In the Meiji Yasuda J.League, Ehime FC and FC Imabari both played away games on the 22nd. Ehime FC came from behind to win, marking their third consecutive league victory, while FC Imabari ended up with a scoreless draw.

Ehime FC, 9th in J2, faced off against Ventforet Kofu, 11th. Ehime wanted to keep the momentum from their win against Shimizu, the league leader, in the previous round, but just after kickoff, the opponent’s shot went through the legs of goalkeeper Tokushige and into the goal. They conceded a goal just 11 seconds into the game. Ehime regained their rhythm in the second half, and in the first minute, Mogi received a vertical pass from Ozaki and turned around to shoot. They scored an equalizer and signaled a counterattack. Then, in the 12th minute, Matsuda crossed from Kubota on the left side, and Fukazawa shot. With Fukazawa’s first goal in three months, Ehime came from behind to win 2-1, marking their third consecutive league win. They remain in 9th place, but are three points behind Renofa Yamaguchi FC, who are in 6th place and in the J1 promotion playoff zone. With three consecutive wins, they have narrowed the gap.

FC Imabari of J3, who won the previous round and rose to 8th place, faced off against Iwate Grulla Morioka, who was in last place and 20th. Imabari took the lead in the 17th minute of the first half, and their ace Marcus Vinicius, who had scored the most goals on the team with 7, shot, but it hit the goal post. They were unable to score and the first half ended 0-0. In the second half, Imabari continued to dominate, and in the 7th minute, Marcus Vinicius shot again from a set-piece opportunity, but it did not hit the goal. Imabari overwhelmed last-place Iwate in both offense and defense, and in added time, 37-year-old captain Mikage shot, but this also hit the post. Despite a wave of 12 shots, the goal was far away, and the game ended in a disappointing 0-0 draw. Imabari remains in 8th place with 27 points. They are tied with Zweigen Kanazawa, who is in 6th place and in the J2 promotion playoff zone.

In the next round, Ehime FC will play away against Roasso Kumamoto (18th place) on the 29th. FC Imabari will play at home against Kamatamare Sanuki (19th place) on the 30th.

#Ehime Prefecture #Matsuyama City #Ehime FC #Soccer #J League #J2 #Kofu #Yamanashi Prefecture #Imabari City #FC Imabari #Iwate #Iwate Prefecture #Ranking