It's a home game, don't be intimidated

　This round, which will be the last home game of the 1st stage, will be against Gamba Osaka, who has the same record of 7 wins and 6 losses. Although the champion of this stage has already been decided as Júbilo Iwata, with 2 rounds remaining, every game should not be considered a "meaningless match". In that sense, Gamba's motivation is high at the moment. In the previous round, they achieved a big victory of 5-0 against Verdy, and Inamoto's transfer to the Premier League has also been decided. With 2 rounds left, they will surely try to play in a way that is worthy of his last game, with the whole team united. Their concentration and well-balanced attacking power should be noted. These kinds of games are often difficult, but Tokyo should not be intimidated and should expect to play their own football and have a high-quality game. And with a victory in this stage, they want to decorate their final home game above all.

　This week, Kelly and Komine are suspended due to accumulated warnings, and Kagami is playing as an attacking midfielder while Naito is on the right side. Both Tokyo and Gamba are playing with a double pivot in a trapezoid-shaped midfield, setting up similar formations. At the start of the match, Tokyo showed an attacking play with Kagami drifting to the side and Sato making a big switch to Amaral in the center. On the other hand, Gamba's number 10, Vitau, controlled the game from the right side and launched a wide attack, showing depth with the forward movement of both Inamoto and Endo in the double pivot. Both teams started the game with an aggressive approach.

Yoshihara, Goal with Skill

　However, after the ball settled down for a moment, Gamba Osaka slowly passed the ball around, waiting for an opportunity to attack. In the 4th minute, the ball was passed to Vitao, who was in the midfield of the Tokyo team's territory, and he evaded the defender.

A pass to MF Endo, who moved up to support. Endo, who was completely free at this point, lifted a lob ball to the front line, and FW Yoshihara darted behind the Tokyo DF. Yoshihara, with the Tokyo DF chasing back, skillfully connected his right foot to the dropping point of the ball from behind, hitting the left corner of the post and scoring a goal. There is nothing to do but praise Yoshihara's movement and technique in this goal, and Tokyo is already behind.

　However, in the 8th minute, Kagami became a wedge and swung to the left, Sato ran in and crossed early, Amaral headed the shot but GK Tsuzuki caught it. In the 14th minute, Kagami once again received a return pass from Sato and approached the goal. If Sato crosses from the right, Nariyuki Kobayashi cuts in from the left, creating an attacking shape for Tokyo, although he cannot take a shot. The temperature is close to 30 degrees, and the humidity is 74%, making it extremely hot. Both teams have reduced their physical activity, and in the midfield, the press has loosened. However, in the 22nd minute, Amaral dribbles alone and attacks the penalty area, but the marking on Amaral is stricter than usual, and he is fouled and counterattacked.

　Gamba, with Vitau as the starting point, stands out for the movements of the forward Nino Boure, who receives passes from Vitau and also drops back to receive passes himself. On the other hand, the occasional bursts from the left side half, Futagawa, and the advances of the defensive midfielders Inamoto and Endo also add accents, but the play lacked precision, perhaps due to the heat. In the 37th minute, inside the penalty area, Yoshihara passes directly to Nino Boure, who shoots but misses the target. In the 43rd minute, Tokyo's Narazaki exchanges passes with Fujii, who has moved up the left side, and sends a final pass into the space in front of the goal, but Asari, who made the run, couldn't keep up and couldn't take the shot. Tokyo ended the first half with a one-goal deficit.

三浦、呂比須の投入が光りを見せるも…

　In the second half, Tokyo substituted Miura for Shimohira and immediately after the start, Miura broke through the right side. In the 48th minute, Sato and the team tried to find a way through side attacks. Naito initiated the play, and in the 51st minute, the ball was passed to the left side by Kobayashi Masamitsu, who had dribbled up the middle. Kagami aimed carefully with an inside kick and took a shot, but the goalkeeper managed to catch it.

　Conversely, Gamba's Vitau and Ninobure alternated vertical position changes to approach the goal, but Asari made a good cover to prevent the decisive chance in the 55th minute. In the 58th minute, Miura charged from the right side on a through pass from Kagami. However, the goalkeeper rushed out and forced a corner kick, and after that, both teams' lines stretched out, leading to a desperate struggle. To break through the tense period with substitutions, Gamba brought on forward Kojima for Ninobure in the 62nd minute. However, Tokyo, whose rhythm was improving with Miura's introduction, saw Miura run onto a through pass from Amaral in the 65th minute, but the defender cleared it to the side. From there, Amaral headed a cross from Sato, but they just couldn't capture the goal. Then, in the 67th minute, Rubisu was brought on for Kagami. Rubisu, who also appeared in stoppage time last match, made his striker comeback after two months, and the stadium was sure to be electrified. The counterattack mode surged all at once.

　70 minutes into the game, Kobayashi sends a high pass into the goal area from a free kick. Miura runs behind the defensive line, replacing Robisu who came to receive the pass, and takes a shot!... However, the ball slips past the side of the goal, missing the best chance of the day.

Someday, to compete with the world

　At this point, Gamba, not pushing themselves too hard, did not launch a quick counterattack even after regaining possession. Vitão kept the ball and slowly transitioned to a slow attack. However, in the 74th minute, when Tokyo pushed forward and there was no pressure in midfield, Inamoto advanced. Receiving a pass from Vitão, who had confirmed this move, he headed straight for the goal. He briefly passed to Kojima positioned in front of the goal area, slipped past the defenders, received the return pass, and calmly shot with his right foot. The ball pierced the net, and Tokyo conceded a painful second goal. During a time when Tokyo was pressing forward and close to scoring, the day’s “main actor” sealed the deal, but Tokyo did not give up the fight. In the 76th minute, Toda was brought on to replace Seigo KOBAYASHI. Naito advanced, and Tokyo’s eleven, including Róbusu and Miura, showed fighting spirit pushing forward until the end. However, Róbusu’s header from a corner in the 78th minute went over the goal. In the 82nd minute, Róbusu again attacked following a pass from Amaral and took a mid-range shot, but it missed just by the width of one ball to the left of the goal… Immediately after, Róbusu appeared to be fouled inside the penalty area from a free kick, but the foul was called outside the area. From there, Sato’s direct free kick was blocked by the wall, and the match ended without Tokyo breaking through the defense. Gamba demonstrated their tactical skill, resulting in a frustrating defeat for Tokyo, who were forced to endure their opponents’ game plan.

　However, the battle ends with the whistle. After the game, the stadium was filled with warm applause and cheers to celebrate Inamoto's new challenge. Tokyo sent a support message on two Aurora Vision screens, saying "Mr. INAMOTO, You can do it for the GUNNERS." After the TV hero interview, Inamoto himself went to greet the Gamba supporters behind the goal, and then to greet the Tokyo supporters behind the goal. This beautiful scene truly demonstrated that soccer is a sport that connects the world. Of course, it is important to remember the frustration of today's defeat and continue to fight in each and every game from tomorrow. However, someday Tokyo also dreams of producing players like Inamoto and becoming a team that can compete with the world.

[Manager Hayano's Comment] "Since we had a big win in the previous match, I thought today's game would be very difficult in reverse. I think we were able to ride the wave thanks to Yoshihara, who is in good form, scoring the opening goal. We had to deal with both the opponent and the heat, so at halftime, I instructed the players to avoid making mistakes. However, the game didn't go well as we had few opportunities to break through the sides and couldn't execute our midfield press effectively, resulting in a lackluster performance. It wasn't a satisfying game, but I want to build confidence by winning this important game after a big victory without conceding any goals. I also want to instill in the young players the consciousness of winning."

[Coach Okuma's Comment] "We conceded goals by allowing Gamba Osaka to exploit our weaknesses. We were unable to defend the space behind our defense, and they countered our attempts to play fast. In this kind of situation, it's inevitable to struggle. Although we were not completely unable to play the style of soccer we had envisioned throughout the 90 minutes, it felt like a complete defeat in terms of the flow of the game. In the final match, we want to prepare ourselves to play our own style of soccer once again."