In the second half of Sec. 17, we challenge the strong opponent G Osaka by utilizing our individual strengths.

　The league has reached its halfway point, and in Sec. 17, we will face Gamba Osaka at our home National stadium. In the previous match against Kashima, we lost our balance and conceded a large number of goals. With only two days to prepare for this match, we need to not only rebuild our defense but also make adjustments in our game management. Coach Jofuku stated, "In Sec. 17, we will compete against all teams, and we will not only recognize our position = ranking but also what we can do and the gap with the top teams. Therefore, today's match is important."

　The starting lineup will feature Konno as a center-back, with Nagatomo and Tokunaga swapping their positions on the left and right. As for the double pivot, Asari will take one spot, and Ishikawa will be on the right side, both returning to the starting lineup since the Nabisco match against Oita on July 2. However, Coach Jofuku explained, "We conceded four goals against Kashima, but this formation was not chosen solely for the purpose of restructuring the defense. I selected the best members considering the combinations within the team, the balance of offense and defense, and the characteristics of G Osaka."

　G Osaka is currently in 4th place. They have a total of 25 goals scored and 21 goals conceded, resulting in a goal difference of +4. However, they have scoring power in the MF lineup, centered around FW Valery. Utilizing the ball retention skills of MF Lucas and Nikawa, the attacking runs of left DF Yasuda are particularly threatening. Although MF Endo is absent, they have a lineup of accurate kickers, making set pieces a point to watch out for. If G Osaka's attacking players are allowed to face forward easily, they will create chances, so it is crucial to limit their space and regain the tenacity shown in the first half against Kashima. In attack, we want to exploit the breakthrough ability of players like Ishikawa to penetrate behind G Osaka's high defensive line. We will challenge the strong opponent G Osaka by leveraging each player's strengths.

　Although the daytime heat showed some signs of easing, the humidity remained at the Japan National Stadium. The match started at 19:34 with G Osaka's kickoff.

Although they allowed the first goal, Tokunaga scored his first goal of the season! They gained momentum with the equalizer, but...

　At the start, G Osaka created a chance and put us on the back foot. In the 3rd minute, we gave G Osaka their first corner kick, and from the right corner taken by MF Nigawa, DF Yasuda on the opposite side delivered a cross. DF Nakazawa's header from this situation hit the post. In the 6th minute, a pass from G Osaka's midfield found FW Varey, who broke through behind Tokyo's defense, allowing him to maintain possession deep on Tokyo's right side. Left back Yasuda, who joined the attack, cut back past Ishikawa and delivered a cross. The ball bounced in front of the goal and seemed to have gone past the far post, but it was pushed in by MF Lucas from a tight angle, resulting in a goal conceded. We allowed an early lead to slip away.

　However, today in Tokyo, they maintained their balance and calmly connected passes to launch counterattacks. They created several chances by exploiting the opponent's defense from the sides. In the 11th minute, Ishikawa dribbled up the right side and delivered a cross. Hirayama jumped at the far post and dropped the ball perfectly to Cabore in front of the goal. It was a decisive chance, but Cabore's shot with his right foot was not completed and was blocked by the opposing goalkeeper. In the 16th minute, Tokunaga on the left side connected to Ishikawa in the center, who then passed to Kajiyama coming from the back, and Kajiyama took a shot from distance. In the 17th minute, Ishikawa surged forward and sent a sharp cross between the opposing goalkeeper and defense, but Cabore at the near post and Hirayama at the far post could not connect.

　In the 18th minute, G Osaka forward Varey broke through with a pass to the front line and took a shot. It went over Shiota's outstretched hand but narrowly missed the top right corner, avoiding a crisis. Just after that, in the 19th minute, Hirayama was fouled in the opponent's half, earning a free kick, and Kajiyama quickly restarted the play. Receiving the pass, Tokunaga dribbled up to just outside the left area and struck with his right foot. The ball arced and found the top right corner of the net, scoring a goal! Tokunaga, who was deployed as a left-back, scored his first goal of the season, equalizing the match.

　After the equalizer, Tokyo found their rhythm and controlled the ball. Centered around Ishikawa, they created chances, but in the 22nd minute, a low right cross reached Cabore, only to be quickly closed down by the opposing DF. In the 24th minute, Ishikawa cut inside and received a return pass from Hirayama in front of the goal, taking a powerful shot! However, it was blocked by the goalkeeper's save. In the 33rd and 35th minutes, Hirayama and Ishikawa aimed from mid-range, but missed the target. In the 36th minute, Hirayama dribbled up the opponent's half and tried to get past the DF he faced in the area, but was brought down by the DF and couldn't take the shot. On the other hand, G Osaka also approached the goal utilizing the speed of their front line starting from the left side, but Tokyo's DF remained focused and kept the score level as the first half ended.

Withstand G Osaka's fierce attack and secure 1 point

　In the second half, G Osaka brought in MF Sho SASAKI as a right MF. With FW Baré at the forefront and MF Lucas playing just behind the strikers, they aggressively launched attacks from the right side. In the 47th minute, MF Lucas sprinted down the right side. He sent a final pass to the center, but it just missed FW Baré, avoiding a crisis. In the 53rd minute, G Osaka delivered consecutive crosses, but none found FW Baré in the center. They were helped by a mistake and did not concede a goal. In the 54th minute, Ishikawa broke through vertically. He boldly challenged and won a corner from a cross. Ishikawa himself took the right corner kick, which was dropped by Sahara at the far post, and Hirayama got into shooting position but was cleared by the opposing DF just a step earlier.

　In the 57th minute, Emerson was brought on for Ishikawa as they aimed for a second goal. However, as the heat took its toll, their energy gradually decreased, and they were unable to finish as time went on. They lost the ball during their attack and faced a sharp counter from G Osaka. In the 68th minute, a pass from Hirayama to Kajiyama was intercepted, leading to a swift counterattack from G Osaka. Although the powerful shot from forward Varey went wide, they allowed G Osaka to dominate, resulting in continued pressure. In an attempt to break this situation, in the 75th minute, Cabore received a pass from Emerson and took a shot from midfield, catching the opposing defenders off guard, but it went wide of the target.

　G Osaka substituted MF Kurata in the 80th minute and DF Shimohira in the 81st minute. The introduction of fresh players increased their momentum. Tokyo also brought in Akamine for Hanyu in the 81st minute, but they were unable to capitalize on their attacks and instead faced continuous danger. In the 82nd minute, FW Varey made a powerful dribbling shot. In the 84th minute, Emerson lost a pass while attempting a central breakthrough, leading to a counterattack. Nevertheless, they maintained their balance and showed concentration and resilience in defense. During stoppage time, G Osaka's MF Kurata passed to MF Nikawa, who turned towards the goal and took a shot. They then allowed FW Varey to enter the area, but both times they escaped danger thanks to Shiota's excellent play.

　In the end, G Osaka's attack could not be completely cleared, and MF Kurata took a decisive shot from close range, but Shiota saved it, leading to the time-up. They held firm on the final line and did not allow any additional goals. The game, which had chances for both sides to win, ended in a 1-1 draw.

　【Player Comments】<Tokunaga> "The match became tough and tiring towards the end. But I want to take a positive view that everyone worked hard to defend and managed to secure a draw. Regarding the goal, I received a pass from a free kick and was able to carry the ball close to the goal, so shooting was my first thought. As a left side back, opportunities to cut inside and shoot increase. I was conscious of that. Winning would have been best, but... The style of football we've been working on all season proved effective even against top teams, which gives us confidence, but the draw shows we still lack strength. We want to work hard starting from practice in Kodaira." <Ishikawa> "Breaking down the defense in front of the goal was an issue, so I focused on that. There were many chances, and I wanted to score myself, but... Previously, I held back my play considering team balance and struggled with that. However, recently I think I've been able to both connect plays and take on challenges. Maintaining that balance is important. Today, the opponent left space behind, so I wanted to score when I broke through there."

　[Summary of Coach Shirofuku's Press Conference] "Our goal this season was to possess the ball like G Osaka, moving it around to break down the opponent. We have been training with that aim. It was tough since we hadn't won since the league resumed after the break, but today was a good opportunity to challenge ourselves on how much we could show what we learned from G Osaka. I also think it was good timing to face them in Sec. 17, the league's halfway point. In the first half, although we conceded a goal amid some defensive instability, after that we showed an attitude of trying to break down the opponent by moving the ball. Fortunately, we equalized early and settled down. If our final ideas and precision had been a bit better, we might have scored one more goal. We couldn't get that goal, but when G Osaka pressed back in the second half, we wanted to avoid panicking. The start of the second half wasn't that bad either, but we got tired towards the end, and when the rain made the pitch slippery, we made technical mistakes and lost confidence in kicking the ball. In the final stages, G Osaka controlled the game for a long time. That is something we need to reflect on. Having played 17 matches at the halfway point, we learned a lot about our own challenges and from our opponents. Especially after the restart following the break, we fought without hesitation against Urawa, Kashima, and G Osaka, who are leading the current J League. Of course, we wanted to accumulate wins, but in terms of understanding our current strength, being able to fight without hesitation will lead to the next step. We want to connect the battles up to Sec. 17 to the remaining 34 matches in the second half."

　[G Osaka Coach Nishino's Press Conference Summary] "There was more fatigue than expected. I thought we could move more, but I think the basic foundation wasn't in place. The players all feel that the performance was poor, but we have to play soccer even when it's not going well. We tried to change the flow by altering the system and making substitutions, and I think we became a bit more active when DF Shimohei and MF Kurata came in at the end. However, we weren't able to exchange passes in the midfield or develop and structure our play sufficiently today. The distance between each other was a bit too far, and the buildup from the back line and the reactions from the midfield, starting with the defensive midfielders, were low. There was no buildup, so both flanks couldn't be effective. We progressed the game despite the difficulties and created a few chances, but in the end, we lacked energy."