Match Report
On paper the standings were lopsided — Roasso Kumamoto 8th with 54 points, Cerezo Osaka U23 18th with 25, 29 apart. Against a league average of 1.29 goals per team per game, Cerezo Osaka U23 ran at 0.82 scored and 1.79 conceded, Roasso Kumamoto at 1.65 and 1.38.
Roasso Kumamoto entered with three losses in a row.
Yanmar Stadium Nagai in Osaka, capacity 25,000, hosted the game. Half-time and full-time told different stories: Roasso Kumamoto led 1-0 at the break, before 1 more goal closed it at 1-1.