Fagiano Okayama, currently in 5th place in the Meiji Yasuda J2 League, defeated last-place Gunma at home on June 22nd, marking their second consecutive win.

Last week, Fagiano won for the first time in three games. The day before yesterday, they created many opportunities to get close to the opponent’s goal, but they were unable to score.

The game changed in the 41st minute of the second half, when Yanagi Ikutaka connected with a corner kick. Yanagi, who turned 30 that day, used his specialty of heading the ball to bring a big point to the team. Fagiano managed to hold on to this one point, winning two consecutive league games. They moved up one place in the rankings to fourth place.

(30th birthday of Fagiano Okayama 5th DF Yanagi Ikutaka)
“It was my first time playing on my birthday on a match day. It was a truly memorable experience. I want to play powerfully and go all out, not to be outdone by the younger players.”

Fagiano’s next match will be at the end of June, away against third-placed Shimizu.

(Fagiano Okayama manager Takayuki Kiyama)
“It’s not easy to win at a place like that. I want to do my best as a challenger and aim to win.”

Meanwhile, Kamatamare Sanuki of J3 played against Miyazaki away on June 22nd and ended in a draw. Their ranking remains unchanged at 19th place.