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Japan 2012 FIFA U20 Women's World Cup Update, Monday August 20th
Yesterday’s Highlights – Stats of the Day
– Japan’s 4-1 success against Mexico is their biggest win in the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup.
– Rosie White is the second player to have scored in three different editions of the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup. The New Zealand forward follows in the footsteps of Mexico’s Charlyn Corral, who found the net in the 2006, 2008 and 2010 campaigns.
– Switzerland recorded their seventh defeat in seven matches played at the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup.
– Three of the 12 goals scored on the first matchday came in second-half stoppage time, with substitutes on target four times.
– Brazil also bagged a crucial late goal in their previous meeting with Italy at this event, in 2004. On that occasion Kelly netted six minutes from the end to hand the South Americans a 2-1 victory, whereas this time her compatriot Amanda struck in the second minute of injury time to salvage a 1-1 draw.
– Nigeria are unbeaten in their last eight group-stage matches, having strung together five victories and three draws in the first round since losing 3-0 to China PR in their second game at the 2006 event
Today’s Matches
Group C – Kobe Home’s Stadium
16.00 Korea DPR v. Norway
Korea DPR’s Yun Song Mi was present at the pair’s previous encounter in the 2008 edition, albeit as an unused substitute. The East Asian side emerged 3-2 victors on that occasion.
19.00 Argentina v. Canada
This is the third FIFA competition in which Argentina and Canada have crossed paths. The CONCACAF side came out on top in both previous meetings, winning 3-0 in the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2003 and 2-1 in the Women’s Olympic Football Tournament 2008.No previous Women’s U20 head-to-heads.
Group D – Hiroshima –
16.00 Ghana v. USA
USA are on an unbeaten streak stretching back seven games, following a 2-0 reverse against China PR in 2008. Their current run includes a 1-1 draw with Ghana in the last edition of the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup.
19.00 Germany v. China PR
The only reigning champions to have kicked off the defence of their title with a win were USA at the 2004 finals, when they opened with a 3-0 victory over Korea Republic. By contrast, Germany lost 2-0 to Korea DPR in 2006 and Korea DPR were themselves defeated 3-2 by Brazil in 2008, while USA drew 1-1 with Ghana in 2010.
J1 Preview Aug.18th – 19:00 Sagan Tosu vs Shimizu S-Pulse at Best Amenity
Sagan Tosu – MF Okamoto is suspended. DF Kitani out for at least another month.
Shimizu S-Pulse – FW Franca has moved on loan to Verdy allowing the signing of FW Kim Hyun-Sung on loan. DF/MF Muramatsu is back from the Olympics.
Only one previous meeting between these two teams, the 1-1 draw earlier this season.
Shimizu S-Pulse are BACK! After beating top team Sanfrecce two games back, they took out Nagoya in the Nabisco Cup in a 4-3 thriller that saw them go thought on away goals on a last gasp Takagi winner. Then they proceeded to beat Nagoya in the league, also, last weekend and upped their goals total with Brosque, Omae and Takagi all getting in among the goals again – have S-Pulse turned the corner? Certainly, if the diminutive front pair of Omae and Takagi can continue their revival, with the likes of Alex Brosque in support S-Pulse will continue their rise up J1.
Jymmy Franca has been released to Tokyo Verdy on loan, freeing up a foreigner spot and S-Pulse have not delayed, bringing in FW Kim Hyun-Sung on loan until the end of the season. He’s a big man to push the likes of Takahara to bigger things or to supplement the likes of Omae and Takagi.
Sagan Tosu have quietly gone about their business of consolidating their place in j1 in their first ever season in the top flight and currently sit in 6th spot, just two wins off the top. A loss today would bring S-Pulse level with them, such is the close nature of the J1 table this season as we go into the home stretch, but Tosu have an excellent home record and despite the critics predicting the bubble will burst sooner rather than later, they are still winning points and fans with their play.
They have won three of their last four – beating Kashima, Kawasaki and Tokyo – all teams in close proximity, thereby keeping themsleves above their opponents. It’s the same with this game – a win they pull away from S-Pulse, a loss, and they’re level.
While Sagan have an enviable home record I feel that the timely changes and the adrenalin of recent results will mean that we can EXPECT a WIN for SHIMIZU S-PULSE.
J1 Preview Aug.18th – 19:00 Jubilo Iwata vs Cerezo Osaka at Yamaha
Jubilo Iwata – GK Kawaguchi is out for the season. FW Kanazono is out for at least another two months. MF Matsuoka is out for the season. MF Yamamoto out for a month, DF Cho out for at least another two weeks. FW Han out for a month or so.
Cerezo Osaka – MFs Yamaguchi and Ogihara and FW Sugimoto have returned from Olympic duty.
7 wins for Jubilo, 6 for Cerezo and 2 draws since 2003 – all in J1, of course. Jubilo have never been relegated.
Jubilo are suffering from a long injury list and are starting to tire and drop points when they really would like to be winning games. Influential Korean MF/FW Baek will be back from the Olympics and I feel he is a key man in the machine at Jubilo and may help turn things around for them but they must tighten up their defence – outside the bottom three they have the worst defensive record in J1. Having said that they have scored almost two goals per game on average so expect goals one way or another! They have won just one of the last five, and that was against bottom club Sapporo, and, if they are to stay in touch with the top 3 this is a must win for them.
Cerezo Osaka have been hit from all sides this season and must be wondering what they have to do to keep a fixed team. With Yamaguchi and Ogihara at London 2012 and Kim and Kiyotake shipped out, they have been playing with an entirely new midfield for the last few games and it’s only due to some timely goals from Kakitani that they are not deeper in trouble. The player, who signed with Cerezo before he was ten years old, but then spent the best part of three seasons at Tokushima Vortis developing his game, returned just in time to help the team get over the losses of Kagawa and Inui, and then saw Ienaga, Kim and Kiyotake also leave the team. He is the man to watch, a rising star, but how long will Cerezo be able to hold onto him? Jubilo injuries and players returning to Cerezo will swing it towards a WIN for CEREZO OSAKA!
J1 Preview Aug.18th – 19:00 Nagoya Grampus vs Gamba Osaka at Toyota
Nagoya Grampus – Tulio is suspended. FW Nagai is back from the Olympics., while FWs Kennedy and Tamada are both expected to be out but will be tested for fitness. MF Isomura out for at least a month more.
Gamba Osaka – RBs Kaji AND Eduardo both re-injured themselves and will be out. GK Kimura and DF Nakazawa are both out with broken legs. FW Kawanishi still regaining match fitness after a broken leg – not ready.
Very even over the last decade with 8 wins for Nagoya, 7 for Gamba, and 4 draws.
Gamba have won one and drawn two of their last three games – three games where a mini-revival has begun. They are now within a win of leap-frogging both Omiya Ardija and Albirex Niigata – depending on their results, of course – and KNOW they have to keep racking up the points to reach safety. Nagoya have conceded 7 goals to S-Pulse in their last two games – J1 and Nabisco Cup – and lost both. Before that, they beat Vissel 5-1 with four goals coming from Tulio. With Tulio suspended today, the team will be hoping that Kensuke Nagai – fresh from his Olympic performances – will be fit and ready to play, since Tamada and Kennedy are both still very doubtful. Nagai thrives on being set up by players around him – will Nagoya have anyone to partner him up front?
Gamba Osaka are missing a goalkeeper and at least three defenders through injury but it is the forward line that they will be concentrating on anyway, if they are to win games, they need goals. Leandro has returned, and is scoring goals and Gamba will be confident on their unbeaten run – this is a game that they MUST get at least a draw from, but they will be hoping for a win and I think we can EXPECT a WIN for GAMBA OSAKA!
J1 Preview Aug.18th – 19:00 Albirex Niigata vs Sanfrecce Hiroshima at Tohoku Den
Albirex Niigata – DF Suzuki returns from the Olympics. DF Uchida out for the season. FW Musashi Suzuki out for three months.
Sanfrecce Hiroshima – MF Hwang is back from Korea’s Olympic outing.
10 wins for Sanfrecce, 5 for Albirex, and 7 draws since 2003, that season being in J2 before both teams entered J1.
Sanfrecce are top of J1, and well-deserving of the position. But the last time they made the summit they lost their next game. if they are to win J1 they need to kill off opponents and beat the pressure that they feel. Albirex Niigata are slowly sliding into J2, even though they have won 2 of their last 5 games. FC Tokyo and Consadole Sapporo were their victims, but I can’t see them adding Sanfrecce’s scalp to that list. The likes of Bruno Lopes, HIrai and Yano are just not scoring goals, or looking confident in front of goal – just 15 goals in 21 games says it all. That’s level with Sapporo’s goalscoring record. Having noted their forwards’ lack of goals, the Albirex defence should be commended for only conceding 25 goals – almost comparable to teams like Vegalta (20) or Sanfrecce themselves (23), but those teams score goals also.
This may be low-scoring but EXPECT a WIN for SANFECCE HIROSHIMA!
J1 Preview Aug.18th – 19:00 Yokohama F.Marinos vs Kawasaki Frontale at Nissan
Yokohama F.Marinos – MF Saito is back from the Olympics. DF Amano is out for the season.
Kawasaki Frontale – GK Ando is back from the Olympics. DF Morishita will be out for at least two months. MF Rene Santos out for a month or so.
10 wins for Frontale, 7 for Marinos, with 4 draws since 2005, all in J1 or the Nabsico Cup.
Yokohama F.Marinos are on a terrific run, after a terrible start and are just six points off the top, while Kawasaki Frontale are winning the most inconsistent team award recently with a win, two draws and two defeats in their last five. Marinos will welcome back Saito from the Olympics and will be hoping that he, along with Marquinhos, Ono and Oguro can continue scoring goals after seeing an average of less than a goal a game in the first half of this season.
Kawasaki Frontale opened the season with decent results, but the points were at odds with the performance of the team and the powers-that-be at the club removed coach Soma and installed Yahiro Kazama and the team prospered. But the last 6 or 7 games have seen an inconsistency that has cut their chances of a top 6 finish. Less than a win here could even see them drop out of the top ten. The fans will not be happy but EXPECT a WIN for YOKOHAMA F.MARINOS!
J1 Preview Aug.18th – 19:00 Urawa Reds vs Kashima Antlers at Saitama
Urawa Reds – FW Marcio Richardes is suspended. MF Naoki Yamada is out for the season.
Kashima Antlers – DF / MF Koji Nakata will be out for two months with a knee injury.
7 wins for Antlers, 6 wins for Reds and 7 draws since 2003
Urawa Reds were put in their place by Vissel Kobe last weekend, Yoshito Okubo’s penalty keeping them from moving to within a win of the top spot. Kashima Antlers have won 3 of their last 5 including a win over Jubilo Iwata last week – they are missing Koji Nakata to injury, but Iwamasa will be buoyed by a national team recall. Reds have won only two of their last five, yet still remain in reach of the top spot – a testament to the unpredictability of J1 this year – and every year! I seriously believe that anyone down to S-Pulse in 10th position can still win this league so Reds must win this to keep the lower teams at bay.
Kashima Antlers will be hoping the likes of Kuroki and Osako can score the goals that will keep them out of the relegation zone but Reds will be too strong for them today – EXPECT a WIN for URAWA REDS!
J1 Preview Aug.18th – 19:00 Vegalta Sendai vs Kashiwa Reysol at Yurtec
Vegalta Sendai – DF Kakuda is out for at least a month.
Kashiwa Reysol – MF Leandro Domingues is suspended. DF Fujita out for a month.
6 wins for Reysol, 4 for Vegalta, and just one draw in 11.
this is a BIG game for both teams. Kashiwa Reysol can continue their impressive rise up the table after their bad start – now just 5 points off the top, a win here will draw them level with today’s opponents and prove their credentials. A loss will allow Sendai to pull away from Reysol, but Reysol have drawn their last two, while Sendai lost to bottom club Sapporo last weekend, so both teams will be pulling out all of the stops.
Reysol will be missing influential midfielder Leandro Domingues to suspension and may well be settling for a draw by the time Sendai have pulled out all THEIR stops! If Akamine, Wilson and Ota can take their chances Vegalta could take this, especially with home support, but Sendai have not won in four games but still remain in 2nd place… will a draw be the best these two teams can do today? EXPECT a DRAW!
JSoccer Magazine J1 Preview Aug.18th – 14:00 Consadole Sapporo vs Vissel Kobe at Atsubetsu
Consadole Sapporo – DF Osanai out for a month.
Vissel Kobe – MF/FW Ogawa is suspended. DF Komoto has moved to Omiya Ardija on loan. DF Iwanami is away with the Japan U19 team.
3 wins for Kobe, 1 for Sapporo and 4 draws since 2005.
Two wins for Consadole in their last three games has started to give them hope, while Vissel Kobe have been somewhat inconsistent since new coach Akira Nishino came on board, but the signs of a decent team are there. With centre back Komoto being allowed to go out on loan it seems that Inoha has settled into the centre back position after being used at defensive MF earlier in the season. Vissel are building from the back, with Kitamoto as the other centre back and Okui and Soma settled in as side backs, Vissel now need to build a midfield but the signs are good. With a win against Urawa Reds last week under their belt they should have the confidence to stop Sapporo in their tracks and end their mini-revival. A win for Vissel – and other results going their way – could see them move into the top ten, where they belong, with a view to building for a big finish.
Consadole Sapporo are 11 points way from safety with 13 games left – IF they are to have any chance of survival they must win their home games at least, so they will not be a pushover, but EXPECT a WIN for VISSEL KOBE!