking down the opponent's defense.

　In the 32nd minute, we allowed another goal due to a mistake. A pass error by Minoru KOBAYASHI was intercepted on the right side, and it was connected to Marcelo and Matsunami, leading to a cross from the left side by Matsunami that Yoshihara shot from close range on the right side. This hit the crossbar, and Matsunami, who was following up, powerfully kicked it in, making it a two-goal difference. Furthermore, in the 42nd minute, Matsunami broke through on the right side again, allowing a goal and ending the first half at 0-3.

Unlucky Goal Dampens F.C.TOKYO Spirit

Despite the best promptings of Marcelinho the F.C.TOKYO center back pair of Ito and Moniwa had dealt comfortably with the Gamba strikers Matsunami and Yoshihara. Goalkeeper Doi was forced into a save after 19 minutes and Ito made an important tackle soon after. Just when F.C.TOKYO seemed ready to tighten their grip on the game disaster struck. Endo curled in a free kick from the right and Amaral, back helping the defence, miss hit his clearance, the ball squirming past Doi and over the line.
The goal knocked the stuffing out of F.C.TOKYO; unable to find Amaral in advanced positions and lacking Kelly to pick up his knock downs they were reduced to shooting from distance. Another lapse let in Gamba for a second goal in the 32nd. minute. A loose pass from Minoru Kobayashi allowed Marcelinho to feed Matsunami on the right. Yoshihara hammered his cross against the bar; following up, Matsunami lashed the ball into the roof of the net for 2-0. The same player made it three just before half time as he held off a defender before firing low past Doi.

Although we suffered a humiliating defeat, there were also some gains...

　At halftime, Coach Hara shouted, "In the second half, we will substitute Seigo KOBAYASHI with the energetic Toda to press from the front. Remember the soccer we have been playing so far and let's make a comeback in the second half. For the fans who came to support us, we cannot end this way. Everyone is feeling weak. Fear nothing. If we fight until the end without giving up, we will definitely win." Tokyo, who burst out in the second half, followed his instructions with Toda running into space at the front, showing momentum. In the 7th minute, Toda broke free from a vertical pass from the back, creating a big chance, but fell just short as the opposing defender cleared it.

　Then, in the 9th minute of the second half, Chan finally made his appearance, replacing Yukihiko, who was still not in perfect condition. At that moment, the J-League's youngest player record was updated for the first time in four years. Although Chan initially seemed nervous, he quickly showcased his passionate play as an unfamiliar side midfielder, not his usual position as an attacking midfielder. He returned deep into defense and then sprinted up the right side to receive a big switch from Miyazawa or Toda, delivering crosses. His incredible physicality was astonishing for a 16-year-old, but what impressed even more was the

　After that, in the 12th minute of the second half, G Osaka's Marcelinho delivered a pinpoint cross from the right side that was headed in by Araiba, extending the lead to four goals. Then, in the 24th minute, once again from the left side, Marcelinho sent in a cross that Yoshihara headed in from the center, scoring the fifth goal.

　Tokyo fought until the end to score a goal. In the 37th minute, Amaral brought the ball in from the right to Miyazawa in the center. Miyazawa took a sharp shot with a one-touch, but unfortunately it went just over the bar. In the 43rd minute, Toda broke free from a through pass from Ito, who attacked from the center, and found himself one-on-one with the goalkeeper, but his shot narrowly missed to the left of the goal. Amaral also ran around until the end, but trying to break through on his own, he often held onto the ball too long and was cut off by the opponent. In the end, the match ended in disappointment without being able to score even a single point. It was a tough formation, but losing this crucial match with such a performance was painful. It is unclear whether Kelly and Jean will return for the next match against Sendai. However, it was a positive outcome that Chan's availability was confirmed in this match, but there is a need to quickly switch gears and devise strategies.

[Coach Hara's Comments Summary] It was a complete defeat. I feel sorry for the fans who supported us. Usually, we can be more aggressive from the start, but we couldn't do that today. The own goal during a calm moment made us lose confidence, and conceding the second goal from a mistake was significant. Today, the ball didn't settle well with Yukihiko and Seigo KOBAYASHI, which hindered our rhythm. The lack of confidence in our attacking line affected both our offense and defense. A positive takeaway is that we have a plan for Chan, who can be considered a valuable asset moving forward. There are times like this in soccer. We need to switch our mindset so we don't dwell on this and prepare to ensure we can win next time.

Where There's Life

At half time manager Hara told his players to "remember the kind of football we have played so far this season. There's nothing to be afraid of. If we don't give up and fight to the end we can still win." He replaced Minoru Kobayashi with the more attack minded Toda and F.C.TOKYO came out fighting in the second half. Toda latched onto a long ball in the 52nd minute but a desperate tackle denied him a clear shot on goal. Soon after Jang Eun Oh wrote his name in the J-League history books as he replaced Sato on the right, where he performed admirably with a maturity and physical presence that belied his age. In an aerial collision he received a cut that required stitches after the game, but was soon back on the pitch after treatment, with his injury having no discernible influence on the aggression and fighting spirit he showed on his debut.
In the 57th minute Marcelinho curled in a pinpoint cross for Araiba to head past Doi for number four, and an almost identical move in the 69th minute brought a similar result, except this time Yoshihara was the lucky recipient.
F.C.TOKYO battled to the bitter end but even a consolation goal eluded them.
Miyazawa fired over the bar in the 82nd minute and Toda failed to hit the target after being put clean through with only the keeper to beat just before the final whistle, which shortly after blew on a comprehensive defeat. Jang was the only bright spot on a miserable afternoon for F.C.TOKYO; Jean and Kelly remain uncertain for the next match, away to Vegalta Sendai.
Whether they return or not, F.C.TOKYO will have to regroup and rethink their approach.

Manager Hara: "A total defeat. I feel I must apologize to the fans who came all this way to support us. Usually we're aggressive from the kick-off but it just wasn't there at all today. We gave away an own goal at a crucial time, lost our confidence and then a mistake led to the second. Yukihiko Sato and Masamitsu Kobayashi couldn't get into the game and we never found our rhythm - the front line's loss of confidence affected the whole team. Jang Eun Oh's debut was the only positive for us today. These things sometimes happen in football. We have to regroup and prepare for the next game in a way that gives us a chance."