Vissel Kobe continued their unbeaten start to the MEIJI YASUDA J1 100 YEAR VISION LEAGUE as REGIONAL ROUND Match Week 2 got underway on Friday night, beating V-Varen Nagasaki 2-0 thanks to a pair of first-half goals from Gotoku Sakai and Daiju Sasaki.
Sakai opened the scoring with a wonder strike in the 25th minute at NOEVIR Stadium Kobe, lashing a ferocious volley into the back of the net from the edge of the D after a corner had been headed into his path.
Sasaki thought he had made it 2-0 to Kobe in the 36th minute when he bent an effort home from just inside the penalty area, but he had strayed offside in the build-up and the attempt was chalked off.
There was to be no denying Sasaki six minutes later though, as he doubled his side’s advantage after arriving late at the back post to head in an in-swinging cross from deep by Sakai.
Ren Komatsu had a terrific opportunity to make it 3-0 to Kobe 13 minutes into the second half, but after being teed up on the edge of the area by Yoshinori Muto he blazed his shot over the bar.
Nagasaki’s two biggest chances both arrived in stoppage time, as Matheus Jesus and Tsubasa Kasayanagi were each denied by Kobe goalkeeper Daiya Maekawa.
Matheus Jesus drew the first save in the 92nd minute, with Maekawa equal to a stinging drive from just outside the area and tipping it behind for a corner.
Maekawa then made sure of his clean sheet with another smart stop two minutes later, this time getting down quickly to his right to keep out Kasayanagi’s low strike and ensure all three points for his side.
Nagasaki, meanwhile, are still searching for their first point of the season.
Vissel Kobe vs V-Varen Nagasaki - Game Highlights | MW2
