In the final match of the league, we aim for victory with all our might.

　The league is approaching its final match, and in Sec. 15 of the 2nd stage, we will face Gamba Osaka away. The previous match, the final home game against Ichihara, also ended in a draw. Although the performance was not bad, we can say that the results have not been favorable. In any case, we want to win this match to improve our ranking and to approach the upcoming Emperor's Cup in good form.

　G Osaka missed out on winning the 2nd stage, but they are currently in 2nd place and maintaining good form. Their total of 37 goals showcases an incredible attacking power. In particular, FW Oikuro is currently the top scorer among Japanese players and is the most dangerous and troublesome player for Tokyo DF. Additionally, they have talented players such as the speedy FW Yoshihara, the goal-sensing MF FERNANDEZ, and the Japan national team MF Endo, who excels in set pieces.

　Tokyo is struggling with member adjustments. In place of Jean, who is suspended due to accumulated warnings, Masushima will play, and Kajiyama, who performed well in the previous match, is absent due to injury surgery, so Miyazawa will start instead. Additionally, despite Ishikawa's appearance in the previous match, his original dynamic movement on the right side has returned, and he has replaced Toda to start. In chilly conditions, the intense battle was kicked off by G Osaka.

We allowed an early goal, but...

　This season, we have already played two matches against G Osaka, and we have a good record with two consecutive wins. In both of those matches, they changed their usual three-back formation to a four-back formation specifically to counter us, but Coach Hara mentioned before the match that "they might come with a three-back this time," and indeed, they approached the game without changing their strategy. Both teams engaged in a fierce battle for the ball in midfield right from the kickoff.　

　First, Tokyo takes control of the game with an attack from the right side. In the 2nd minute, a switch from Miyazawa to Ishikawa leads to a dribble into the center, passing a through ball to Baba, but it is called offside. Then, in the 6th minute, Konno steals the ball in midfield and passes to Ishikawa on the right side, but the cross goes out of bounds, resulting in a mistake. However, Tokyo completely dominates the right side.

　However, G Osaka gradually begins to dominate the ball with quick passing in the midfield. In the 8th minute, a long vertical feed from MF Miyamoto reaches FW Oikuro precisely, creating a chance. Then, in the 10th minute, after earning a right corner kick, MF Endo delivers a low liner that Oikuro heads towards the near post, but it goes wide of the right post. There are increasingly more situations where they bring diverse attacks to a solid shot, and just as they heightened their vigilance, they allow the opening goal from a set piece.

　In the 12th minute, Endo took a right corner kick and sent it to the center, where defender Shijukurei, who had lost his mark on Mashima, scored with a perfect header, unable to break the unfavorable flow and falling behind by one goal.

　Tokyo was not in a hurry. After 20 minutes, they were able to win most of the loose balls, creating several shooting opportunities. In the 21st minute, Suzuki on the left side took a bold shot from outside the penalty area after a switch of play, but the opposing goalkeeper caught it. In the 22nd minute, a one-two play between Konno and Suzuki on the left side led to a cross, but Baba's attempt was cleared by the opposing defense. In the 23rd minute, a cross from Kanazawa on the left side reached Baba at the far post, who took a shot after a one-touch, but the opposing defense cleared it off the goal line. In the 26th minute, after a cross from Ishikawa on the right side, Baba broke free and took a left-footed shot, but it was not well struck and the opposing defense cleared it again. They created decisive chances but struggled to score.

　Knowing the risks, G Osaka created a decisive chance from a counterattack. In the 29th minute, Endo and in the 37th minute, FERNANDEZ found themselves one-on-one with the goalkeeper, but Doi made a crucial save to prevent an additional goal. Although Tokyo maintained their advantage, the first half ended with a score of 0-1.

After Suzuki's equalizer right after the start of the second half, a furious attack begins.

　At halftime, Coach Hara said, "Let's continue our thorough side attacks," and sent the players back onto the pitch. Just after the start of the second half, in a moment we could only hope for, we equalized. After earning a free kick on the right side, Miyazawa quickly played the ball behind the opposing defense, and Suzuki, who had timed his run perfectly, found himself free in front of the goal. After a chest trap, he struck with his right foot, piercing the ball into the right side of the goal to equalize.

　From that point on, it was completely Tokyo's pace. The moment G Osaka had the ball, two or three players surrounded them to take the ball away, launching quick attacks from both sides repeatedly, not allowing the opponent to create any real chances. In particular, Ishikawa maintained his good form from the previous match and showed excellent movement. Whenever he had the ball, he would take on one-on-one situations, and when he saw a chance, he would go all the way to the goal and shoot even from difficult positions, becoming a key player in the attack. In the 53rd minute, Ishikawa attempted a looping shot, and in the 58th minute, Ishikawa on the right side made an early cross between the opposing goalkeeper and defender, leading to Suzuki's shot, with Ishikawa being the starting point for a relentless attack. In the 59th minute, Abe was brought in to replace the visibly tired Suzuki. It seemed only a matter of time before an additional goal would come, and finally, the equalizer emerged.

With Baba's third goal of the season, we end the final league match with a victory!

　In the 63rd minute, Kaji connected with Ishikawa on the right side. Although the opposing defender initially took the ball, Kaji quickly regained possession by surrounding the ball and dribbled into the penalty area. Calmly looking inside, he made a slightly backward cross, and Baba, who was waiting in the center, took a direct shot aimed perfectly, scoring beautifully to the right of the goal and taking a one-point lead.

　Conversely, G Osaka, who lost the lead, gathered the ball to Ohkuro, and although Yoshihara and FERNANDEZ collaborated to launch an attack, Fujiyama and Masushima in the center read the game well to extinguish the chances, and with their solid defense, they perfectly contained G Osaka's attacks. In the 73rd minute, the unexpected development for G Osaka was that Shijukurei, the central defender, was forced to substitute for forward Matsunami due to injury.

　After that, Ishikawa broke through the opponent's defense and shot over the head of the goalkeeper, who had come out of the penalty area, but unfortunately missed just over the bar. Despite having this decisive chance, they could not secure an additional goal, but they maintained an aggressive approach throughout the match, finishing with a score of 2-1. This victory marked their first win since Sec. 6 of the 2nd stage in the league, ending the year in 8th place.

　[Player Comments]《Baba》"In the first half, we had three decisive chances but couldn't convert them, and I felt sorry for the team. There were moments when we were too tense, but in the scoring situation, I was able to calmly aim for the course and finish. This is my third goal of the season, and I am really happy to have scored with my foot." 《Ishikawa》"Everyone had a strong desire to win from the start, and although we conceded a goal early on, I had absolute confidence that we could bounce back, so I wasn't particularly worried. I think we proved that if we can defend well today, we can also attack well. (I'm in good form) so it's a bit disappointing that the league matches are coming to an end, but since we have the Emperor's Cup, I want to keep pushing forward."　

　[Summary of Coach Hara's Press Conference] "I thought G Osaka was an attacking team with scoring ability, and I believe their ability to score is greater than that of Urawa. However, on the other hand, everyone tends to push forward in attack, and I told the players that if we could simply exploit the space behind the sides, we might have a chance. G Osaka has changed from a 3-back to a 4-back when playing against us, and they had lost the previous two matches with that formation, so I was wondering which formation they would use this time. When the match started, they were in a 3-back formation. However, we utilized Ishikawa and Norio Suzuki on both sides, focusing on switching sides as much as possible and attacking quickly from the flanks. We conceded a goal early on from a set piece, and with Jean and Shigeno absent, we had Masushima marking the opponent's defender Shizukurei, but we were caught off guard and I was a bit worried about what would happen. However, we managed to hold on, the ball started moving, and although we couldn't score in the first half, we were able to attack well with Baba, Suzuki, and Ishikawa at the center. At halftime, I mentioned that if we continued to move the ball and attack from the outside, we could do better. Right after the second half started, Kiro (Suzuki) scored from a free kick, which I think helped us regain a good rhythm. We won the Nabisco Cup, but to be clear, we still lack the strength and power to compete in both the league and cup matches together. After the Nabisco Cup, we certainly didn't slack off, but perhaps it would have been better for the team to have a few complete defeats. We had been playing well but continued to draw or not win. In the last match against Ichihara, we conceded two goals first, but once everyone changed their mindset and went for it, it seemed like we started to remember what we had forgotten. Kajiyama, who was outstanding in the last match, needs to undergo meniscus surgery, so I decided to use Miyazawa, who hasn't been very active this season, knowing the strength of Miura. I am also very pleased that players like Masushima, who came in as a substitute for the suspended Jean, were able to play freely. Masushima still has many challenges ahead, but I think he did well against strong opponents like Daigoku and Yoshihara from G Osaka, showing less fear than in the Niigata match. The team also ended the final match with a win, so I think we can welcome the Emperor's Cup in good shape."

　【G Osaka Coach Nishino's Press Conference Summary】 "It's the last match of the league, and since we can play at home, I believe all the players and staff had the desire to somehow secure second place on our own. However, on the field, we were lacking. I think we couldn't carry over the flow and game management from the previous match. Not just in today's game, but in the final stages, we couldn't execute a unified style of play typical of Gamba in the midfield. When that happens, we are not a team that can hold on defensively, nor can we manage the game well, so our usual style doesn't come out unless we push forward normally. Today, we were also passive and couldn't take control of the midfield. Injuries continued to occur in the final stages, and the integration with backup members didn't go well either. Ultimately, it comes down to team strength, but especially today, I can't help but feel disappointed that we couldn't show that strength. It felt like we still have a long way to go."