2016 Gamba Osaka season

The 2016 Gamba Osaka season was Gamba Osaka's 23rd season in the J1 League and 29th overall in the Japanese top flight. Like the previous season, the 2016 campaign was split into two stages, with the first stage running from February to June, the second stage being held between July and November and finally a Championship stage in late November. With city-rivals Cerezo Osaka failing to gain promotion from J2, Gamba's main rivalry match was the Hanshin derby against Vissel Kobe with an away game held in round 4 on the 19th March and the return home match in round 26 on August 20.[1][2] Gamba finished in 6th place in the first stage of the season and 4th place in the second stage for an overall 4th-place finish.

Gamba Osaka
2016 season
ChairmanTeruhisa Noro
ManagerKenta Hasegawa
J1 League4th
Emperor's CupQuarter Final
J.League CupRunner Up
AFC Champions LeagueGroup Stage
Japanese Super CupRunner Up
Top goalscorerLeague:
Ademilson 9
Shun Nagasawa 9
All: Ademilson 13
Highest home attendance34,231 vs Yokohama F. Marinos (J1) on 2 April 2016
Lowest home attendance8,789 vs Shimizu S-Pulse (Emperor's Cup) on 9 November 2016
Average home league attendance25,342

Gamba's position as runner-up in the 2015 J1 League Championship saw them automatically qualify for the 2016 AFC Champions League, their 8th appearance in the competition. Looking to improve on their run to the semi-finals in 2015, they were drawn into the tough looking Group G along with Australian side Melbourne Victory, South Korea's Suwon Samsung Bluewings and big-spending Chinese outfit Shanghai SIPG. The group stage kicked off on Wednesday 24 February and concluded on Tuesday 3 May with all sides in the group playing each other home and away in a round-robin basis.[3] Gamba were eliminated at the group stage with only 2 points from 6 games to show for their efforts.

As winners of the 2015 Emperor's Cup, Gamba competed in the season opening Japanese Super Cup, held in Yokohama on 20 February. The annually held match pitted Gamba against Sanfrecce Hiroshima, the side who defeated them in the final of the 2015 J1 League Championship. This was Gamba's 6th appearance in the Super Cup, however they were unable to build on their previous victories in 2007 and 2015 and went down 3-1. Trailing 2-0 due to early second half goals from Satō and Asano, top scorer of the previous 3 campaigns Takashi Usami pulled one back, however Utaka added a third for Hiroshima shortly afterwards to seal the win.[4]

Later on in the season, Gamba entered the 2016 J.League Cup and 2016 Emperor's Cup. Due to their AFC Champions League commitments, they were given a bye past the J.League Cup group stage and entered in the quarter-finals.[5] Similarly they entered the Emperor's Cup in the 4th round.[6] They went all the way to the final of the J.League cup for the 3rd time in a row, however they lost out to the Urawa Red Diamonds in a penalty shoot-out. In the Emperor's Cup, they bowed out to Yokohama F. Marinos in the quarter-finals meaning that this would be their first season without any silverware since 2012.

This was Gamba's first season playing at the newly opened Suita City Football Stadium which was built in the same park as Osaka Expo '70 Stadium, their home from 1980–2015.[7] The first official game to be held in the new stadium was on 14 February 2016, the pre-season Panasonic Cup match between Gamba and Nagoya Grampus which the home side won 3-1.[8] The first league match was held in front of 32,463 spectators on 28 February against Kashima Antlers. It resulted in a 1-0 defeat against the team which went on to win the first stage of the 2016 J1 League[1] The move to the new stadium was a huge success in terms of increasing attendance with average league attendances increasing from 15,999 in 2015 to 25,342 in 2016.

Transfers

Coming off the back of a draining 2015 season which saw them play 60 games in all competitions, Gamba sought to add depth to their squad. In came experienced former Shimizu S-Pulse, Nagoya Grampus, Yokohama F. Marinos and Japan national team midfielder Jungo Fujimoto to compete for a right-wing slot with Hiroyuki Abe and Kotaro Omori.[9] Ademilson who had spent the previous campaign as Fujimoto's teammate in Yokohama, moved west to Osaka on a season-long loan deal from São Paulo FC in his homeland. He is expected to battle with Shu Kurata for a place playing just off target-man Patric.[10] In addition, Hiroto Goya, a prolific scorer at varsity level for Kwansei Gakuin University signed up for his first shot at professional football and two youngsters, Hiroki Noda and Kazunari Ichimi joined from Otsu High School in Kumamoto Prefecture. Noda, a native of Kumamoto has actually turned out for his local side Roasso Kumamoto on 5 occasions over the previous 2 seasons despite his tender age of just 18.[11]

There were fewer departures than arrivals during the close season and crucially no starting-eleven members from the previous year were amongst those to leave. Veteran midfielder Tomokazu Myojin made a surprising move to Nagoya Grampus at the ripe-old age of 38 following 10 years of sterling service to the club.[12] Brazilian attacker Lins was also released. A promising debut season in 2014 which saw him net 8 times in 39 games including several crucial late winners gave way to a disappointing 2015 in which he started only 8 games and could only net 4 goals in 36 games in all competitions, therefore it was no surprise when his departure was announced.[13] Finally, Shingo Akamine a close-season signing from Vegalta Sendai the previous year and who, like Lins had endured a frustrating 2015, announced he would be joining J2 side Fagiano Okayama on loan for 2016.[14]

In addition to those main transfers; Kenya Okazaki, Naoki Ogawa and Shōhei Ogura rejoined the club following loan spells at Ehime FC, Fujieda MYFC and Montedio Yamagata respectively[11] while Yuto Uchida who spent the 2015 season with Tokushima Vortis made his loan move into a permanent one.[15]

In the summer transfer window, the big news was the departure of star attacker Takashi Usami to German Bundesliga side Augsburg. The move came 3 years after Usami had returned to Gamba following spells abroad with Bayern Munich and Hoffenheim. He had finished as the club's leading goalscorer in 2013, 2014 and 2015 and was again leading the Gamba goalscoring charts with 6 goals at the time of his departure.[16] Veteran midfielder Takahiro Futagawa, who had spent most of the first half of the season with Gamba's Under-23 side in J3, also moved on and joined Tokyo Verdy on loan for the remaining six months of the campaign.[17]

Brazilian forward Patric, who had endured a hugely disappointing campaign, injured his knee in October and was released by the club in order to complete his rehabilitation in his native country.[18] Also in October, Patric's compatriot, Ademilson, turned his loan move from São Paulo into a permanent one.[19]

In
No. Pos Player Transferred From Fee Date Source
9 FW Ademilson São Paulo Loan 8 Jan [10]
17 MF Kenya Okazaki Ehime FC Loan Return 17 Jan [11]
23 FW Hiroto Goya Kwansei Gakuin University Unknown 17 Jan [11]
24 FW Naoki Ogawa Fujieda MYFC Loan Return 17 Jan [11]
25 MF Jungo Fujimoto Yokohama F. Marinos Unknown 11 Jan [9]
32 DF Hiroki Noda Ohzu High School Unknown 17 Jan [11]
33 FW Kazunari Ichimi Ohzu High School Unknown 17 Jan [11]
40 MF Shōhei Ogura Montedio Yamagata Loan Return 17 Jan [11]
9 FW Ademilson São Paulo Unknown 14 October [19]

Out
No. Pos Player Transferred To Fee Date Source
9 FW Lins Released Free 2 Jan [13]
17 MF Tomokazu Myojin Nagoya Grampus Unknown 6 Jan [12]
23 DF Yuto Uchida Tokushima Vortis Unknown 6 Jan [15]
24 FW Shingo Akamine Fagiano Okayama Loan 7 Jan [14]
10 MF Takahiro Futagawa Tokyo Verdy Loan 1 Jul [17]
39 FW Takashi Usami FC Augsburg Unknown 1 Jul [16]
39 FW Patric released Unknown 21 Oct [18]

First team squad
As of the beginning of 2016 season.[11]
No. Name Nationality Position(s) Date of Birth (Age) Height (cm) Weight (kg) Since Previous Club Games Played Goals Scored
Goalkeepers
1 Masaaki Higashiguchi GK (1986-05-12)May 12, 1986 (aged 30) 184 78 2014 Albirex Niigata 105 0
16 Ken Tajiri GK (1993-06-11)June 11, 1993 (aged 23) 182 76 2013 Gamba Osaka Youth 0 0
18 Yōsuke Fujigaya GK (1981-02-13)February 13, 1981 (aged 35) 185 78 2015 Júbilo Iwata 342 0
31 Mizuki Hayashi GK (1996-09-04)September 4, 1996 (aged 20) 182 74 2015 Gamba Osaka Youth 0 0
Defenders
3 Takaharu Nishino CB (1993-09-14)September 14, 1993 (aged 23) 187 73 2012 Gamba Osaka Youth 66 6
4 Hiroki Fujiharu LB (1988-11-28)November 28, 1988 (aged 28) 175 60 2011 Osaka University of H&SS 199 8
5 Daiki Niwa CB (1986-01-16)January 16, 1986 (aged 30) 180 76 2012 Avispa Fukuoka* 137 6
6 Kim Jung-ya / CB (1988-05-17)May 17, 1988 (aged 28) 183 74 2014 Sagan Tosu* 58 0
8 Keisuke Iwashita CB (1986-09-24)September 24, 1986 (aged 30) 181 76 2012 Shimizu S-Pulse 117 5
14 Koki Yonekura RB (1988-05-17)May 17, 1988 (aged 28) 176 68 2014 JEF United 84 7
22 Oh Jae-suk RB / LB (1990-01-04)January 4, 1990 (aged 26) 178 74 2013 Gangwon FC 64 0
30 So Hirao RB (1996-07-01)July 1, 1996 (aged 20) 170 68 2015 Gamba Osaka Youth 2 0
32 Hiroki Noda CB (1997-07-27)July 27, 1997 (aged 19) 181 73 2016 Otsu High School 0 0
35 Ryo Hatsuse RB / LB (1997-07-10)July 10, 1997 (aged 19) 175 64 2015 Gamba Osaka Youth 0 0
Midfielders
7 Yasuhito Endō (c) CM / AM (1980-01-28)January 28, 1980 (aged 36) 178 75 2001 Kyoto Purple Sanga 614 118
10 Takahiro Futagawa RM / LM (1980-06-27)June 27, 1980 (aged 36) 168 63 1999 Gamba Osaka Youth 598 87
11 Shu Kurata RW / LW / AM (1988-11-26)November 26, 1988 (aged 28) 172 68 2012 Cerezo Osaka* 204 36
13 Hiroyuki Abe RW (1989-07-05)July 5, 1989 (aged 27) 170 69 2012 Kwansei Gakuin University 154 26
15 Yasuyuki Konno CB / DM (1983-01-25)January 25, 1983 (aged 33) 178 73 2012 FC Tokyo 173 14
17 Kenya Okazaki CM / RM / LM (1990-05-31)May 31, 1990 (aged 26) 173 62 2016 Ehime FC* 29 2
19 Kotaro Omori RW / LW (1992-04-28)April 28, 1992 (aged 24) 167 63 2011 Gamba Osaka Youth 111 14
21 Yosuke Ideguchi CM (1996-08-23)August 23, 1996 (aged 20) 171 69 2014 Gamba Osaka Youth 22 0
25 Jungo Fujimoto RW (1984-03-24)March 24, 1984 (aged 32) 173 69 2016 Yokohama F. Marinos 0 0
26 Naoya Senoo LB / LM (1996-08-15)August 15, 1996 (aged 20) 172 60 2015 Gamba Osaka Youth 1 0
27 Tatsuya Uchida CB / DM (1992-02-08)February 8, 1992 (aged 24) 177 70 2011 Gamba Osaka Youth 70 1
28 Shota Yomesaka CB / LB / LM (1996-10-19)October 19, 1996 (aged 20) 177 67 2014 Gamba Osaka Youth 0 0
36 Mizuki Ichimaru CM / RM (1997-05-08)May 8, 1997 (aged 19) 174 66 2016 Gamba Osaka Youth 0 0
38 Ritsu Doan RM / LM (1998-06-16)June 16, 1998 (aged 18) 172 70 2015 Gamba Osaka Youth 4 0
40 Shōhei Ogura RB / CB / DM (1985-09-08)September 8, 1985 (aged 31) 174 67 2015 Yokohama F. Marinos 10 0
Strikers
9 Ademilson AM / CF (1994-01-09)January 9, 1994 (aged 22) 176 74 2016 São Paulo (loan) 0 0
20 Shun Nagasawa CF (1988-08-25)August 25, 1988 (aged 28) 192 82 2015 Shimizu S-Pulse 11 5
23 Hiroto Goya CF (1994-01-02)January 2, 1994 (aged 22) 177 68 2016 Kwansei Gakuin University 0 0
24 Naoki Ogawa AM / CF (1995-07-03)July 3, 1995 (aged 21) 168 62 2016 Fujieda MYFC* 3 1
29 Patric CF (1987-10-26)October 26, 1987 (aged 29) 189 82 2014 Atlético Goianiense 82 36
33 Kazunari Ichimi CF (1997-11-10)November 10, 1997 (aged 19) 183 74 2016 Otsu High School 0 0
37 Akito Takagi CF (1997-08-04)August 4, 1997 (aged 19) 175 68 2016 Gamba Osaka Youth 1 0
39 Takashi Usami LW / AM / CF (1992-05-06)May 6, 1992 (aged 24) 178 69 2013 Hoffenheim* 172 86
* indicates player returned to Gamba Osaka from a loan spell with this club.

Pre-season friendlies
Date Opponents H / A Result
F-A		 Scorers Attendance
14 February 2016 Nagoya Grampus H 3-1 o.g. 26', Konno 36', Niwa 66' 35,231

Japanese Super Cup

As winners of the 2015 Emperor's Cup, Gamba squared off against reigning J1 League champions Sanfrecce Hiroshima at Nissan Stadium, Yokohama. The match ended up in a 3-1 defeat for Gamba, with Hisato Satō opening the scoring for Sanfrecce in the 52nd minute and Takuma Asano adding a second from the penalty spot 5 minutes later. Takashi Usami pulled a goal back for Gamba in the 68th minute but it wasn't enough as Sanfrecce's new Nigerian signing Peter Utaka wrapped up the game with 17 minutes remaining. The result means that Gamba have now won just 2 of their 6 appearances in the Japanese Super Cup with victories in 2007 and 2015 and defeats in 2006, 2009, 2010 and 2016. One other point to note is that this game saw the competitive debuts in a Gamba shirt for attacking midfielders Ademilson and Jungo Fujimoto, both of whom joined from Yokohama F. Marinos in the close season.

Date Opponents H / A Result
F-A		 Scorers Attendance
20 February 2016 Sanfrecce Hiroshima N 1-3 Usami 68' 33,805

J1 League First Stage

The first half of the 2016 J1 League season was a disappointing one for Gamba and ended up in a 6th-place finish. Results were wildly inconsistent with 7 wins 3 draws and 7 defeats. Goalscoring was a real issue, especially early on, with only 9 goals in their first 10 games. They also failed to score more than once in 11 out of their 17 games.

Gameweeks 11-17 which fell after their exit from the AFC Champions League brought more goals but, also saw what had been a pretty solid defence become more porous. 3-3 draws at home to two struggling sides, Shonan Bellmare and Nagoya Grampus, summed up this stage of the campaign.

In terms of team selection, the early weeks of the season where Gamba had to balance J1 League and Champions League commitments saw coach Kenta Hasegawa rotate his squad a lot. The full back and attacking midfield berths saw the most instability. While an injury to South Korean full-back Oh Jae-suk and the game time allowed to youngster Ryo Hatsuse with Gamba's Under-23 side in J3 saw Koki Yonekura and Hiroki Fujiharu become the established right-back and left-back respectively, the strongest combination of attacking midfielders in the favoured 4-2-3-1 formation was never determined. Takashi Usami, Shu Kurata, Hiroyuki Abe and Kotaro Omori had all been retained from the previous year, where the latter 3 tended to be rotated. However, the close-season signings of Ademilson and Jungo Fujimoto from Yokohama F. Marinos gave Gamba excessive depth in that area. Ademilson acquitted himself well with 4 goals which came both from attacking midfield and also centre-forward, however Fujimoto struggled to establish himself and had to turn out occasionally for Gamba U-23 to get game time after Gamba's Champions League elimination.

Returning to the theme of goalscoring, perhaps the biggest concern from the first half of the season was the poor goal return of Patric who failed to find the target in 13 appearances. Following two goal-laden seasons in which he and Usami had scored 50 goals between them, they could only muster 6 goals during the first 17 games of this campaign. Indeed, Patric often found himself playing off the bench with his compatriot Ademilson or the tall Shun Nagasawa starting in his place. In light of this, Usami's departure for Germany in mid-season would prove to be a major worry for Gamba going forward.

Results
Round Date Opponents H / A Result
F–A		 Scorers Attendance League
position
1 28 February 2016 Kashima Antlers H 0-1 32,463 13th
2 6 March 2016 Ventforet Kofu A 1-0 Nagasawa 36' 14,103 12th
3 11 March 2016 Omiya Ardija H 2-1 Konno 49', Abe 60' 20,535 4th
4 19 March 2016 Vissel Kobe A 1-2 Kim 84' 16,026 7th
5 2 April 2016 Yokohama F. Marinos H 1-2 Ademilson 19' 34,231 12th
6 10 April 2016 Vegalta Sendai A 3-1 Nagasawa 5', Usami 14', Ademilson 15' 18,011 8th
7 15 April 2016 Kashiwa Reysol H 0-1 13,731 8th
8 24 April 2016 Avispa Fukuoka A 1-0 Usami 79' 18,508 8th
9 29 April 2016 Kawasaki Frontale H 0-1 33,941 9th
10 8 May 2016 Albirex Niigata A 0-0 27,439 10th
11 13 May 2016 Júbilo Iwata H 2-1 Ademilson 45', Endō 66' 17,299 8th
12 21 May 2016 Sanfrecce Hiroshima A 3-1 Ademilson 23', Kurata 64', Nagasawa 82' 17,220 6th
13 29 May 2016 FC Tokyo A 0-1 37,805 8th
14 11 June 2016 Shonan Bellmare H 3-3 Konno 45'+2, Iwashita 58', Usami 82' 22,257 8th
15 15 June 2016 Urawa Red Diamonds H 1-0 Usami 8' 29,397 6th
16 18 June 2016 Sagan Tosu A 1-2 Usami 44' 14,450 6th
17 25 June 2016 Nagoya Grampus H 3-3 Abe 45', Kim 54', Konno 87' 33,546 6th

Match Day Line-Ups

The following players appeared for Gamba Osaka during the 2016 J1 League First Stage:

Player Appearances – 2016 J1 League First Stage
Round Opponent GK RB LB CB CB CM CM RW LW AM CF
1Kashima AntlersHigashiguchiYonekuraFujiharuNiwaKimEndōKonnoFujimotoOmoriAdemilsonNagasawaKurataIdeguchiUsami
2Ventforet KofuHigashiguchiOhHatsuseKonnoKimEndōUchidaAbeUsamiKurataNagasawaOmoriIdeguchiGoya
3Omiya ArdijaHigashiguchiOhFujiharuKonnoKimEndōIdeguchiAbeOmoriUsamiNagasawaKurataGoyaFujimoto
4Vissel KobeHigashiguchiHatsuseFujiharuKonnoKimEndōUchidaAbeUsamiKurataNagasawaAdemilsonIdeguchiPatric
5Yokohama F. MarinosHigashiguchiYonekuraFujiharuKonnoKimEndōIdeguchiAdemilsonUsamiKurataPatricGoyaHatsuse
6Vegalta SendaiHigashiguchiOhFujiharuNiwaKimEndōKonnoAbeUsamiAdemilsonNagasawaKurataOmoriOgura
7Kashiwa ReysolHigashiguchiOhFujiharuNiwaKimEndōKonnoAbeUsamiAdemilsonNagasawaKurataOmoriPatric
8Avispa FukuokaHigashiguchiOhFujiharuNiwaKimEndōKonnoAbeKurataGoyaPatricFujimotoUsami
9Kawasaki FrontaleHigashiguchiHatsuseFujiharuNiwaKimEndōKonnoAbeUsamiKurataPatricNagasawaGoyaFujimoto
10Albirex NiigataHigashiguchiYonekuraFujiharuNiwaIwashitaEndōKonnoAbeUsamiAdemilsonNagasawaKurataIdeguchiPatric
11Júbilo IwataHigashiguchiYonekuraFujiharuNiwaIwashitaIdeguchiKonnoAdemilsonUsamiEndōPatricKimKurataFujimoto
12Sanfrecce HiroshimaHigashiguchiYonekuraFujiharuNiwaIwashitaEndōKonnoAdemilsonUsamiKurataPatricOmoriNagasawaOgura
13FC TokyoHigashiguchiYonekuraFujiharuNiwaIwashitaEndōKonnoAdemilsonUsamiKurataPatricOmoriGoyaFujimoto
14Shonan BellmareHigashiguchiYonekuraFujiharuNiwaIwashitaEndōKonnoAdemilsonUsamiKurataPatricOmoriGoyaFujimoto
15Urawa Red DiamondsHigashiguchiNiwaFujiharuKimIwashitaIdeguchiKonnoAbeUsamiEndōAdemilsonKurataPatric
16Sagan TosuHigashiguchiNiwaFujiharuKimIwashitaIdeguchiKonnoAbeUsamiEndōAdemilsonKurataYonekuraPatric
17Nagoya GrampusHigashiguchiYonekuraFujiharuNiwaKimEndōKonnoAbeUsamiKurataPatricAdemilsonOmoriIdeguchi
= Substitute on, = Substitute Off, = Number of goals scored, = Yellow Card and = Red Card.

J1 League Second Stage

Freed from Asian Champions League commitments, Gamba performed much better during the second stage of the 2016 J1 League season finishing with a record of 10 wins, 4 draws and 3 defeats which saw them come home in 4th place in both the second stage and overall league tables. Impressive away victories over Kashima Antlers and Kawasaki Frontale bookended what was a half of the season largely full of positives.

The mid-season departure of Takashi Usami was not felt as keenly as first feared with the team netting 31 times in 17 games, Shun Nagasawa found the back of the net 6 times, Ademilson 5 and impressive central-midfielder Yosuke Ideguchi, buoyed by his appearance in the Olympics provided 4 in what was a great overall team effort.

The only negatives were the disappointing 0-0 draw at home to league whipping boys Avispa Fukuoka, the painful 1-0 derby defeat against Vissel Kobe in which Ademilson missed a penalty which would have salvaged a draw and also the chastening 4-0 reverse away to second stage champions Urawa Red Diamonds.

Gamba's 4th-place finish in the overall standings left them waiting on the result of the Emperor's Cup to know whether or not they had qualified for the following season's Champions League.

Round Date Opponents H / A Result
F–A		 Scorers Attendance League
position
18 2 July 2016 Kashima Antlers A 3-1 Omori 26', Konno 60', Kim 73' 21,524 5th
19 9 July 2016 Vegalta Sendai H 3-1 Yonekura 14', Patric 78', 90'+2 19,482 3rd
20 13 July 2016 Omiya Ardija A 0-0 9,873 4th
21 17 July 2016 Avispa Fukuoka H 0-0 23,540 4th
22 23 July 2016 Kashiwa Reysol A 2-3 Ademilson 16', Nakatani o.g. 23' 13,808 7th
23 30 July 2016 Sanfrecce Hiroshima H 1-0 Abe 52' 32,444 6th
24 6 August 2016 Sagan Tosu H 2-1 Fujita o.g. 61', Nagasawa 90'+2 17,355 4th
25 13 August 2016 Júbilo Iwata A 2-0 Ademilson 57', Nagasawa 83' 23,144 3rd
26 20 August 2016 Vissel Kobe H 0-1 26,520 4th
27 27 August 2016 Shonan Bellmare A 2-1 Nagasawa 26', 64' 10,664 4th
28 10 September 2016 Ventforet Kofu H 2-1 Nagasawa 8', Kurata 80' 17,921 3rd
29 17 September 2016 Nagoya Grampus A 3-1 Omori 27', Ademilson 65', Ideguchi 90'+1 29,481 2nd
30 25 September 2016 FC Tokyo H 3-3 Omori 15', Nagasawa 18', Fujiharu 90'+1 30,141 3rd
31 1 October 2016 Urawa Red Diamonds A 0-4 43,415 5th
32 22 October 2016 Yokohama F. Marinos A 2-2 Ideguchi 45'+1, 88' 38,380 4th
33 29 October 2016 Albirex Niigata H 3-1 Ademilson 5', Endō (pen.) 60', Goya 90'+8 26,003 4th
34 3 November 2016 Kawasaki Frontale A 3-2 Fujiharu 65', Ideguchi 66', Ademilson 76' 25,694 4th

Match Day Line-Ups

The following players appeared for Gamba Osaka during the 2016 J1 League Second Stage:

Player appearances – 2016 J1 League Second Stage
Round Opponent GK RB LB CB CB CM CM RW LW AM CF
18Kashima AntlersHigashiguchiYonekuraFujiharuNiwaKimEndōKonnoAbeOmoriKurataAdemilsonIdeguchiPatric
19Vegalta SendaiHigashiguchiYonekuraFujiharuNiwaKimEndōKonnoAbeOmoriKurataAdemilsonIdeguchiOhPatric
20Omiya ArdijaHigashiguchiOhFujiharuNiwaKimEndōKonnoAbeOmoriKurataPatricAdemilsonIdeguchiFujimoto
21Avispa FukuokaHigashiguchiYonekuraFujiharuNiwaIwashitaIdeguchiKonnoAbeKurataEndōPatricAdemilsonNagasawaFujimoto
22Kashiwa ReysolHigashiguchiYonekuraOhNiwaKimEndōKonnoAbeOmoriKurataAdemilsonNagasawaPatricDoan
23Sanfrecce HiroshimaHigashiguchiYonekuraOhNiwaKimEndōKonnoAbeKurataAdemilsonNagasawaOmoriUchidaPatric
24Sagan TosuHigashiguchiYonekuraOhNiwaKimEndōKonnoAbeKurataAdemilsonGoyaOmoriNagasawa
25Júbilo IwataHigashiguchiYonekuraOhNiwaKimEndōKonnoAbeOmoriKurataAdemilsonNagasawaHatsuseDoan
26Vissel KobeHigashiguchiYonekuraOhNiwaKimEndōKonnoAbeOmoriKurataAdemilsonFujiharuNagasawaDoan
27Shonan BellmareHigashiguchiOhFujiharuNiwaKimEndōIdeguchiOmoriKurataAdemilsonNagasawaNishinoAbePatric
28Ventforet KofuHigashiguchiYonekuraFujiharuNiwaKimEndōIdeguchiAbeKurataAdemilsonNagasawaKonnoOmoriGoya
29Nagoya GrampusHigashiguchiOhFujiharuNiwaKimEndōIdeguchiOmoriKurataAdemilsonNagasawaNishinoYonekuraKonno
30FC TokyoHigashiguchiYonekuraFujiharuNiwaKimIdeguchiKonnoOmoriKurataAdemilsonNagasawaEndōGoyaFujimoto
31Urawa Red DiamondsHigashiguchiOhFujiharuNiwaNishinoEndōIdeguchiKurataOmoriAdemilsonNagasawaKonnoGoyaFujimoto
32Yokohama F. MarinosHigashiguchiYonekuraOhNiwaKimIdeguchiKonnoFujimotoOmoriEndōGoyaFujiharuKurataNagasawa
33Albirex NiigataHigashiguchiOhFujiharuIwashitaKimIdeguchiKonnoFujimotoKurataEndōAdemilsonAbeOmoriGoya
34Kawasaki FrontaleHigashiguchiOhFujiharuIwashitaKimIdeguchiKonnoKurataOmoriEndōAdemilsonAbeGoya
= Substitute on, = Substitute Off, = Number of goals scored, = Yellow Card and = Red Card.

AFC Champions League

Gamba were drawn in Group G along with Australian side Melbourne Victory, Korean outfit Suwon Samsung Bluewings and China's Shanghai SIPG. It was to prove a disappointing campaign for them culminating in an exit at the group stage, a strong contrast with the previous season's run to the semi-finals. An inability to find the back of the net which had plagued their early form in J1 also proved to be their downfall in the Champions League with only 4 goals scored in 6 games.

Draws in their opening two games away to Samsung and at home to Melbourne were to prove the high points as they were followed by a run of four defeats in a row, three of which came by a solitary goal. As it happened, Sven-Göran Eriksson's Shanghai side ran out group winners with 12 points, 3 ahead of both Melbourne and Samsung on 9. It was Melbourne who advanced with them, with their final round win over a largely second string Gamba side giving them the points they required to overtake Suwon due to having a better head-to-head record in matches played between the two sides. Gamba finished fourth and last in the group.

Results
Round Date Opponents H / A Result
F–A		 Scorers Attendance League
position
1 24 February 2016 Samsung Bluewings A 0-0 9,947 2nd=
2 2 March 2016 Melbourne Victory H 1-1 Endō 57' 14,270 3rd
3 15 March 2016 Shanghai SIPG A 1-2 Patric 60' 29,005 3rd
4 6 April 2016 Shanghai SIPG H 0-2 14,756 4th
5 19 April 2016 Samsung Bluewings H 1-2 Konno 89' 10,846 4th
6 3 May 2016 Melbourne Victory A 1-2 Ademilson 84' 10,147 4th

Match Day Line-Ups

The following players appeared for Gamba Osaka during the 2016 AFC Champions League:

Player Appearances – 2016 AFC Champions League
Round Opponent GK RB LB CB CB CM CM RW LW AM CF
1Samsung BluewingsHigashiguchiOhFujiharuNiwaKimIdeguchiKonnoAbeUsamiKurataPatricEndōYonekuraNagasawa
2Melbourne VictoryHigashiguchiOhFujiharuKonnoKimIdeguchiEndōAbeUsamiKurataPatricAdemilsonOmori
3Shanghai SIPGHigashiguchiOhFujiharuKonnoKimIdeguchiEndōAbeOmoriUsamiPatricKurataYonekuraFujimoto
4Shanghai SIPGHigashiguchiYonekuraFujiharuKonnoKimIdeguchiEndōAdemilsonUsamiKurataPatricNishinoNagasawaFujimoto
5Samsung BluewingsHigashiguchiOhFujiharuNiwaKimKonnoEndōFujimotoUsamiAdemilsonNagasawaKurataYonekuraPatric
6Melbourne VictoryFujigayaYonekuraHatsuseNiwaIwashitaIdeguchiUchidaFujimotoOmoriAdemilsonNagasawaFutagawaGoyaDoan
= Substitute on, = Substitute Off, = Number of goals scored, = Yellow Card and = Red Card.

J.League Cup

As a result of their qualification for the AFC Champions League, Gamba were given a bye into the quarter-finals of the League Cup, where they were paired against Sanfrecce Hiroshima in a two-legged encounter. A 1-1 draw in Hiroshima was followed by an emphatic 6-3 home win for Gamba which saw them qualify for the semi-finals and a tie against Yokohama F. Marinos in October. The first leg, held in Osaka, finished 0-0 and the second leg was also a draw, this time 1-1 which saw Gamba through on away goals and paved the way for a 3rd league cup final appearance in 3 years. The final was played against Urawa Red Diamonds at Saitama Stadium 2002 on Saturday 15 October 2016.

A solo run by Ademilson gave Gamba a first half lead which lasted until the 76th minute when Tadanari Lee's header squared things up. Extra-time followed and Gamba came agonisingly close to netting the winner in the 120th minute when Hiroto Goya's shot was deflected past the goalkeeper and onto the post, it then proceeded to roll along the goal line before being swept to safety by Urawa defender Ryota Moriwaki. It was perhaps an omen as following 3 successful penalty kicks for each side, Goya had his spot-kick saved by Shusaku Nishikawa. This proved to be the decisive miss as the Reds netted all of their penalties and went on to win the shootout 5-4.

This was Gamba's 5th appearance in the J.League Cup final and their 3rd in as many years. To date they have lifted the trophy twice, in 2007 and 2014 with this defeat being their 3rd defeat in the final, following reverses in 2005 and 2015.

Round Date Opponents H / A Result
F-A		 Scorers Attendance
QF 31 August 2016 Sanfrecce Hiroshima A 1-1 Goya 86' 5,529
QF 4 September 2016 Sanfrecce Hiroshima H 6-3 Nagasawa 32', 45'+2, Niwa 55', Ademilson 60', 63', Abe 71' 12,977
SF 5 October 2016 Yokohama F. Marinos H 0-0 11,160
SF 9 October 2016 Yokohama F. Marinos A 1-1 Endō 63' 19,378
F 15 October 2016 Urawa Red Diamonds N 1-1aet
4-5pens		 Ademilson 17' 51,248

Match Day Line-Ups

The following players appeared for Gamba Osaka during the 2016 J.League Cup:

Player Appearances – 2016 J.League Cup
Round Opponent GK RB LB CB CB CM CM RW LW AM FW
QFSanfrecce HiroshimaFujigayaYonekuraFujiharuNiwaKimIdeguchiKurataAbeOmoriFujimotoPatricNagasawaGoyaUchida
QFSanfrecce HiroshimaFujigayaYonekuraFujiharuNiwaKimIdeguchiEndōAbeOmoriAdemilsonNagasawaKurataGoyaFujimoto
SFYokohama F. MarinosFujigayaYonekuraFujiharuNiwaKimIdeguchiKonnoFujimotoOmoriKurataPatricAdemilsonGoya
SFYokohama F. MarinosFujigayaYonekuraFujiharuNiwaKimIdeguchiKonnoFujimotoKurataEndōAdemilsonIwashitaOmoriNagasawa
FUrawa Red DiamondsHigashiguchiYonekuraFujiharuNiwaKimIdeguchiKonnoKurataOmoriEndōAdemilsonNagasawaGoyaFujimoto
= Substitute on, = Substitute Off, = Number of goals scored, = Yellow Card and = Red Card.

Emperor's Cup

Gamba began their defence of the title they've won for the past 2 seasons at home to J2 side Shimizu S-Pulse on November 9.[20] Shun Nagasawa's strike in extra time was enough to see them through to the quarter-finals where they were paired with Yokohama F. Marinos in what would be the 5th meeting of the season between the two teams. Having already drawn twice at Nissan Stadium earlier in the season, this was once again a tight affair with Manabu Saitō putting the Marinos ahead from the penalty spot in the 63rd minute only for Yasuyuki Konno to seemingly send the tie into extra time with an 87th-minute equaliser. Unfortunately for Gamba, Jun Amano had other ideas and his 96th-minute strike from outside the box sent them through to the semi-finals and left Gamba hoping Kashima or Kawasaki would lift the cup to ensure their progression to the 2017 Asian Champions League.

Round Date Opponents H / A Result
F-A		 Scorers Attendance
4th round 9 November 2016 Shimizu S-Pulse H 1-0 aet Nagasawa 112' 8,789
QF 24 December 2016 Yokohama F. Marinos A 1-2 Konno 87' 21,898

Match Day Line-Ups

The following players appeared for Gamba Osaka during the 2016 Emperor's Cup:

Player Appearances – 2016 Emperor's Cup
Round Opponent GK RB LB CB CB CM CM RW LW AM FW
4RShimizu S-PulseFujigayaOhFujiharuNiwaIwashitaEndōKonnoDoanKurataAdemilsonGoyaAbeNagasawaHatsuse
QFYokohama F. MarinosFujigayaOhFujiharuNiwaKimIdeguchiKonnoKurataFujimotoEndōAdemilsonOmoriNagasawaHatsuse

= Substitute on, = Substitute Off, = Number of goals scored, = Yellow Card and = Red Card.

Squad statistics
No. Pos. Name League Emperor's Cup J.League Cup Champions League Super Cup Total Discipline
Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
1GK Masaaki Higashiguchi 3400010501041030
3DF Takaharu Nishino 1(2)000000(1)0001(3)000
4DF Hiroki Fujiharu 27(2)22050501040(2)220
5DF Daiki Niwa 2802051301039140
6DF Kim Jung-ya 27(1)31050500038(1)330
7MF Yasuhito Endō (c) 33(1)220314(1)11043(2)460
8DF Keisuke Iwashita 101100(1)0100012(1)150
9FW Ademilson 24(5)9203(1)33(1)11033(7)1331
10MF Takahiro Futagawa 0000000(1)0000(1)000
11MF Shu Kurata 25(9)2204(1)03(2)00(1)034(13)230
13MF Hiroyuki Abe 21(3)30(1)021301027(4)420
14DF Koki Yonekura 19(2)100503(2)00027(4)150
15MF Yasuyuki Konno 30(3)42130511041(3)640
16GK Ken Tajiri 00000000000000
17MF Kenya Okazaki 00000000000000
18GK Yōsuke Fujigaya 00204010007000
19MF Kotaro Omori 13(11)30(1)04(1)02(1)00019(14)310
20FW Shun Nagasawa 13(8)90(2)11(3)22(2)00(1)016(16)1260
21MF Yosuke Ideguchi 14(8)41050501026(8)470
22DF Oh Jae-suk 17(1)02000401024(1)030
23FW Hiroto Goya 3(11)1100(4)10(1)0004(16)211
24FW Naoki Ogawa 00000000000000
25MF Jungo Fujimoto 3(10)0103(2)02(2)00(1)09(15)030
26MF Naoya Senoo 00000000000000
27MF Tatsuya Uchida 2(1)0000(1)010003(2)010
28MF Shota Yomesaka 00000000000000
29FW Patric 10(10)200204(1)11017(11)330
30DF So Hirao 00000000000000
31GK Mizuki Hayashi 00000000000000
32DF Hiroki Noda 00000000000000
33FW Kazunari Ichimi 00000000000000
35DF Ryo Hatsuse 3(2)00(2)00010004(4)000
36MF Mizuki Ichimaru 00000000000000
37FW Akito Takagi 00000000000000
38MF Ritsu Doan 0(3)010000(1)0001(4)000
39FW Takashi Usami 15(2)50000501121(2)600
40MF Shōhei Ogura 0(2)0000000000(2)000
——Own goals –2–0–0–0–0–2––

Statistics accurate as of match played on 24 December 2016.[21][22]

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References
  1. "Soccerway J1 First-Stage Fixtures". Soccerway. Retrieved 21 February 2016.
  2. "Soccerway J1 Second-Stage Fixtures". Soccerway. Retrieved 21 February 2016.
  3. "AFC Champions League Schedule and Results". AFC. Retrieved 21 February 2016.
  4. "JFA Japanese Super Cup 2016 Match Report". JFA. Retrieved 21 February 2016.
  5. "JFA J.League Yamazaki Nabisco Cup Schedule and Results". JFA. Retrieved 21 February 2016.
  6. "JFA Emperor's Cup Schedule and Results". JFA. Retrieved 21 February 2016.
  7. "Suita City Football Stadium (Gamba Osaka Stadium)". Stadium DB. Retrieved 21 February 2016.
  8. "Panasonic Cup Match Report". Gamba Osaka. Retrieved 21 February 2016.
  9. "Jungo Fujimoto signing ニュースリリース". Gamba Osaka (in Japanese). 11 January 2016. Retrieved 21 February 2016.
  10. "Ademilson signing ニュースリリース". Gamba Osaka (in Japanese). 8 January 2016. Retrieved 21 February 2016.
  11. "Gamba Osaka 2016 Squad Announcement". Gamba Osaka (in Japanese). Retrieved 21 February 2016.
  12. "Tomokazu Myojin Departure ニュースリリース". Gamba Osaka (in Japanese). 6 January 2016. Retrieved 21 February 2016.
  13. "Lins Departure ニュースリリース". Gamba Osaka (in Japanese). 2 January 2016. Retrieved 21 February 2016.
  14. "Shingo Akamine Departure ニュースリリース". Gamba Osaka (in Japanese). 7 January 2016. Retrieved 21 February 2016.
  15. "Yuto Uchida JFA Player Profile". JFA. Retrieved 21 February 2016.
  16. "Gamba Osaka News Usami to Augsburg". Gamba Osaka. 20 June 2016. Retrieved 20 June 2016.
  17. "Gamba Osaka News Futagawa to Tokyo Verdy". Gamba Osaka. 28 June 2016. Retrieved 28 June 2016.
  18. "Gamba Osaka News: Patric leaves team due to injury". Gamba Osaka. 21 October 2016. Retrieved 21 October 2016.
  19. "Gamba sign Ademilson". J.League English site. 14 October 2016. Retrieved 21 October 2016.
  20. "Draw for final stages of Emperor's Cup announced". J.League English Site. 5 October 2016. Retrieved 5 October 2016.
  21. "2016 Gamba Osaka Season Statistics". flashscore.com. Retrieved 26 January 2016.
  22. "2016 Gamba Osaka Team Profile". soccerway.com. Retrieved 26 January 2016.
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