Yokohama F·Marinos and Avispa Fukuoka took control of their J.League YBC Levain Cup semi-final ties with 1-0 wins in their respective first legs. Now the two clubs have one foot firmly in the final and just 90 minutes separate them from playing for one of Japanese football’s most treasured trophies.
It was the unstoppable Anderson Lopes who made the difference for Marinos against Urawa Reds. The Tricolor striker buried a penalty kick just after the hour mark for the game’s only goal at Nissan Stadium.
A 1-0 loss isn’t debilitating for Urawa, especially not with the second leg back in Saitama, but they will be shorthanded because Hiroki Sakai saw red in stoppage time and will be suspended for the return leg.
Avispa Fukuoka, playing in their first J.League Cup semi-final ever, put on a show for their home fans. They were progressive and confident right from the start and were finally rewarded in first half stoppage time when Reiju Tsuruno found the back of the net. They were then able to hold Nagoya Grampusoff the rest of the way, giving them an advantage heading into the second leg.
Marinos and Fukuoka both sit pretty heading into Sunday’s second legs, but one goal is hardly insurmountable, especially at home. Urawa and Nagoya will both have rapturous crowds behind them, setting the stage for a phenomenal close to the semi-finals, with a trip to the Japan National Stadium for the final on the line.
Making matters all the better, the second legs will be available to stream live globally on the J.League International YouTube channel. Nagoya and Fukuoka will kick off on Sunday at 3 pm JST, with Urawa and Marinos two hours later, so make sure you tune in because you won’t want to miss these semi-final fights.
