Review: Cerezo Osaka 2-0 Tokushima Vortis (Emperor's Cup 3rd Round)

Cerezo advance to the Round of 16 in the Emperor’s Cup with a clean-sheet win over Tokushima Vortis, scoring twice in the second half after a difficult first half.

Ten days after facing Gamba Osaka in the J1 Matchweek 23 fixture, Cerezo Osaka took on Tokushima Vortis in the Emperor’s Cup 3rd Round at Naruto Otsuka Sports Park Pocari Sweat Stadium. There were seven changes to the starting lineup from the Gamba match, with Shion Homma and Dion Cools making their first starts since joining the club. Hayato Okuda started at left-back, while Vitor Bueno led the line in a 4-2-3-1 formation.



Amid strong winds, Cerezo, playing with the wind advantage in the first half, created a big chance in the 7th minute. Pressing in coordination from the front by Masaya Shibayama, Hinata Kida, and Shion Homma forced a mistake from the opponent’s center-back, leading to a great opportunity for Vitor Bueno in front of goal. However, he opted to pass instead of shooting, and the chance was lost. Cerezo continued to control the ball and advance into the opponent’s territory, mainly through Kida in the holding midfield role. In the 10th minute, another chance arose when Dion Cools skillfully connected with Shibayama’s near-post corner kick, but it did not result in a goal. Although Cerezo started well, the game became more fragmented as players suffered knocks in physical duels. The attack struggled to find rhythm against Tokushima’s defense. The tempo of passing slowed, and the first half ended with only one shot on goal. “It was difficult to get into the game as a team and individually,” reflected Kyohei Yoshino after the match. Overall, the first half could be described as Tokushima’s pace. However, in the 39th minute, goalkeeper Kim Jin Hyeon made a crucial save to deny a good chance for Tokushima. Cerezo showed no defensive lapses and went into halftime with the score still 0-0.





After a first half in which they failed to build attacking shape, the team gathered in the locker room to organize their tasks for the second half. At halftime, we all communicated and agreed to ‘increase the tempo,’” said Kim Jin Hyeon. “At halftime, there was also talk that ‘the distances weren’t good.’ I made an effort to position myself more forward in the second half to help close those gaps,” added Yoshino. Determined to raise their attacking gear and score, they took the pitch and created a series of good chances right from the start of the second half. In the 47th minute, Homma entered deep and crossed inside. Shibayama connected and came close to scoring. At the 56th minute came the first clear chance of the match. Launching heavy attacks from both flanks, the final action was Homma reacting to a loose ball with a right-footed volley directed toward goal but was unfortunately cleared by the opposing defender. One minute later, at 57 minutes, the second clear chance came. After a combination involving Kida, Yoshino, and Shibayama splitting the defense through the middle, Lucas made a well-timed run from the opposite side and connected with a right-footed outside shot off Homma’s cross from the left flank. However, the goalkeeper made a fine save to deny it. At the 60th minute, another chance occurred. Homma received a pass from Okuda behind the defense on the left side, dribbled, and took a shot, which was blocked by a defender. Okuda’s follow-up shot headed toward an empty goal but was cleared by a covering defender. However, on the fourth clear chance of the match, they finally scored. The opponent’s forward mishandled a trap, and Yoshino picked up the loose ball, dribbled forward, and delivered a precise final pass. Lucas broke free and won the one-on-one against the goalkeeper, finishing diagonally to beautifully shake the net. The attacking onslaught from the start of the second half was stunning and paid off with the opening goal.





From here, both teams gradually brought their key league players onto the pitch. In the 85th minute, Cerezo almost got caught behind, but Ryuya Nishio tracked back to cover. He skillfully handled the opponent’s speed and showed excellent defending by not allowing a good shooting opportunity. Then, in the 87th minute, the decisive second goal was scored. Shunta Tanaka’s pass fell between the opposing goalkeeper and center back, and Rafael Ratao applied intense pressure. He deflected the goalkeeper’s kick with his foot, stole the ball, and calmly rolled it into the unguarded net. In the final stages, Cerezo also firmly defended against Tokushima’s set pieces, maintaining the 2-0 lead to secure the victory. Despite struggling in the first half, they ended with multiple goals and a clean sheet, demonstrating their J1 caliber and advancing to the round of 16.