Team united as one, aiming for 3 points!

　J1 League Sec. 15 saw an away match against Cerezo Osaka. Despite losing with 4 goals conceded in the previous match against Kashima, the players are not looking down, saying "All of them were from our own mistakes. We can fix them enough." In fact, they took the lead from the first half, dominating the ball and attacking with a good rhythm, and it was an ideal development when Lucas scored in a good time. Despite losing to a game-savvy opponent who can surely take advantage of the mistakes of Kashima, it was not a content to be pessimistic about, as they had more shots on goal. However, what is important for the team now is to aim for 3 points. They have no choice but to aim for victory in any form.

　C Osaka, on the other hand, is currently in last place with 1 win, 3 draws, and 10 losses. In the two games played after the restart, they suffered consecutive losses and their form has yet to improve. However, as manager Garo says, "Last season, they were competing for the championship. Not just C Osaka, but all teams in the J League are evenly matched, so there is a possibility that they will suddenly find their form." In particular, C Osaka's attacking line is a threat. FW Nishizawa will be suspended, but FW Okubo, who returned from the Spanish league, and MF Morishima, who has recovered from injury, will start. MF Furuhashi will also join the lineup. They will undoubtedly move fluidly up front and launch attacks.

　Tokyo, Suzuki injured his right shoulder and left the front line. As a result, Inaba entered the left side and Miura started as a defensive midfielder for the first time since the 8/27 Iwata game last year. By forming a double defensive midfield with Imakawa, the team can expect defensive stability and increase the number of times Lucas and Kajiyama go forward. Kajiyama himself said, "I want to focus more on attacking as the burden of defense decreases," and together with Baba and Lucas, they want to run forward and create chances. In addition, Abe, Toda, and Miyazawa, who have been injured, are on the bench, and as players who can greatly change the rhythm of the game, we can expect a lot from them.

　Ishikawa said, "It is important to keep trying even if it fails once or twice," and it is necessary to persistently attack from the side and break through the C Osaka defense, rather than just receiving. The game started at 7:05pm in Tokyo, at the Nagai Stadium, which was still hot and humid even though the sun had set.

Despite conceding the first goal, we calmly turned the game around and ended the first half in the lead.

　From the start of the match, Tokyo was unable to keep up with C Osaka's intense press and quick switches, and ended up being on the defensive. In the 2nd minute, MF Furuhashi took a direct shot from a right FK, and in the 4th minute, FW Okubo broke through the front line and took a shot, putting Tokyo under constant pressure. Then, in the 11th minute, C Osaka's right CK from MF Furuhashi was initially cleared, but Furuhashi picked it up again and took a shot from a difficult angle, flying into the top right corner and just grazing the hands of goalkeeper Doi for a goal. Tokyo was now behind due to C Osaka's opening goal.

　However, as Tokyo starts to actively receive the ball and move as a team, the shape of their attack gradually begins to take form. In the 15th minute, Inonami breaks through from a combination with Baba and Imakawa on the left side, winning a corner kick. In the 17th minute, although the opponent DF clears Inonami's early cross, Miura runs in for the loose ball and takes a shot, but it goes wide. In the 22nd minute, Lucas is fouled, giving Tokyo a free kick opportunity from the right side near the goal. Baba and Ishikawa take the shot, but it is blocked by the opponent DF.

　Then, in the 26th minute, Kajiyama passed to Erik on the left area, who smoothly switched with the opposing DF. Erik dribbled to the end line and sent a last pass inside, where Lucas jumped in with his whole body and pushed it in for an equalizer! After that, Tokyo did not let up on their attack. In the 27th minute, Baba broke through the opposing DF from a clearance and made it to the goal, where Ishikawa followed up and took a shot. It missed the target. In the 30th minute, Kajiyama and Ishikawa charged forward with dribbles, but were closed down by the DF. Ishikawa cut inside and took a shot, which was caught by the opposing GK.

　At 33 minutes, Jean from the counter to Inonami. When he ran up the left side and sent a cross, Jean was free in front of the goal, but he chest-trapped and shot directly over the bar. At 34 minutes, Tokunaga dribbled from his own zone to the right area. He was surrounded by defenders, but Baba took a shot. However, the opposing goalkeeper made a save. Despite completely dominating, they couldn't find a decisive goal and the mood was getting worse. Finally, they were able to score a comeback goal.

　42 minutes, from a quick restart, Baba attracts the DF and keeps it, passes it to the left Inonami while breaking the posture, and then rushes into the left area. He sends a last pass to the front of the goal, and Kajiyama, who ran in, traps it and calmly scores the second goal with his left foot. After that, they continue to attack the C Osaka goal, but the game ends 2-1 and they head into the second half.

Won 3 points with a furious goal rush!

　In the 2nd minute of the second half, C Osaka's MF Furuhashi received his second warning and was sent off, giving Tokyo complete control of the game. In the 49th minute, from a right FK, Tokunaga crossed to Lucas who headed it, but it went straight to the opponent's GK. In the 50th minute, Kajiyama → Konno made a sharp run into the area and crossed it back. Baba stole the left CK from the shot. In the 53rd minute, Baba → Lucas passed it to Konno who had made a well-timed run and entered the left area with great force. The shot from an impossible angle pierced the far net and scored the 3rd goal.

　After scoring, Tokyo substituted Miyazawa for Miura. Miyazawa's unique rhythm further accelerates Tokyo's attack. In the 55th minute, Lucas cuts back and charges towards the opponent's DF on the right side. He fakes a shot and sends the ball to Baba in the center, who traps it and takes a shot. Unfortunately, it goes straight to the opponent's GK. In the 60th minute, Ishikawa steals a right corner kick from Tokunaga on the right side. Kajiyama's ball is caught directly by the opponent's GK, but Imakawa intercepts it in the opponent's territory. He charges towards the goal and prepares to shoot, but is blocked by the opponent's DF.

　65 minutes, Ishikawa quickly throws in from the right side. Kajiyama advances to the goal area and sends a fast minus ground pass to the center. Baba beautifully scores the 4th goal. This is Baba's first goal of the season. In the 69th minute, Ishikawa breaks through the right side and sends a fast pass to the front of the goal, but no one can score. However, Inaba on the opposite side receives the ball, cuts inside, and shoots. They show a thick attack from both sides. In the 70th minute, Kajiyama → Inaba digs the left side, and sends a ground cross between the DF and GK. Baba plays the role of a decoy near the goal, and Ishikawa scores the 5th goal by tapping in the ball that rolled to the far side. Ishikawa scores his first goal of the season in his third game since returning.

　Substituted Kajiyama and Lucas in the 74th and 76th minutes for Toda and Abe. Put in fresh players and continue to attack. In the 78th minute, Abe receives the ball in the midfield and dribbles towards the opponent's goal. Although he is eventually stopped by a defender, he shows his determination to score. In the 83rd minute, Miyazawa advances into the area and receives a pass from the right, but his shot goes just over the goal.

　86 minutes, Abe, who received a vertical pass on the right side, dribbled past the opponent's DF and rushed towards the goal. He sent a last pass to Toda on the left and took a shot, but it was blocked by the GK. They picked up the rebound and launched a wave attack, but ultimately, Baba's shot was saved and they couldn't score an additional point. The game ended as it was. Taking advantage of their numerical advantage in the second half, they scored a large number of points and won decisively. This was their first victory since the 11th round of the league against Kofu.

　【Player Comments】《Konno》"In the beginning, the opponent defended well and we had some moments where our feet stopped moving. But since we have a double pivot, I thought that if one of us could push forward, we should go for it. When we move into space, it's difficult for the opponent to keep up, so I realized that making free runs is important. We ended up scoring 5 goals, but we can still do more. I believe everyone has the physical ability to do so. After scoring, I felt that having the courage to go for it is crucial."《Inonami》"Playing on the left side was my first time since high school, but I had been practicing it so it didn't feel strange. We conceded one goal and the atmosphere started to turn bad, but Lucas' goal changed the flow of the game. We wanted to score another goal in the first half, but I'm happy that I was able to assist in that moment. Osaka is where I spent my university days. My university coach also came to watch and I wanted to show him how much I have grown. Being called up to the U-21 Japan national team is also motivating me. I want to continue working hard to play at a higher level in any position."

　[Summary of Manager Garo's Press Conference] "We played a very good game today. The start of the first half was weak in terms of marking, but around the 10-minute mark, Tokunaga, Shigeta, Konno, and Miura were able to mark well and we were able to find our rhythm. From there, we were able to attack the sides with Ishikawa and Inonami and make a comeback. In the second half, we knew the opponent would come at us hard from the start, so at halftime, I told the players to "mark tightly, especially in the first 10 minutes." They were able to mark just as well as in the first half. With the opponent down one player, we were able to pass even more smoothly and break through. Of course, it was easier to play with one less opponent, but we were still able to connect our passes and take advantage of the situation. Despite it being a weekday, we are grateful to the team, staff, and players for the support of the many fans who came all the way to Osaka to cheer us on and send us their encouragement."

　[C Osaka Tsukada Coach's Press Conference Summary] "As you can see from the results, we are currently unable to win, and we are not able to challenge anything and break through with courage. As you can see from the fact that we were able to attack at the start of the first half, there is no problem with the penetration of our tactics. However, we were unable to forcefully break through or challenge holes when things didn't go well, and we lost our rhythm. In defense, we became ball watchers on the sides and our response to the opponent was poor, resulting in us being scored on. As for FW Yu OKUBO, he was able to play for 90 minutes, so his condition is back. However, in terms of combination, there is still a long way to go. The fact that we are not getting results means that we are not doing our job, but this is not just his problem, it is a challenge for the entire team. Anyway, we must continue to work on what we are currently doing and convey the message of playing with courage."