On Kitonohara's side, their seven formed up slower, more unevenly.
Kitonohara 7 (Starters)
1 — Tobita (GK)
nervous but steady
4 — Gen (C, CB)
anchor, last line
3 — Jirō (CB)
cover CB
6 — Sera (CM)
first outlet
7 — Hayato (RMF)
wide runner
10 — Yuki (SS)
link-up
9 — Akira (CF)
main scorer
First Half — Kickoff
Kasugano's captain, Minato, taps it back to Iseri.
Kasugano don't rush.
Two short passes.
They settle the rhythm early.
Kitonohara stay in shape — compact, cautious.
Hayato drops between Gen and Jirō for security.
Akira and Yuki hover high, waiting for a loose ball.
Iseri scans once, then switches wide left to Fujimori.
Kasugano's tempo is controlled — not flashy, just clean.
One-touch. Safe reception. Move again.
Fujimori drags it forward a few yards.
Yuki tracks him, a step late.
Hayato shifts across, nervous but holding his zone.
Fujimori doesn't force it — he lays it back.
Kasugano recycle.
They're not testing the goal yet — they're testing Kitonohara's shape.
No panic from Kasugano. They've done this a hundred times.
Kasugano rotate again through Iseri.
He turns his shoulder inward —
a tiny cue —
and both wide mids start shifting up.
Now the first probe.
Ball goes right.
Tsubaki receives.
Light first touch forward.
Sera steps out to meet him.
Not a tackle — just to slow him.
Gen's voice from the back: "Hold. Line."
Tsubaki feints inside.
Sera doesn't bite.
Forced backward again.
Kasugano don't mind.
They reset through Iseri — one pass — then switch immediately to the other side.
This time it's Fujimori in space.
He drives.
Real pressure now.
Jirō closes.
Hayato shades across for cover.
Fujimori whips an early ball toward Minato—
Gen reads it and heads clear before it drops.
Simple. Firm. No theatrics.
A captain's clearance.
Kasugano regroup, but Kitonohara breathe a little.
Kasugano's message is
clear already: We will pull you side to side until someone cracks.
Kasugano recycle the ball again through midfield.
Iseri (CMF) angles his body left —
immediate switch to Fujimori (LMF).
He turns upfield.
This time he doesn't wait.
He drives straight at Jirō (CB).
Jirō holds his ground, forcing him wide.
Hayato (DMF) tucks in behind, covering the lane to Minato (CF).
Fujimori slows, then slips a sharp pass inside toward Iseri (CMF) again —
a wall pass trigger.
Iseri receives, first-time lofted chip into the gap behind.
Minato (CF) peels off Gen's shoulder.
Kasugano's first real chance.
Gen (CB) pivots and tracks, reading it just in time, body-checks the lane with a half-step — not a foul, just enough.
Minato can't turn cleanly.
Ball spills loose near the box.
Tsubaki (RMF) races in from the blind side — shot coming—
Hayato (DMF) stretches a leg, blocks it off his shin.
The ball skips wide.
Kintonhara escape again.
Their first warning.
Kasugano don't celebrate — no fist pumps.
They expected to get that close.
Just quiet nods between Minato (CF) and Iseri (CMF).
They've measured the distance now.
Kasugano reset into shape —
but this time Kitonohara don't immediately retreat.
Sera (CM) collects the loose ball and shields with a simple turn. No rush. Just breathes. Then slides it back to Hayato (DMF).
Kasugano expect a back-pass to Gen…
but Hayato looks forward instead.
He plays a firm pass straight into Yuki (SS) between the lines.
Yuki's first touch isn't clean, it pops slightly —
but it still forces Kasugano's midfield to turn around.
Yuki taps it back to Sera (CM).
Sera lifts his head.
Small shift.
Kitonohara are actually out.
Akira (CF) checks in toward feet, pulling one centre-back with him.
Sera feeds him. Akira cushions it, back to goal.
This is the first proper hold-up of the match.
Jirō (CB) and Gen (CB) don't need to yell — everyone senses it: momentum changed for a second.
Akira pivots, sees no lane, lays off wide toward Hayato (DMF) advancing.
Hayato continues the move down the left, dinking it toward the channel for Yuki (SS) to chase.
Crowd reaction — small but present. Kasugano jogging back now instead of walking.
Takigawa (GK) steps off his line, reading the ball early, sweeper-keeper instincts.
He clears before Yuki arrives.
Ball flies long…
Gen (CB) heads it calmly back to Tobita (GK), resetting.
Not a chance on target, but first spell past halfway.
Kitonohara finally breathing like a team, not survivors.