Review: Sagan Tosu 2-1 Cerezo Osaka (J1 MD20)

Strong Start Fades in the Second Half as Tosu Takes Control, Heartbreaking Come-from-Behind Loss Exposes Growing Gap with Top Teams.

Seven days after the previous match against Avispa Fukuoka, Cerezo Osaka traveled to the opponent's territory to face Sagan Tosu in the 20th round of the Meiji Yasuda Life J1 League. There was one change in the starting lineup from the previous match, with Seiya Maikuma returning and taking the right-back position, while Ryosuke Shindo, who played as a right-back in the previous match, moved to center-back.

Due to continuous heavy rain before the match, there were puddles mainly in the center of the pitch at the start, creating a challenging environment where the ball would often stop. Despite this, Cerezo Osaka effectively utilized the sides of the pitch where the ball could move more freely. Particularly, they attacked through Jordy Croux on the right side. Showing a strong start by earning three consecutive corner kicks, in the 13th minute, they managed to take the lead. From a short corner, Leo Ceara scored with a precise cross from Jordy Croux after receiving a return pass from Shinji Kagawa. In the 16th minute, they broke through the right side again and created another chance, and in the 23rd minute, Mutsuki Kato jumped on Capixaba's cross from the left side. In the first half, Cerezo Osaka had a good connection between Leo Ceara and Kato, creating several opportunities where the front two penetrated behind the opponents and approached the goal. In the 26th minute, Kato broke through the right side after receiving a pass from Kagawa and created a big chance. Although there were periods in the late first half where the opponents had control, Cerezo Osaka ended the first half not only leading in the score but also in shot attempts, ball possession, and all other statistics, surpassing Sagan Tosu in overall performance.




However, as the second half began, the dynamics of the game gradually changed. Despite the ongoing rain, the pitch conditions started to allow more movement, and Sagan Tosu, as if adapting to this, continued their usual style of passing football from the start of the second half. They began to create opportunities even in the central area where the ball had been stopping in the first half. In response, Cerezo Osaka attacked primarily through the wings, with Jordy Croux and Capixaba attempting shots from outside the box. However, there seemed to be a slight ambiguity in Cerezo's decision-making between passing and shooting, with individual players becoming less clear on whether to connect or take a shot. Meanwhile, Sagan Tosu raised their intensity through player substitutions, and in the 64th minute, Cerezo lost the ball in their own half, conceding a goal from a swift counter-attack, which leveled the score. From that point, both teams made changes, particularly in the tired wide midfielders, and Cerezo also tried to build up from the back to create scoring opportunities. The match became more open in the closing stages as both teams fought for all three points. In the additional time of the second half, Cerezo orchestrated an attack through Shinji Kagawa and Hikaru Nakahara, creating a chance in the middle and then spreading the play to the wings. In the final moment, substitute Ryosuke Yamanaka delivered a cross into the box, where Leo Ceara had a clear chance but shot straight at the goalkeeper. Then, Sagan Tosu launched a counter-attack from that moment, breached the left side of Cerezo's defense, and eventually conceded a goal from Cayman Togashi's header coming from the opposite side, suffering a late defeat.



While it is true that the match became a challenging one, with changing weather conditions and pitch conditions in high humidity, Cerezo Osaka suffered a devastating come-from-behind loss as the performance differed between the first and second halves. The defeat widened the gap with the top teams, marking a disappointing streak of consecutive losses. Nevertheless, after the game, the coach stated, "Every season has its ups and downs. Even this season, after finishing the third match with one draw and two losses, we climbed up from 17th to 5th place thanks to the players' hard work. We want to overcome this second test of the season and look ahead." Next week, they have back-to-back matches at home, starting with the Emperor's Cup 3rd round against Omiya Ardija, followed by the 21st round of the J1 League against Urawa Reds. It's time for the team to demonstrate unity and solidarity. "We want to face the next Emperor's Cup and the league match against Urawa as a strong collective, working towards our goals for this year," said Coach Kogiku.