J1 League Gameweek 9
Kyoto Sanga 0 - 1 FT Machida Zelvia
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Match Statistics
Possession
Shots
Shots on Target
Expected Goals (xG)
Passes
Corners
Fouls
Yellow Cards
Red Cards
Match Events
Tete Yengi 26'
29' ↓ Rafael Papagaio ↑Alex Souza
HT
↓ Takuma Nishimura ↑Takahiro Akimoto 58'
↓ Hotaka Nakamura ↑Henry Heroki Mochizuki 58'
69' ↓ Ren Kato ↑Everton Maceió
69' ↓ Ryuma Nakano ↑Sung-jun Yoon
70' Everton Maceió
70' Ranko Popović
↓ Tete Yengi ↑Mitchell Duke 72'
↓ Keiya Sento ↑Neta Lavi 72'
81' ↓ Hiroto Morooka ↑Marco Túlio
Takahiro Akimoto 86'
↓ Thomas Ouwejan ↑Ibrahim Drešević 89'
FT
Player Cards
Our take on every player in this match
Kyoto Sanga
Goalkeepers
Halls 
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
90
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Defenders
Yusuke Ishida 
STORMTROOPER
2
Shots
2
Shots
0
Goals
0
On Target
Yoshinori Suzuki
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
90
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Kodai Nagata
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
90
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Midfielders
Ren Kato
STORMTROOPER
2
Shots
2
Shots
0
Goals
0
On Target
Shimpei Fukuoka
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
90
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Hiroto Morooka 
PROVOCATEUR
2
Fouls Won
2
Fouls Won
8
Duels Won
0
Pens Won
Kyo Sato
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
90
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Ryuma Nakano 
ARCHITECT
3
Key Passes
3
Key Passes
0
Assists
23%
Pass Acc
Haruki Arai
ARCHITECT
4
Key Passes
4
Key Passes
0
Assists
19%
Pass Acc
Forwards
Rafael Elias
STORMTROOPER
4
Shots
4
Shots
0
Goals
0
On Target
BENCH
Gakuji Ota 
SPECTATOR
0
Saves
0
Saves
0
Conceded
0
Minutes
Takaaki Shichi
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
0
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Hisashi Appiah Tawiah
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
0
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Fuchi Honda
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
0
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Takuji Yonemoto
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
0
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Yoon Sung-Jun
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
21
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Everton
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
21
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Marco Túlio
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
9
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Alex Negueba
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
61
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Machida Zelvia
Goalkeepers
Kosei Tani
PROVOCATEUR
1
Fouls Won
1
Fouls Won
1
Duels Won
0
Pens Won
Defenders
Gen Shoji
STORMTROOPER
2
Shots
2
Shots
0
Goals
1
On Target
Daihachi Okamura 
MAGNET
83
Activity
83
Activity
73
Passes
10
Duels
Thomas Ouwejan
STORMTROOPER
1
Shots
1
Shots
0
Goals
0
On Target
Midfielders
Hotaka Nakamura
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
58
Total Mins
58
Entry
Hiroyuki Mae
MAGNET
76
Activity
76
Activity
66
Passes
10
Duels
Keiya Sento
MAGNET
65
Activity
65
Activity
64
Passes
1
Duels
Yuki Soma
MAGNET
65
Activity
65
Activity
62
Passes
3
Duels
Koki Ogawa
PROVOCATEUR
3
Fouls Won
3
Fouls Won
6
Duels Won
0
Pens Won
Takuma Nishimura
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
58
Total Mins
58
Entry
Forwards
Tete Yengi
STORMTROOPER
4
Shots
4
Shots
0
Goals
1
On Target
BENCH
Tatsuya Morita
SPECTATOR
0
Saves
0
Saves
0
Conceded
0
Minutes
Ryuho Kikuchi
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
0
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Henry Heroki Mochizuki
STORMTROOPER
1
Shots
1
Shots
0
Goals
1
On Target
Ibrahim Drešević
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
1
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Takahiro Akimoto 
CLUTCH HERO
86
Goal Time
86
Goal Time
Goal
Impact
8.3
Rating
Neta Lavi
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
18
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Ryohei Shirasaki
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
0
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Mitchell Duke
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
18
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Futa Tokumura
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
0
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Head to Head
| Date | Home | Score | Away | Competition | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10/03/2026 | Machida Zelvia | 0 - 0 (PEN 5-3) | Kyoto Sanga | J-League Cup | Machida GION Stadium |
| 09/23/2025 | Kyoto Sanga | 1 - 1 | Machida Zelvia | J1 League | Sanga Stadium by Kyocera |
| 08/06/2025 | Machida Zelvia | 1 - 0 | Kyoto Sanga | Emperor Cup | Machida Gion Stadium |
| 05/07/2025 | Machida Zelvia | 1 - 2 | Kyoto Sanga | J1 League | Machida GION Stadium |
| 11/30/2024 | Machida Zelvia | 1 - 0 | Kyoto Sanga | J1 League | Machida Gion Stadium |
| 05/06/2024 | Kyoto Sanga | 0 - 3 | Machida Zelvia | J1 League | Sanga Stadium by Kyocera |
| 08/09/2021 | Kyoto Sanga | 2 - 1 | Machida Zelvia | J2 League | Sanga Stadium by Kyocera |
| 04/11/2021 | Machida Zelvia | 0 - 1 | Kyoto Sanga | J2 League | Machida Gion Stadium |
| 10/14/2020 | Machida Zelvia | 3 - 0 | Kyoto Sanga | J2 League | Machida Gion Stadium |
| 08/02/2020 | Kyoto Sanga | 1 - 0 | Machida Zelvia | J2 League | Sanga Stadium by Kyocera |
10/03/2026
09/23/2025
08/06/2025
05/07/2025
11/30/2024
05/06/2024
08/09/2021
04/11/2021
10/14/2020
08/02/2020
Kyoto Sanga Win
Machida Zelvia Win
Draw
League Standings
P: 9 GD: +7
P: 9 GD: +12
P: 9 GD: +9
P: 9 GD: +5
P: 8 GD: +14
P: 9 GD: +3
P: 9 GD: +4
P: 8 GD: +4
P: 9 GD: 0
P: 9 GD: -5
P: 9 GD: -5
P: 8 GD: -2
P: 8 GD: 0
P: 9 GD: -5
P: 9 GD: -5
P: 9 GD: -2
P: 8 GD: -7
P: 9 GD: -8
P: 9 GD: -11
League Standings
P: 12 GD: +20
P: 12 GD: +19
P: 12 GD: +19
P: 12 GD: +6
P: 12 GD: +7
P: 12 GD: +7
P: 12 GD: -2
P: 12 GD: +4
P: 12 GD: +4
P: 12 GD: -2
P: 12 GD: -4
P: 12 GD: -7
P: 12 GD: -10
P: 12 GD: -4
P: 12 GD: -7
P: 12 GD: -8
P: 12 GD: -10
P: 12 GD: -12
P: 12 GD: -8
Match previews and recaps to help you decide which games are worth watching
Kyoto Sanga
Machida Zelvia
Kyoto Sanga
Machida Zelvia
Win Probability
Futmetrix AI estimate
Late Akimoto Strike Settles Tense Sanga Stadium Chess Match
Skip It Futmetrix Score: 34/100. A defensively resolute Machida Zelvia left it late to break Kyoto Sanga's hearts, cementing their title credentials while pushing the hosts closer to the drop.
Setting the Early Tempo
The atmosphere at Sanga Stadium by Kyocera was fiercely charged as Kyoto Sanga stepped onto the pitch, utterly desperate for a positive result. Despite conceding the lion's share of the ball to the ambitious visitors, the home side was not willing to simply absorb pressure. Instead, they launched swift, calculated counter-attacks, eventually firing off a total of 17 shots with local forward Taichi Hara pushing the line. The sheer Intensity of the opening exchanges was palpable, creating a highly entertaining spectacle. Goalkeepers at both ends were repeatedly called into action, remarkably combining for eight crucial saves before the final whistle. For the visitors, T. Ouwejan proved to be a persistent menace down the flanks, expertly whipping in dangerous deliveries that contributed heavily to a mounting set-piece count of 14 total corners.
The Decisive Tactical Shift
As the second half developed, Machida Zelvia truly dominated possession, holding the ball for 62% of the contest and suffocating Kyoto in their own territory. Despite this territorial advantage, the Balance of the match suggested a frustrating stalemate was on the horizon, especially considering Kyoto had surprisingly generated a higher expected goals tally of 1.11 compared to Machida's 0.74. Recognizing the urgent need for an attacking spark, the visitors introduced Takahiro Akimoto in the 58th minute. The substitution proved to be an absolute masterstroke. Akimoto consistently found pockets of space, stretching a tiring defensive unit. His persistence finally paid off in the 86th minute, decisively breaking the deadlock with a clinical finish that silenced the home crowd and entirely rewrote the narrative of the afternoon.
Aftermath and Standings Impact
This narrow 1-0 victory carries massive seasonal implications, perfectly illustrating the extreme Stakes for both clubs involved. Throughout the final minutes, G. Shōji delivered a tactical masterclass in defensive organization, expertly managing the backline to secure a tremendously valuable clean sheet. For the triumphant visitors, the three points elevate their season tally to 20, keeping them firmly entrenched in second place and radiating confidence in the title race. Conversely, Kyoto’s spirited but ultimately unrewarded performance leaves them dangerously exposed in 14th place with merely eight points. Enduring such a heartbreakingly late defeat will undoubtedly test their collective mental resolve as the looming threat of a gritty relegation battle becomes an unavoidable reality for the squad.
Key Questions
How dramatic was the late winner by T. Akimoto?
His 86th-minute strike shattered a tense deadlock, proving to be the ultimate turning point in an incredibly closely fought contest.
What does this mean for Kyoto Sanga's season?
The painful defeat keeps them stuck on eight points in 14th place, severely intensifying their ongoing relegation battle.
How did substitute T. Akimoto change the game?
Introduced in the 58th minute, he provided crucial fresh legs and attacking impetus, ultimately delivering the decisive goal to secure all three points.
What is the Futmetrix Score?
The Futmetrix Score is our 0-100 verdict on how entertaining a match is. We look at intensity, balance, stakes, and star quality to tell you if it's worth your time.
Survival Instincts Tested at Sanga Stadium
Highly Entertaining Futmetrix Score: 79/100. With the relegation zone looming, Kyoto Sanga must turn home advantage into a lifeline against a ruthless Machida Zelvia side chasing title glory.
The Setup
Kyoto Sanga currently sit 14th, making the Stakes incredibly high as they fight to avoid being dragged deeper into a relegation battle. On October 10, 2026, they welcome Machida Zelvia to Sanga Stadium by Kyocera. The visitors arrive sitting comfortably in fourth and boasting a formidable away record. Despite their contrasting Form, an intriguing Balance rating suggests Kyoto’s desperation and home turf might level the playing field, setting the stage for an explosive encounter laden with goals.
Key Battle
The spotlight falls squarely on the attacking Stars capable of flipping the script. Kyoto’s Rafael Elias has been virtually unplayable up front and carries the host's survival hopes on his shoulders. He will be up against the explosive pace of Machida’s Y. Soma, whose relentless direct running will constantly test Kyoto's defensive transitions.
Our Prediction
We expect a high-scoring thriller resulting in a narrow Kyoto Sanga victory. The visitors will undoubtedly find the net given their sheer attacking firepower, but Kyoto’s desperation, backed by a vocal home crowd, will push them to outscore the opposition in a frantic second half.