Review: Cerezo Osaka vs Gamba Osaka (J1 100 Year Vision League MD1) | Official website

The Osaka Derby marks the opening of the 100-Year Vision League. Despite holding firm with 10 men following a first-half red card, Cerezo fall in a penalty shootout after a scoreless draw.

Ahead of the season transition in the summer approaches, the Meiji Yasuda J1 100 Year Vision League kicked off as a special tournament. In the first round of the WEST Group Regional League, Cerezo Osaka faced Gamba Osaka at Yanmar Stadium Nagai. Before kickoff, both sets of supporters displayed stunning, high-quality tifo choreographies. The sight of the stadium packed with 42,101 spectators was nothing short of spectacular.

“Both teams fought aggressively and tough; it was truly a derby match,” manager Arthur Papas reflected after the game. From the start, the determination of both sides to win clashed head-on. However, the match turned feisty early on, with Thiago Andrade booked in the 1st minute and Tokuma Suzuki in the 3rd. Cerezo struggled to take control in the first half. Against the aggressive defense of Gamba, led by new manager Jens Wissing, “We lost duels and let them take the momentum. They picked up many second balls and used that drive to push forward,” Kyohei Noborizato noted. Gamba had golden opportunities in the 8th and 17th minutes but were denied by the post and crossbar. Cerezo, meanwhile, found it difficult to settle the ball in midfield and build attacks. Amidst this, Motohiko Nakajima, starting as the number 10, fought hard. In the 14th minute, he held off defenders with a powerful dribble before playing in Thiago on the left to create a chance. New signing Solomon Sakuragawa also showed his hold-up play up front, initiating a clear-cut chance in the 40th minute, though Hinata Kida’s resulting shot was thwarted by a fine save from goalkeeper Masaaki Higashiguchi. Just as Cerezo began to find their rhythm, disaster struck in the 41st minute. Hayato Tanaka’s tackle during a scramble for a second ball was deemed serious foul play, resulting in a straight red card. Until the end of the half, Shunta Tanaka dropped back as the team shifted into a [5-3-1] formation, prioritizing defense to reach halftime at 0-0.

At the start of the second half, Papas introduced Reiya Sakata and Nelson Ishiwatari for Shion Homma and Thiago. Maintaining the [5-3-1] shape, Sakata occupied the right wing-back role while Ishiwatari sat in the center of the midfield three. Gamba continued to dominate possession, but Cerezo’s defense stayed resolute, clearing crosses and seeing goalkeeper Kim Jin Hyeon save long-range efforts. “Whether in set-piece defense or open play, we have added height this year, so we can reliably clear crosses. That is one of our strengths,” said Shunta Tanaka. Jin Hyeon, who earned his opening-day start after a grueling pre-season camp, added, “We conceded too many last year. I played today with a strong desire to keep a clean sheet from the very first game.” In the 63rd minute, Kyohei Yoshino replaced Kida, taking his place on the left of the back three, which allowed Shunta Tanaka to move back up into central midfield and Ishiwatari to shift to the left of the midfield trio. In the 71st minute, the attack was bolstered as new signing Kusini Yengi made his official debut. In the 78th minute, Yengi held up a throw-in in the opponent’s half, and via Shunta Tanaka, Sakata managed a shot, showing Cerezo’s intent to score even with 10 men. In the 84th minute, Gamba’s Takeru Kishimoto was sent off for a second yellow card. With the numbers leveled, both sides pushed for a winner, but the deadlock remained. Cerezo never switched off, throwing bodies on the line to block shots until the final whistle. “It was good that not a single player lost focus while defending. If we can maintain that same defensive quality with 11 men, we will be an even better team. We gained a lot from this,” said Nakajima. While the team sat deep by necessity in this match, that tenacity in front of their own goal is something they aim to carry forward.

The match ended goalless after 90 minutes, but under the special rules of the 100 Year Vision League, it proceeded to a penalty shootout. Cerezo kicked first, and both sides were clinical, with Nakajima smashing his effort down the middle as the first four takers for both teams converted. However, Cerezo’s fifth taker, Sakata, saw his effort strike the crossbar. Shuto Abe then converted Gamba’s fifth penalty to seal the result (Cerezo earned 1 point). This marked the first-ever Osaka Derby decided by a shootout. Despite the frustration, Cerezo will look to settle the score with a 90-minute victory in the away derby scheduled for April.