Yokohama Edge Past Ryukyu in Five-Goal Thriller
Yokohama took a narrow victory over Ryukyu in the Round of 128 of the J-League Cup, winning 3-2 at home on Tuesday evening. The result keeps the visitors third in the table with six points from six matches, while Ryukyu's campaign in the competition comes to an end. And here's the thing — the match was far from the tame affair the scoreline might suggest.
Ryukyu struck first through Joao Paulo just one minute in, catching Yokohama off guard. Adailton doubled the home side's advantage before half-time with a goal in the 29th minute, and by then the visitors looked to be heading for an early exit. But the momentum shifted sharply after the break, with K. Sota pulling one back for Yokohama in the 44th minute, just before the interval.
S. Motegi restored Yokohama's lead in the 49th minute, and that proved to be the turning point. To be fair, the visitors had been second to everything for large stretches, but they sensed blood when Ryukyu failed to clear their lines. M. Ito then stepped in to score twice in quick succession, netting in the 85th and 87th minutes to complete the turnaround.
The statistics tell an interesting story. Both sides held 50 percent possession, yet Yokohama registered 11 shots on target compared to Ryukyu's seven. The hosts out-attacked with 116 moves but only turned two of them into corners, while the visitors managed five from 87 attacks. It's the kind of mismatch where a few key moments decide everything.
Yokohama's performance carried real weight for their standing. Three wins from six would put them in contention, but with four defeats already on the board, the manager will be weighing up a move to stabilise the defence. Ryukyu, meanwhile, had shown flashes — a 5-4 win against Urawa in July was the most recent highlight — but this result leaves them without a path forward in the cup.
