Olunga: Kashiwa Reysol knew how to exploit Yokohama FC weaknesses in win

The Harambee Stars striker continued in what is turning out to be a prolific season as he added two more goals to his tally

Kenya international Michael Olunga has revealed how they easily beat Yokohama FC 3-0 in a J1-League match played on Saturday.

The former Gor Mahia player was the star of the match again, grabbing a double, his first goal coming in the 5th minute before adding the other in the 76th minute to take his tally to 19 goals so far this season.

Olunga is the leading scorer in Japan’s top-tier and his effort, in a match, he was yellow-carded in, in the 33rd minute, helped Kashiwa Reysol end what would have become a second loss in a row.

Olunga has now explained his two goals against Yokohama and how he easily exploited the side.

“The first goal was at the beginning of the game, we knew we are going to get space because they were going to press us high and immediately after the game started we got a good chance from Cristiano [da Silva] who gave me the ball and I took the first short and it was a goal,” Olunga told reporters after the match.

“The second goal it was again like the first one, a good ball from behind from Naok [Kawaguchi], I controlled it and the first touch it was a goal, generally it was a much more difficult game but at the end of the day we took the three points and we thank God.”

On Cristiano da Silva, who gave him the pass for the first goal and was returning for the team after a long injury layoff, Olunga said: “It was good to get a pass from Cristiano he came in at the right moment, with a well-taken pass which I used to score the opener.

“I must say he also gave us a little lifeline in the attacking team and it is good to have him back, he was on top of his game like last year and in the first game of the league and I am happy for him to come back and hoping to form a much better chemistry for the team to help us win matches.”

The first goal was scored when Olunga collected the ball just outside the area, made a few steps into the box, and fired past Yokohama’s goalkeeper Yuji Rakutan for his 18th goal with an assist from Cristiano da Silva.

The former Girona striker’s second effort was in the second half – his 19th top-tier goal – with the assist this time around from Naoki Kawaguchi, with Hideka Otani banging home the third in the first minute of added time with Kawaguchi again making the assist.

After finishing the J2 League as the second runner-up in the Golden Boot race, Olunga anticipated a tough season in the top-flight but his current form has proved his fears wrong.

Eighth-placed Reysol will be away to Kashima Antlers on October 10.

Be the first to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.


*