First battle at Suita Stadium, aiming for victory with dynamic soccer

Facing G Osaka away in the 13th round of the 2nd stage. We will face the battle at the first time at Suita Stadium.
In the previous match against Urawa, we suffered a disappointing comeback loss. However, Morishige said, "There were still challenges and points to reflect on in the way we played for 90 minutes, but there were also moments where we felt confident against Urawa. That's why the frustration is strong, but as a team, we were able to come together and make bold challenges, and there were times when we were able to overwhelm our opponents. We want to use that as a big confidence and continue to play aggressively on both offense and defense in this match."

In addition, although the previous round was limited to 39 points for the year, it has been confirmed that we will continue to fight on the J1 stage next season due to the results of other cards.
Regarding this, Coach Shinoda said, "It is the result of everyone's efforts that we were able to secure our place without sinking. However, our attitude towards daily training and matches will not change. We will continue to prioritize consistency and aim for victory with dynamic soccer," and we will continue to build up each game and give our all to win the upcoming match.

This round, Tanabe from Tokyo will return from a suspension due to accumulated warnings. The center-back combination of Morishige and Maruyama will face off against the strong G Osaka attack.

G Osaka's 2nd stage is currently on a 3-game winning streak and is in 2nd place. It can be said that they are fighting back with a strong performance that does not show the effects of Takashi USAMI's transfer or FW PATRIC's absence. In particular, FW Nagasawa is in good form, and there are also players like MF Ademilson who can support him, as well as MF Kurata and MF Omori who can break through individually on the sides.
"We have a talented front line," said Manager Shinoda.

We want to stand up to G Osaka, the top team, and fight with our own style and determination, and turn it into a victory.
The sunny autumn Takatsuki Stadium was dyed blue and red by many fans and supporters, and started at 4pm with a Tokyo kickoff.

The score is moving rapidly and it's tied 2-2 at halftime.

3 minutes: Passes a floating ball to FW Nagasawa in the G Osaka area. Just barely offside, Tokunaga puts his body on the line to clear the scene of a potential 1-on-1 with the GK.

12 minutes: Nakajima receives a pass just outside the area. He dribbles past the opposing DF and tries to score in the top right corner, but narrowly misses the target.
13 minutes: Tanabe, who intercepted a pass in the opponent's territory, dribbles into the right area. His right-footed shot finds the bottom right corner of the goal, giving Tokyo the opening goal.
15 minutes: G Osaka MF Omori shoots with his right foot from about 20 meters away from the goal. The ground shot goes into the bottom left corner of the goal, making the score 1-1.
Afterwards, Tokyo takes control of the ball. In the second row, Higashi, Nakajima, and Kono actively make moves.

18 minutes: G Osaka's DF Fujiharu runs up the left side with a quick counter. His pass to FW Nagasawa, who dodges past Akimoto who was trying to intercept, goes through and he shoots at the unguarded goal. We concede and it's now 1-2.
22 minutes: Kono, who received a pass on the right side of the area, flashes his left foot. The ball draws a beautiful parabola and lands in the left goal. The score is now tied at 2-2.

34 minutes: A through pass to Maeda from the east of the pitch, who is negotiating with the DF line. Maeda advances to the right side of the area and swings his right foot, but is caught by the opposing GK Higashiguchi, and it's not a goal.
40 minutes: Maeda and Akimoto compete for a long feed, and the ball is headed down to the east. The east controls the ball without slowing down their speed towards the goal, and takes a left-footed shot just outside the area. However, it is saved by the opposing goalkeeper Higashiguchi and does not result in a goal.
The first half, in which the score moves rapidly, ends in a 2-2 tie before heading into the second half.

Tied at the end and drawn 3-3

Second half start: G Osaka makes their first substitution. MF Endo comes in for MF Konno.
In the second half, both teams try to take control from the beginning and compete for the ball in the midfield.
51 minutes: G Osaka MF Omori runs up the left side and crosses. The loose ball is then picked up by MF Kurata, who approaches the goal from the right side with a cross, but fails to connect with a teammate and avoids danger.
53 minutes: The right side is broken through by MF Ademilson, and a minus cross is aimed at the goal, but Tokyo's DF persistently clears it.

57 minutes: Nakajima shoots twice from inside the area, but it is blocked by GK Higashiguchi.
62 minutes: Kajiyama → Kono connects, a left-footed middle shot from outside the area. This one goes wide to the right of the goal.
63 minutes: Tokyo continues to increase their attack. Nakajima and Higashi attack the left side. The ball is passed to Tokunaga who has moved up from their own half, and sends a cross into the goal area, but it is caught by the opposing GK Higashiguchi.
68 minutes: MF Endo steals the ball blocked by PREMIST, and MF Ademilson dribbles from their own half. They allow entry to the left of the area, but Akimoto and Maruyama put pressure and save. They do not allow a goal with a physical play.

72 minutes: Higashi → Maeda → Nakajima connects, Nakajima takes a right foot shot inside the area, but the opponent's defender blocks it.
74 minutes: G Osaka makes their second substitution. MF Fujimoto comes on for MF Omori.
74 minutes: Tokyo makes its first substitution. Hashimoto is substituted for Kono.
76 minutes: Kajiyama passes to the east from the area in front of the goal after stealing the opponent's pass. Nakajima takes the ball with his right foot and shoots. This is deflected by the opponent's GK Higashiguchi.

79 minutes: MF Fujimoto receives the ball in the center and makes a through pass to FW Nagasawa, who runs towards the goal. Nagasawa goes one-on-one with Akimoto, but Akimoto makes a fine save!
81 minutes: G Osaka makes their final substitution. MF Ademilson is replaced by FW Koya.
81 minutes: Tokyo makes their second substitution. Hayashi is replaced by Hanyu.
Hanyu moves to the right side, Hashimoto moves to the position of the defensive midfielder from the right side.

86 minutes: Tokyo makes their final substitution. Hiraoka comes on for Maeda.
90 minutes: Tokunaga dribbles to the left of the area. He brings it vertically and crosses it to Hirayama. Tokyo successfully turns the game around with Hirayama's goal.
90 minutes + 1: G Osaka's right side attacks and DF Yonekura scores in the crowded goal area. The game is tied again. The score is now 3-3.
The back-and-forth game ended in a 3-3 draw with both teams scoring points against each other.

[Player Comments]
《East》
"It was a game we could have won. In terms of content, it was a good game and the parts we couldn't win became a challenge for the next game. We need to organize properly and there is always a reason for conceding goals. There are also things that need to be fixed individually and as a team, so I want to prepare well for the next game. The attacking line scored three goals, but that was also the effort of everyone, and we need to defend together as well. Today, I played for the first time in this stadium and felt a great atmosphere. I thought that playing J-League games in this kind of stadium would make it even more exciting."

"Tanabe"
"The ball rolled to my area due to the opponent's mistake. There was space in front of me, so I aimed for a shot. I think we were able to progress the game as we wanted because we had a lot of possession time. Kajiyama and I were conscious of breaking the opponent's two top players, and the players in the second row wanted to receive the ball at their feet, so we were passing to make it easier for them. The opponent's strength is counterattacks, so I think it was a game where both our strengths and the opponent's strengths were shown."

"Hirayama"
"I was conscious of moving between the GK and DF lines from practice, so I believed that Tokunaga would make a vertical breakthrough and jumped in. I think that his vertical breakthrough at that time was the key to scoring the goal."

[Coach Yoshiyuki SHINODA's Press Conference Summary]
"I am reflecting on the very disappointing game we played. It was a very good game and I think we were able to show what we wanted to do. The start of the game was good, but conceding a goal right after scoring is something that should not happen, so we need to reflect on it. As a team, we are still immature in terms of how to win this game, so I want to watch the video again and organize it properly and continue training. In terms of attack, we were able to show good ball control and create some good chances. We were also able to score a goal, but against G Osaka, we need to challenge them more and show a higher quality, otherwise the game will turn out like this. However, I want to continue playing this style of soccer and prepare well for the next game."

[G Osaka - Manager Kentaro Hasegawa's Press Conference Summary]
"It was a tough game, but I want to take this one point positively and continue to fight. Many fans and supporters gave us really passionate support, and if we can win somehow and finish the game, it will be the best feeling. We were behind in the first half, and there were times when we were pushed back in the beginning of the second half, but we had several big chances and there were situations where we could have scored the third goal first. However, we couldn't finish and as the remaining time got shorter, we were put in a difficult situation by conceding the third goal in that way. I really think that the players gave their all and managed to bring it to a draw. We have four more games left, so we want to fight well and spend the week preparing to finish in a good way. We have less time to prepare than usual, but we want to recover our minds and bodies and prepare for the Urawa game."