Review: Cerezo Osaka vs Yokohama F. Marinos (J1 MD9)

The first match back after the restart ends scoreless as Cerezo stay focused to keep a clean sheet but fail to find the net, leaving room for improvement in attack.

The Meiji Yasuda J1 League resumed after the international break, and Cerezo Osaka hosted Yokohama F. Marinos in Matchweek 9. It was their second match in three days, following the Emperor’s Cup third-round match against Kagoshima United FC. Seven players were changed in the starting lineup. Pablo Sabbag started as the lone striker, making his first league start since joining the club.



Cerezo were eager to press high from the start, but they lost possession in their own half in the 6th and 7th minutes, allowing Yokohama FM to launch quick counterattacks and create chances. In attack, they looked to Lucas Fernandes, who had scored in each of his last three competitive matches, to create opportunities. In the 20th minute, Lucas intercepted an opponent’s pass high up the pitch and passed to Sabbag, who threatened the goal. In the 23rd minute, Yokohama FM right winger Tomoki Kondo broke through down the flank and crossed to create a clear chance, but Jun Amano failed to make clean contact with his shot, and Cerezo escaped danger. In the 31st minute, Rikito Inoue stopped a forward run by Toichi Suzuki, a Cerezo academy product. Cerezo held firm against Yokohama FM, who had scored the opening goal in seven of their eight league matches so far. In the 42nd minute, Lucas’s corner kick sailed over the goalkeeper and headed directly toward goal, but an opposing defender cleared it at the last moment. Then, in the 44th minute, Inoue’s forward pass to Sabbag was intercepted, triggering a quick counterattack. Ryo Miyaichi ran in from the far side to meet Kondo’s cross with a header, but sent it over the crossbar. Given how Cerezo had been opened up, they were relieved to escape without conceding. The first half ended goalless. Cerezo had struggled to create attacking opportunities and had faced numerous chances, but managed to keep a clean sheet going into the second half.





Yokohama FM threatened again with attacks down the flanks in the 46th and 48th minutes, but Cerezo tightened up in the middle and held firm, with Dion Cools making important clearances. Then Yumeki Yokoyama, quiet in the first half, came alive early in the second. In the 49th and 53rd minutes, he received the ball high on the left and drove forward, creating a sense of attacking threat. In the 58th minute, he collected Sabbag’s layoff and shot powerfully toward the near post, but the goalkeeper made an excellent save. Javi Hernandez, who had often allowed Kondo to break through in the first half, was substituted in the 53rd minute. Travis Takahashi came on at left center back in the three-man defense, making his J1 debut. He had no time to dwell on the occasion, saying, “I tried to stay focused and make sure I didn’t come on half-heartedly.” Cerezo wanted to shore up their defense while also finding ways to attack. Lucas was replaced by Yota Komi in the 62nd minute, and in the 71st minute, Shinji Kagawa and Kosei Okazawa came on for Sabbag and Yokoyama. Komi moved up front, with Kagawa and Okazawa playing as the two attacking midfielders. Manager Pablo Machin asked Komi to use his speed for “runs in behind and movements to pull defenders around,” while Kagawa and Okazawa were tasked with “pressing from high up the pitch and controlling the game.” The changes helped Cerezo’s attack pick up pace, particularly as Kagawa received the ball and brought his teammates into play. He also created chances of his own, cutting inside on the dribble and crossing into the middle. Cerezo had kept Yokohama FM’s attack under control through much of the second half, but faced a major threat in the 85th minute. Cools blocked an opponent’s header from close range with his body, and in the 88th minute, Ayumu Ohata blocked another shot. Cerezo had one final chance to reward their defenders’ committed efforts. In the 95th minute, with the last play of the match, goalkeeper Kosuke Nakamura kicked the ball forward, and Cools won the aerial duel and knocked it down. Komi brought the ball behind the defense with a deft touch and fired with his right foot. He caught the advancing goalkeeper off guard, but the shot hit the side netting. The dramatic winning goal was not to be. The match ended 0-0. Cerezo could not secure their first league win in four matches, and recorded their second straight scoreless draw at home.





After the match, Inoue, one of the key figures in keeping a clean sheet, said with relief, “They created a lot of dangerous situations, but ultimately, keeping a clean sheet means we did the minimum required of us as a defense.” At the same time, he acknowledged the need for further improvement, saying, “We still need to build further, both as a team and as individuals.” Cerezo will look to sharpen an attack that failed to create moves leading to goals and aim for their first league win in five matches when they host Kawasaki Frontale next, after a Levain Cup match in between.