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- Kawasaki F vs. Kashiwa: Kawasaki F Ito responds to the cheers of supporters after winning (Photo by Teru Miyaji)
Kawasaki Frontale won first, defeating Kashiwa 3-1 at home. Forward Tatsuya Ito (28), who has been scoring a lot of points since August, scored a valuable extra point in the 40th minute of the second half. Hiroshima took the lead with a spectacular goal from 19-year-old midfielder Yotaro Nakajima, giving them a comfortable 2-0 away victory over Yokohama FC. The second match will be held on the 12th.
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Kozuchi Uchide, Ito, scored another goal. 40 minutes into the second half, a short counter from a ball cut in the enemy's half. He received a pass from FW Miyagi on the left in front of the goal and calmly took a shot with his left foot to the right of the goal. He hit the post and found the back of the net. He has now scored 11 points in 12 official matches since August. After 6 games in a row, he has been hitting 4 games in a row with one game in between, and his momentum is unstoppable.
With a one-point lead over Kashiwa, the deciding factor was who would get the next point. It was a truly valuable score. Coach Hasebe generously praised him, saying, “This applies to scoring situations, but in other situations as well, if the ball comes to him, I think he'll score points.He tries to receive the ball in the right places and makes use of his teammates.He's also very good at kicking.''
Raised at Kashiwa Academy from elementary school to high school. Ito, who is hoping to stop his old team and advance to the finals, vows, “I've only won one title. Whether I won it when this season ends will be a big deal.'' With their chances of winning the league almost gone, they set their sights on the top of the Levain Cup.[Takashi Sato]