Gamba Osaka suffered their first defeat since Head Coach Myojin took over, losing away against Nagoya. However, for a team still in the process of growing, every result is a learning experience for the future.
Head Coach Myojin believes that "whether we win, draw, or lose, it's important to grow and make adjustments from that match," and he doesn't get too caught up in the immediate results, focusing only on establishing the style he aims for.

After playing against Nagoya, Gamba will face another match just three days later in the 2nd Leg round of the EMPEROR'S CUP . As Fukuoka said, "We haven't forgotten about the 2024 Emperor's EMPEROR'S CUP. We want to win and gain momentum for that," Gamba will take their first step towards the final, which will be held on New Year's Day for the first time in six tournaments.

Having competed in the EMPEROR'S CUP as a player during his active career, Head Coach Myojin knows firsthand how difficult Japan's oldest cup competition, which also includes amateur teams, will be. He expressed his determination as follows:
"This will be the first match of the tournament, with the EMPEROR'S CUP title on the line. We have a match against Hiroshima in 2nd year of junior high school days, so we want to assess the players' condition and field the best possible lineup."

As this is the second match of a five-game series taking place in the middle of summer, the Shiga match will see the team bringing together the full strength of players from youngsters to veterans. However, what remains unchanged is the hard work on both offense and defense that Gamba originally aims for, as well as the basic aspects such as ball control and running ability.
"I think the opponent will be aggressive and aim for a giant-killing since they have nothing to lose, but what we need to do is play our own style of football. We want to express that," said Fukuoka, who made his first start of the season as an overage player in the U-21 J.League.

The lesson learned from the Nagoya match is the importance of being flexible in dealing with the opponent's press. As Head Coach Myojin warns, "Shiga's defense can be high-pressing or set up in a middle block, but their front four have strong defensive capabilities," Shiga may come aggressively to win the ball back.
While the ideal scenario is to break down the opponent's defense by moving the ball around, especially at the start of the match, it will also be necessary to simply turn the opponent around or choose low-risk plays. Fukuoka, with his extensive experience, will also need to be part of the backline and not play the opponent's style of football. He emphasizes the importance of details, saying that for the first 10 or 15 minutes when Shiga is pressing high, the team should play simply, and that they shouldn't concede corner kicks in the first 5 or 10 minutes.

Shiga, the first team from Shiga Prefecture to participate in the J3 League, won 1st Leg against JAPAN Soccer College, and is currently on a winning streak in the J3 League, scoring three goals in two consecutive matches. Hojo, who scored a hat-trick against Matsumoto Yamaga and currently has four goals in J3, is an attacker not to be underestimated, but Romero Frank ROMERO , a 39-year-old defensive midfielder who played for Yamagata against Gamba in the 2014 EMPEROR'S CUP final and scored a goal, is also a veteran who knows the ways of the EMPEROR'S CUP inside and out, so caution is needed.

Although Abe is suspended and unable to play in the match against Hiroshima, he is well aware of the importance of this game. "We want to play a game that erases the memory of our previous loss and carry that momentum into the match against Hiroshima."

Gamba Osaka will take the first step on their long road to the New Year's Day final with a strong performance at Panasonic Stadium Suita.