Review: Cerezo Osaka 2-1 Nagoya Grampus (J1 MD21)

Cerezo got revenge on Nagoya with a comfortable win, started the second half of the season with back-to-back wins.

Three days after their last match against Sagan Tosu, in which they started the second half of the season with a win, Cerezo Osaka welcomed Nagoya Grampus back home for the 21st match of the Meiji Yasuda J1 League. The starting lineup was the same as the previous match. It was the third game in a three-game series, but the starting lineup remained the same as it had become more consistent.

The first half began with Nagoya attacking, and they almost had a decisive chance in the 3rd minute, but Kakeru Funaki could limit the shot's path and goalkeeper Kim Jin Hyeon made a great save. In the 6th minute, this time Ryuya Nishio was able to block a shot with his body. It was important not to concede a goal at this stage of the game. Cerezo also had a chance in the 7th minute when Lucas Fernandes won the ball high up the pitch and Satoki Uejo fired a shot, and in the 8th minute Leo Ceara pounced on a sharp cross from Capixaba. The game continued to go back and forth, with Kensuke Nagai almost breaking down the flank on several occasions, but Fernandes was able to save and in the 22nd minute the home side had a great chance. Hayato Okuda's cross was parried by Capixaba at the other end and Leo Ceara fired in a shot. The shot went over the bar, but Cerezo took the lead in the 26th minute. Okuda broke up the opposition's attempt to link up and pass forward, and Leo Ceara beat the defender and dribbled in from near the halfway line, cutting inside from the left. From an angle, Leo Ceara scored with his left foot to give Cerezo the lead. Uejo's challenge drew a yellow card for the opposing defender in the 30th minute, and Leo Ceara almost doubled the lead in the 37th minute after closing in on a back pass from the opponents.







Cerezo started the second half on the defensive against Nagoya's side attacks. However, they soon regained possession and pushed back, and in the 55th minute, Hiroaki Okuno received a pass from Lucas Fernandes and unleashed a left-footed shot from mid-range that went just wide. It was Okuno's 300th appearance in the J1 competition. "I don't really feel it, but I'm happy because I was able to achieve this with the help of my manager, who played me in the games, and my teammates, who helped me. There are other players like Jin-san (Kim Jin Hyeon, who will soon reach 400 J1 games) who are even better, so I want to try to catch up with them," Okuno said after the match. Nagoya made three substitutions in the 60th minute, but Cerezo scored the long-awaited goal in the 65th minute. Capixaba made a run down the left flank, won the ball, and crossed the ball into the box on his own, beating the defender. Lucas Fernandes came up from the opposite side of the field and met the ball with his outstretched right foot, sending it into the net. "We talked about how important it was to get the second goal," Fernandes said. "We were happy to get the second goal. It gave us confidence for the future," said Capixaba.





This gave Cerezo the upper hand, but from that point on they began to show signs of fatigue and continued to make minor mistakes. In the 76th minute, Cerezo conceded a goal. An opponent knocked in a shot from the second ball of a corner kick. In the 87th minute, Nagoya had another chance on the counter, but Hirotaka Tameda made a great clearance to save the team against a cross from the right. Justin Hubner came on in the second half of stoppage time and, as in the previous match, Cerezo closed out the game with a back five to preserve the one-goal advantage. The win was Cerezo's third in a row at home and extended their unbeaten streak in the league to seven games. After the game, the trio of Brazilian players who played a key role in the victory shared their joy with the supporters, and the stadium was filled with a sense of happiness. "The victory was also due to the fact that everyone worked hard and played great defense in very humid conditions. Today's game has given the team another boost," said manager Akio Kogiku. The whole team will prepare well for the next match against Tokyo Verdy.