On March 26, 2025, Iwaki FC faced off against RB Omiya Ardija in a thrilling first round of the YBC Levain Cup, held at NACK5 Stadium Omiya in Saitama City, Saitama Prefecture. The match ended in a dramatic penalty shootout, with Omiya emerging victorious after a 3-3 draw, winning 7-6 on penalties. This loss marked the second consecutive year Iwaki failed to advance to the second round.
Coming off a disappointing 0-1 defeat against FC Imabari just three days prior, Iwaki made significant changes to their lineup, swapping out eight players for this crucial cup match. The strategy initially paid off when midfielder Nelson Ishiwatari, just 19 years old, scored the opening goal in the 16th minute, giving Iwaki an early lead.
However, the momentum shifted when Omiya's defender, Yoza Murakami, received a red card in the 32nd minute, leaving the home team with ten players. Despite being a man down, Omiya equalized in the 40th minute through Oriola Sunday, who found the net with a well-timed cross. The first half concluded at 1-1, leaving both teams with everything to play for.
In the second half, Iwaki continued to press, and Ishiwatari struck again in the 58th minute, restoring their lead to 2-1. But Omiya was not ready to back down. They fought back and managed to equalize once more, sending the game into extra time after a tense finish that left the score at 2-2.
Extra time saw a flurry of activity, with Iwaki taking the lead again in the 99th minute when they scored from another cross. This goal was followed by a long throw from defender Seiji Igarashi, which led to a goal by substitute Naoto Kazo in the 112th minute, making it 3-2 for Iwaki. However, Omiya's resilience shone through as they equalized once again, forcing the match into penalties.
The penalty shootout was intense, with both teams displaying remarkable skill and composure. Iwaki's goalkeeper, Yuki Hayasaka, made crucial saves, but ultimately, Omiya triumphed 7-6, with the shootout extending to the eighth kicker. Omiya's Jin Urakami, who had scored the equalizing goal in the 89th minute, played a pivotal role in their advancement to the next round.
Iwaki's head coach, Yuuzou Tamura, expressed pride in his young squad, stating, "We challenged this match with the intention to win with this lineup. It was unexpected to reach penalties despite having one more player, but the players, with an average age of 21, embodied the spirit of Iwaki football." He remained optimistic about their upcoming match against Mito HollyHock on March 30, aiming for their first victory of the season.
The YBC Levain Cup saw a total of 13 matches played on March 26, with Shimizu S-Pulse being the only J1 League club to secure a win on this day, defeating SC Sagamihara 3-1. Shimizu took an early lead thanks to an own goal in the 30th minute, followed by a goal from Kengo Kitazume in the 73rd minute and a final goal from 17-year-old Baku Jurei, marking his first for the top team.
In contrast, JEF United Chiba, who had been leading the J2 League with six consecutive wins, suffered a surprising 4-2 defeat against Kataller Toyama. Meanwhile, Hokkaido Consadole Sapporo, who had recently turned their fortunes around with two consecutive wins after a four-game losing streak, fell to Fukushima United FC in a high-scoring 6-3 match after extra time.
Other notable outcomes included V-Varen Nagasaki and Jubilo Iwata securing victories in their respective matches, while J2 teams like Sagan Tosu and Vegalta Sendai faced defeats against J3 League teams. The results from the first round of the YBC Levain Cup on March 26 were as follows:
- SC Sagamihara 1-3 Shimizu S-Pulse
- Vanraure Hachinohe 2-1 Fujieda MYFC
- Mito HollyHock 1-0 Roasso Kumamoto
- FC Osaka 1-2 Jubilo Iwata
- Oita Trinita 2-3 Renofa Yamaguchi FC
- Fukushima United FC 6-3 Hokkaido Consadole Sapporo
- Ehime FC 0-2 Blaublitz Akita
- Matsumoto Yamaga FC 1-0 Sagan Tosu
- RB Omiya Ardija 3(7)-(6)3 Iwaki FC
- Thespakusatsu Gunma 1-4 V-Varen Nagasaki
- Kagoshima United FC 0-2 Montedio Yamagata
- Kataller Toyama 4-2 JEF United Chiba
- Tochigi SC 0(4)-(3)0 Vegalta Sendai
As the tournament progresses, all eyes will be on Iwaki FC as they aim to bounce back and secure their first win of the season against Mito HollyHock.
