A true all-out battle, challenging the strong opponent Gamba!

　In Sec. 32 of the league, we will face Gamba Osaka at home. In the previous match against Niigata, we suffered a comeback loss due to mistakes. However, Coach Hara reflected, "We defended with concentration and maintained balance. Rather, the mistakes during our attacking phase were the issue." This match will focus on how to attack while maintaining that balance. Against the strong opponent Gamba, the key will be how many chances we can create while playing to our own rhythm.

　However, Hirayama and Inoha are absent due to the Olympic qualifying matches, and Doi and Akamine have left the team due to injuries. Ishikawa also avoided participation due to poor condition. In what can truly be called a total war, Coach Hara stated, "I want to use players who are highly motivated and have momentum. I hope young energy can fill the gaps left by Akamine and Ishikawa," and he appointed Ikegami and Morimura as starters for the first time in the league. Meanwhile, Kanazawa returns. Baba and Kajiyama also make a remarkable recovery and will be on the bench. The formation has Konno and Ikegami as double defensive midfielders, with Morimura playing as an attacking midfielder and Kurizawa on the right side.

　G Osaka is currently in 2nd place with 64 points. They are 5 points behind the leaders, Urawa, and if they lose this match, the championship will be out of reach. There is also a possibility that Urawa will secure the championship this round, so they will do everything possible to seize the 3 points. Although it was anticipated that they might switch to a 3-back formation due to the injury of left-back Yasuda, they opted for a 4-4-2 formation. They approached the match with a strategy to counter Tokyo's side attacks.

　In the away match of the first half, Tokyo took a 2-point lead but lost focus and suffered a major turnaround. This time, it seems like it will be a tough match where we cannot let our guard down for even a moment, but we will come together and challenge without hesitation. We want to create a rhythm from good defense to good offense and bring the game to Tokyo's pace to seize victory. The recent cold has settled, and it is a calm autumn day at Ajinomoto. The match against G Osaka, which can be said to be a crucial game aiming for a comeback championship, started at 14:04 with Tokyo's kickoff.

Ikegami and Morimura showed great determination, even while being behind...

　From the start, they faced G Osaka with intense play. In the 1st minute, Lucas made a through pass to Morimura, who broke through and earned a corner kick. In the 2nd minute, Ikegami received a cleared ball from G Osaka and took a bold mid-range shot. In the 7th minute, Lucas took a mid-range shot from the left side. They stole the ball with intense pressing against G Osaka, who tried to pass the ball around, and in the 10th minute, Kurizawa quickly seized the opponent's clearance and earned a corner kick from a cross. However, G Osaka also took this corner kick, with MF Endo passing to FW Valery, and FW Magno Alves, who ran into the right area, took a shot. Shiota saved it, but they showed their threat by finishing off a sharp counterattack.

　In the 14th minute, Lucas dropped a liner cross from Suzuki Noriyuki in front of the goal, but Morimura's advance was just a bit late. Tokyo completely controlled the pace, and Ikegami repeatedly connected passes to push forward, but they still couldn't create any decisive chances. On the contrary, G Osaka began to gradually find their rhythm from counterattacks. In the 20th minute, Fujiyama fouled G Osaka MF Endo, who initiated a quick attack, giving away a free kick almost directly in front of the goal. In the 25th minute, Konno stopped G Osaka MF Nikawa, who was in a shooting position just outside the area, with a foul, resulting in another free kick. Both of MF Endo's shots went wide of the target, escaping the danger.

　Tokyo had many long balls, and in the 28th minute, a pass was intercepted by G Osaka in the opponent's territory, leading to a dribble by MF Endo to FW Magno Alves, who sprinted forward. FW Varey connected with a negative cross from the goal line, but his shot hit the crossbar. They narrowly escaped a crisis. Shortly after, Tokyo launched a quick counterattack, with Lucas passing to Noriyuki Suzuki, who shot from the left area. However, it was caught by the goalkeeper. In the 33rd minute, from a corner kick won by Noriyuki Suzuki, Kurizawa attempted a volley shot, but it was defended by the defenders.

　In the 41st minute, Konno, undeterred by the opponent's press, connected the ball and passed it to Kurizawa on the right side after exchanging passes with Lucas. Kurizawa delivered a cross into the goal area. Suzuki Norio jumped in, but the ball narrowly missed to the right of the goal, missing a big chance. However, in the 44th minute, when Kanazawa tried to maintain possession, G Osaka midfielder Terada stole the ball, and forward Magno Alves received the pass and dribbled from the right to the center. Although there was distance to the goal, the shot he took with speed pierced the net, scoring a goal... It was a disappointing goal to concede after fighting so well up to that point, but they did not lose heart and switched their mindset as they headed into the second half.

Baba and Kajiyama create the rhythm, and Lucas scores the equalizer!

　However, G Osaka also tried to gain momentum and launched an attack from the start of the second half. In the 47th minute, FW Magno ALVES passed to the right to MF Terada. MF Terada cut in along the goal line and allowed FW Magno ALVES to take a volley shot from the last pass, but Shiota made the save. Tokyo, trying to regain the flow, substituted Baba for Morimura in the 51st minute. Baba created attacking rhythm with sharp movements, and in the 58th minute, he received the ball outside the penalty area, faked out G Osaka DF Shijikurei, and struck the ball powerfully with his right foot. Although the opposing GK touched it and it did not result in a goal, Tokyo gained momentum.

　In the 63rd minute, Kajiyama was sent onto the pitch in place of Ikegami, aiming to strengthen the attack. However, just after that, in the 64th minute, G Osaka FW Varey broke through behind the defense, and Shigeno stopped him with a foul. This play resulted in a red card, leading to an expulsion. They found themselves in a situation with one less player. Nevertheless, no one gave up, and they countered with Konno moved back to center-back. In midfield, Baba, Kajiyama, and Kurizawa exchanged passes repeatedly to maintain ball control. In the 70th minute, G Osaka FW Varey made a strong dribble forward and took a shot, but thanks to a mistake, they did not allow an additional goal.

　With a fighting spirit that did not show any sense of numerical disadvantage, in the 75th minute, Lucas on the left connected a direct pass to Baba in the middle, and finally, Kajiwara took a shot from just outside the area. They captured the rhythm of the attack with flowing passing. In the 75th minute, Rychely came in for Norio SUZUKI. Immediately after that substitution, in the 76th minute, Rychely picked up a clearance from Fujiyama's long feed, and Kanazawa dribbled into the center. Baba, who followed from behind, returned the ball to Kanazawa with a lob as he ran into the goal area. Even while falling, Kanazawa connected to the right area, and Kurizawa contested for the floating ball, heading it forward. Lucas controlled it with his chest and shot with his right foot! The ball pierced the upper left corner of the goal, equalizing the score.　

　Tokyo attacked G Osaka's goal with intensity. Both full-backs pushed forward, and in the 82nd minute, Kurizawa on the right passed to Lucas in the center, who then sent it to Kanazawa on the left, but it just missed Lucas... In the 84th minute, Baba entered the penalty area and was brought down by the opposing defender's hand, but no foul was called. In the 87th minute, Kajiyama took a direct shot from a free kick earned on the right side, but it missed the target. Despite the aggressive play, they couldn't score a second goal, ending in a 1-1 draw. Although they couldn't take the lead, each player showcased their strengths and displayed dynamic play. It can be said that it was a match with valuable takeaways.

　【Player Comments】<Ikegami> "In my previous appearance in the Nabisco Cup, I deeply realized the importance of delivering results, so I focused on the outcome above all else. I’m disappointed we couldn’t win there. Coach Hara instructed me to maintain balance and stay compact together with Konno, Moniwa, and Fujiyama, which I kept foremost in mind. Recently, I had been involved in scoring during satellite and practice matches, so I wanted to show more of that kind of play today as well. There were moments when the attack slowed down on my side, so I want to review videos and make corrections. I want to not only join the competition for my position but also work hard in practice to be able to take the position next time." <Morimura> "I was nervous at first, but I was able to play surprisingly calmly. I thought the pressure would be tougher, but it wasn’t that bad. I focused on creating time for both fullbacks to advance and think I was able to be a focal point in the center to some extent. However, I think I was slow in decision-making when choosing whether to receive the ball and face forward, turn, or pass. I also regret the low number of shots. I will continue to appeal in practice and work hard to get playing time in matches."

　[Summary of Coach Hara's Press Conference] "We used Morimura today to replace Akamine, who injured his knee. Also, Ikegami was started for the first time, and we had the feeling and expectation that these two would boldly show what they could do. Although there were still some weaknesses, both maintained high motivation and fought well. The reason for starting them was that Baba and Kajiyama had returned, making it possible to use them in crucial moments for a certain amount of time. However, they were not in condition to continue for the full 90 minutes, so I was thinking that if the opponent got tired or if we could bring the game into a decisive phase in the second half, it would be good. Around September, we played not a bad game, rather a good one, but I feel the team got confused after reports of my resignation came out. Many players are serious, and their desire not to lose the Tamagawa Clasico was too strong, leading to more individual plays and disrupting the rhythm. However, after that, including the Emperor's Cup and the last Niigata match, it was not bad at all. But playing away and using Asari in midfield made everyone focus too much on 'defending.' Therefore, today, we kept Asari on the bench for emergencies and deliberately used Ikegami. I think the goal just before halftime was unnecessary, but at halftime I said, 'Keep playing the football you are playing now. We will bring in Baba and Kajiyama, and then the ball will move more and chances will come.' Then, although Moiniwa was sent off, everyone fought without fear and kept possession. Generally, having a player sent off increases concentration, but today we were down to 10 men while trailing by one goal. Konno said, 'I want to go forward with a three-back,' but I told him, 'Wait a bit longer. Stay back, and if Kajiyama and Baba keep connecting the ball, chances will come.' If that didn't work, I was prepared to push Konno forward. Tokunaga and Kanazawa also pushed forward more than when we had 11 players. Even when the defense was equal in numbers, no one left anyone free and they shut down the opponents. I think there is a hint in that. The players did not blame the referee's decisions and fought without giving up. I am truly happy about that. If we can fight with that spirit even when we have 11 players, we should be able to play even better football. Kajiyama had been out for about two months and sometimes lost the ball suddenly in matches, but in the end, he showed strength close to his original level. Baba also combined with Lucas for one-twos and broke through. Having skilled and confident players who do not easily lose the ball even against Gamba changed the rhythm somewhat. Moiniwa and Konno will be suspended next match, but we have prepared so that anyone can play. The next match is the final home game, and we want to give our all in the last two league matches and connect that to the Emperor's Cup."

　[G Osaka Coach Nishino's Press Conference Summary] "The usual Gamba soccer = finishing from possession, there were few opportunities to break through while controlling the ball. In the first half, there were moments when we could counter and finish, but they were isolated. If we had used both sides a little better, I think we could have finished from possession. I hoped we could create more chances with a numerical advantage, but the whole team was too rushed and lacked composure. We had several decisive chances, but due to the slightly poor condition of the pitch, we couldn't show our typical Gamba passing play. There was a stiffness, perhaps because the thought of victory crossed our minds, and it wasn't smooth. In a crucial match like today = although it was dependent on others, we couldn't secure the win despite having great potential. However, in the remaining two matches, we want to seek victory as long as there is a possibility."