Utrecht vs V-varen Nagasaki

The first period ended goalless. Utrecht controlled possession but Nagasaki created the sharper openings, with Thiago Santana proving a persistent threat in behind the Utrecht defence.

Nagasaki broke the deadlock in the 59th minute when Santana was brought down in the box after latching onto a through ball. He converted the penalty himself to make it 0-1. The visitors doubled their lead in the 88th minute through Yoneda Shunya, who turned in the rebound after Vasilis Barkas had initially saved. That 0-2 scoreline is what the provider payload records as the full-time result, reflecting the end of the second period rather than the full 135 minutes.

Utrecht had been second best for long stretches. Nagasaki, who had lost 3-1 to NEC Nijmegen on 14 July earlier in their Dutch tour, looked sharper and more cohesive through the opening two hours.

The final 45 minutes belonged entirely to the home side. Pohl's 103rd-minute strike from distance changed the match entirely. The midfielder, pushed into a more advanced role in the third period, collected the ball outside the box and fired low past the Nagasaki goalkeeper to halve the deficit.

"Ferdinand Pohl decided to take a shot from distance, and with success: he brought the tension back into the match in impressive fashion," Utrecht's official match report noted (FC Utrecht site).

The goal injected urgency. With Nagasaki's organisation fraying after more than 100 minutes of football on their European tour, Utrecht pressed forward relentlessly. The equaliser arrived in the 113th minute through El Arguioui, who finished a flowing team move to make it 2-2.

Three minutes later, the comeback was complete. Jamie Schuldes, deployed in central defence, played an incisive through ball that split the Nagasaki back line. Blake, who had been a persistent threat on the left flank throughout the second and third periods, ran onto it and finished decisively to make it 3-2 in the 129th minute.

Adrian Blake was the standout performer. The winger scored the winning goal and was Utrecht's most consistent creative threat, frequently beating his marker on the left side. His 129th-minute finish capped a display that made him the clear candidate for player of the match.

Ferdinand Pohl — the young German defender who joined Utrecht on a free transfer from Bayer Leverkusen this summer (Telegraaf) — changed the game with his 103rd-minute strike. His goal was the catalyst for everything that followed.

Rafik El Arguioui capped a strong showing with the 113th-minute equaliser and formed part of a revitalised midfield that dominated the final hour.

Thiago Santana was Nagasaki's most dangerous player, scoring the opener from the penalty spot and causing problems throughout the first two periods.

The provider payload records a full-time score of 0-2, which reflects the scoreline at the end of the second 45-minute period (90 minutes) rather than the full 135-minute contest. The underlying match data — three separate periods, heavy rotation from Utrecht across two different lineups — means traditional stats like possession and shots need to be read in that context. Utrecht dominated the third period almost entirely, which is where all three goals were generated. Nagasaki's efficiency in the second period, with two goals from limited chances, contrasted sharply with their inability to hold on once Utrecht's momentum took over.

The attendance of 1,111 at Sportpark USV Elinkwijk was a strong turnout for a pre-season friendly against a non-European opponent (FC Utrecht official site).

Utrecht's fifth pre-season friendly of the 2026-27 preparation continued a positive buildup under head coach Anthony Correia. The squad now has meaningful minutes across the board, with players like Schuldes (who provided the assist for the winner) and Pohl making strong cases for starting roles. Utrecht's next pre-season fixture is against Sevilla FC on 2 August at Stadion Galgenwaard (FC Utrecht official site).

For Nagasaki, the result will sting after leading for so long, but the quality shown in the first two periods — particularly in transition — will encourage manager Takashi Kiyama. The J2 League side, who also lost 3-1 to NEC earlier in their Dutch tour, return to Japan to continue their domestic campaign.

A pre-season friendly that delivered genuine drama. Utrecht's second-string and fringe players transformed a routine defeat into a memorable comeback, and the manner of the victory — three well-taken goals in the final 26 minutes of a 135-minute contest — will have given Correia valuable selection headaches. Nagasaki will rue their inability to close out the game but showed enough in the first two periods to suggest they are building usefully for their own season.