Review: Cerezo Osaka vs Avispa Fukuoka (J1 100 Year Vision League MD14)

Cerezo conceded a golazo and struggled against Fukuoka's defense but equalized via Rikito Inoue's header from corner, eventually clinching a victory in their second straight shootout after a goalless second-half push thanks to Kosuke Nakamura's vital saves.

Three days after the match against Vissel Kobe, Cerezo Osaka returned home for the first time in three games to face Avispa Fukuoka in Matchday 13 of the Meiji Yasuda J1 100 Year Vision League Regional League Round. The starting lineup saw all 11 players rotated from the Kobe match, returning to the same starting XI used in the match against Sanfrecce Hiroshima two rounds prior.



In the 3rd minute, Masaya Shibayama played a pass to Motohiko Nakajima, who laid it off for Hayato Okuda to cross, earning a corner after breaking down the right side. The start was promising, with Thiago Andrade getting behind the defense from an Okuda pass in the 7th minute. However, in the 10th minute, a mistake in the buildup allowed Fukuoka their first shot, followed by a goal in the 11th minute. After losing possession in midfield, Cerezo succumbed to a quick counter-attack, culminating in a powerful long-range strike from lone striker Shosei Usui. Immediately after in the 12th minute, Thiago chased a Nakajima pass into space but was intercepted by the keeper. In the 14th minute, Nakajima and Thiago again targeted the space behind the center from Shion Homma's through ball, but were blocked by the defenders. From that point on, Cerezo struggled to mount effective attacks against Fukuoka's well-organized defense, which alternated between pressing and retreating. Past the 35th minute, Manager Arthur Papas reshuffled the front four. Aiming to "stretch the opposition's defensive line by using wide wingers" as he noted they "weren't posing enough of a threat, especially in behind," he moved Nakajima to the top, Shibayama to the hole, Thiago to the left, and Shion Homma to the right. In the 45th minute, this shift paid off as Shibayama initiated a move through Homma and Ayumu Ohata to win a corner. Rikito Inoue met Shibayama's delivery at the far post, equalizing in first-half stoppage time. "Bringing the score level right before halftime was massive in this match," the manager reflected. Finding the equalizer before the break was the turning point as they had nearly fallen into Fukuoka's trap.





Cerezo entered the opposition half from the start of the second half. While they began to build good sequences through Masaya Shibayama, the final pass lacked accuracy, preventing them from getting shots off. A scare came in the 58th minute when Kosuke Nakamura parried a cross into the path of an oncoming attacker, but Nelson Ishiwatari tracked back to clear the danger. In the 62nd minute, Manager Arthur Papas introduced Solomon Sakuragawa and Dion Cools for Shibayama and Homma, with Cools slotting into a right midfield role. Fukuoka created a decisive chance immediately after in the 64th minute. Breaking through the right side, they sent in a cross for Tomoya Miki to shoot from point-blank range, but Kosuke Nakamura pulled off a miraculous reflex save. As the guardian stood tall, Cerezo had their own golden opportunity in the 73rd minute. Okuda, receiving a cross-field ball from the newly introduced Shinji Kagawa, delivered a precise cross that Sakuragawa headed against the crossbar. Against a tiring Fukuoka side, Cerezo pushed hard late on, with Yumeki Yokoyama—who entered alongside Kagawa—taking players on down the left. A final chance came in the 90th minute: Okuda gathered a second ball from a corner and found Kagawa on the right. Kagawa’s sharp, low-driven cross was met by Shinnosuke Hatanaka, but his effort narrowly cleared the bar. The match ended 1-1. Although Cerezo dominated possession and pass counts, they failed to enter the box effectively, finishing with only seven shots. "In a match like today's, it may look like we are controlling the game on the surface, but we are not," Arthur Papas remarked, acknowledging the lingering tactical issues.





In the ensuing penalty shootout, Shinji Kagawa stepped up as the first taker for Cerezo, who went second. After he converted calmly, Kosuke Nakamura stopped Fukuoka's second taker, Keiya Shiihashi. Gaining a psychological advantage, Shunta Tanaka, Cools, and Hatanaka all converted their kicks to maintain the pressure. The match was decided when Fukuoka's fifth kicker, Takumi Kamijima, fired over the bar. Securing their second consecutive shootout victory following the Kobe match, Cerezo climbed to 4th place. The next fixture is an away match against Shimizu S-Pulse with only two days' rest. Despite the grueling schedule and a 13:00 kickoff, the entire team will prepare diligently to aim for a third straight win.