There were mixed fortunes for the 2025 MEIJI YASUDA J1 LEAGUE sides in action in the AFC Champions League Elite 2025/26 on Tuesday, as FC Machida Zelvia claimed their first win in the competition with a 2-0 victory away to Shanghai Port FC but Sanfrecce Hiroshima fell to a 1-0 loss on the road at Ulsan HD FC.
FC Machida seized the advantage early on at Pudong Football Stadium, taking the lead via an own goal in just the 12th minute.
Asahi Masuyama swung an inviting cross in from the left, and although Shota Fujio saw his initial header saved the ball was turned into the net by Shanghai defender Fu Huan as he and Fujio challenged for the rebound.
The visitors then doubled their lead 13 minutes later when Yuki Soma received the ball from Hokuto Shimoda, bore down on goal, and sent a right-foot shot fizzing into the bottom corner via a slight deflection.
FC Machida continued to play on the offensive after the restart and came incredibly close to making it 3-0 in the 54th minute after some neat link-up play between Mitchell Duke and Henry Heroki Mochizuki down the right.
After Duke and Mochizuki exchanged passes to break into the Shanghai area Duke cut an inviting ball back for Fujio, but his cute prod goalwards was headed over the bar from on the goal-line by retreating Shanghai defender Zhang Linpeng.
Soma thought he had added to FC Machida’s haul two minutes later as he rifled across goal from a tight angle and saw his shot nestle in the far side of the net, but his effort was ruled out for offside.
The closest Shanghai came to halving the deficit was after Kuai Jiwen dribbled in behind in the 73rd minute, but FC Machida goalkeeper Kosei Tani kept his shot out at the near post.
Meanwhile, despite creating plenty of goalscoring opportunities Hiroshima were unable to take anything from their contest against Ulsan after falling behind in the 12th minute.
The hosts took control of proceedings in the opening exchanges, as Kim Min-hyeok snuck in at the back post to head home Lee Jin-hyun’s in-swinging cross from the right.
Sota Nakamura came within a whisker of equalising for Hiroshima in the 35th minute, but his fierce drive from 10 yards cannoned back off the crossbar.
A Shuto Nakano long throw then caused chaos in the Ulsan box in the fourth minute of the second half, but after the ball broke to Hayato Araki his attempt was deflected behind for a corner.
A delicious shot from Sota Koshimichi then curled agonisingly wide with six minutes remaining, leaving Ulsan to celebrate a hard-fought victory and Hiroshima with one win, one draw, and one defeat so far.
