By Pearse McLaughlin
Koki Ogawa grabbed a late equaliser for Yokohama FC as they drew the match with Shonan Bellmare 2-2.
Both sides go again with unchanged line-ups as it’s as you were. No surprise as Shonan Bellmare go with the same side that won 5-1 away to Sagan Tosu. Satoshi Yamaguchi lines his side up again in his preferred 3-1-4-2 formation which was so successful last time out. Yokohama FC go with the same starting line-up that lost narrowly 1-0 to Nagoya Grampus last time out. Shuhei Yomoda lines his side up in the 4-2-3-1 formation.
Only 13 seconds into the game this has got to be one of the quickest goals in J-League 1 history and it comes courtesy of Koki Ogawa. After a lengthy VAR check the goal is given after the official’s were checking for a possible offside against Tomoki Kondo but he was onside, and the goal is given. That’s Last season’s J-League 2 top goal scorer with 26 goals up and running in the topflight in which Yokohama FC will be hoping is the first of many. Straight from kick off captain Gabriel hits along diagonal up to Koki Ogawa who brings the ball down, swivels and plays a 1-2 inside the box with Tomoki Kondo before picking his spot and coolly slotting the ball into the bottom left-hand corner. 1-0 Yokohama FC. Dream start for the visitors.
On the 17th minute and Shonan Bellmare have equalised courtesy of Shuto Machino. It all comes from down the right-hand side of Shonan Bellmare as Ryota Nagaki picks up the ball and plays a ball in behind up to last week’s hero with his impressive 3 goal haul and that man is Yuki Ohashi. But this time he turned provider for his strike partner Shuto Machino who cuts inside on his left foot and fires a shot low and hard into the bottom left-hand corner. 1-1 game on. An emphatic finish from Shuto Machino.
Five minutes later saw Ogawa peel off at the back post and head the ball down to the onrushing Shion Inoue who smashed the ball off the upright and it somehow bounces clear. After Yokohama FC nearly taking the lead, the ball then goes straight up the other end and concede instantly courtesy of a freak own goal by Takuya Wada. The ball is down in the left back area where goalkeeper Kengo Nagai vacated his goal and was in close proximity for a pass, but Takuya Wada tries to switch the play across his box but slices it straight into his own net. It’s now 2-1 to the home side courtesy of a bizarre own goal.
Shuto Machino nearly doubles his tally for the day on the 37th minute as he smashed the ball off the foot of the right-hand post. This came from a dangerous ball in form the corner by Ryota Nagaki with Shuto Machino drifting in at the back post evading his marker Yuri Lara but couldn’t direct his half volley on target. It remains 2-1 to Shonan Bellmare.
Terrible news for the visitors as club captain and stalwart, Gabriel is stretchered off injured on the stroke of half time following an altercation with Shuto Machino. He is replaced by Katsuya Iwatake.
What a first half that was to kick off our fright night action here in Japan. Yokohama FC took a shock lead very early into the game by their danger man Koki Ogawa but as the game grew, they started to lose a foothold in the game and were clinging on at times towards the end of the 1st half. Shuto Machino equalised for Shonan Bellmare before a freak own goal by Takuya Wada. This seemed to be a turning point in the game as this gave Shonan Bellmare more confidence and finished the half strongest.
Half time substitution for Yokohama FC as Shion Inoue is replaced by Caprini. Shuhei Yomoda goes to his substitutes bench to try find that spark to get his side back in the game.
10 minutes into the second half saw the first meaningful chance fall to the Brazilian Caprini. It all starts with Yuri Lara who does brilliantly in the middle of the park to dispossess his opponent, drove with the ball before playing it out to the right wing to Tomoki Kondo who fired the ball straight back into Yuri Lara who continued his run into the box before teeing up substitute Caprini. A comfortable save in the end for South Korean shot stopper Song Bum-Keun.
Yokohama FC are a whisker away of levelling up the score on the 66th minute and look the more likely team to do so now. Koki Ogawa nearly doubled his tally for the day following a set piece situation as his header crashed off the right-hand post and goes behind for a goal kick. It comes down the right-hand side from the throw in by Tomoki Kondo who threw it back to Takumi Nakamura whose terrifically floated ball into the box saw goal scoring supreme Koki Ogawa hang in the air for which seemed like an eternity as he rose highest and saw his looping header bounce off the post and go behind for a goal kick. It remains 2-1. Shonan Bellmare hanging on here.
A thoroughly deserved headed goal on the 83rd minute as the lively and exciting talent that is Koki Ogawa doubled his tally for the night and equalises for Yokohama FC. Another gorgeous ball in yet again from half time substitute Caprini as his out swinging corner from the left-hand side met the forehead of Koki Ogawa as he bulleted his header down into the ground and into the top right-hand corner. 2-2. Game on.
A matter of minutes later saw Shonan Bellmare awarded a penalty for a foul on Shuto Machino. After a lengthy VAR check the penalty was awarded and as Machino stood over the ball a decision came through for offside and the penalty was overruled. The decision took about 5 minutes but got to the right decision in the end as substitute Tarik Elyounoussi was offside in build-up.
The 11th minute of stoppage time saw a wonder save from Kengo Nagai stick out a right leg to deny substitute Naoki Yamada from snatching all three points for the home side. Kengo Nagai bailed out his teammate Yuri Lara who slipped at the vital moment to allow Naoki Yamada in 1-on-1. Fantastic save. It remains 2-2.
It’s all over here at the Mitsuzawa Stadium as Shonan Bellmare are held to an exciting draw to Yokohama FC as the match finished 2-2. Yokohama FC took a shock early lead through man of the moment Koki Ogawa who grabbed 2 goals for his side and announced himself in the J-League 1. After that early setback Shonan Bellmare grew into the game and thoroughly dominated in the second half and went in at half time with a 2-1 lead. After the restart it was all Yokohama FC and the introduction of substitute Caprini seemed to spark them into life and was only a matter time before they equalised. But saying that, Shonan Bellmare nearly snatched all 3 points with virtually the last kick off the game but for a fantastic save from Kengo Nagai to keep the scores level. No surprise to see Koki Ogawa pick up the man of the match award after his impressive two goal haul.
Next up for Shonan Bellmare is an away trip next Saturday the 4th of March to Kawasaki Frontale where Satoshi Yamaguchi will be looking for a reaction and look to get back to winning ways next time out. Yokohama FC will be looking to build on an impressive second half display and try and get their first victory of the season next time out as they host Kashima Antlers next Saturday.
Shonan Bellmare: Song Bum-Keun, Koki Tachi (Takuya Okamoto 90+6’), Kazuki Oiwa, Daiki Sugioka, Ryota Nagaki, Hirokazu Ishihara (Keita Yamashita 90+6’), Taiga Hata, Kosuke Onose, Taiyo Hiraoka (Tarik Elyounoussi 66’), Yuki Ohashi (Hiroyuki Abe 65’), Shuto Machino. Subs not used: Naoki Yamada, Daiki Tomii, Junnosuke Suzuki.
Yokohama FC: Kengo Nagai, Takumi Nakamura, Boniface Nduka, Gabriel (Katsuya Iwatake 45+1’), Takuya Wada (Kento Hashimoto 64’), Yuri Lara, Hirotaka Mita, Tomoki Kondo, Shion Inoue (Caprini 46’), Koki Sakamoto (Ryoya Yamashita 64’), Koki Ogawa. Subs not used: Marcelo Ryan, Akinori Ichikawa, Kyohei Yoshino.
Match Reporter: Pearse McLaughlin
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