Direct confrontation with G Osaka, supported by the home crowd

In Sec. 7 of the 2nd Stage, we will face Gamba Osaka. We will welcome them at our home, Ajinomoto. In the previous match, we struggled against Kofu's solid defense, but we attacked from the sides with stable passing, and Takahashi scored. At the same time, we kept a clean sheet and achieved consecutive wins. This match aims to seize victory in a new battle and aims for a third consecutive win based on the confidence and momentum gained.

However, Higashi has injured his ankle and will miss this match. The team is still struggling with ongoing injuries, but Kono will start as an attacking midfielder. The defense line remains the same as the previous match. In midfield, Takahashi will play as the anchor, with Yonemoto and Hanyu as inside midfielders. Nathan BURNS and Maeda will form the two forwards in a 4-3-3 formation.

G Osaka's 2nd stage is currently in 8th place with 9 points. The point difference with Tokyo has only changed by 1, making it a 4-point gap in the annual ranking. In the last 4 matches, they have 1 win and 3 draws, but they have produced many players for the Japan national team, including FW Usami, GK Higashiguchi, DF Fujiharu, DF Niwa, DF Yonekura, and MF Kurata. In this match, all 6 players will start, with FW PATRIC at the forefront, 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 we have never lost in 11 matches against G Osaka at home since 2002, making this a chance to pull ahead of G Osaka. This match will test the overall strength of the team, and we want to show our resilience and fully utilize our abilities, responding calmly to any accidents. Just before the match, a sudden downpour began, but with 37,978 attendees, we aim for victory with the support of our home crowd in a total effort.

As the rain intensified and the humidity became severe, the match started at 18:04 with a kickoff in Tokyo.

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

From the start, they showed a fierce battle and launched quick counterattacks. In the 2nd minute, they switched sides from their left, and Matsuda advanced with a long ground pass into the central space of the front line. Nathan BURNS had started to run to meet it, but it was just slightly off, and the opposing GK caught it. G Osaka also had a high awareness of shooting, and in the 4th and 5th minutes, FW Usami took consecutive long-range shots. They responded without panic. They regained possession with organized pressing and transitioned to attack. After the 10th minute, they gained consecutive set-piece opportunities. In the 13th minute, they had a free kick just outside the left area. Matsuda took a short pass, and Morishige took a shot with no spin, but it was saved by the G Osaka GK just barely hitting the crossbar, resulting in a corner kick.

Gradually, G Osaka's ball possession was increasing, but in the 15th minute, Matsuda cleared the opponent's ball in his own half. Nathan BURNS passed to Kono on the right side, who held the ball and connected to Hanyu in front. Hanyu made a one-touch pass into the space on the right flank. Nathan BURNS caught up with it, dribbled past the G Osaka defender, and delivered a final pass through the opponent's defense into the center of the area. Yonemoto, who had run into the goal area, precisely finished with his right foot for a GOAL!! Tokyo connected passes at a fast pace, and Yonemoto marked his first goal of the season, taking the lead!

In the 19th minute, G Osaka passed from the right side to FW Usami in the center, connecting to MF Endo, and then to FW PATRIC on the right front line. From there, Usami in the area took a shot, but Enomoto made a save, resulting in a corner kick. Although G Osaka had some shots afterward, they did not create any decisive chances. Conversely, in the 31st minute, Tokyo cut the opponent's ball at a high position, and Maeda in the center advanced while passing to Kono on the right. Kono took a well-aimed soft shot from near the right area, but it hit the crossbar. In added time, from the right side of the midfield, Hanyu sent a crucial ground cross to Nathan BURNS in front of the goal. However, Maeda at the far post could not react in time... They could not capitalize on the chance for an additional goal, but they ended the first half with a one-goal lead.

Despite being equalized, they launched a brilliant counterattack, and Barnes scored the winning goal!

After halftime, an incident forced Tokunaga to be substituted. Therefore, Yoshimoto was brought in as a center-back. Maruyama moved to the left side-back position for the second half. However, in the 47th minute, G Osaka's left side FW Usami made a long cross to the right front line. This left the overlapping right side-back Yonekura free, allowing a header back into the box. In response, FW PATRIC ran towards the goal and shot in front of Morishige. This resulted in a goal conceded, equalizing the score early in the second half.

Still aiming to take the lead immediately, in the 49th minute, Maeda on the left passed to Nathan BURNS, who dribbled smoothly into the left area. The shot he took to evade the opposing DF was saved by the opposing GK. He took another direct shot at the rebound, but it went wide. In the 51st minute, Mita was brought on for Kono. The formation changed to a 4-4-2 with Mita and Hanyu serving as side midfielders. Tokyo, gaining momentum, saw Mita boldly aiming for the goal shortly after. Although blocked by the opposing DF, the loose ball was chased down by Maruyama on the left side, who took a direct shot. However, he could not shake the net.

In the 54th minute, G Osaka's FW Usami's shot from the left side was saved by Enomoto. The ball spilled into the right area, and G Osaka's PATRIC reacted, but Yoshimoto covered with a sliding tackle. Both teams attacked, aiming to take the lead, and in the 58th minute, they intercepted a vertical pass in the opponent's center and launched a counterattack from their own half. Morishige passed to Nathan BURNS, who dropped it, and Yonemoto charged forward with a powerful dribble towards the goal. Drawing in the opponent's defense, he connected with Hayakawa, who advanced on the right. In front of the goal, Maeda ran to attract the opponent's defense, and Hayakawa skillfully assessed the situation to deliver a soft cross to the far post. Nathan BURNS met it with a diving header, GOAL!! They successfully took the lead with a magnificent counterattack showcasing their synergy.

After that, the opponent brought in MF Omori and FW Akamine in the 73rd minute, and FW Lins in the 84th minute to launch a counterattack. There were moments when they pressed hard, but Tokyo, led by the DF line, maintained their concentration and did not allow any goals. In the 86th minute, G Osaka's left SB Fujiharu advanced, but Matsuda managed to escape to a corner kick. From this left corner kick, a backward pass was made, and FW Usami, just in front of the left area, took a shot, but Enomoto caught it right in front. In the latter stages, both teams showed signs of fatigue, leading to a stretched game, but Tokyo managed to fend off the counterattacks by creating time in the front line. In stoppage time, Morishige was judged to have fouled G Osaka DF Iwashita, resulting in a free kick just before the left area, which was directly aimed at by G Osaka MF Endo, but it went over the upper right corner, avoiding a crisis, and the time was up. With a resilient performance and utilizing individual strengths, they achieved victory, marking their third consecutive win and extending their unbeaten record against G Osaka at home to 12.

[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 to have contributed with assists and goals in such a match, and most importantly, the team's victory. With time, my understanding of tactics and our coordination have improved. In that context, we were able to take the lead, and for the second goal, Yonemoto carried the ball forward, and Hanyu sent a good pass. While I feel the difficulty of having to defend, I was able to properly finish today as a striker."

"YoneMoto"
"I absolutely wanted to win at home. I think we were able to seize victory and show our team's strength."
(Regarding the goals)
I recognized that increasing opportunities to move forward was a challenge, and I had been conscious of it on a daily basis. I had been wanting to score a goal soon. The second goal came from a powerful counterattack, where everyone's vision aligned, and we were able to score with good coordination. I want to continue playing like today and achieve more consecutive wins.

【Summary of Coach Massimo FICCADENTI's Press Conference】
"While connecting the ball firmly from the back, we were able to execute the plays as intended. I don't think there were any particularly dangerous scenes in the first half. After the equalizer, there were many instances where the front line became isolated, so we changed to a 4-4-2 formation. It involved taking risks, but we were able to respond well. It has been about 1 year and 8 months since I came to Tokyo, and I want to praise the players for their remarkable improvement in every aspect. I am pleased that over 37,000 people attended today. We play for them, and we cannot play in an empty stadium. They pour their passion into the game and are a contributing factor to the team's momentum.
(Was the counter for the winning goal as planned?)
I think many players rushed forward, and you could see the team's spirit there. It was a wonderful combination with Yonemoto's pass, Hanyu's cross, Maeda's dummy run, Nathan BURNS' goal... it was a perfect counter. We had been able to execute such counterattacks several times since the last match, but regardless of whether it led to a goal, I believe the spirit of the team seen in those moments is something to be appreciated.
(Is Nathan BURNS adapting well to the team?)
After joining for a month and a half, I think he is making an effort to understand the movements the team desires and is gradually fitting in. What I communicate to the players is that we defend as 11 and attack as 11. This does not mean that everyone pushes forward into the area, but rather that everyone participates in the attack. I am satisfied with Nathan BURNS's play, and I believe he will improve further if he continues to train.

[G Osaka - Summary of Coach Kenta HASEGAWA's Press Conference]
"We lost as we were meant to lose. For a moment, we lost our concentration and conceded a goal, and after equalizing, we failed to capitalize on our chances. Our risk management against Tokyo's weapon, the counterattack, was insufficient. In the scene where we conceded, both central midfielders pushed up, and the risk management of both full-backs was also lacking. If we lose after doing what we should, then it can't be helped, but we were caught out in areas we thought we could prevent. That shows our weakness. There are still 10 matches left in the league, but I want to make a solid switch. There are parts that are improving, so I will continue to pursue the ability to finish in front of goal more effectively."
(It has been a while since we last faced each other, but what is your impression of Tokyo without Muto?)
Maeda's hold-up play has been a starting point for the attack, and I felt it was effective. The Tokyo players were quick off the mark and applied pressure effectively, and Nathan BURNS has also become accustomed to Japanese football, with several moments where he impressed with his dribbling.)