Review: Kyoto Sanga F.C. vs Cerezo Osaka (J1 100 Year Vision League MD6)

Conceding early in the 2nd half, Cerezo level through Reiya Sakata’s first-ever J1 goal before Shunta Tanaka strikes a winner in the last minutes to seal a dramatic comeback win.

Six days after Matchday 5 of the Meiji Yasuda J1 100-Year Vision League Regional League Round against Shimizu S-Pulse, Cerezo Osaka traveled away to take on Kyoto Sanga F.C. for Matchday 6. The starting eleven remained unchanged from the previous match, while Wigi Kanemoto was named among the substitutes for the first time this season.



In the 6th minute, Solomon Sakuragawa held the ball up front and broke through vertically, creating a chance with a cross. Immediately after, Cerezo were dispossessed during their build-up, leading to a dangerous counter-attack. While the match began in a thrilling end-to-end fashion, the first half proceeded at Kyoto’s pace. Dominating possession and winning second balls, the home side pushed Cerezo back. In the 17th minute, Marco Tulio broke through Cerezo’s left flank, creating a major threat, but Shinnosuke Hatanaka tracked back with desperate coverage to ensure the shot went wide. Two minutes later, Tulio broke through again, but this time Ayumu Ohata’s tenacious defending prevented a shot. Cerezo responded immediately with a big chance of their own; Nelson Ishiwatari received a layoff from Sakuragawa and played a final pass to Yumeki Yokoyama, who cut in from the right to shoot, though his effort was blocked by a defender. Kyoto intensified their pressure in the final ten minutes of the half. They created back-to-back decisive chances in the 41st and 44th minutes; the former was denied by a fingertips save from Kosuke Nakamura, while the latter missed the target. Cerezo had their own moment in the 37th minute when Ohata penetrated deep into the opponent's territory from a high throw-in and fired a left-footed shot from a tight angle, only to be stopped by the goalkeeper. While Sakuragawa’s hard work was a highlight, Cerezo’s attacks remained isolated. Nevertheless, with Rikito Inoue, Hatanaka, and Ishiwatari putting their bodies on the line, the match went into the break at 0-0.





Kyoto continued their momentum at the start of the second half. Following a free kick awarded after a build-up error, Nakamura parried a sharp, curling shot, but the ensuing corner led to a goal. Although Nakamura initially clawed the ball away, it wasn't cleared effectively, allowing Marco Tulio to turn it in. Chasing a goal, Cerezo began their counter-offensive. In the 54th minute, Sakuragawa held the ball tenaciously, and Yokoyama broke down the flank to cross for Thiago Andrade, whose effort went straight to the goalkeeper. Another decisive chance followed in the 57th minute; Thiago broke through on the left via a one-two with Motohiko Nakajima, and Yokoyama received the cutback, turning to shoot. It was a fluid move, but the goalkeeper produced a fine save. Recognizing the pivotal moment, Manager Arthur Papas introduced fresh attacking midfielders. In the 62nd minute, Masaya Shibayama replaced Ishiwatari, with Shibayama moving to the number 10 role and Nakajima dropping into defensive midfield. After Shibayama initiated a chance in the 67th minute, both wingers were substituted in the 70th minute, with Shion Homma and Reiya Sakata coming on for Thiago and Yokoyama. "Since the game had been difficult, Shion and I came on determined to change the flow," Sakata said afterward—and he did exactly that with his first involvement. In the 71st minute, Sakata received a layoff from Sakuragawa following a feed from Ohata and drove through the center. After drawing in the defense, he spread the play to the right for Dion Cools, whose shot was blocked, but Sakata pounced on the rebound and lashed a right-footed strike into the net. It was a joyful first goal on the J1 stage. Celebrating his first such moment in his fourth professional year, he let out a scream of pure emotion. Another chance followed in the 73rd minute; Ohata, Sakata, and Homma combined to tear the side open, and Shibayama met Homma’s cross at the near post, but his side-footed effort cleared the bar. Shibayama had another golden opportunity in the 82nd minute, skillfully rounding the keeper and feinting past a defender, only to see his finish blocked. Despite swinging the momentum, the number 48 expressed both satisfaction and regret after failing to clinical once again. The closing stages turned into another back-and-forth battle, but Shunta Tanaka covered vast ground to snuff out Kyoto’s threats. Then, drama unfolded in stoppage time. In the 90+6th minute, a kick from Nakamura was worked through Sakuragawa and Homma to break the center, putting Sakata through on goal. He fired what he felt was a certain goal, but it was denied by a big save. Nevertheless, the resulting corner led to the winner. Tanaka met Nakajima’s near-post delivery. "I had been targeting the far post until then, but at that moment I felt it was coming to the near side," Tanaka said, having outmuscled his marker to find the net. Cerezo shifted to a back five to see out the match, securing a brilliant comeback victory in Kyoto for the second consecutive season.





"The substitutes made a real impact. It doesn't always go this well, but it did today. That said, the players who started and built the game also did a great job," said Manager Papas, praising everyone who took the pitch. Despite enduring a difficult spell from the end of the first half into the start of the second and conceding first, the team overturned the deficit through collective strength, including the bench. This marked consecutive wins following the penalty shootout victory in the previous match, lifting Cerezo to 5th place. The next match is at home in three days against Fagiano Okayama, where the team will aim for a third straight win to climb even higher.