Expecting Fresh Power!

　Tokyo, who lost their two main pillars, DF Jean and MF Kelly, due to injuries in the previous match against Ichihara, did not hesitate to inject fresh power in their match against G Osaka. In the starting lineup, 20-year-old Shigenobu Mogi replaced Jean as center back, and 18-year-old Marcelo replaced Kelly as attacking midfielder. On the bench, 18-year-old DF Oyoku and 16-year-old MF Chang (nickname for Jang Eun OH) were also included. Except for Oyoku, all of them were making their first appearance in the team, following the footsteps of rookie MF Baba (18 years old) and MF Maeda (18 years old) who have already made their official debut this season. It seems that coach Hara is actively utilizing fresh power in his lineup.

　On this day, the debut of MF Chan was particularly noteworthy. If Chan, who will be 16 years and 8 months old on this day, plays, a "new record" will be set, shortening the previous J-League record for youngest player (set by Yuuki Abe of Ichihara in August 1998 at 16 years and 10 months old) by 2 months and 10 days. Expectations were high for the record-breaking performance of this genius boy from Korea and his incredible performance that defied his age.

　On the other hand, G Osaka, who will be without their scoring source FW Maglone due to suspension, has a solid lineup with former Brazilian national team MF Marcelinho leading the attack and Japan national team DF Miyamoto leading the defense. With only two league matches remaining before the World Cup break, both Tokyo in 6th place and G Osaka in 7th place cannot afford to lose this crucial match in order to stay in the title race. While Tokyo may suffer from a decrease in strength due to the absence of their two key players, they are relying on the unexpected energy and determination of their fresh power to secure a 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 Twenty year-old Moniwa replaced Jean, eighteen year-old Marcelo filled in for his compatriot in the withdrawn striker position and sixteen year-old Jang Eun Oh debuted in midfield.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.

Expo'70's unique low tension disrupts the rhythm

　The previous match record is 1 win and 3 losses for Tokyo, and their compatibility with G Osaka is not good. Tokyo, who plays with full speed on both offense and defense from the beginning, has struggled against G Osaka's slow tempo of patiently passing the ball with their high technical skills, often unable to find their rhythm. On this day, there were 4,883 spectators and many empty seats in the stands, and the atmosphere was filled with a relaxed air that only encourages the slow-paced soccer. Tokyo falls into this low-tension atmosphere from the start.

　At the beginning, Tokyo tried to play their usual aggressive pressing game from the front, but the lack of coordination among the four players in the front line resulted in an ineffective press and easy ball possession for the opponent. Previously, Kelly was the key player in both attack and defense, with the rest of the team adjusting to his movements. However, Marcelo, who replaced Kelly, was desperate to chase the ball but lacked the necessary timing and often went too far, leaving the team vulnerable. As a result, the midfielders Miyazawa and Asari were pulled forward, leaving the midfield exposed and vulnerable to the attacks of Marcellinho. G Osaka took advantage of this and overwhelmed Tokyo with their diverse and precise passing from Marcellinho.

　However, while dominating the ball, G Osaka does not rush to attack at a slow tempo, and Tokyo gradually regains its composure. In the 6th minute, Miyazawa quickly restarted a free kick near the center circle and passed it through the opponent's defense to Kobayashi Seigo, who almost had a big chance but was cleared. Tokyo built their game around Miyazawa, using Amaral's posts and Yukihiro on the right side to increase their attacking opportunities. Marcelo also showed a lot of energy and actively involved himself with the ball, often spreading it to the sides and making runs into the goal area for shots. Although he did not score, in the 17th minute he headed in a cross from the right and immediately after that, he took a powerful shot from a ball dropped by Amaral during a corner kick, showing his aggressive 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 meagre 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.

Become discouraged and fall behind due to unexpected points lost

　The defense was also at the mercy of Marcelinho, but G Osaka's Matsunami and Yoshihara's two top players were shut down by Ito and Shigetani's strong center backs, and no goals were allowed. In the 19th minute, a powerful shot was taken after breaking through the right side, but Tsuchi prevented it, and in the 21st minute, a perfect through pass was sent to the back of the DF from Marcelinho, but Ito won the competition and did not allow a shot.

　However, during the time of "Now, let's go," an unexpected pitfall was waiting. In the 22nd minute, Amaral, who was defending in front of the goal, missed a clear from G Osaka's Endo's FK from the left side and passed through Doi's crotch into their own goal. This unexpected own goal gave the home team G Osaka the lead. For Tokyo, who was missing their two main pillars on both offense and defense, this unexpected goal during a time when they were starting to find their rhythm had a big psychological impact.

　This year's Tokyo football is all about aggressively pressing from the front and stealing the ball at a high position to create sharp goal-scoring opportunities. However, on this day, the pressing from the front was weak from the start, resulting in a slow-paced and lackluster game that seemed to play into the opponent's hands. This mistake led to a goal against the team, causing them to become even more discouraged and the situation to become even more challenging.

　Tokyo tried to build their game around Miyazawa, but after receiving a pass from him, the following plays were sloppy and they were unable to break through G Osaka's strong defense. When Kelly is on the field, he receives the ball from Amaral and then advances through dribbling or passing, often creating scoring opportunities by passing to the wings once the opponent's defense is broken. However, on this day, they were unable to do so and were constantly at a numerical disadvantage in the attacking zone, with Yukihiko and Seigo Kobayashi unable to break through on their own. As a result, they were forced to take desperate shots from outside the box without breaking down the opponent's defense.

　In the 32nd minute, they allowed another goal due to a mistake. Minoru KOBAYASHI's pass was intercepted on the right side, and it was connected to Marcelinho and Matsunami, with Matsunami sending a cross from the left side that Yoshihara shot from close range on the right side. It hit the bar and bounced back, and Matsunami was there to kick it in with great force, making it a 2-point lead. In the 42nd minute, Matsunami broke through on the right side again and scored a goal, ending the first half with a score of 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, Manager Hara said, "In the second half, let's put in Toda, who has momentum, instead of Kobayashi, and chase from the front line. Let's remember the soccer we've been playing so far and make a comeback in the second half. Don't end it like this for the fans who came to support us. Everyone is feeling down. Don't be afraid of anything. If we fight until the end without giving up, we will definitely win." With that rallying cry, Tokyo came out in the second half and Toda ran into space as instructed, showing their momentum. In the 7th minute, Toda broke through on a vertical pass from behind, creating a big chance, but it was just out of reach and cleared by the opposing defender.

　And in the 9th minute of the second half, Chang finally appeared, replacing Yukihiko who was not yet in perfect condition. At this moment, the J-League's youngest appearance record was updated for the first time in 4 years. Chang, although initially nervous, quickly showed a passionate play on both offense and defense as an unfamiliar side half, not his usual attacking midfielder position. He would drop back to defend deep, then sprint up to the open space on the right side, receiving passes from Miyazawa and Toda and crossing the ball. His incredible physicality at just 16 years old was astonishing, but what was even more impressive was the "fighting spirit" that the team needed most on this day. When competing with the opposing DF for Miyazawa's cross, he suffered a head injury (requiring 2 stitches after the game), but he did not hesitate and quickly returned to the pitch with a bandage. Once back on the pitch, he continued to compete in aerial duels without fear and made aggressive tackles to win the ball, just as he did before the injury.

　After that, G Osaka scored a fourth goal in the 12th minute of the second half, when Marcelinho sent a pinpoint cross from the right side and Arai pushed it in with his head. In the 24th minute, Marcelinho once again sent a cross from the left side, and Yoshihara jumped in from the center to score the fifth goal.

　Tokyo fought until the end to try to return one point. In the 37th minute, Amaral brought the ball in from the right and passed it to Miyazawa in the center. Miyazawa took a sharp shot with a one-touch, but unfortunately it went over the bar. In the 43rd minute, Toda broke through the defense with a through pass from Ito, but his shot narrowly missed to the left of the goal. Amaral also ran until the end, but there were scenes where he tried to break through on his own and ended up holding onto the ball too long and getting cut off by the opponent. In the end, the game ended without being able to score a single goal. It was a difficult formation, but it was painful to lose a game that we desperately wanted to win with this performance. It is uncertain whether Kelly and Jean will return for the next match against Sendai. It was a good thing that Chan was able to show his potential in this game, but we need to quickly come up with a plan and switch our mindset.

[Summary of Manager's Comments] It was a complete defeat. I feel sorry for the fans who supported us. We usually start more aggressively, but we couldn't do that today. We became timid after the own goal during a calm period, and losing confidence from a mistake for the second goal was a big factor. Today, the ball couldn't be controlled by Yukihiro and Seigo, and without that rhythm, we couldn't create anything. The lack of confidence in the attacking line affected both offense and defense. The only positive is that we now have a clear idea of Chan's abilities and can consider him as a future asset. There are times like this in soccer. We need to switch our mindset and prepare to win the next game without dragging this defeat with us.

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".