V-Varen Nagasaki edged past Ehime 3:2 in the second round of the Emperor's Cup on 26 August, a result that feels more earned than the scoreline suggests. The hosts took the lead through R. Kou in the fifty-third minute, only to see M. Sekiguchi level matters shortly after. Kabayama then turned it on, striking twice within four minutes to put the game out of sight, though Sawada's late reply kept Ehime breathing down their necks.
And here's the thing about that Kabayama double — it came in the sixty-second and sixty-seventh minutes, a window where the match shifted entirely. Nagasaki had looked comfortable after Kou's opener, but Sekiguchi's response showed Ehime weren't going to roll over. Kabayama's first goal broke the deadlock, and his second, less than five minutes later, effectively ended the contest. By then, Ehime were chasing shadows.
The statistics tell a straightforward story. Nagasaki held 53 per cent possession and registered six shots on target against four, while attacks were evenly spread — 79 to 74. It wasn't a match where one side dominated territory; it was decided in those three or four moments that Etienne always says matter. Ehime's single yellow card and higher throw-in count (18 to 14) suggested they were more physical, perhaps desperate.
To be fair, Nagasaki's recent form hadn't inspired confidence. They'd lost to Kashiwa Reysol 4:2 and Fagiano Okayama 1:0 before this, with only a narrow win over Kyoto Sanga to show for their last five outings. Ehime weren't much better — defeats to Fujiieda MYFC and Roasso Kumamoto among their last five results. The draw brought them together early, and neither side had much to lose.
What stood out was how Nagasaki managed to take the lead and then hold it, even when Ehime pushed for an equalizer. Sawada's seventy-second-minute goal might have been a consolation, but it also showed Ehime had legs left. The hosts saw off six shots on target in total — three from each side — and that discipline in the final third proved crucial.