Vissel Kobe beat Tono 2-1 in the second round of the Emperor's Cup. After conceding the opening goal in the first half, forward Komatsu Ren (小松 蓮) scored 2 goals, including the go-ahead goal in the 29th minute of the second half, to turn the match around.
Vissel Kobe faced Velos Kronos Tono in the second round of the Emperor's Cup and narrowly won 2-1. Although Kobe struggled against Velos Kronos Tono, a club from the fifth tier by comparison with J1, they scored the go-ahead goal and advanced past their opening match.
Kobe's opening goal came in the 38th minute of the first half, when Komatsu Ren (小松 蓮) headed in after the opposing goalkeeper fumbled the ball. Tono drew level, but in the 29th minute of the second half, Komatsu met a right-wing cross from defender Takahashi (高橋) and scored the go-ahead goal.
After the match, Komatsu said, “Given that I hadn't been scoring in the league, 2 goals is significant. I want to carry this into the league,” expressing his determination for the matches ahead.