"It was one of our biggest goals, so I'm glad we were able to participate in the ACLE."Head Coach Myojin, who faced a must-win match in only his second game in charge, spoke frankly about the victory against Gangwon FC in the ACLE preliminary stage.

In a one-off away match, they were forced to endure a tough battle, but Nawata scored a dramatic winning goal in the first half of extra time. The defense, which had conceded three goals against Urawa, also showed resilience at crucial moments, and they managed to secure a clean sheet victory. Abe expressed his satisfaction, saying, "We had all talked about how we absolutely had to get into the ACL, so I'm glad we were able to win." However, the fate of a team competing on the Asian stage is to play consecutive league matches.

"I'm satisfied with the result, but not with the performance in both offense and defense," said Head Coach Myojin, who, even after a victory, is not complacent. His next goal is to win the upcoming matches while solidifying the style of Myojin Gamba.
With limited time between the away trip to South Korea and the match against Mito, the team selection will focus not only on tactical adjustments but also on player condition. Head Coach Myojin also commented, "Since we'll be traveling to Mito this time, how many fresh players we have will be an important factor."
While considering the condition of the players who have fought through 120 minutes, the team will literally go all out to win against Mito.

As the experienced Hatsuse says, "It's important to win and then make adjustments," Gamba is working to eliminate their weaknesses while playing official matches, but what's important in consecutive matches is to avoid falling behind due to careless goals conceded.
For Mito, who are playing in J1 for the first time this season, this is a memorable home opener, so their motivation is naturally high. "It's important to get off to a good start in the first 15 minutes of the match. As with any game, the first goal is crucial," says Head Coach Myojin.

Ideally, they would win the ball back from the front line, but in any case, maintaining compactness is essential. While the forwards are maintaining their good form, Nawata is eager to score his first J1 goal, saying, "I still need to perform well to gain trust from here on. I want to prove my worth." Uenaka, who was the starting point for the winning goal against Ehara FC, is also quickly making his presence felt as a reliable attacker.

Meanwhile, Mito lost 1-2 to Kashiwa in their opening match, but they dominated the second half and showed a powerful attack. Gamba should be wary of Uchino, who scored against Kashiwa. "He's a player who can do his job in the penalty area, and above all, his movement off the ball is his greatest strength, so we need to be careful about that," says Iketani, who was Uchino's teammate at Tsukuba University.

Head Coach Myojin doesn't hide his caution, saying, "With new players joining the team, the level of play has risen even further than during the J.LEAGUE 100 YEAR VISION LEAGUE ," but for Gamba, this match will be all about securing three points to start the season with another win.
No matter who takes to the pitch, the direction and style we aim for are already shared. As Hatsuse emphatically states, "I think this is the time to show the true strength of the team," so all we can do is win with the combined strength of everyone.