Football: Kobe snatch 1-1 draw against Tokushima with late equalizer [서울=아시아뉴스통신] 레악카나기자 송고시간 2021-03-07 03:55
Yuki Kakita (19) celebrates with his teammates after scoring the opening goal for Tokushima Vortis in their 1-1 draw at home to Vissel Kobe in the J-League first division on March 6, 2021. (Photo by=Kyodo)
[Asia News Communication = Reporter Reakkana] Japanese Football player Ryuho Kikuchi struck late to save a 1-1 draw Saturday for Vissel Kobe against Tokushima Vortis, who have yet to notch up their first win following promotion back to the J-League first division.
The hosts were ready for victory thanks to a superb 75th-minute goal from Yuki Kakita at Pocari Sweat Stadium, but Kikuchi spoiled the party with just three minutes left in regulation. The equalizer was the first career J1 goal for the 24-year-old center-back, who joined Kobe from second-division Renofa Yamaguchi last year
FC Tokyo and Urawa open new J. League campaign with draw Sorry, but your browser needs Javascript to use this site. If you re not sure how to activate it, please refer to this site: https://www.enable-javascript.com/
Urawa s Takahiro Akimoto (left) and FC Tokyo s Leandro vie for the ball during their match on Saturday in Saitama. | KYODO
KYODO Feb 27, 2021
Masato Morishige netted a late equalizer Saturday as FC Tokyo salvaged a 1-1 draw and denied new Urawa Reds manager Ricardo Rodriguez a winning start to his J. League first-division career.
The opening-round match at Saitama Stadium featured two teams with their sights on the title after falling short of expectations last season.
Soccer: Urawa Reds, FC Tokyo open season with 1-1 stalemate
February 27, 2021 (Mainichi Japan)
FC Tokyo defender Masato Morishige, far right, reacts after scoring the equalizer against the Urawa Reds in their 1-1 draw at Saitama Stadium on Feb. 27, 2021. (Kyodo) TOKYO (Kyodo) Masato Morishige netted a late equalizer Saturday as FC Tokyo salvaged a 1-1 draw and denied new Urawa Reds manager Ricardo Rodriguez a winning start to his J-League first-division career. The opening-round match at Saitama Stadium featured two teams with their sights on a title after falling short of expectations last season. FC Tokyo, 2019 runners-up, are aiming for a maiden J1 crown under fourth-year manager Kenta Hasegawa, while two-time Asian champions Urawa have big hopes for highly touted Spaniard Rodriguez, whom they lured from Tokushima Vortis after he steered the Shikoku club to J1 promotion.
Feb 24, 2021
If last year was the J. League’s season of uncertainty, this year will be its season of chaos.
A scant two months and change after its coronavirus-struck 2020 campaign finally came to a close, the 2021 edition will kick off on Feb. 26 with far more at stake than ever before in the 20-team first division.
The J1’s largest-ever field expanded from 18 after officials nixed relegation due to the impact of the pandemic, and it will return to that figure next year after completing this season’s supersized 38-round schedule.
With league officials deciding against a promotion-relegation playoff in the name of simplicity, all of that adds up to a four-spot relegation zone the biggest in J. League history.