Yokohama F. Marinos beat Kashiwa Reysol 2-0 at the Sankyo Frontier Kashiwa Stadium in the J1 League, Regular Season round six. The visitors ran the show for large spells, though the scoreline tells only part of the story. Kashiwa started brighter and created the first opening, but Yokohama's efficiency changed the complexion of the game.
Ryo Miyaichi gave the away side the lead in the nineteenth minute, a moment that felt decisive even then. He got in behind before slotting home, and by then Kashiwa had to chase the game. The hosts kept their side in it with possession, but they lacked penetration. Yokohama's shape at the back held firm against the pressure.
Rio Nitta doubled the advantage soon after the interval, forty-eighth minute. Kashiwa had committed men forward and left space, and the visitors punished them from a quick transition. The crowd roared them on, but there was nothing to show for it. Yokohama kept their side in it with disciplined defending and selective attacking.
Kosei Suwama and Keita Endo both picked up yellow cards before the break, thirty-eighth and forty-third minutes. Endo came off on the hour, replaced by Yudai Konishi and Masaki Watai in a double change. Shota Fujio, Rio Nitta, Seiya Baba, Tomoki Kondo, Riku Yamane, Ryotaro Tsunoda and Ryo Miyaichi also saw their names come up on the bench.
The statistics tell a different tale. Kashiwa had fifty-nine percent possession but only one shot on target from fourteen attempts inside the area. Their shooting accuracy sat at seven percent, while Yokohama managed thirty-six from four on target. Three big chances created for the hosts versus two for the visitors suggests the quality of opportunities mattered more than the quantity.
Kashiwa move up to fourth with twelve points from six games, three wins and two defeats. Yokohama remain seventh on ten points, one behind the hosts. The result ends a run of inconsistency for the visitors, who have drawn one and lost two in their last three. Kashiwa's clean-sheet run came to an end after keeping three consecutive games without conceding.