Review: Yokohama FC 4-0 Cerezo Osaka (Levain Cup Playoff Round 2nd Leg)

Cerezo suffered a 0–4 away defeat in the second leg, which overturned the aggregate score and resulted in their elimination from this season's Levain Cup at the Playoff Round.

The J.League YBC Levain Cup Playoff Round against Yokohama FC continued with the second leg taking place three days after the first match at Yodoko Sakura Stadium. With a spot in the Prime Round on the line, Cerezo Osaka headed into the away fixture having made eight changes to the starting lineup. Kyohei Yoshino made his debut for the club, earning his first start and appearance since joining.



Following the first leg, manager Arthur Papas had stated, “We don’t want to sit back and defend. We want to express the kind of football we’ve been playing all season.” True to his words, Cerezo Osaka pushed their defensive line high from the start, pressing into Yokohama FC’s half and taking control of the game. They built attacks with quick passing sequences and combinations, earning four corners and two free kicks in dangerous positions within the first 15 minutes. Despite it being his first appearance, Yoshino blended in smoothly. “I felt more in sync with Motohiko (Nakajima), Hatanaka, and Ryuya (Nishio) than I expected,” he later reflected, showing no signs of hesitation as he slotted into the team. Looking back, converting one of those early chances might have made the overall tie all but settled in Cerezo’s favor. After the 15-minute mark, Yokohama FC began threatening from the left flank through Kaili Shimbo’s crosses and dribbles, but Cerezo’s defense held firm, preventing any shots on goal. In the 28th minute, Cerezo created their best chance of the half: after sustained pressure, Thiago Andrade cut inside and delivered a cross to the far post, which Rafael Ratao headed back across goal for Lucas Fernandes to strike—only for the effort to be blocked by a defender and the goalkeeper. As the half progressed, Cerezo continued to dominate possession, pinning Yokohama FC back in their own half. While clear-cut chances were few, Cerezo were firmly in control of the game and looked set to head into halftime on top. But just before the break, disaster struck. A long ball over the top from Shimbo caught out the Cerezo defense, and goalkeeper Koki Fukui misjudged his clearance, colliding with Kaito Mori in the box. The referee showed Fukui a straight red card and awarded a penalty. Substitute Kim Jin Hyeon, brought on in a hurry, guessed the right direction and got a hand to the spot kick, but couldn’t keep it out. Cerezo ended the half a man down and a goal behind.





At the start of the second half, manager Papas brought on Ryosuke Shindo in place of Thiago, shifting to a 5-3-1 formation to strengthen the back line and clearly signal an intent to deal with Yokohama FC’s aerial threat. With fewer players up front, Cerezo’s pressing intensity naturally dropped, allowing Yokohama FC more opportunities to push the ball forward. Even so, Cerezo’s defense, anchored by Kim Jin Hyeon, held firm with tenacious play. Apart from a headed effort that struck the post in the 68th minute, they limited Yokohama FC’s clear chances and managed the clock effectively. In the 71st minute, Cerezo introduced Kengo Furuyama and Hinata Kida to help retain possession up front and in midfield. Furuyama, in particular, drew fouls with his physical play, helping to run down the clock. Despite being under pressure, Cerezo appeared to be weathering the storm—until the 84th minute. A second-phase attack from a corner resulted in another goal for Yokohama FC. A precise cross from Akito Fukumori was met by Yuri Lara, who headed home to make it 2–0 on the night. Just two minutes later, Papas responded by replacing Yoshino with Kakeru Funaki, switching to a six-man back line in an attempt to see out the tie. However, in the 89th minute, disaster struck again. Fukumori delivered another cross from the left, and though the far side was manned, the clearance failed to come. Musashi Suzuki latched on to it at the back post and bundled it in—3–0. In a gut-wrenching twist, Cerezo had conceded the decisive blow just minutes away from advancing. “We need to become a team that can see out a match even with one man down. In the end, our weakness showed,” said Shinnosuke Hatanaka, who battled valiantly throughout the match, reflecting on the painful late collapse.





With the aggregate score tied at 4-4 after two legs, the match went into extra time. From the start, Cerezo replaced Kyohei Noborizato with Shinji Kagawa, shifting the defense back from six to five players while adding more presence in midfield. In the first half of extra time, Nakajima made a strong defensive play to win the ball and passed it forward to Furuyama, who battled a defender inside the penalty area but couldn’t get a shot off. Then, just before the end of the first half of extra time, Yokohama FC scored from a corner kick. Solomon Sakuragawa, a tall striker who had come on in the second half, headed the ball into the net. In the second half of extra time, Cerezo increased ball possession and pressed forward against a more defensive Yokohama FC, earning three more corner kicks. A header by Funaki from a Lucas cross narrowly missed, going over the crossbar. Cerezo continued to push forward with Lucas at the center of the attack, but despite their efforts, they failed to create any clear-cut chances before the full 120 minutes elapsed. The playoff round ended with a 4-5 aggregate loss for Cerezo. Kagawa described the defeat as “a loss that pains everyone,” and with just two days until the Emperor’s Cup second round, each player must raise their head and prepare to move forward.