NTV Tokyo Verdy Beleza delivered a ruthless away performance to beat Cerezo Osaka Sakai 4-1 in the Japanese Nadeshiko League Cup on Sunday evening. The win strengthens Beleza’s push for cup silverware and leaves Cerezo Osaka Sakai with a difficult route back into the competition.

Played at a lively pace from the first whistle, the match turned into a showcase of Beleza’s attacking depth. Cerezo Osaka Sakai stunned the visitors with an early goal, but the response was emphatic: four unanswered goals, including a decisive second-half surge that turned a close contest into a one-sided result.

Match overview

Cerezo Osaka Sakai began with energy and pressed high, looking to disrupt Beleza’s rhythm. That approach paid off in the ninth minute when Rina Yamada latched onto a loose ball inside the penalty area and fired low past the goalkeeper to make it 1-0. The home crowd erupted, but the lead lasted only 13 minutes.

NTV Tokyo Verdy Beleza gradually took control of midfield, moving the ball quickly through the thirds and stretching Cerezo’s back line. Once the equaliser arrived, the momentum shifted completely. Beleza added a second before half-time and then pulled away after the break with two well-worked goals. Cerezo’s late attempts to reduce the deficit were repelled with composure.

Key moments

• 9' – Cerezo Osaka Sakai 1-0: Rina Yamada pounced on a defensive hesitation and finished confidently from close range.
• 22' – 1-1: Aoba Fujino collected a pass on the edge of the box, shifted onto her left foot and curled the ball into the far corner.
• 41' – 1-2: Kokona Kato headed home from a corner, rising above her marker to give Beleza the lead for the first time.
• 63' – 1-3: A slick counter-attack ended with Fujino scoring her second, a calm finish after being played through one-on-one.
• 78' – 1-4: Mei Shimada completed the scoring with a low drive from just outside the area.

Tactical story

Beleza’s 4-3-3 shape caused Cerezo problems all evening. The wide forwards stayed high and narrow, allowing the full-backs to overlap and create overloads. Cerezo’s midfield struggled to track runners between the lines, and once Beleza began switching play quickly, the home side was forced deeper and deeper.

Cerezo Osaka Sakai showed flashes of quality in possession, particularly in the opening 20 minutes, but their defensive transitions were too slow. Beleza punished every turnover, scoring three of their four goals from moves that began in midfield. The visitors also dominated set pieces, with Kato’s header a direct result of sustained aerial pressure.

Standout players

Aoba Fujino was the standout performer, scoring twice and constantly threatening with her movement and dribbling. Kokona Kato controlled the midfield tempo and added a goal, while Mei Shimada capped a strong all-round display with the fourth. For Cerezo, Rina Yamada took her goal well and worked tirelessly, but she received limited service after the first half-hour.

What it means for the Nadeshiko League Cup

With this result, NTV Tokyo Verdy Beleza tighten their grip on the group and boost their goal difference significantly. Cerezo Osaka Sakai remain in contention mathematically, but they will need a near-perfect run of results and help from other fixtures. The Nadeshiko League Cup table now makes for promising reading for Beleza, whose attacking firepower looks capable of carrying them deep into the knockout stages.