Match against the leader, bring it to a close contest and win away

　In Sec. 17, we will face Gamba Osaka, heading to the away Expo '70 Commemorative Stadium. This match will complete a round of encounters with the opposing teams, but with a current record of 6 wins, 2 draws, and 8 losses, we must do everything possible to earn points and build on that. Although we are up against the league leaders, Coach Hara expressed his determination, stating, "We will not lose the direction of moving and running more than our opponents, and we will challenge with the soccer we have been playing lately."

　G Osaka is currently at the top with 35 points. They have not lost since Sec. 7 on April 22 this season, which gives a sense of dominance. Additionally, they have been unbeaten at home in 22 consecutive matches since Sec. 4 of last season. However, in the last match against Yokohama FM, they ended in a scoreless draw, marking their first scoreless game in 40 matches. In this match, key DF Yamaguchi will be suspended, and instead, DF Nakazawa will make his first appearance in the league. There will surely be openings to exploit due to the unfamiliar coordination.

　However, G Osaka has gathered talent in their attacking lineup and will likely fill the gap left by defender Yamaguchi with a more aggressive style of play. Considering the data so far, G Osaka has consistently scored, so Tokyo cannot win by just scoring one goal. It is expected to be a tough battle away, but Coach Hara said, "G Osaka has many skilled players, so if they take the lead, they can play energy-saving football and hold on to the win. Ideally, we want to score first and draw the opponent out. Then we want to bring it to a close contest."

　Even if we are pushed back by G Osaka, it is necessary to fight without panicking. We must maintain our focus and shut down G Osaka's forwards Magno Alves and Varey, and from there, we should be able to launch quick counterattacks. We want to quickly switch from defense to offense without losing to G Osaka's momentum and break through their goal.

　Tokyo will approach the match with the same starting lineup for the fourth consecutive game. Ishikawa, who has been on the bench since Sec. 13, is also available. As the sun sets and a slight breeze blows at the Expo '70 Commemorative Stadium, the match started at 19:01 with Tokyo's kickoff.

Scoring two goals as planned, the defense also fights hard, but...

　In a somewhat cautious start by G Osaka, Tokyo launched a counterattack as planned. From solid defense, they seized the opportunity and initiated a quick attack. In the 4th and 6th minutes, Konno intercepted a through pass aimed at G Osaka's frontline. In the 10th minute, G Osaka FW Magno Alves cut deep into the right area and sent a backward pass in front of the goal. FW Varey's powerful shot was on target, but Tokyo's defense blocked it. They were focused on defending, and it was just after that.

　Konno steals the loose ball from the opponent's dribble and switches to the left side. Kanazawa passes vertically to Norio SUZUKI, who has moved up on the left front line. Norio SUZUKI advances into the area, draws in the defender, and just when it seems he will take a shot, he sends a last pass to Fukunishi, who came up from the right. Unmarked, Fukunishi neatly slots it into the goal, taking the lead from the intended play!

　Five minutes after the opening goal, in the 15th minute, a free kick was awarded on the left side. From Kaji's kick, Konno at the far post took a shot! Blocked by the GK and the post, Suzuki Norio managed to push it in while being pulled by the G Osaka defender, scoring a goal! From the flow of the set piece, they quickly secured their second goal.

　However, G Osaka, who conceded two goals, calmly went on the attack. In the 18th minute, G Osaka's FW Varey was allowed to dribble forward and entered the right area. Tokyo couldn't keep up with the marking, and a shot was taken freely, but Doih was able to save it. In the 20th minute, MF Endo took a sharp free kick, but this was also saved by Doih, escaping the danger. Tokyo also earned a free kick just outside the area in the 22nd minute when Lucas was fouled. Noriyuki Suzuki struck with his left foot, but unfortunately, it went just over the bar.

　In the 29th minute, G Osaka MF Endo advanced into the right area with a dribble, but in the end, he was forced to a corner kick by Inoha's sliding tackle. They were unable to pick up the second ball in midfield and gradually found themselves at a disadvantage, but they defended well at the final line. However, in the 34th minute, G Osaka MF Nikawa attacked, and seeing that Tokyo's press was absent, he struck a precise shot into the bottom left corner. Given that they had enough defenders, it was a regrettable goal to concede.

　In the 35th minute, from a left cross by Kanazawa, Lucas turned and immediately took a shot. It had power, but he couldn't score. Following the conceded goal, Tokyo gradually began to show more mistakes, leading to counterattacks after losing possession in midfield. In the 36th minute, from a sharp counter by G Osaka, forward Varey cut into the left area and took a shot, but Doih was able to save it! In the latter stages, the game saw intense exchanges between offense and defense, but Doih continued to make great saves, maintaining a one-goal lead as they headed into the second half.

G Osaka gained momentum from the mistakes, conceding goals one after another, suffering a heavy defeat

　In the second half, aiming to capitalize on the reflections from the end of the first half and to score another goal. In the 2nd minute, Kawaguchi showed persistence while competing with G Osaka DF Yasuda, breaking through to the sideline and delivering a cross. The ball flowed to the far side, and in the end, Kajiyama aimed from mid-range but shot high. Just after that, in the 4th minute, G Osaka passed to DF Kaji, who overlapped on the right side, and DF Kaji took a bold shot. Doi deflected it with one hand, and as Tokyo DF tried to clear it, FW Magno Alves quickly closed in from the left area, resulting in a goal. They conceded an equalizer early in the second half, which dampened their momentum.

　G Osaka, gaining momentum, saw FW Varey run into the area and unleash a powerful shot in the 50th minute. This was saved by Dohi with one foot, trying to prevent any further goals. However, in the 53rd minute, after a mistake in the opponent's territory, G Osaka quickly passed the ball, and FW Magno Alves surged into the area. Although three Tokyo defenders attempted to take the ball, he skillfully used his body to maintain possession and exploited the gap to pass left. Here, MF Hashimoto ran in free and easily scored, allowing the turnaround.

　Still, there was only a one-point difference and time was left. In the 56th minute, Ishikawa was brought in to replace Kawaguchi. They tried to create chances starting from the sides. However, in the 61st minute, Inoha injured his right knee and left the pitch. In the 63rd minute, Kurizawa was brought in as a defensive midfielder, but consecutive mistakes led to a counterattack from G Osaka. In the 60th minute, Ishikawa, who had drifted to the left side, persisted, and Kanazawa rushed in for the loose ball and shot. It was a well-controlled shot with good momentum, but the goalkeeper caught it.

　In the 72nd minute, Lucas was substituted for Ishikawa, who made a speedy cross. It was a good ball, but the advancing GK caught it. From there, a quick counterattack was launched, and Tokyo couldn't get back, leading to a 2-2 situation. G Osaka FW Bando advanced cautiously. Seeing that there was no pressure from Fujiyama, he took a powerful shot from distance. The ball deflected off Doi's hands and went into the goal. It was scored by G Osaka FW Bando, who had just come on as a substitute in the 71st minute. Tokyo lost their concentration, their legs stopped, and they completely lost their rhythm, unable to stop G Osaka's attack.

　In the 73rd minute, Baba was brought on to replace Kajiyama. However, they were unable to create any decisive chances, and conversely, in the 79th minute, G Osaka's right cross allowed FW Bando to slip behind the defensive line, resulting in the fifth goal. In the 83rd minute, from a right cross by G Osaka's FW Bando, FW Magno Alves, completely unmarked in front of the goal, scored the sixth goal... In stoppage time, Ishikawa tried to respond by cutting inside and taking a shot with his left foot, but it was deflected by the GK for a corner kick. They were overwhelmed, conceding goals consecutively in the final 10 minutes. This was a heavy defeat with 6 goals conceded, the first since the match against Iwata in September 2002.

　[Player Comments] Doi: "The problem was how we started the second half. We lost the ball due to passing mistakes and got scored on. In the end, we tried to press from the front, so it was unavoidable, but all the goals came from our own mistakes. Even though we were attacking, we lost the ball on crucial last passes and got countered. However, I don't think we were completely broken down. We have another match soon, so we need to switch our mindset." Fukunishi: "When Norio SUZUKI had the ball, I thought he might break through, so I closed in. We were creating chances and managed to score additional goals from that. I think the early part of the match was good. In hindsight, if we had kept a clean sheet in the first half... I knew G Osaka had strong resilience, but if we had held them off and scored a third goal, we could have stopped their momentum. In the second half, the distance between players grew, and G Osaka’s third goal was significant. The fourth, fifth, and sixth goals were a matter of our mentality."

　[Summary of Manager Hara's Press Conference] "In the early stages of the first half, we effectively used the flanks and got off to a good start. After that, the pace slowed down, and we started losing possession of loose balls. In the scene where MF Nigawa scored, despite having players around, we were slow to close down. At halftime, I instructed the team to be more careful in using the flanks. However, we lost the ball in midfield, and after the second goal from DF Kaji's shot, it seemed like the tension snapped. Immediately after, we conceded a third goal, which was painful. Ino suffered an injury, and since we were behind, we brought in Kurisawa to spread the play to the sides. But he also made mistakes, which led to conceding again. It was unfortunate in the end. I don't intend to blame individual mistakes, but the errors came from a loss of focus. If we can't maintain the style of play from the first half, we can't beat teams like G Osaka. Even small mistakes or lapses in concentration lead to games like today. Amid a tough schedule, after leading, we were caught up, and the whole team fell apart, which we couldn't stop. I feel truly sorry to the supporters who sang for us even after the match ended. Although we were tired, our concentration broke. For the sake of the supporters who cheered until the end, we must recover quickly."

　[G Osaka - Coach Nishino's Press Conference Summary] "Considering the goals conceded at 10 and 14 minutes, it was not DF Nakazawa's fault, but the overall balance at the start was poor. After that, we adjusted the distance between DF Nakazawa and DF Shijikurei, smoothly correcting within the overall balance, and gradually settled down to proceed. With MF Nigawa's goal in the first half, I thought we could recover. The second half developed more favorably. Tokyo's defensive system made it easier for our two forwards to show their strengths. That led to a goal rush. FC Tokyo lost their way in the battle, and their midfield pressing disappeared. This situation made it easier for us to demonstrate our characteristics. I believe this result came from the awareness of adjustments after conceding and a strong focus on scoring goals. Recent games often involved comebacks, but I want to adopt a style that can go from the start. Although it was the last game of a consecutive match series, we were able to maintain a high physical condition. FW Valeri's injury seems to take a long time to heal, but we have one more match this month. We want to prepare thoroughly and fight as a team."