A match where we want to leverage each characteristic and restart the league battle

　Sec. 26 of the league is held, facing Gamba Osaka at home. In the previous match against Kyoto, we lost 2 points due to mistakes and suffered a defeat. This has caused us to stumble at the start of the league's restart, but reflecting on that, Coach Jofuku stated, "I realized that if we don't focus on our fundamentals, we won't achieve results. I want to return to our roots and restart once again." This match is crucial for us to secure 3 points at home and stay competitive in the upper ranks.

　G Osaka is currently in 5th place. They suffered three consecutive losses in early July, but have managed to recover, maintaining a good form with 6 wins, 1 draw, and 1 loss in the last 8 matches. Although FW Leandro transferred and left the team just before Sec. 23, FW Pedro JUNIOR joined from Niigata shortly after. Additionally, the forward line includes talented players such as Cho Je-jin, Bando, and Yamazaki. This match will see FW Pedro JUNIOR absent. They have approached the game with a two-top formation of FW Cho Je-jin and FW Lucas, supported by a talented midfield that enhances their play. The team's total goals currently stand at 45, boasting an overwhelming attacking power that ranks first in the league.

　Tokyo will be without Hirayama this match due to suspension. Therefore, Akamine and Suzuki will form a two-top formation. The players uniformly expressed their desire to leverage the benefits of the lineup change, aiming to create dynamic attacks utilizing the movement of Suzuki, Hanyu, Ishikawa, and others, with Akamine as the focal point. By fully showcasing their individual strengths and persistently continuing their style of football, they believe they can find a chance to win. They want to demonstrate a strong attitude focused on competition while showing growth and ultimately achieve victory.

　At Ajinomoto, where the cloudy sky brings a sense of coolness, the match started at 16:05 with G Osaka's kickoff, amidst the annual 'Brazil Festival'.

Gained the rhythm and took the initiative, but couldn't capitalize on the chances

　Right after the match started, G Osaka's forward Lucas brought the ball in from the left side and shot with speed towards midfielder Endo, who had moved up the center. However, the shot went over the bar, and Tokyo seized a big chance. In the 2nd minute, Nagatomo evaded Suzuki with a one-two and advanced down the left side, while Akamine and Suzuki broke free behind G Osaka's defense in the left area for a cross. Ishikawa, who had moved in from the far side to the right area, was free for a direct volley! They created a decisive moment, but the shot couldn't find the target...

　In the 4th minute, G Osaka's left back Shimohira was targeted, and in the 6th minute, midfielder Myojin aimed from mid-range, but Tokyo gradually found their rhythm with the fluid movements of Suzuki, Ishikawa, and Hanyu, as well as the attacking runs of both full-backs. In the 9th minute, Suzuki became the starting point in the right area, creating a chance. A shot from Kajiyama, who moved into the center after a loose ball, was blocked, but Hanyu connected with the ball that spilled into the left area, launching a strong attack. In the 16th minute, Ishikawa was fouled just before the corner of the right area, earning a free kick. However, they were unable to capitalize on any of these chances.

　In the 21st minute, Yonemoto and Kajiyama exchanged passes in their own half. The pass lacked power, allowing the opponent to intercept and launch a counterattack, but Konno quickly suppressed it, and Tokyo initiated a counterattack. Hayashi moved freely up the center from a fast break, but the distance from the goal was too far, and he couldn't take a shot. The play shifted to the right, where Suzuki brought the ball into the area along the line and delivered a cross, but there was no one at the far post to connect... In the 25th minute, Ishikawa, running through the center, trapped a floating ball from the left rear and broke free, shooting without hesitation from just outside the right area! It seemed to graze the defender and go out, resulting in a goal kick for G Osaka.

　In the 30th minute, Nagatomo advanced up the left side, received a return pass from Hanyu in the opponent's half, gained speed, charged towards the center, and took a shot, but it went wide. G Osaka quickly transitioned, and as the match progressed at a fast pace, the left corner kick in the 44th minute was cleared, but Konno intercepted G Osaka's attack. He dribbled up to the right front line and delivered a low, strong cross to the center. Ishikawa ran in from behind Akamine and connected with a direct shot, but it missed the target... Despite holding the initiative, they couldn't convert, and the first half ended at 0-0.

Although they lost momentum in the second half, they maintained a solid defense to keep a clean sheet and earned 1 point.

　The second half, where expectations for scoring were high. In the 48th minute, Nagatomo ran into the left area to meet a through pass from Hanyu, but the opposing goalkeeper jumped out a step early, preventing a shot. In the 51st minute, Ishikawa passed to Hanyu inside the left area, trying to send a last pass to break through the defense, but G Osaka's defense handled it well and blocked the attempt. In the 55th minute, Suzuki slid in front of the goal to meet Nagatomo's low left cross, but the timing was off.

　In the 63rd minute, Akamine, Hanyu, and Kajiyama quickly connected passes and advanced the attack, with Kajiyama shooting from around the right corner of the area. However, it was blocked by the defense, and as they tried to connect the rebound, Nagatomo, who had advanced to the right front line, was tackled and lost the ball. As time passed, their energy levels dropped, and mistakes began to occur, making it difficult to maintain possession. In the midst of G Osaka taking control of the pace, G Osaka brought in two attacking players, FW Bando and MF Wataru SASAKI, in the 71st minute. They increased their momentum and aimed to score.

　Tokyo replaced Hanyu with Tanabe. In the 76th minute, Mukuahara came in for Suzuki as the right side back. Ishikawa was moved to forward, and Tokunaga was pushed up to midfield to aim for a goal, but in the final stages, the line dropped, and G Osaka continued to press. Still, they launched a counterattack, and in the 81st minute, from Akamine's post, Ishikawa dribbled into the left area, and the following Tokunaga passed to the center where Akamine took a ground shot, but it just barely went to the left...

　On the defensive side, they maintained their concentration. In the 83rd minute, a pass was connected from the right side of G Osaka, and FW Yamazaki broke free in the center of the goal to take a decisive shot, but Gonda saved it with one hand! Thanks to Gonda's great play, they managed to defend calmly against G Osaka's vigorous attacks and shut them out. As a result, the match ended in a scoreless draw.

　【Player Comments】<Bruno QUADROS> "Of course, we wanted to take all 3 points in this match. However, G Osaka is a team fighting for ACL qualification just like us. Considering the tough match, I think sharing 1 point was not a bad result. G Osaka has good players up front; FW Lucas has high quality, and the substitute FW Harito has speed. Also, not only the forwards but the whole team has a slightly different rhythm compared to other teams, so it was important to manage the entire team. In the end, both sides had chances today, especially in the second half G Osaka created many chances, but we were able to hold them off properly. The Brazil Festa is a traditional event that I was looking forward to, and many Brazilian fans came to watch. It was a great exchange." <Gonda> "The pace dropped in the second half, which is an issue for the future, but it was good that the defense kept a clean sheet. G Osaka attacked vertically earlier than expected. Even then, I think we responded calmly and properly. Everyone was focused and gave their all until the end. In the second half, they brought in attacking players who tried to get behind our defense one after another, and although there were some dangerous moments at first, the DF line stuck closely, so from the middle of the half on, there was no problem at all. (You made some great saves?) In those moments, the DF line was marking other players tightly, so it was easier to anticipate their intentions. (Compared to the away game in the first half, what improvements did you see?) Rather than improvement, the back line was focused on defending. If we had conceded early, our attack would not have worked well. If we don’t concede, we can produce attacks like that."

　[Summary of Coach Shirofuku's Press Conference] "The result was 0-0, and whether we should say we 'earned 1 point' or not, I'm not sure how to express it, but the players prepared well, stood on the pitch with confidence, and tried to give their all. The difference in quality between the first and second halves is something we must work on as a point of reflection going forward. Despite having fewer members and barely being able to hold practice matches, we faced today’s game trying to play the football we want to play, and I want to view that positively. We will continue the good aspects and prepare to earn 3 points in the next match. Including the depth of the squad, we will seriously consider the decision-making in play when we are tired, and based on what we did well and what we need to improve, we want to celebrate with the fans at Ajinomoto Stadium in the next game. (Regarding the intention behind substituting Mukuhara and moving Tokunaga one line forward) Because G Osaka MF Sho SASAKI is good at dribbling, we wanted to suppress that. Another reason is that FW Harito and other fast vertical players came on, so we had Mukuhara cover for Bruno QUADROS. Also, not only defensively, but Tokunaga’s middle-range shots and the development after winning loose balls were part of our preparation to go for goals at Kodaira, so both intentions were involved."

　[Summary of G Osaka Coach Nishino's Press Conference] "In the first half, it felt heavy. Recently, we had good starts, so I was hoping we could start today by pulling the rhythm ourselves. Tokyo also had a good start and came at us aggressively, and at halftime, we needed to control how to bring this game closer to a high point. Gradually, some players who switched on became more active, but we couldn't play the tempo of good soccer that we had been able to do recently. There were also few decisive chances. We had prepared well, so I had high expectations, but the result is very disappointing. However, while we weren't good, I felt that Tokyo was good today. We managed to defend well and then tried to transition to attack, and I think we were able to do that part well."