Yokohama secured a 3:1 victory over Kriaakou Shinjuku in the second round of the Emperor's Cup on Wednesday evening. Joao Paulo opened the scoring in the twenty-third minute before R. Kubota equalised seven minutes later. K. Maezawa restored Yokohama's lead shortly after the half-hour mark, and H. Ogura found the net in the sixty-sixth minute to complete the goalscorers' list.
Kriaakou Shinjuku arrived with mixed recent form, having beaten Ryuutsu Keiai University 2:1 in their latest outing but suffering defeats in previous matches. Yokohama came into the fixture following a heavy 2:0 loss to Montedio Yamagata, though they had shown resilience with victories against Jubilo Iwata and Tegevajaro Miyazaki in the intervening weeks.
The goals came in quick succession during the opening half, with Yokohama's attacking intent evident from the first twenty minutes. Joao Paulo's early strike set the tone, and despite Kubota's response, Maezawa's goal meant Yokohama held a narrow advantage going into the break. Ogura's second-half effort kept Kriaakou within striking distance until the final whistle.
This result extends Yokohama's presence in the tournament after their previous cup exits, while Kriaakou Shinjuku's cup campaign comes to an end. The hosts will now look ahead to their next fixture, having ground out the win despite Kriaakou's late pressure.