Review: Shonan Bellmare 3-3 Cerezo Osaka (J1 MD24)

Despite strong performances from the Brazilian trio, Cerezo conceded goals at the end of both halves and came away with a draw, a result that brought both positives and regrets.

Just two days after their Emperor’s Cup Round 3 match against Tokushima Vortis, Cerezo Osaka traveled away to face Shonan Bellmare in Matchweek 24 of the Meiji Yasuda J1 League. Five changes were made to the starting lineup from the Tokushima match. With the defensive line unchanged, Shunta Tanaka and Hinata Kida formed the central midfield pairing, Shinji Kagawa slotted in as the attacking midfielder, and Thiago Andrade, Lucas Fernandes, and Rafael Ratao led the front line in a 4-2-3-1 formation.



Right after kickoff, Cerezo were nearly broken down on the flank by Shonan, but thanks to Dion Cools’ cover, they avoided conceding. Hinata Kida, making his first league start in two matches, showed positive intent with vertical passes and a long-range shot. In the 6th minute, Cerezo opened the scoring. A pass from Kagawa to Lucas was only partially cleared by a defender, and the loose ball was picked up by Ratao, who returned it to Lucas. He calmly slotted it home, scoring for the second straight match in all competitions. In the 12th minute, Tanaka ran onto a floated pass from Kida and had a chance, but his shot flew over the bar. While Cerezo continued to show quality in attack, they struggled to deal with Shonan’s flank play and conceded in the 14th minute. A cross from Cerezo’s left side was met by Kosuke Onose and then Akito Suzuki, leading to a goal from Shonan’s No. 10—who had also scored in the previous fixture between the two sides. In the 21st minute, Thiago Andrade carried the ball forward on the counter and found Lucas in space, but his cross was cut out by a defender. After the hydration break, Shonan took control of possession in the closing stages of the first half. Cerezo, unable to press effectively or find rhythm on either side of the ball, conceded again in the 42nd minute. A clearance by Shinnosuke Hatanaka was intercepted by Suzuki, who quickly delivered a cross that Taiyo Hiraoka converted at the near post. Cerezo went into the break having surrendered the lead.





“We managed to take the lead, but after that, we became too reliant on individual efforts. Mistakes piled up, and we went into halftime trailing,” manager Arthur Papas reflected after the match. “However, in the second half, we showed a completely different face as a collective.” As his words suggested, Cerezo came out firing after the break with well-coordinated attacking moves. In the 47th minute, Shinji Kagawa picked up a loose ball in midfield and fed Thiago Andrade, who played a quick one-touch pass to Ratao up front. Ratao’s first shot was blocked by a defender, but he reacted quickly, flicked the ball over the opponent with a delicate touch, and volleyed it left-footed on the drop into the far corner—a stunning goal packed with technique and imagination. “It was a move I’m comfortable with,” Ratao later commented on his golazo, a strike that Kagawa described as “a goal that brought the team back to life.” With momentum swinging their way, Cerezo pushed on. In the 57th minute, Ratao latched onto a long ball from Hayato Okuda and attempted a chipped shot, which narrowly missed the target. The go-ahead goal came in the 73rd minute. Takumi Nakamura, who had come on for Dion Cools in the 70th minute, dribbled past his marker and passed to Kagawa. Kagawa then slid a perfect through ball into space, where Thiago used his blistering pace to beat the keeper and roll the ball into the net. “Thiago’s sprint was the key,” said Kagawa, praising his explosive run. It was a goal born from their mutual understanding and flawless execution. Cerezo continued to push for a fourth goal, making attacking substitutions while managing the game well. However, just as victory seemed within reach, in the 87th minute, substitute Sena Ishibashi broke through the right flank and drew a foul from Nakamura inside the penalty area. A penalty was awarded, and Luiz Phellype calmly converted it, bringing Shonan level at the death.





Nevertheless, Cerezo launched a fierce attack during the 10 minutes of added time in the second half. However, Lucas’s shot, which glanced off a defender and seemed destined for the goal, was saved by an excellent stop from the opposing goalkeeper. Then, after the keeper parried Lucas’s cross, Tanaka’s follow-up chance went over the crossbar. The match ended 3-3. Cerezo, despite twice taking the lead, could not hold on and had to settle for a frustrating single point. Though there were lessons to be learned from the game, the manager praised the team’s resilience, saying, “I want to commend their aggression in bouncing back strongly despite being on the back foot.” He also acknowledged the players who fought hard in the away game just two days after their last match, expressing a desire to “keep showing signs of growth.” After the match, a banner honoring Hiroaki Okuno — who played six seasons with Cerezo from 2019 before transferring permanently to Shonan this March — was displayed. Okuno responded by interacting with the supporters. Known as the “Iron Man” for recording the longest distance run in this game as well, respect was once again paid to his years of dedication at Cerezo, and hopes were expressed for his continued success in the future.