The team is united, aiming for 3 points!

　In Sec. 15 of the J1 League, we face Cerezo Osaka away. In the previous match against Kashima, we suffered a defeat with 4 goals conceded, but the players are not downcast, stating, "All were due to our own mistakes. We can definitely correct them." In fact, from the first half, we took control, dominated the ball, and launched attacks rhythmically, culminating in an ideal scenario where Lucas scored the opening goal at a good time. Although we lost to a skilled opponent who capitalizes on mistakes, we outshot them, so it was not a cause for despair. However, what is important for the team now is the 3 points. We must aim for victory in any form.

　C Osaka, currently with 1 win, 3 draws, and 10 losses, remains at the bottom of the league. In the two matches played since the restart, they have suffered consecutive defeats and their form does not seem to be improving. However, as Coach Garo said, "Last season, they were a team competing for the championship. Not just C Osaka, but every team in the J League has the potential to suddenly find their form," they are not an easy opponent to beat. In particular, C Osaka's attacking line is a threat. Although FW Nishizawa will be suspended, FW Yu OKUBO, who returned from the Spanish league, and MF Morishima, who has recovered from injury, will start. Additionally, MF Furuhashi will join the lineup. There is no doubt that they will move fluidly in the front line and launch attacks.

　In Tokyo, Suzuki injured his right shoulder and left the battlefield. Therefore, Inoha entered the left side, and Miura started for the first time since the match against Jubilo Iwata on August 27 last year in the defensive midfield. By pairing with Konno as a double pivot, the team's defensive stability is expected, allowing midfielders Lucas and Kajiyama to increase their forward movements. Kajiyama himself mentioned, "With the reduced defensive burden, I want to focus more on the attack," and together with Baba and Lucas, he aims to coordinate and make runs into the front line to create chances. Additionally, on the bench, Abe and Toda, who have been dealing with injuries, as well as Miyazawa, are included, and since they are players who can significantly change the rhythm of the game, there are high expectations for them.

　Ishikawa said, "It's important to repeat even if it doesn't work once, twice, or three times," emphasizing the need to persistently launch side attacks without being on the defensive, in order to break down the C Osaka defense. Although the sun had set, the muggy heat remained at Nagai Stadium. The match started with a kickoff in Tokyo at 7:05 PM.

Although they allowed the first goal, they calmly managed the game and turned it around to finish the first half ahead.

　From the start of the match, Tokyo was unable to mark effectively and fell into a passive role against C Osaka's intense pressing and quick transitions. In the 2nd minute, MF Furuhashi took a direct shot from a right free kick, and in the 4th minute, FW Yu OKUBO broke through the front line and took another shot, continuously putting pressure on Tokyo. Then, in the 11th minute, C Osaka's MF Furuhashi's right corner kick was cleared once, but Furuhashi picked it up again, and his kick from a tight angle flew to the upper right of the near post, grazing Doih's hand and going into the goal. C Osaka took the lead.

　However, as Tokyo begins to move as a team to correct their marking and actively receive the ball, the shape of their attack gradually starts to take form. In the 15th minute, from a combination on the left side between Baba and Konno, Inoha breaks free and wins a left corner kick. In the 17th minute, although Inoha's early cross is cleared by the opposing DF, Miura runs in for the rebound and aims for a shot but misses the target. In the 22nd minute, Lucas is fouled, creating a free kick opportunity from the right side in front of the goal. Baba passes to Ishikawa for a shot, but it is blocked by the opposing DF.

　Then, in the 26th minute, a pass from Kajiyama found Konno, who skillfully switched positions with the opposing DF in the left area. He dribbled to the end line and sent a final pass inside, which Lucas dove into, pushing it in while tangled with the opponent to equalize! After that, Tokyo did not ease their attacking efforts. In the 27th minute, Baba broke through behind the opposing DF from a clearance, carried the ball to the goal, and Ishikawa, who followed up, picked up the loose ball and shot. It went wide of the target. In the 30th minute, Kajiyama passed to Ishikawa, who charged forward with a dribble, was pressured by the DF, but cut back inside to shoot, which was caught by the opposing GK.

　In the 33rd minute, from a counter, Jean passed to Inoha. As he surged up the left side and sent in a cross, Jean, who was free in front of the goal, controlled the ball with his chest and shot directly, but it went over the bar. In the 34th minute, Tokunaga dribbled from his own half into the right area. Surrounded by defenders, Baba shot at the loose ball. However, the opposing goalkeeper made a save. Despite completely dominating the game, there was an unpleasant mood as a decisive blow was hard to come by, but they finally seized the lead.

　In the 42nd minute, from a quick restart, Baba attracted the defenders and kept possession, then passed to Inoha on the left while losing his balance, and charged into the left area. He sent a final pass in front of the goal, and Kajiyama, who ran in, took a touch and calmly scored with his left foot to make it 2-0. After that, they continued to attack the C Osaka goal, but the match ended 2-1, heading into the second half.

Secured 3 points with a torrent of goals!

　Two minutes into the second half, C Osaka's MF Furuhashi received a second yellow card and was sent off, allowing Tokyo to completely dominate the game. In the 49th minute, from a right-side free kick, Tokunaga's cross was met by Lucas with a header, but it went straight to the opposing goalkeeper. In the 50th minute, Kajiwara passed to Konno, who sharply broke into the area and made a cutback in front of the goal. Baba's shot resulted in a left corner kick. In the 53rd minute, from Baba to Lucas, the ball was passed to Konno, who made a timely run and fiercely advanced into the left side of the area. The shot taken from a tight angle pierced the far net for the goal! They secured the third point.

　Tokyo substituted Miyazawa for Miura after scoring. Miyazawa's unique rhythm further accelerates Tokyo's attack. In the 55th minute, Lucas cut back on the right side, charging past the opposing DF. He feigned a shot and sent the ball to Baba in the center, who trapped it and shot. Unfortunately, it went straight to the opposing GK. In the 60th minute, Ishikawa won a right corner kick on the right side, passing to Tokunaga. The ball kicked by Kajiyama was directly caught by the opposing GK, but Konno intercepted it in the opponent's half. He charged straight towards the goal and got into a shooting position, but was blocked by the opposing DF.

　In the 65th minute, Ishikawa quickly takes a throw-in on the right side. Kajiyama advances near the goal area and sends a fast ground pass to the center. Baba beautifully connects with it, scoring the fourth goal. This is Baba's first goal of the season. In the 69th minute, Ishikawa breaks through on the right side and sends a fast pass in front of the goal, but no one can connect inside. However, Inoha on the opposite side receives it, cuts inside, and shoots. A thick attack is shown from both sides. In the 70th minute, Kajiyama passes to Inoha, who cuts in on the left side and delivers a ground cross between the defender and the goalkeeper. Baba acts as a decoy at the near post, and Ishikawa connects with the ball that rolls to the far side, scoring the fifth goal. This is Ishikawa's first goal of the season in his third match since returning.

　In the 74th and 76th minutes, Todah and Abe were brought in to replace Kajiyama and Lucas. Fresh players were introduced to launch further attacks. In the 78th minute, Abe received the ball in midfield and charged towards the opponent's goal with a dribble. Although he was ultimately stopped by a defender, he showed determination to score. In the 83rd minute, Miyazawa advanced into the area and connected with a pass from the right, but his shot went just over the bar.

　In the 86th minute, Abe received a vertical pass on the right side, evaded the opposing defender, and charged towards the goal with a dribble. He sent a last pass to Toda on the left, but the shot was blocked by the goalkeeper. Picking up the rebound, they launched a wave attack, but Baba's final shot was also saved, and they could not secure an additional goal. The match ended as it was. Taking advantage of the numerical superiority in the second half, they scored a large number of goals for a complete victory. This was their first win since the match against Kofu in Sec. 11 of the league.

　【Player Comments】<Konno> "At the start, the opponent defended well, and there were moments when I lost my pace. But since we play with double defensive midfielders, I thought one of us should push forward, so I tried to move up. Moving into space makes it harder for the opponent to mark, so I strongly felt that free running is important. We ended up scoring 5 goals, but we can still do more. I believe everyone has the stamina for that. Scoring made me realize once again how important it is to be decisive." <Inoha> "Playing on the left side is something I haven't done since high school, but I practiced it, so it didn't feel strange. We conceded a goal and the mood almost turned negative, but Lucas's goal changed the flow of the game. I wanted to score another goal in the first half, so I'm happy I could provide an assist there. Osaka is where I spent my university days. My university coach also came to watch, and I wanted to show him how much I've grown. Being called up to the U-21 Japan national team is also a motivation for me. I want to work hard to play at a higher level in any position."

　[Summary of Coach Gallo's Press Conference] "Today, we were able to play a very good match. Although our marking was weak at the start of the first half, from around the 10th minute, the marking by Tokunaga, Moniwa, Konno, and Miura started to work well, and we found our rhythm. Then, with Ishikawa and Inoha attacking the flanks, we managed to turn the game around in a good way. In the second half, knowing the opponent would come at us aggressively from the start, I told the players at halftime, 'Let's mark tightly especially in the first 10 minutes,' and they were able to mark well just like in the first half. With the opponent down to ten men, we were able to circulate the ball even more and break them down from there. Of course, playing against fewer opponents made it easier, but still, we connected our passes well and exploited their weaknesses. Despite it being a weekday, many supporters traveled all the way to Osaka to cheer us on, and on behalf of the team, staff, and players, I want to express our gratitude for their support."

　[Summary of C Osaka Coach Tsukada's Press Conference] "As the results show, we are currently unable to win, and we have not been able to challenge something new or break through with courage. As seen from our attacking start in the first half, there is no problem with the tactical understanding. However, when things don't go well, we failed to force our way through or challenge by exploiting gaps, losing our own rhythm. Defensively, some players became ball watchers on the sides, and our response to the opponent was poor, which led to conceding goals. Regarding FW Yu OKUBO, he was able to play for the full 90 minutes, so his condition has returned. However, the combination play is still lacking. Since the results are not coming, it means he is not performing well, but this is not just his problem; it is a challenge for the entire team. In any case, we must continue what we are currently working on and convey the importance of playing with courage."