This week’s playoff round match against Tokyo Verdy is the last home game of this special season. Up until now, I’ve only played as a substitute in the match against Vissel Kobe in May at Panasonic Stadium Suita, so if I get to stand on the pitch, I want to play with confidence and give it my all for the team’s victory. One of the reasons I decided to join Gamba was because I wanted to play football in the special atmosphere of Panasonic Stadium Suita, so just imagining standing on the pitch as a starter at Panasonic Stadium Suita makes me incredibly excited! I know that the feeling of hearing that support from the bench is completely different from feeling it on the pitch, so I really want to experience it on the pitch for as long as possible, and I want to express to the fullest through my play the joy of being able to play with the loud cheers of the fans and supporters.
The previous match against Shimizu S-Pulse was our first official match since the ACL2 2025/26 final, and I think it was a match in which we were able to come back from conceding the first goal to win, and in which each of us was able to use the fact that we won the ACL2 title as motivation, allowing us to play with confidence as a team.
However, as for myself, I only played in one ACL2 match, an away game against Bangkok United, so to be honest, I didn’t feel like my ACL2 experience was particularly useful. Purely because I didn’t feel very good playing in the 15th Sec. against Nagoya Grampus when I played as a right-back, I wanted to make this a match where I could show that I’m capable of more than that.
While we were able to play the game more calmly than in the Nagoya match, we still couldn’t show an overwhelming performance, and I felt that we need to be able to choose options that are more dangerous for the opponent, both offensively and defensively. Also, since I haven’t been able to record any assists or goals this season, I feel that I still need to focus on the “numbers.” I will be mindful of that in the two playoff matches.
This is our first time playing against Tokyo Verdy this season, and they seem to be a team of young players who play aggressive football. They seem to have many players on the wing, such as Yuya FUKUDA, who are good at ball control, and they tend to keep possession of the ball. We will try to defend tightly and not let them have too much freedom, but we will not be passive against Verdy. We want to take the initiative and aim for a goal, and we hope that will lead to victory. We appreciate your support.
AloJapan.com