After their heroics within the semi-final second leg of the League Cup in Japan you’d most likely be forgiven for pondering that Kashiwa Reysol’s title may nicely be on the trophy this yr.
After dropping the semi-final first leg 3-1 towards Kawasaki Frontale, it appeared prefer it was a troublesome hurdle to beat, particularly when 4-1 down on combination early within the return leg at Hitachi-dai Stadium 5 days later. With 73 minutes on the clock, it was 4-2 on combination however two fast targets gave Reysol hope after which two minutes into extra time striker Mao Hosoya gave the house facet a vastly sudden victory.
Three weeks on and it was time for the Levain Cup closing (Levain is a biscuit producer, therefore the weak pun within the title of this put up!) towards Sanfrecce Hiroshima at Japan Nationwide Stadium in Shinjuku-ku. This was a file sixth match on the highway for me with Reysol this season which is right down to a combination of excellent fortune concerning the scheduling of Kanto-based matches and the shortcoming to get tickets for Kashiwa’s house video games because of their elevated recognition based mostly on their success.
After dropping their final two cup finals at this stadium, would it not be third time fortunate for my group? They’d gained the event a few occasions in my non-supporting years with the final one in 2013 on the former nationwide stadium. As for Sanfrecce, they have been winners as lately as 2022 only a week after the frustration of dropping the Emperor’s Cup closing on penalties to J2 facet Ventforet Kofu.
On the Emperor’s Cup closing in December 2023, I used to be a part of the supporter’s group so was truly within the stadium 4 hours earlier than kick-off which means that I missed out on the pre-match razzmatazz by way of meals vehicles, merchandise stands and simply seeing the supporters of each groups hanging round and savouring the pre-match flavour.
This time I needed to pattern the environment outdoors across the stadium so nonetheless arrived two hours forward of kick-off having cycled down from the Tokyo Fox World Operations Centre in Itabashi-ku. A sunny Autumn day made for a vibrant spectacle with so many yellow and purple shirts throughout.
I hadn’t actually checked out my ticket till I entered the stadium and was simply anticipating to be behind the objective someplace. I quickly realised no seat quantity was given like standard, so I messaged the pal who bought me the ticket. He mentioned it was free-seating and that there was some area within the nook (close to Gate 5) to the left. I wandered over that method and took a seat and because the count-down to kick-off continued all of it crammed up round me give or take just a few seats right here and there.
The environment was fairly good however I felt a bit out of it as I wasn’t in the primary ultras part. Most likely a very good factor in some methods as I had woken that morning with a sore throat and the indicators of an oncoming chilly.
My vantage level additionally meant I bought a very good view of the choreography as the beginning approached.
Opponents Sanfrecce had their very own show which was additionally seen because the groups entered the sector and stood for the nationwide anthem sung by a lady vocal group I’d by no means heard of referred to as Little Glee Monster!
With the pre-match pomp and ceremony out of the way in which it was lastly time to sit down again, calm down and benefit from the closing between two evenly matched sides that had drawn each league matches this season.
The opening minutes have been fairly full of life, and it was obvious early on that Reysol have been struggling to cope with the lengthy throw-ins from Sanfrecce which have been being launched into the six-yard field. Certain sufficient a type of lengthy throws led to the opening objective being headed house on 25 minutes though I nonetheless suppose the keeper was blocked sooner or later.
It was a foul begin for Reysol however it was about to get even worse for me! Simply seconds earlier than kick-off, a person and his younger son entered our row and I simply thought they have been going to take the empty seat subsequent to me collectively. Nevertheless, he confirmed me a ticket for the seat I used to be in, so I apologised and climbed over to the empty seat one row in entrance however was a bit nervous for the primary 5-10 minutes when different late comers entered that block.
Who arrives 35 minutes late for a cup closing or any match for that matter? The mom of the younger man to my proper, that’s who!! This was once I realised that I had gone into the unsuitable block on the unsuitable facet of Gate 5! It was an trustworthy mistake, and the employees had even allowed me by a few occasions after checking my ticket!
Embarrassingly I needed to exit my row of seats pushing previous the seven or eight individuals to my left and I then ran up the steps to flee as shortly as doable and watch from the highest while I thought of my choices. I used to be in a foul way of thinking and issues bought worse moments later when Sanfrecce went 2-0 up from an excellent direct free-kick.
The second Sanfrecce went 2-0 up!
If solely the occupiers of the 2 seats I’d randomly sat in had arrived in good time earlier than the match started, then the entire state of affairs would’ve been averted with out an excessive amount of consideration being delivered to it however what probability that each of them didn’t arrive in good time forward of the 1:05 pm kick off?!! Issues couldn’t get a lot worse I assumed as I made my method spherical behind the objective for the ultimate moments of the half.
Unsuitable once more! One other lengthy throw resulted in a objective and with it 3-0 at half-time it was just about sport over. Once more, I believe Sanfrecce had possibly mastered the darkish arts by impeding the goalkeeper indirectly or possibly I’m simply desperately on the lookout for the explanation why two of the targets might’ve been disallowed!
Being a soccer fan although is all about hope and if Reysol might’ve bought a comparatively early objective within the second half then it may need been sport on. They got here out of the traps following a triple substitution with a degree to show and have been throughout Sanfrecce however they simply couldn’t discover a well past their keeper till the 81st minute. Time was actually operating out, and a second objective was agonisingly shut just some minutes later. Had that gone in we actually would have had an exciting finale however it simply wasn’t to be.
The post-match ceremonies usually take an eternity to get going however fortunately they have been fairly fast to start such proceedings. The overwhelmed finalists actually ought to simply be allowed to gather their medals and get out of there however on this event they nonetheless needed to pose for a group photograph.
Moments later it was time for the victorious group to raise the trophy
Closing Rating: Kashiwa Reysol 1-3 Sanfrecce Hiroshima
Normally when any soccer membership loses in a cup match they are saying it’s time to focus on the league however Reysol actually do have to stay centered as with simply three video games to go they’re nonetheless very a lot in with an opportunity of successful the J1 title. They do want favours elsewhere however should put this League Cup closing defeat behind them shortly if they’re to nonetheless be in it on the ultimate day.
Click on right here to learn ‘Kashiwa Reysol Pay The Penalty At The 103rd Emperor’s Cup Closing’
Click on right here to learn ‘TF Prime 10……Soccer Match Day Experiences In 2025 So Far (Half 1)’
Click on right here to learn ‘Eating Out: Black Curry Ramen & Japan’s Most Secret Bathroom Guarded By A Life-Dimension Star Wars Character!’
Click on right here to learn ‘On The Street Once more For An Away Match At Japan’s Most Southerly Prime Flight Stadium’