There was plenty more drama in REGIONAL ROUND Match Week 1 of the MEIJI YASUDA J1 100 YEAR VISION LEAGUE on Saturday, as Urawa Reds defeated JEF United Chiba 2-0 and both FC TOKYO and Gamba Osaka won 5-4 on penalties - the former beating 2025 MEIJI YASUDA J1 LEAGUE champions Kashima Antlers and latter downing local rivals Cerezo Osaka.
It only took five minutes for the goals to start going in at Fukuda Denshi Arena, as Yusuke Matsuo dusted himself off after being felled by Chiba goalkeeper Tomoya Wakahara and slotted home from the penalty spot.
Matsuo’s fellow forward Renji Hidano then doubled Urawa’s lead seven minutes later, tucking in a rebound from inside the six-yard box.
Chiba did their best to find a way back into their first game in the top flight since 2009, but Urawa ultimately stood firm to make sure of all three points.
Meanwhile, things were blown wide open by a sending off just before half-time at Ajinomoto Stadium, where Kashima’s Kento Misao received a straight red card for denying a clear goalscoring opportunity in the 41st minute.
FC TOKYO’s Keita Endo then did superbly to stroke home the resultant free-kick from just outside the area in the 44th minute, although Kim Tae Hyeon was on hand to ram home a loose ball at a corner two minutes later to make it 1-1 at the break.
There were to be no further goals in the second period, meaning the contest required a penalty shoot-out to determine the victor.
Both sides were immaculate from 12 yards until FC TOKYO’s Kim Seung Gyu saved from Ryuta Koike, leaving the path clear for substitute Ryunosuke Sato to fire home the winning attempt and make sure of two points for the hosts.
Penalties were also needed in the Osaka derby, where C-Osaka and G-Osaka battled to a hard-fought scoreless draw over 90 minutes.
G-Osaka struck the woodwork twice in the first half - Harumi Minamino hitting the post in the eighth minute and Tokuma Suzuki clipping the crossbar in the 17th - before Hayato Tanaka was sent off for C-Osaka four minutes before the interval.
The visitors were unable to make their one-man advantage count though, and with six minutes remaining it became 10 versus 10 as G-Osaka’s Takeru Kishimoto received his marching orders for a second yellow card.
The shoot-out featured some clinical finishing from both sides as each scored all of their first four kicks, but Reiya Sakata saw his fifth attempt for C-Osaka cannon back off the crossbar, and Shuto Abe made no mistake with G-Osaka’s final penalty to secure victory.
JEF United Chiba vs Urawa Reds - Game Highlights | MW1
Cerezo Osaka vs Gamba Osaka - Game Highlights | MW1
FC TOKYO vs Kashima Antlers - Game Highlights | MW1
