YAMAGA, Japan (Interstat) — Kazuaki Saso scored in the fourth minute and Kosuke Fujieda added a goal in stoppage time as Yamaga beat Kusatsu 2-0 at home Wednesday. Yamaga scored once in the first half and once in the second half and kept Kusatsu off the scoreboard. Saso played 88 minutes and scored once. Fujieda played three minutes and scored once, with his goal coming in the third minute of stoppage time. Yamaga led from the fourth minute and held the advantage through the final whistle.

Saso opened the scoring in the fourth minute for Yamaga. The home side held that lead through halftime and protected it as Kusatsu made a series of changes after the break. Kusatsu made two substitutions in the 52nd minute, bringing on Fujimura R. and Nuki M. Farzan Sana M. followed in the 60th minute, Shimokawa T. entered in the 61st, and Hyakuda M. came on in the 76th. Those five changes were made as Kusatsu sought a goal, but the visiting side finished with none.

Yamaga also adjusted its lineup. Tanaka S. entered in the 63rd minute, Sato R. and Sawazaki R. came on in the 67th, Taguchi Y. entered in the 87th and Saso was replaced in the 88th. Fujieda then scored in the third minute of stoppage time to close the scoring. The late goal gave Yamaga a two-goal margin and completed the scoring for the match. Yamaga made five substitutions in all, including the late change that removed Saso from the match after his 88 minutes.

The first half produced one goal, with Saso scoring for Yamaga in the fourth minute. The second half included five Kusatsu substitutions and five Yamaga substitutions. Kusatsu’s changes came in the 52nd, 60th, 61st and 76th minutes. Yamaga’s changes came in the 63rd, 67th, 87th and 88th minutes. Fujieda’s goal in the third minute of stoppage time was the final score of the match. Neither team scored after that.

The result moved Yamaga to 2-1 in the competition and 3-2 across all competitions. Kusatsu is now 1-1-1 in the competition and 1-1-1 across all competitions. Yamaga has two wins and one loss in this competition and three wins and two losses across all competitions. Kusatsu has one win, one loss and one draw in the competition and the same record across all competitions.

Yamaga had lost 2-1 at Nagano and lost 1-0 at home to Sanfrecce Hiroshima after a 1-0 home win over Kagoshima Utd and a 1-0 home win over Albirex Niigata. Kusatsu had drawn 1-1 at Gainare Tottori and won 2-1 at home against Ryukyu in its previous two competition matches before the loss. Kusatsu next hosts Kamatamare in league play.

Yamaga’s goals came from Saso and Fujieda. Saso’s fourth-minute goal gave Yamaga the lead, and Fujieda’s stoppage-time goal made the score 2-0. Saso’s 88-minute appearance included one goal, while Fujieda’s three-minute appearance also included one goal. Yamaga’s two goals came in the fourth minute and in the third minute of stoppage time. Kusatsu made five substitutions during the second half but did not score a goal.

Interstat’s game simulator had projected a final score of Yamaga 2, Kusatsu 1. Interstat’s ELO system had projected Yamaga with a 62 percent probability to win. Yamaga had been installed as a pregame favorite with a spread of -0.5. The total score of 2 went over the over/under line of 2.5.