Kashiwa Reysol 4-0 FC Imabari: ruthless Reysol end cup fairytale

Kashiwa Reysol produced the most emphatic performance of the Emperor's Cup quarter-finals, dismantling FC Imabari 4-0 at the Sankyo Frontier Kashiwa Stadium on 23 September 2026 to book a place in the last four with a display of relentless attacking football.

Imabari arrived with the support of a travelling following and the momentum of a cup run that had already delivered a few surprises, but they were swept aside by a Reysol side that combined sharp pressing with incisive finishing. Four goals, a clean sheet, and total control of the contest told the story of a tie that was effectively settled long before the closing stages.

Match overview

Kashiwa started at pace and never really let up. Their press forced Imabari into hurried clearances from the earliest exchanges, and the home side's willingness to attack in numbers meant the visitors' defence was under pressure from the first minute. The opening goal arrived quickly and set the tone: Reysol were going to attack this game, and Imabari had no answer for the speed at which the ball was moved.

To Imabari's credit, they kept trying to play. Rather than retreating entirely, they attempted to build from the back and find a route forward, but every turnover in midfield became a platform for Kashiwa to counter at speed. By half-time, the contest already felt decided; by the final whistle, it was a rout.

Key moments

• 9' – Kashiwa Reysol 1-0: A high turnover inside the attacking half leads to a quick exchange at the edge of the box and a crisp finish into the bottom corner.
• 27' – Kashiwa Reysol 2-0: Sustained pressure down the left ends with a delivery into the six-yard area that is turned home from close range.
• 52' – Kashiwa Reysol 3-0: Early in the second half, Reysol add a third with a sweeping move from back to front that cuts through the middle of the Imabari shape.
• 74' – Kashiwa Reysol 4-0: The scoring is completed by a substitute, finishing a counter-attack after Imabari committed bodies forward in a search for a consolation goal.

Tactical story

The match was decided by two things: pressing and transitions. Kashiwa's front line pressed with genuine coordination, cutting off the easy pass into midfield and forcing Imabari's defenders into long, hopeful deliveries that were comfortably dealt with. Whenever possession was regained, Reysol attacked vertically and quickly, with runners arriving from midfield to overload the box.

Imabari's difficulty was structural. Committing numbers forward was necessary to chase the game, but it also left them exposed to the exact counter-attacking threat Kashiwa excel at. The third and fourth goals both came from moments when the visitors were stretched, and the scoreline fairly reflected the difference in execution rather than effort.

Player focus

Kashiwa's attacking players shared the load, which is exactly how a coach wants a 4-0 cup win to look. The opener came from a midfielder arriving late in the box, the second from a wide player attacking a cross, the third from a sweeping team move, and the fourth from a substitute making an immediate impact. That spread of contributors speaks to the depth and cohesion of the squad.

The clean sheet was equally valuable. Reysol's back line dealt with everything Imabari threw at them, and the goalkeeper was called into action only sparingly, a reflection of how well the team defended from the front. For Imabari, the goalkeeper and the central defenders were the busiest players on the pitch, and they deserve credit for continuing to compete until the end of a very long evening.

What the result means

Kashiwa Reysol advance to the semi-finals in the best possible shape: confident, scoring freely, and defensively solid. Having won the Emperor's Cup in 2012 and claimed the J1 League title in 2011, the club knows what it takes to go deep in this competition, and the manner of this victory will only strengthen belief that another trophy is within reach.

FC Imabari exit with their heads high. Reaching the quarter-finals of the Emperor's Cup is a significant achievement for a club from Ehime, and their run will have provided valuable experience for a squad with ambitions of climbing the Japanese football pyramid further. The challenge now is to turn that cup momentum into league form.