Kashiwa Reysol 4-2 V-Varen Nagasaki: Home side cruise to comfortable win
Kashiwa Reysol took all three points against V-Varen Nagasaki with a 4-2 victory in the J-League 1 regular season on Thursday at the Sankyo Frontier Kashiwa Stadium. The hosts dominated possession and created more chances, while the visitors struggled to find a rhythm after going behind early. A pair of own goals helped seal the result for Kashiwa, who moved up to second place with four wins from five games.
The match started quickly, with Y. Kakita opening the scoring in the sixth minute, only for Takuma Ominami to immediately turn it into an own goal. Tenmu Matsumoto doubled the lead before half-time with a well-taken effort in the 51st minute. Nagasaki pulled one back through Iwasaki Yuto in the 56th minute, but Yoshio Koizumi restored the two-goal cushion just seven minutes later. Yusuke Segawa added a second for the visitors in the 77th minute, setting up a nervy finish.
By then, Kashiwa had already secured their advantage. Masahiro Sekiguchi gifted another own goal in the 83rd minute, and Tojiro Kubo's goal was confirmed after VAR intervention in the 84th minute. The hosts made several changes in the final quarter, bringing on Yuki Kakita, Yusei Egawa, Keita Endo, Thiago Santana, Yoshio Koizumi and Tojiro Kubo as they managed the game out. Nagasaki also made three substitutions at the break, with Hinata Yamauchi, Yoneda Shunya and Diego Pituca coming on.
The statistics tell the story of a one-sided affair. Kashiwa enjoyed 69% possession and launched 146 attacks compared to just 53 for the visitors. They registered 11 shots on target with 42% accuracy, while Nagasaki managed four shots on target with 80% accuracy. The home side created two big chances against one for the away team, and their pass completion rate was significantly higher.
The result leaves Kashiwa in second place with 12 points from five matches, while V-Varen Nagasaki remain in 17th position on four points. The hosts have lost just once this season, whereas the visitors have picked up only one victory from their opening five games. This win extends Kashiwa's winning momentum, having also beaten Tokyo Verdi and Mito Hollyhock in recent weeks.