Avispa Fukuoka vs Yokohama F. Marinos (26th, Best Denki Stadium)
Starting for the first time in five games, Shahab Zahedi, the first Iranian player to play in the J-League, showed his decisiveness. It was his first goal in a league match since the match against Gambei Osaka on May 3rd.
In the first half, the team was on the defensive, but he did not miss the opportunity to earn a corner kick with his own shot. He reacted to the ball that Kazuya Konno kicked with his left foot from a right corner kick. Taking advantage of his height of 187 cm, he headed the ball into the goal net, scoring his seventh goal of the season.
![[Fukuoka vs Yokohama F. Marinos]Zahedi celebrates with Ryoga Sato (right) after scoring a header in the first half at Best Denki Stadium on June 26, 2024. Photo by Yoshiyuki Hirakawa.](https://cdn.mainichi.jp/vol1/2024/06/26/20240626k0000m050307000p/9.webp?1)
Due to a lack of scoring power, he joined the team on March 7th, midway through the league. Although he has the most goals on the team, he received two yellow cards in one game, against Cerezo Osaka on May 18th, and against Kashiwa in the YBC Levain Cup on the 22nd, which resulted in a suspension for two consecutive league games. Since his return on June 16th, he has been a substitute in the two games.
“I want him to work hard in training so that he can perform well when he returns,” said Zahedi. With Fukuoka boasting a solid defence with nine clean sheets up until the last match, the best in the league, manager Hasebe Shigetoshi said, “His strength is scoring goals. We are all trying to make use of that.” The 28-year-old striker has a keen nose for the goal and is a big asset for Fukuoka, who struggle with a lack of scoring power every year.[Fujita Takeshi]