Review: Fagiano Okayama vs Cerezo Osaka (J1 100 Year Vision League MD18)

Cerezo finish the Meiji Yasuda J1 100 Year Vision League Regional Round with three straight wins, securing second place in the WEST Group.

Six days after a commanding 6-1 victory over Nagoya Grampus in the previous match, Cerezo Osaka traveled away to face Fagiano Okayama for Matchday 18 of the Meiji Yasuda J1 100 Year Vision League Regional League Round. As this was the final fixture of the Regional League Round, the players entered the pitch with strong determination, knowing a win would secure second place in the WEST Group. The starting lineup saw one change from the previous match: Ayumu Ohata replaced Hayato Okuda, who sustained an injury against Nagoya, returning to the starting eleven as left back for the first time in three games.



Cerezo found themselves under early pressure from the home side. In the 1st minute, a throw-in led to Cerezo being broken down on the left flank. Okayama’s right wing-back Kosuke Shirai delivered a cross that traveled to the far post, where left wing-back Towa Yamane unleashed a curling effort. Yamane, who had registered a goal and an assist in their previous meeting, threatened again with this decisive shot, but Kosuke Nakamura stretched to make a brilliant save to deny him, preventing an early concession. After the 5th minute, Cerezo began pushing back through possession and opened the scoring in the 8th minute. Following slick build-up play on the right involving Masaya Shibayama and Nelson Ishiwatari, Dion Cools played a pass that released Yumeki Yokoyama. "I made a run from left to right. At that moment, my teammates were building a rhythm by passing on the right, so I moved inside wanting to get involved," Yokoyama later recalled. Changing positions fluidly to receive the ball, he struck a brilliant effort with his right foot. He smashed home a golazo into the far corner beyond the goalkeeper's reach, marking his second consecutive game with a goal. Despite the lead, Okayama kept up their early offensive. However, just as Shunta Tanaka had noted before the match, saying, "Even if they switch play to the flanks or move us around, it is crucial to defend with our bodies at the very end. We want to slide across effectively and defend as a unit," Cerezo defended the box in numbers and denied Okayama any decisive opening despite being pushed deep by their wide play. After the 20th minute, Cerezo regained control and started creating opportunities. In the 26th minute, Thiago Andrade latched onto Shibayama’s pass and delivered a cross that Cools met, creating a solid chance. A golden opportunity arrived in the 36th minute when Motohiko Nakajima received a pass from Ayumu Ohata, beat his marker, and crossed into the center. Thiago trapped it and passed to the opposite side, where an onrushing Shibayama aimed with his left foot, but it went agonizingly wide. In the 42nd minute, a layoff from Werik Popo allowed Kosei Ogura to unleash a mid-range shot. Although the defense was momentarily opened up, the defenders closed down quickly to block it, managing to deflect the ball off-target. Then, in the 45th minute, another clear-cut chance emerged. Ishiwatari won possession and Yokoyama drove forward vertically, delivering a cross with the outside of his right foot. However, just before a well-timed Nakajima could make contact, an Okayama defender cleared it away, denying a goal. While Okayama dominated long spells of the first half, Cerezo went into the break with a one-goal lead.





At the start of the second half, Cerezo were targeted on the left flank again, conceding successive corner kicks. However, they kept a clean sheet through solid defending and fine stops by Kosuke Nakamura, before doubling their lead in the 56th minute. Ishiwatari intercepted a miscontrol by an opponent in midfield and quickly played it forward to launch a counterattack. Creating a 4-on-3 numerical advantage, Nakajima received the ball from Ishiwatari, drove forward, and delivered an exquisite pass to Yokoyama, just as he did in the previous match. Controlling it forward with his first touch, Yokoyama carried the ball and sublimely chipped it over the oncoming goalkeeper into the net—a textbook counterattack finish. Riding a wave of momentum with two goals in consecutive matches, Yokoyama found another shooting opportunity just two minutes later, but this effort cleared the crossbar, missing out on a hat-trick. Subsequently, Okayama intensified their pressure by making a triple substitution and reshuffling their attacking shape, which led to Cerezo conceding in the 71st minute. Okayama exploited the pocket on Cerezo's left flank, capitalizing on a momentary lapse where the defenders stopped playing assuming the ball had gone out of bounds, allowing substitute Leo Gaucho to score. With their lead cut to one, Cerezo immediately created back-to-back chances in the 75th and 76th minutes. However, the former saw Shibayama’s shot denied by a brilliant save from the opposition keeper, and the latter saw Cools’ effort strike the crossbar. Nevertheless, in the 81st minute, Satoki Uejo scored with his very first touch after coming off the bench to restore Cerezo's two-goal cushion. In this sequence, fellow substitute Solomon Sakuragawa held up the ball superbly, turned forward, and threaded a through ball. "Solo (Sakuragawa) gave me a perfect pass. I was able to set it onto my right foot, so all I had to do was swing through it. I hit it thinking, 'Go in!'" explained the number 7, who struck with his right foot. As it was his first goal since returning, and his first in nearly a year, his teammates rushed over to celebrate with him. However, having scored against his former club, for whom he noted his "deep respect," Uejo chose not to celebrate, keeping his joy to himself. While Cerezo hoped to comfortably see out the 3-1 win, they conceded again in the 90th minute. Though the lead was cut to one goal once more, Sakuragawa managed the clock smartly upfront, and the defense—which shifted to a back three (back five) from the 80th minute to protect the lead—held firm until the final whistle. Securing the victory, Cerezo wrapped up the Regional League Round with three consecutive wins and locked in 2nd place in the WEST Group.





Reflecting on the 2nd-place finish in the WEST Group, manager Arthur Papas praised the squad, stating, "Before the match, I told the players, 'I want us to become a team that can win something at the business end of the season.' They delivered precisely that today, so we have moved up a level." He then raised his expectations, adding, "To contest for the very top, we need to take further steps forward." Shinosuke Hatanaka, who served as co-captain alongside Shunta Tanaka this season, also summarized: "Securing 2nd place is positive, but having come this far, the weight of the matches we dropped feels heavy. Next season will depend on whether we have more players who are satisfied with 2nd, or more players who feel the frustration of 'we could have finished 1st.'" Their comments reflected hunger rather than satisfaction. The next chance to challenge for the top will be the upcoming 2026-27 season. Before that, the Playoff Round to determine the final standings of the Meiji Yasuda J1 100-Year Vision League awaits. Cerezo will compete in a home-and-away tie against FC Tokyo, who finished 2nd in the EAST Group, aiming for 3rd place overall. First, Cerezo look to secure a victory in the first leg at home to build positive momentum heading into the second leg.