Ed Odeven 
Cerezo Osaka's Sota Kitano (right) controls the ball in first-half action against Gamba Osaka in the J.League's season-opening match on February 14, 2025, in Suita, Osaka Prefecture. (©SANKEI)
Read the full story on SportsLook - [JAPAN SPORTS NOTEBOOK] J.League Ushers in the 2025 Season with Osaka Derby
Goals excite fans and it didn't take long for the new J.League season to deliver some excitement.
Cerezo Osaka's Sota Kitano scored the first goal of the 2025 campaign in the seventh minute of the season-opening match on Friday night, February 14.
At Panasonic Stadium Suita, Kitano was in the right place at the right time to boot the ball past Gamba Osaka goalkeeper Jun Ichimori. The 20-year-old forward added another goal in the 46th minute of the Osaka derby, helping Cerezo collect a 5-2 victory.
Also scoring for Cerezo were Shinji Kagawa (52nd minute), Shunta Tanaka (63rd) and Motohiko Nakajima (second-half stoppage time) before an announced crowd of 34,860.
For Gamba, Israeli midfielder Neta Lavi tied it at 1-1 in the 31st minute and Keisuke Kurokawa cut it to 3-2 in the 54th.
Arthur Papas, Cerezo's new Australian manager, was pleased with his team's overall performance.
"It was my first Osaka derby and we played in a great atmosphere," Papas told reporters after the J.League match in Suita, Osaka Prefecture.
"You couldn't ask for a better start, scoring five goals in a derby away from home," Papas was quoted as saying by Kyodo News. "It's a great performance by the players."
After contributing two goals and one assist in Cerezo's first match of the season, Kitano expressed satisfaction.
"It feels good to be honest," Kitano said. "I just heard that I scored the club's 1,200th J1 goal, so I was also happy that I was able to score it."
A Mental Boost for Kitano in the J.League Opener
Kagawa, who is 35, is a veteran leader for Cerezo and one of the most famous players in the J.League. His words of encouragement helped Kitano begin the new season with a dynamic performance.
As Kitano revealed after the match, Kagawa recently told him, "You are absolutely fine now [fitness-wise], so play with confidence."
Helpful, indeed.
"I went into the game today with confidence," Kitano told reporters later.
Gamba outshot Cerezo 16-11 in the J.League opener.
Up next: Gamba vs Avispa Fukuoka on Saturday, February 22 and Cerezo against Shonan Bellmare on the same day.
Disappointing Start for the Reigning Champs
Two-time defending champion Vissel Kobe and the Urawa Reds played to a scoreless draw on Saturday at Noevir Stadium Kobe.
Also Saturday, J1 debutant Fagiano Okayama earned a 2-0 victory over Kyoto Sanga FC, with Daichi Tagmi and Takaya Kimura scoring goals.
Continue reading the full story, which includes news items on track and field, golf and more, on SportsLook.
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Author: Ed Odeven
Find Ed on JAPAN Forward's dedicated website, SportsLook. Follow his [Japan Sports Notebook] on Sundays, [Odds and Evens] during the week, and X (formerly Twitter) ＠ed_odeven.
