GAMBA OSAKA , who have been fighting fiercely to reach the top of ACL2, will take on their strongest rival in a crucial match. The players have been running alongside Head Coach Vissing, carrying the baton inherited from former Head Coach Poyatos. Masaaki HIGASHIGUCHI is the only player on the team to have played the full 90 minutes in every match from the group stage to the semi-finals. He has shone in difficult situations and shown his resurgence.

At Gamba, I've won every domestic title, but I've never experienced an Asian title, so I had a strong desire to win it even before ACL 2 started. I was able to play in the group stage matches, thanks to the foundation built by everyone, including players who are no longer at Gamba, so I tried my best to fight hard. It was my first time competing in Asia in a while, and the away travel and matches weren't easy, and the opponents were also playing with high intensity. Looking back on the tournament up to the final, it was just so much fun. There was a different level of competition and different styles compared to the J.League, the temperature difference between Thailand and Japan was different, and Vietnam was also a pretty tough environment with FW over 2 meters tall, so there were a lot of interesting elements. When traveling, we would all talk about whether the airplane seats were cramped or spacious, and we would talk about all sorts of things on the bus, so it was an environment where it was easy to unite as a team. Those experiences also brought back to the J.League, creating a positive cycle.

As the oldest member of the team, I want to leave something behind for Gamba.

Since 2015, Gamba Osaka has been far from winning a title, and winning any competition is valuable both for the team and for individual players. It also leads to the next stage, the ACLE, so it will be of great significance for Gamba Osaka going forward and for the next season. That's why we absolutely want to win ACL2 this time. Up to this point, we've come through the overall strength of the team, but I believe it's because of the strength of the entire team, including not only the players we have now, but also the players who contributed to securing our qualification for ACL2. Also, during the tournament, the management changed from former Head Coach Poyatos to Head Coach Jens, and there was a change in the style of football. It was by no means easy to advance this far under those circumstances. That's why we have a special feeling about reaching the final. class="r"/>
I believe that in a player's career, there are only a few times when you get to reach the final. This match against Al Nasr is a great opportunity, and as the oldest player on the team, I want to leave something behind for Gamba, and in that sense, I think winning a title would be the greatest contribution. I've played in the finals several times before, but this time my feelings are stronger, and I want to increase the number of titles to ten.
As we embarked on our first Asian competition in a long time, as the oldest member of the team, I was always conscious of how we behaved in the first half of away matches. When the opponent gained momentum and we went through tough times, I encouraged everyone on the team by saying, "If we can get through this without conceding a goal, the rest will be easier." Not only me, but all the players who knew the ACL also joined in to lead the team. In away matches, I think I was more focused than anyone on not conceding the first goal. Even if we had to be patient in the first half, the opponent would stretch out in the second half. We always fought with the belief that we could showcase our strengths. We were particularly able to do that in the away match against Ratchaburi FC in the group stage, and even though I hadn't had any opportunities to play in the league matches, I think that game gave me confidence and allowed me to get into a rhythm.

I want to win the championship for the supporters no matter what.

Losing to Guangzhou Evergrande in the semi-finals of the 2015 ACL was truly frustrating, and we came so close to reaching the final, but I still remember how disappointed we were back then. In that sense, having reached the final in this ACL 2, the question now is how much of what we have to offer. I don't think the opponent matters. It's a battle of how much we can play with conviction, and anything can happen. If we can give it our all, I think our chances of winning will increase, and even if we lose, I think we'll be able to end it with a sense of satisfaction.
Al Nassr has many well-known players, and we've all watched videos of their matches, and their attacking quality is very high. The question is how well Gamba can compete in a completely away game. I'm simply looking forward to playing against a team with such a lineup, and since opportunities like this don't come around often, I feel that the away environment will actually motivate me.
In the final, we want to focus especially on the start of the first half. Even if the momentum shifts to the opponent, the key will be whether we can withstand their attacks defensively. The important thing is not to collapse ourselves. If we can do that, we can definitely compete, and with Gamba's style this season, we can intercept the ball and win it back, so the question is whether we can then show our final quality and gain an advantage. Conversely, for us defenders, the key is how well we can stop Al Nassr when they launch a strong counter-attack. Head Coach Jens keeps saying, "Stop them individually" if they get into the penalty box, and the same goes for the GK. This is the only way we've ever played, and I don't think Head Coach Jens has any intention of playing a different style of football in the final. It's important to weather the opponent's periods, but we also want to maintain possession and execute the gegenpressing we've been doing in front of their goal. I think this style of play will work, so if we can play with confidence, I think we have a good chance of winning.
If we win the final and get our hands on an Asian title that I haven't yet achieved, I think I'll be one step closer to Fuji-san (Assistant GK Coach Fujigaya), who has won the ACL. There are players who want to be on the pitch but can't due to injuries, and above all, this is a title that our supporters have long desired. It's a completely away final, but no matter what, I want to win for our supporters.