Aiming for consecutive wins, a stepping stone to advance to the top

　After a 5-day break since the last match, this round will be against Gamba Osaka. Following a series of matches during Golden Week, Shigeno and Ishikawa will participate in the Olympic Asian qualifiers on May 1 and 3, reaching their peak fatigue. Today, with temperatures nearing 25 degrees, there are concerns about the condition, but in the last match against Kobe, the team managed to win away, and the atmosphere within the team is positive. With 8 points, they are tied and currently higher in the standings due to goal difference, making this match a crucial opportunity to seize victory from Gamba Osaka and pave the way for advancing in the rankings.

　Tokyo will face the match with a lineup that includes Minobe, Miyazawa, and Ishikawa on the bench, with Miura as the defensive midfielder and Fujiyama as the center-back, just like in the previous match. On the other hand, G Osaka will be without their key defender, Miyamoto, who is suspended. Additionally, during today's warm-up, left MF Arai-ba was injured. They were forced to make a substitution right before the match, and MF Irie was suddenly included in the starting lineup. MF Galeano was placed on the bench as they prepared for kickoff.

Pushing Gamba Osaka, who are slow to move, but...

　Kick-off at 2:05 PM. Tokyo aggressively attacks from the start even in the heat. Of course, the defense also shows committed play, allowing G Osaka's FW Magron to enter the penalty area in the 10th minute, but Fujiyama quickly closes in and prevents a shot. In the 14th minute, they win a corner kick from a right throw-in, and in the 15th minute, Abe breaks free in response to a pass from Kanazawa to Kelly, but is just slightly offside. In the 17th minute, Kelly delivers a through pass into the area, reaching Amaral in front of the goal, but unfortunately, they cannot take a shot. In the 20th and 21st minutes, they consecutively win corner kicks, pushing G Osaka, who are moving sluggishly.

　After the match, Coach Hara reflected, "The absence of Arai was lucky for us," as G Osaka struggled to create opportunities on the flanks and couldn't find their rhythm. In the 21st minute, a counterattack led to MF Nikawa's long-range shot, which was the first shot of the day. Tokyo created a decisive scene in the 23rd minute. Abe received the ball just outside the left penalty area, outmuscled the opposing DF, dribbled into the area, and sent a final pass to Toda, who took a shot but was unfortunately blocked by the opposing DF's foot. From the resulting corner kick, Jean attempted a header, but the ball went wide of the target.

　Tokyo, showing no signs of slowing down, effectively picks up second balls and connects plays, with full-backs Kanazawa and Kaji participating in attacks at the right timing. Kanazawa creates chances by connecting passes to exploit the gaps behind G Osaka's three-man defense, while Kaji sends early crosses to look for opportunities. Miura also shows aggressive forward runs, finding the rhythm. In the 39th minute, Amaral shoots after a one-two with Kelly, but it goes over the goal. In the end, despite six shots and six corners, they could not convert any into goals, ending the first half.

Against G Osaka, who are trying to capitalize on their few chances

　In the second half, G Osaka substituted MF Chiki Arse for U-22 representative FW Nakayama. Coach Nishino said, "Tokyo had a modified three-top formation, with speedy players on both sides (Toda and Abe), so we had Kiba and Irie respond to that," and approached the game with a four-back formation, placing DF Kiba on the right side and Irie on the left. Shortly after the start, G Osaka's holding midfielder Hashimoto was allowed to advance, and he took a shot with speed, but it went to the left of the goal.

　However, in the 48th minute, Abe saw an opportunity in midfield and boldly took a shot from outside the area. The well-controlled shot was blocked by the opposing goalkeeper Matsushiro at the bottom right of the goal, and although Toda rushed in for the rebound, he couldn't get a shot off. In the 50th minute, Toda broke free from a pass from Kanazawa but was caught offside. In the 51st minute, Miura received a pass from Asari and sent a through ball to Amaral in front of the goal, while he himself made a sprint forward. He received a return pass on the left side of the goal and took a shot while free, but unfortunately, it went just over the goal. They missed a big chance, but by attacking against G Osaka, who were trying to regain their rhythm in the second half, they did not allow them to take control. In the 54th minute, Ishikawa was brought on to replace Toda. Without breaking the rhythm, in the 55th minute, they were pressured in front of the goal by G Osaka, but they applied strict checks to slow down the attack.

　However, while overwhelmingly dominating, Tokyo struggled with their finishing. In the 62nd minute, they were caught off guard by G Osaka's quick attack. A direct pass from DF Masayoshi to MF Nikawa allowed Nakayama to break through, who took a touch and attempted a looping shot. Fortunately, it went over the goal. In the 69th minute, Nikawa was allowed to dribble in from the side to the center of the goal and took a shot, showing a lack of concentration.

Kelly's goal secures the first consecutive win of the season!

　Still, Tokyo did not ease their offensive efforts, and in the 71st minute, Jean made a header shot from a right corner kick. In the 74th minute, Amaral charged into the penalty area with speed during a counterattack and was brought down, but instead, he was called for simulation. This allowed G Osaka to counterattack, but midfielder Hashimoto's shot was firmly caught by Doih. After more than 30 minutes into the second half, Baba was substituted for Abe, and Miyazawa was brought in for Miura, just as they were about to make a decisive move for the last few minutes. In the 78th minute, G Osaka forward Okuro received his second yellow card of the day and was sent off. Tokyo gained an advantage and continued to fight for the remaining time.

　Tokyo had a numerical advantage, but in the 80th minute, Kelly's volley hit the crossbar, and Miyazawa attempted a shot from the rebound, but they just couldn't break through the goal. In the 82nd minute, Kanazawa sent a soft cross from the left side to the far post at just the right moment, and Ishikawa was brought down in the box, but the whistle did not blow. In the 83rd minute, once again from a side change from Kanazawa to Ishikawa, Miyazawa aimed for a mid-range shot in the center, but it went straight to the goalkeeper.

　However, Tokyo, who continued to attack without giving up, finally scored the long-awaited goal! In the 85th minute, Kaji received a pass from Amaral and delivered an early cross in front of the goal. Kelly, positioned on the left side of the penalty area, headed the ball! The precise shot found the bottom left corner and went in! They secured a valuable, truly valuable point.

　In the end, they did not ease their offensive pressure even with just over 5 minutes remaining, and ultimately held on to this one-point lead until the time was up. They managed to get through a tough match with a one-point difference and achieved consecutive victories. Coach Hara stated, "The next match against F. Marinos will be tough as well, but I want to prepare for the next game while maintaining this momentum," as they head into the next match with confidence!

【Player Comments】《Kelly》"G Osaka was a good team, so I'm happy to have taken 3 points. However, we were able to win today thanks to the support of many fans on Children's Day. I want to continue to accumulate victories, so please keep supporting us." 《Kaji》"The early cross that led to the goal was just as I intended."

【Summary of Coach Hara's Press Conference】 "I thought we might end up with a draw, but it was good to score at a crucial time. Last week, I watched the match between G Osaka and Kashima, and G Osaka was pushing forward more when they sensed Kashima was a bit intimidated. So, we talked about not being afraid and attacking ourselves. I thought today's daytime match would be quite exhausting, so I planned to start Todai, Fujiyama, and Miura, who are in good condition, while considering bringing in Ishikawa, Miyazawa, Baba, and Shimonia, who might be tired from the previous matches. The competitive spirit within the team is showing in a good way. Miura made his starting comeback after a year and two months in the last match, and he had an impressive presence that made us not feel Miyazawa's absence; Fujiyama also provided excellent defense. That makes me the happiest. Of course, there were some tense moments, but we created so many chances, and compared to last year, we had far more shots and corners. In terms of finishing, we still have a long way to go, but I want to continue this style of football and aim higher gradually. Today was thanks to the players. Everyone did well, and I am grateful for that."

[G Osaka - Coach Nishino's Press Conference Summary] "Due to a sudden injury to Arai just before the match, we were forced to make a member change and brought in the defensively different Irie, but we couldn't create attacks starting from both sides and couldn't establish a rhythm. There are games like this, so at halftime, we discussed that today we only have to endure with our soccer. Although there were few chances, we talked about aiming for precise counters and changed the system, but we couldn't grasp the flow of the game."