Sagan to Continue Good Home Form!

Sagan- DF Yeo is suspended.

Consadole – MF Kawai is suspended. MF Takagi had an operation on his right knee and joins the growing injury list.

12 wins for Sagan, 10 wins for Consadole and five draws over a decade of meetings, all in J2. This will be their first meeting in J1.

Sagan Tosu (P15 W5 D6 L4 GD +3 Pts. 21) have made a better start to their first-ever J1 campaign than most expected or predicted but I feel they have hit their peak now and will start to tire and sink, perhaps even struggling against relegation near the end of the season. They lost their impressive unbeaten home record, too, which may have been boosting their confidence artificially. Having said that I can not see anything but a win today!

If anyone dares to predict a win for Consadole Sapporo (P15 W1 D1 L13 GD -26) in any future games this season, then please get them checked in to have their head examined! This team look the worst team to have ever graced J1 with their presence and have conceded 19 goals in their last five games, including a 4-0 defeat, at home, to their nearest relegation rivals – at that time – Gamba Osaka. I think it would be safe (famous last words) to say we can EXPECT a WIN for SAGAN TOSU.

Cerezo Osaka – no injuries or suspensions to report.

Reds – MF Naoki Yamada out for the season, Suzuki has a left foot injury and may be doubtful.

Eight wins for Reds, five for Cerezo and just the one draw over a decade of meetings.

Cerezo Osaka will lose yet another player to the Bundesliga after this match with Hiroshi Kiyotake moving to Nuremberg. Added to the loss Inui, Ienaga and Kagawa in recent seasons and that’s quite a drain on a team. With three losses out of their last four games, the news of Kiyotake’s departure seemed not to spur them on but the fans will be hoping for a win for “Kiyo” in his final game and this may well be the impetus the team needs to overcome Reds. If Kiyo, Kim et al are on form – and Cerezo have been very inconsistent this season – a win is not out of the question!

Urawa Reds (P15 W7 D5 L3 GD +5 Pts. 26) have had a much better season than many expected so far and it is a measure of the change in the team that were almost relegated two seasons in-a-row that they will be disappointed with the three draws out of their last five games in an unbeaten run that could have seen them go top with better finishing. Last time out they “parked the bus” at home against Vegalta and earned a point against the top team, and now will be looking for wins in games like this in order to prove they are a real challenger for the top spot. But … EXPECT a WIN for CEREZO OSAKA!

Albirex – MF Uchida out for the season.

Antlers – no injuries or suspensions to report.

Seven wins for Antlers, six for Albirex, and six draws over the last decade – a fairly even outcome!

Albirex Niigata (P15 W3 D3 L9 GD -12 Pts. 12) hired a new coach in Yanagishita, and he promptly responded with a shock win over S-Pulse two weeks back, but normal service resumed last weekend when they were outplayed by Vissel Kobe. It looks as if Albirex will need a miracle to get out of the drop zone and they need to start winning, regularly, now! But they will find it tough against Kashima Antlers (P15 W5 D3 L7 GD +2 Pts. 18) who need a few wins themselves to get the fans off their backs and prove that the rebuilding under Jorginho IS working. The gap between 3rd place and 13th is just 8 points and teams like Kashima will know that a few wins will make all the difference. Expect a WIN for KASHIMA ANTLERS!

Frontale – DF Komiyama out, while DF Jeci is back in training but doubtful he is ready for this match. MFs Oshima, Sugiura and Noboruzato all out injured.

Vissel – FW Okubo is suspended, while FWs Mogi and Tashiro are injured. MF Hashimoto still not fit.

Six wins for Frontale, four for Vissel, with two draws. Vissel won both games last season!

Kawasaki Frontale (P15 W8 D2 L5 GD +1 Pts. 26) sit just five points off the top but, after three wins in-a-row before last week, they wasted the opportunity to make up ground on the teams above with a 0-0 draw with Marinos. Their goal difference is way inferior to the teams around them and they have conceded more goals than the teams they want to challenge. They are a changed team after Kazama replaced Soma as coach, but they need to score more and concede less if they want to kep up the challenge for the top.

Vissel Kobe (P15 W7 D0 L8 GD -2 Pts. 21) are actually only five points adrift of Frontale and are two wins in-a-row with confidence rising under new coach Nishino. With Inoha playing at his favoured centre back role, Vissel look to be needed a solid defensive midfielder to fill out the squad but are looking a team ready to move up. Expect an AWAY WIN!

Orange v. Orange – misfiring S-Pulse look for their 1000th J.League Goal.

Ardija – DF Tsubouchi nay be ready to return. MF Hashimoto is suffering from Labyrythitis and expected to be unavailable for one month.

S-Pulse – DF Iwashita is considered doubtful.

Nine wins for S-Pulse, just three for Ardija, with five draws, over the last decade in J1.

Omiya Ardija (P15 W4 D4 L7 GD -13 Pts.16) held Sanfrecce to a 0-0 draw last week, after three successive defeats and the new coach effect may well lift them, as well as actually improve their tactics. There are reports that Rafael will be released and Cho has been playing as a central striker in a new formation.

Shimizu S-Pulse (P15 W7 D3 L5 GD +3 Pts. 24) have not won in five games now – three draws and to defeats – another team that could well have been challenging for the top but faltered just as the teams above them did! Just two goals in those last five games, and 16 overall for the season highlights what is missing for S-Pulse. Get a striker/finisher – move up the table. Expect a DRAW here today!

Vegalta – DF Uemoto is out for another month or so, MF Sekiguchi might be considered doubtful.

Sanfrecce have no injuries or suspensions to report.

Three games in J2 in 2008, and J1 games since then have produced one win for Sanfrecce and two for Vegalta, with five draws.

Vegalta Sendai (P5 W9 D4 L2 GD +18 Pts. 31) have faltered a little in recent games, but so have the teams on their trail, so they still sit atop J1 going into this game but the team they are up against – Sanfrecce Hiroshima (P15 W9 D2 L4 GD +14 Pts. 29) sit just two points behind them and a win for the away team would see a new leader of J1 on Saturday night! Sanfrecce should have taken the top spot already, while Sendai struggled with consistency, but last week’s 0-0 draw with lowly Ardija did not help and, although they have three wins to show before that, they were all against team well down the table at the time. I feel Sanfrecce will give their all but it will not be quite enough and we will see a DRAW!

Gamba to Continue Their revival!

Gamba – GK Kimura out with a broken leg, DF Kaji out until at least mid-July, DF Eduardo the same. FW Kawanishi still not fully fit but may return soon.

Reysol – no injuries apart from two reserve GKs.

Ten wins for Gamba, three wins for Reysol and a draw over ten seasons. Gamba have won the last five meetings, outscoring Reysol 14 goals to three.

Gamba Osaka P15 W3 D4 L8 GD -7 Pts. 13) thrashed Consadole last weekend and have actually looked quite decent in recent home losses against Sagan and Reds – creating chances, holding possession, going out into the lead, but losing to late killer goals – they certainly seem to have more to offer than their relegation-threatened rivals and winning games like these can only help in moving up the table. Indeed, they could well have beaten Grampus in midweek, but in the end were probably happy with a point.

Kashiwa Reysol (P14 W7 D3 5 GD +4 Pts. 24) earned a last ditch PK – which was saved but the rebound converted – to snatch a late point against Antlers last weekend. Before that they were four wins -in-a-row so are looking like they’re on a hot streak and made it 5 wins out of six against FC Tokyo in midweek. They have weaknesses and, if their foreign pair of Leandro Domingues and Jorge Wagner are kept quiet they struggle. EXPECT a WIN for GAMBA OSAKA!

Jubilo – With 1st choice GK Kawaguchi out for the season, 2nd choice Hatta will miss two weeks through injury, also!

Tokyo – DF Ota and MF Otaka are long term injury absentees. Reports say MF Ishikawa is doubtful, as well as MF Hasegawa, who is hopeful but nursing an injury. MF Baek will be a big loss for two more weeks at least.

Eight winds for Tokyo, seven wins for Jubilo and five draws over the last decade. Very evenly matched.

I was scathing about Jubilo Iwata’s (P15 W7 D3 L5 GD +9 Pts. 24) before the season and the difference was made by Baek. He is now injured, and Jubilo – already on a downward spiral of two losses in-a-row since the season resumed will miss him. They have conceded a 5th highest league total of 23 goals and now, with their 3rd choice keeper in the net for the next few games, they may well concede more and start slipping away from the top spot they seek.

FC Tokyo (P15 W8 D1 L6 GD +2 Pts. 25) have their share of injuries which is disrupting the team AND will lose players to the London Olympics very soon, so will really be looking to get another win on the board to keep within a few points of the top spot. After a draw with Reds and a loss to Marinos they came back with a vengeance and dispatched Cerezo last weekend, but then lost be the single goal against Reysol in midweek. EXPECT a WIN for FC TOKYO.

18:00 Yokohama F.Marinos vs Nagoya Grampus – Nissan Stadium

Another 0-0 draw in the offing?

Marinos – MF Nakamura out with badly sprained ankle. DF Amano out for the season.

Grampus – FW Tamada will be out for at least another month. MFs Isomura and Nakamura both out until at least September.

Seven wins for Grampus, four for Marinos and seven draws over the last decade.

Having scored only one goal in their last four games, but getting a win and three draws from that it would be churlish to expect goals from Yokohama F.Marinos (P15 W5 D7 L3 GD +3 Pts. 22) but they can certainly defend a point at home, having conceded just 12 goals so far this season – the best defensive record in the league.

Nagoya Grampus (P15 W7 D3 L5 GD +1 Pts. 24) won their first two games out after the break – then were held by Gamba in midweek – and those who were expecting them to struggle to score goals with the absence of Tamada have been pleased to see Nagai on form and more than making up for it, although the team have still only registered 22 goals so far – Nagai scored both Nagoya goals in their 2-2 draw with Gamba on Wednesday night. This could well be another 0-0 DRAW!