Review: Sanfrecce Hiroshima vs Cerezo Osaka (J1 100 Year Vision League MD12)

Thiago Andrade’s third goal in as many games led a dominant first half, but things turned dark late on as an own goal and a penalty allowed a comeback, resulting in a painful defeat.

Six days after their victory over Kyoto Sanga F.C., Cerezo Osaka headed into an away fixture against Sanfrecce Hiroshima for Matchday 12 of the Meiji Yasuda J1 100 Year Vision League Regional League Round, targeting a third consecutive win. The starting lineup remained unchanged from the Kyoto match, with Thiago Andrade—who had scored in two straight games—at the top, supported by a creative trio of Masaya Shibayama, Motohiko Nakajima, and Shion Homma in the second line.



"The start of the match and our initial approach will be particularly important," Manager Arthur Papas had stated before the game, and Cerezo’s start was indeed superb. Defensively, they pressed aggressively from the front to win possession, then moved the ball with a light, rhythmic tempo. In the 5th minute, Nelson Ishiwatari intercepted in midfield, leading to a chance as Shibayama played Thiago into space. A decisive opportunity followed in the 7th minute when they won the ball centrally again; Nakajima drove forward and drew defenders before sliding a final pass to Shibayama, whose near-post effort struck the woodwork. Maintaining their offensive rhythm, Cerezo took the lead in the 12th minute. Initiated by Shibayama and Ishiwatari, Nakajima and Homma linked up through the center to break down the defense. An attempted clearance of Hayato Okuda's cross fell to Thiago, who lashed a left-footed strike into the top-left corner. The onslaught continued. In the 17th minute, Shibayama fired just wide from an Ishiwatari pass. Another big chance arrived in the 20th minute; the moment Hiroshima’s left wing-back Shunki Higashi received the ball, Okuda pressed high to force a turnover, triggering a short counter. Nakajima latched onto Shibayama’s pass and rounded a defender toward the goal. Despite being fouled in what would have been a one-on-one with the keeper, the whistle remained silent. From around the 20th minute, Hiroshima began to apply pressure. In the 27th minute, Tsukasa Shiotani intercepted a vertical pass to launch a counter, ending with Mutsuki Kato hitting the post from Tolgay Arslan’s cross. While momentum threatened to shift, Cerezo refused to relinquish control easily. In the 34th minute, Shinnosuke Hatanaka intercepted and Thiago drove forward, allowing Nakajima to overlap and unleash a powerful long-range strike. In the 37th minute, Kosuke Nakamura made a fine save from Akito Suzuki’s header. The first half ended with both sides trading attacks, Cerezo heading into the break with a one-goal lead.





Solomon Sakuragawa replaced Thiago at the start of the second half. In the 48th minute, Ayumu Ohata carried the ball a long distance, leading to an immediate shot from Sakuragawa via a Homma pass. Another massive chance came on the counter in the 52nd minute when Nakajima crossed from Sakuragawa's pass; Homma lunged at the far post but was denied by a last-ditch defensive clearance. In the 56th minute, Okuda’s powerful long-range effort was kept out by a fine Keisuke Osako save. While the second-half start was decent, Hiroshima began to push back with intense pressure, particularly targeting Cerezo’s left flank through Naoto Arai’s crosses and Shuto Nakano, who had entered as the right center-back. Around the 70th minute, Cerezo weathered a fierce storm, with Nakamura making saves and Tanaka, Inoue, Hatanaka, and Ohata throwing their bodies on the line to block shots. A major scare followed in the 72nd minute as Nakamura produced a big save from Kosuke Kinoshita’s header, and Higashi’s follow-up went over the bar. Immediately after in the 73rd minute, Cerezo had a golden opportunity to secure the game. Ishiwatari intercepted a throw-in, and Nakajima chested and headed the ball forward. Shibayama pounced on a defensive error and broke through for a one-on-one with the keeper. An additional goal here would have firmly swung the momentum, but his outside-of-the-foot strike missed the target. In the 78th minute, Manager Papas introduced Dion Cools and Shinji Kagawa to solidify the defense and control the closing stages. The plan worked until the 86th minute when a momentary lapse proved costly. Naoki Maeda was allowed to break down the flank from Nakano’s pass; Cools, attempting to deal with a cross aimed at Ryo Germain, inadvertently diverted the ball into his own net. Then in the 90th minute, Cools was penalized for a handball following a corner, resulting in a penalty. Kinoshita converted, handing Hiroshima the lead. Despite being minutes away from a third straight win, Cerezo could not withstand the pressure exerted by Hiroshima and their substitutes.





The first half was a masterclass where "we were able to do what we wanted in both offense and defense" (Shunta Tanaka), demonstrating the team's growth this season. Even under Hiroshima’s second-half fightback, they defended desperately as they had in the previous two matches. This made the eventual comeback defeat all the more regrettable in a match where a win would have provided a massive confidence boost. Tanaka noted that "when we are pushed back, we need to push back ourselves and maintain possession in the opponent's half," while Ishiwatari emphasized that "it's about how we defend organizationally when under pressure late in the game; it's important for everyone to be on the same page." Rikito Inoue described it as a "truly painful defeat," a painful loss in their pursuit of the top spots in the 100 Year Vision League. Nevertheless, the next fixture arrives in just three days. They must recover physically and mentally as they head to the home of league leaders Vissel Kobe.