Match Review: Singapore Football Club vs FC Nippon

• GK Santino Shepherd
• DF Jack Cullinane
• DF Maro Ramadan
• DF Jahan Rezai
• DF Collins Mbeutcha
• MD Soshi Kadowaki
• MD Nick Marsh
• MD Joe Claridge
• MD Sam Gravatt
• ST Liam Shotton
• -- Hiroki Akiyama

• DF Eamon Dick
• MD Rocky Amirahmadi
• ST Keoni Kyle
• ST Fazrul Nawaz
• ST Jose Sarria

Always a good battle against Nippon. We started off well controlling the game and went ahead early with a beautifully worked goal from right to left with Joe providing the assist to Shotton with a tidy finish inside the box. Unfortunate errors lead to the equalizer, a cheap goal for us to concede. The game remained tight into the second half with both teams pushing. We controlled most of the second half with good possession and passages of creative play from Soshi on the right wing. A dangerous corner from Nick into the six yard box with Shotton climbing high with a towering header gave us the second goal. An outstanding save from Santi after a top corner free kick by Nippon kept us in the lead to seal off a good victory. Thanks Nippon for the well contested match.

• Takaki NAKAMURA GK
• Hayato Matsumoto DF
• Yuki Ichikawa DF
• Jun Okawa DF
• Taku Nagaura DF
• Takuto Furuya MD
• Ryuhei IKEDA MD
• Kengo Sawada MD
• Daiki Ishino ST
• Kodai Ochi ST
• Daichi Okamoto ST

• Yoichiro Hirai DF
• Jazzmen Teo DF
• Yu Koike DF
• Shungo Sakamoto MD
• Jaume Ferrer MD
• Takashi Tsutsumi ST

Great efforts did not convert but we will look up

Cosmo Cup – Match 1 Report FC Nippon vs SFC Result: 1-2 Loss First Half 6' – 0-1 15' – 1-1 (Ishino) Second Half 20' – 1-2 42' – (SFC Red Card) Substitutions 45' – Matsumoto → Hirai 45' – Jun → Tommy 45' – Ishino → Jamae 65' – Ochi → Shungo 70' – Ichi → Yuu Match Summary: Coming off a narrow 2-1 loss to Latini in last week's league game, FC Nippon entered this Cosmo Cup clash determined to secure a statement win against tournament favorites SFC. However, the match took a difficult turn early on. In the 6th minute, a turnover in midfield led to a swift counter-attack, and SFC’s number 14 made no mistake, slotting in the opener for a 0-1 lead. FC Nippon responded just nine minutes later. Daichi, a constant threat on the left wing, earned a free kick after being fouled. The set-piece was delivered deep into the box, where debutant Ishino capitalized, tapping in the equalizer to level the score at 1-1. The second half saw three substitutions from FC Nippon at the restart, but the momentum began to shift in SFC’s favor. In the 20th minute, another set-piece situation proved costly as SFC’s number 14 struck again from a corner, restoring their lead at 1-2. Despite FC Nippon’s relentless efforts to find an equalizer – including a powerful free kick from Taku that rattled the post – the team couldn't break down the opposition. The situation seemed to turn in their favor when an SFC player was sent off in the 42nd minute, but despite the man advantage, FC Nippon was unable to capitalize. With the final whistle, FC Nippon suffered a second consecutive 2-1 defeat, this time in the cup. The result was a bitter pill to swallow, especially given their numerous close chances, but it’s important to remember that both the league and cup titles remain in reach. On a positive note, several new players made their Cosmo League debuts today, including Matsumoto, Kengo, Hirai, and Tommi. Meanwhile, Ishino, a long-time stalwart of Lions FC, marked his first game for FC Nippon with a crucial goal. The team will look to build from here and continue improving in the matches ahead.