The "Passion" Shown Against Sanfrecce Hiroshima
Good morning, good afternoon, good evening, and happy birthday to anyone celebrating today. I am the person writing this while feeling down because my data was lost. This time, I would like to write my thoughts on the Gamba Osaka vs. Sanfrecce Hiroshima match.
Before the match
Annual seat holders gather four hours before the match. Arriving four hours early allows you to fully enjoy the day with this match. It feels a bit like a morning stroll. You can see the various states of the supporters. Among them, the Makoto Mitsuda fans stood out the most. This match is deeply moving for both Gamba and Sanfrecce. It is a match where Gamba fights for Mitsuda, and Sanfrecce fights to vent the frustration of having their championship hopes blocked last year. Because of this, there was a strange, unusual atmosphere in the air. This became clear during the warm-up cheers. When Mitsuda was announced, Sanfrecce supporters booed, while Gamba supporters welcomed him with loud applause. The Mitsuda chant had more intensity than usual. As someone who was behind the goal, I couldn't even hear my own voice for the first time while cheering for Gamba. Mitsuda showed that he is a blue-and-black warrior, a player for Gamba Osaka.
First half
Both teams had a good start in the first half. The fighting spirit in the 50-50 challenges was especially wonderful. The battle for the ball between Mitsuda and Kato heated up the stadium. I felt that Mitsuda's level of determination that day was different from before. In the 14th minute, during a passing sequence between Usami, Yamashita, and Handa, Yamashita broke through with a one-two with Handa. He used his speed to cut inside, and Hummet was there. He took a shot, but it was blocked, and he took another shot on the rebound. The goal didn't come. Osako made a save that was at the level of a save of the month, preventing the goal. Then, in the 20th minute, the biggest turning point of the match occurred. During the build-up, Ichimori passed the ball to the center, but it was a mistake. Juergen intercepted it and went one-on-one, but Suzuki grabbed him. This was judged as DOGSO, resulting in a red card. We were forced to play with one man down for about 70 minutes. For Sanfrecce, it was a moment to finish it before any adjustments could be made. Gamba wanted to finish the first half with zero goals conceded. However, Gamba couldn't hold onto the ball. It was difficult even to force the opponent's defense to face their own goal. As expected, in the 33rd minute, the ball was stolen from a Mitsuda mistake, leading to a cross. It was blocked once, but Shiotani pushed in the rebound to take the lead, and the first half ended.
Second half
Kishimoto was brought on to replace Usami in the second half. The formation became as shown in the diagram.
One of the three center-backs began to join the attack. In the second half, we were able to recover second balls. By having three players in midfield, it became easier to recover them. The center-backs' participation in the attack was also effective, making positions fluid and harder to mark. Furthermore, since the lone striker Yamashita was constantly looking to get in behind, it was difficult for the opponent to move forward easily. Gamba created many chances. In the 48th minute, they simply looked for Yamashita behind the defense. In the 57th minute, Nakatani won the ball in a high position, and Yamashita, who pressed with momentum, won a foul just outside the penalty area. Makoto Mitsuda took the kick. The ball dipped, but he couldn't score. Sanfrecce also looked for openings to attack. In the 79th minute, Araki headed the ball down from a corner kick, but Ichimori made a super save. Despite increasing the pressure, Osako repeatedly prevented chances, and no goal was scored. The second half ended this way.
The passion shown in the second half
Watching the first-half play, I thought today might be a bad day for Gamba. It's difficult, but seeing how they were beaten in the first half and the lack of adjustments, I thought it would be tough. However, the Gamba in the second half was completely different from the Gamba in the first half. They showed the most passion of this season. Handa, in particular, stood out. The scene in the 53rd minute where he pressed all the way to the goalkeeper heated up the entire stadium and created an atmosphere that we would turn the game around. Furthermore, in the 73rd minute, he stopped a counter-attack after a Mitsuda pass was intercepted with a clean sliding tackle. In the 88th minute, he was also seen running to the left side to cover calmly. He is at a level where he could be chosen as the MOM for this match. According to him, he can run even more, but his performance was more than enough. The other players were also wonderful. Juan Alano, who usually might have lost his motivation, displayed his brilliance as a magician. Nakatani continued to challenge and move forward even with one man down. Kishimoto became a focal point in aerial battles and led the attack. Yamashita was a constant threat to the opponent. This is Gamba Osaka. There are ways to lose in soccer. I think the way they lost this match is the best way to lose in soccer. Supporters can only cheer for the next match against Kobe.