"Direct confrontation" with G Osaka, supported by home team

Facing Gamba Osaka in the 7th round of the 2nd stage. The match will be held at home at Ajinomoto Stadium. In the previous round, we struggled against Kofu's solid defense, but we were able to secure a win with stable passing and attacking from the sides, with Takahashi scoring a goal. We also kept a clean sheet and achieved back-to-back wins. In this new battle, we aim for victory and a 3-game winning streak with the confidence and momentum we have gained.

However, Higashi is out due to an ankle injury and will not be playing this round. The team is still struggling with injuries, but Kono will start as an attacking midfielder. The defensive line will remain the same as the previous round. In the midfield, Takahashi will play as an anchor, with Yonemoto and Hanyu as inside halves. Nathan BURNS and Maeda will lead the attack in a 4-3-3 formation.

G Osaka's 2nd stage is currently in 8th place with 9 points. The point difference with Tokyo is only 1, and in the overall ranking, there is a 4 point difference. In the last 4 games, they have 1 win and 3 draws, but they have produced many Japan national team players such as FW Usami, GK Higashiguchi, DF Fujiharu, DF Niwa, DF Yonekura, and MF Kurata. In this match, all 6 of them will start, with FW Patric leading the front line, MF Kurata in the attacking midfield, FW Usami on the left side, and MF Abe on the right. Including MF Endo and MF Konno, they are a team with top-class strength in the J-League.

It is expected to be a difficult battle, but the home game against G Osaka has never been lost in 11 games since 2002, and it is also a chance to push G Osaka away. It is a game that will test the overall strength of the team, but we want to show our perseverance and full strength, and be able to respond without being shaken by any accidents. Before the game, it started raining like a shower, but with 37,978 people in attendance, we aim to win with the support of our home crowd in a total team effort.

The game started at 6:04 PM in Tokyo, amidst heavy rain and increasing humidity.

Showed a passionate battle on both offense and defense, and took the lead with Yonemoto's first goal of the season!

Showed a spirited fight from the start and launched quick attacks. In the 2nd minute, Matsuda changed sides from the left of their own goal and sent a long ground ball to the central space in the front line. Nathan BURNS was running to meet it, but narrowly missed and was caught by the opposing GK. G Osaka also had a high awareness of shooting, with FW Usami taking consecutive shots in the 4th and 5th minutes. However, they responded calmly and organizedly pressed to steal the ball and turn it into an attack. In the 10th minute, they gained consecutive set piece opportunities. In the 13th minute, a FK from just outside the left area. Matsuda played it short and Morishige took a shot with no spin, but it was saved by the G Osaka GK at the last second and resulted in a CK.

Gradually, G Osaka's ball possession was increasing, but in the 15th minute, Matsuda cleared the opponent's ball in their own zone. Nathan BURNS -> Kono on the right side created space and connected with Hayashi in front. Hayashi quickly passed to the space on the right front line. Nathan BURNS caught up to this and dribbled past the G Osaka DF, passing through the opponent's DF and making a last pass to the center of the area. Yonemoto, who had run into the goal area, neatly scored with his right foot! Tokyo also quickly connected passes and Yonemoto marked his first goal of the season, taking the lead!

At 19 minutes, from the right side of G Osaka, a pass to central FW Usami → MF Endo, to the right front line FW Patrick. Despite the negative, a shot was taken by FW Usami in the area, but Enomoto saved it and escaped to a CK. After that, G Osaka was able to take shots, but did not create any decisive chances. On the other hand, at 31 minutes, Tokyo cut off the opponent's ball in a high position, and Maeda in the center carried it up and passed it to Kawano on the right. Kawano took a soft shot from near the right area, but... hit the bar. In additional time, from the right side of the midfield, Hanyu sent a decisive cross to the front line Nathan Burns in front of the goal. However, Maeda in the far post was unable to react... Although they were unable to take advantage of the chance for an additional point, they maintained a one-point lead and ended the first half.

Despite being tied, a brilliant counterattack was launched and Barnes took the lead!

After half-time, an accident occurs where Tokunaga is forced to be substituted. As a result, Yoshimoto is brought in as a center back. Maruyama will start the second half by moving to left back. However, in the 47th minute, G Osaka's left side FW Usami makes a long side change to the right front line. He frees up right back Yonekura who overlaps and allows a header to be returned. At the same time, FW Patrick runs towards the goal and shoots in front of Morishige. This results in a goal and we are tied in the beginning of the second half.

Still, they immediately aimed for a lead, and in the 49th minute, Maeda on the left passed to Nathan BURNS who dribbled into the left area. The shot he took to get past the opponent's DF was saved by the GK. He took another direct shot at the rebound, but it missed the goal. In the 51st minute, Mita was substituted for Kono. Mita and Hayashi changed to a 4-4-2 formation with side halves. Tokyo, gaining momentum, had Mita boldly aim for the goal on the left side. Although it was blocked by the opponent's DF, Maruyama on the left side followed up with a direct shot. However, they were unable to shake the net.

54 minutes, G Osaka's left side cut in by FW Usami's shot was saved by Enomoto. The ball that fell to the right area was reacted by G Osaka FW PATRIC, but Yoshimoto entered the cover with a sliding. Both teams are attacking each other for the lead, and in the 58th minute, they steal a vertical pass from the opponent in the center and launch a counterattack from their own territory. Morishige → Nathan BURNS in front drops the ball, and Yonehara rushes to the goal with a powerful dribble in the center. He pulls the opponent's DF and connects with Hayashi, who went up on the right. In front of the goal, Maeda is running while pulling the opponent's DF, and Hayashi carefully assesses the situation and sends a soft cross to the far side. Nathan BURNS hits a diving header and GOAL!! A beautiful counterattack with coordinated movements successfully takes the lead.

After that, the opponent made substitutions in the 73rd minute with MF Omori and FW Akamine, and in the 84th minute with FW Lins, to launch a counterattack. There were moments where they were pushed back, but Tokyo's defense, led by the DF line, showed great concentration and did not allow any goals. In the 86th minute, G Osaka's left SB Fujiharu made an attack, but Matsuda managed to escape with a corner kick. From this left corner kick, a negative pass was made and a shot was taken by FW Usami in front of the left area, but Enomoto caught it in front of him. In the final minutes, both teams showed signs of fatigue and the game became stretched out, but Tokyo managed to hold off the counterattack by creating time in the front line. In additional time, Morishige was judged to have committed a foul against G Osaka's DF Iwashita, giving a free kick just outside the left area, but G Osaka's MF Endo missed the target and the game ended. With a persistent and individualistic style of play, Tokyo achieved their third consecutive victory and extended their unbeaten record against G Osaka at home to 12 games.

[Player Comments]
"Nathan BURNS"
"I was able to make my first start at home and I was really into it. Personally, I thought the match against G Osaka was a "big game". I am really happy that I was able to contribute with assists and goals in a match like this, and above all, the team's victory. As time goes by, my understanding of tactics and our teamwork are getting better. In the midst of that, we were able to take the lead and for the second goal, Yonehara carried the ball vertically and Hayashi sent me a good ball. It's difficult to go into the penalty box because I have to defend, but as a striker, I was able to properly score today."

"Yonemoto"
"I really wanted to win at home. We were able to grab the victory and I think we were able to show our team's strength."
(About scoring)
I have been aware of the need to increase opportunities to go forward and have been conscious of it on a daily basis. I also wanted to score a goal soon. The second goal was also scored from a powerful counter attack, and we were able to score a goal with good teamwork that matched everyone's image. I want to continue playing like today and win even more consecutive victories."

[Summary of Massimo FICCADENTI's press conference]
"We were able to play as planned while connecting the ball firmly behind. I don't think there were any particularly dangerous scenes in the first half. After the tie, there were many scenes where the front line was isolated, so we changed to a 4-4-2 formation. It was a risk, but we were able to respond firmly. It has been about 1 year and 8 months since I came to Tokyo, but I want to praise the players who have improved dramatically in all aspects. I am happy that over 37,000 people came to the game today. We play for them, and we cannot play in an empty stadium. They give us their passion and are one of the reasons for accelerating the team's momentum."
(Was the counter for the winning goal as planned?)
Many players rushed up to the front line, and I think I could see the team's spirit there. It was a perfect counter attack with a great combination of Yonemoto's pass, Hanyu's cross, Maeda's decoy movement, and Nathan BURNS's goal. We were able to do this kind of counter attack several times since the last game, but regardless of whether we scored or not, I think it's worth noting the team's spirit that was visible in those scenes.
(Nathan BURNS is adapting well to the team, isn't he?)
After joining the team for a month and a half, he has been making efforts to understand the team's desired movements and gradually fitting in. The message he is conveying to the players is to defend as 11 and attack as 11. This does not mean that everyone should move up into the attacking area, but rather to participate in the attack. I am satisfied with Nathan BURNS's play and I believe he will continue to improve with continued training."

[G Osaka - Manager Kentaro Hasegawa's Press Conference Summary]
"We lost as we were supposed to. There were moments where we lost concentration and conceded goals, and we couldn't capitalize on chances after equalizing. Our risk management for counterattacks, which is Tokyo's weapon, was also lacking. In the scene where we conceded, both of our defensive midfielders were caught upfield, and our fullbacks also didn't manage the risk well. If we do what we're supposed to do and still lose, there's nothing we can do about it, but we can't let this happen. That's where our weakness is showing. We have 10 more games left in the league, and we want to switch gears properly. There are areas where we have improved, so we want to continue striving for the ability to finish chances."
(What is your impression of Tokyo without Muto, who has been absent since the opening match?)
I felt that Maeda's post-play was effective as the starting point of the attack. Tokyo players had a quick start and effectively pressed, and Nathan BURNS, who has become accustomed to Japanese soccer, had a few scenes where he was beaten by his dribbling.