[J1 Matchday 8] Hiroshima's new signing, Naoki Maeda, makes a big impact in his home debut against Kashima.

Kashima Antlers took on the challenge with their traditional 4-4-2 formation.

Sanfrecce Hiroshima's starting lineup includes goalkeeper Keisuke Osako, a three-man defense from right to left Tsukasa Shiotani, Hayato Araki, and Sho Sasaki, two defensive midfielders Satoshi Tanaka and Hayao Kawabe, Naoto Arai on the right wing and Daiki Suga on the left wing, and a three-man attack of Ryo Germain, Naoki Maeda, and Valère Germain. Kashima Antlers, on the other hand, employ their traditional 4-4-2 formation. Goalkeeper Yuki Hayakawa, a defensive line from right to left Kimito Kono, Naomichi Ueda, Ikuma Sekikawa, and Koki Anzai, two defensive midfielders Yu Funabashi and Yuta Higuchi, Ryuta Koike on the right wing and Čavlic on the left, and two strikers Yuma Suzuki and Leo Ceará.

Hiroshima committed more players to their forward line, while Kashima adopted a more defensive approach. How did this difference in formation affect the match?

Naoki Maeda, a new signing from Urawa, makes his debut at Hiroshima's home ground.

In the early stages, Kashima maintained possession, with forward Suzuki sending the ball through the center. However, Hiroshima's defense responded calmly. In the 4th minute of the first half, Kashima midfielder Chavlic received the ball and took a shot with his left foot. However, the ball swerved and missed the target. In the 8th minute, Kashima's forward Suzuki received the ball in midfield and turned, sending a through pass to forward Leo Ceará. Leo Ceará volleyed the ball, but it narrowly missed the goal. This was a scene that showcased Kashima's strengths.

In the 15th minute, Hiroshima's forward Germain Ryo received a pass from midfielder Arai, turned, and delivered a cross with his right foot. Forward Maeda connected with the ball, but it deflected off a defender and fell to Maeda, who then pounced on the rebound to score. Hiroshima took the lead. For Maeda, a new signing from Urawa Reds, it was an immediate success in his home debut for Hiroshima. Riding on this momentum, Hiroshima's forward Valère Germain kept possession and passed to midfielder Sasaki. Sasaki went for the pocket but was blocked by a defender. Forward Maeda picked up the loose ball and attempted a shot through the defender's legs, but it went just wide of the goal. In the 35th minute, Hiroshima's defender Kono looked for an opening and charged in alone, unleashing a left-footed shot, but it narrowly missed the goal. In first-half stoppage time, Kashima intensified their attack, but they were unable to break down Hiroshima's focused defense, and the first half ended with Hiroshima leading 1-0.

Hiroshima's Germain Ryo had a decisive header, but it was blocked by goalkeeper Hayakawa.

In the 48th minute of the second half, Kashima forward Leo Ceará received the ball in the line, initiating a play, and midfielder Koike ran up the same side. He beat one defender and, with a superb step, fired a shot with his left foot. However, Hiroshima goalkeeper Osako made the save. In the 55th minute, Kashima's midfielder Koike Yuta curled the ball into the goal. He attempted a volley to meet the high-flying ball, but it didn't find the net. In the 64th minute, Hiroshima forward Valère Germain took the ball and ran up the field. Forward Germain Ryo was in the center, and midfielder Tanaka was on the left. Finally, he delivered a powerful cross to Germain, who headed the ball into the goal. However, Kashima goalkeeper Hayakawa made a great save.

In the 70th minute, Kashima's kicker was midfielder Yuta Higuchi. Defender Koki Anzai delivered a soft ball into the box and crossed it. Forward Yuma Suzuki headed it back, and forward Leo Ceará managed to clear it, but couldn't get a shot off. In the 75th minute, Kashima's midfielder Nakano dribbled past defenders and delivered a cross that forward Leo Ceará connected with. It didn't result in a goal, but the movement of the physically strong forward Leo Ceará was impressive.

Five minutes of added time. Kashima didn't give up, but the final whistle blew just as midfielder Yuta Matsumura sent a vertical cross into the box. Hiroshima won 1-0 against Kashima, securing their first league win in three matches.

From DAZN's "Meiji Yasuda Life J1 League Hiroshima vs Kashima: Matchday 8" (broadcast on April 2, 2025)
*The information in this article is current as of the time of publication.