Kashima Antlers – DF/MF Yamamura is with the Olympic team. DF / MF Koji Tanaka will be out for two months with a knee injury.

Jubilo Iwata – FW Baek is with Korea’s Olympic team. 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 a month from Aug.1st.

Since 2003 Jubilo have beaten Antlers just twice, while Antlers have 12 wins, with 5 draws. Those two Jubilo wins, though, have come in the last four meetings.

Kashima Antlers terrible start to the season has faded into the distance but they are still only six points off a relegation place and struggle to score goals. They SHOULD have no problem in pulling away from the relgation dogfight in the coming weeks, especially if forwards Osako and Koroki can increase the output from their partnership. Osako was disappointed to not be chosen for London 2012 but the fans have been happy with his goals, including two against Sanfrecce Hiroshima two games back. The team giving new coach Jorginho the benefit of the doubt after his bad start will stand the team in good stead for a better 2012, but they need to win games like this to ensure the fans are kept appeased.

Jubilo Iwata look to be punching above their weight right now and miss Baek big time – in London with Korea – and are also missing 3 or 4 other regulars, which does not help consistency of team selection. They have won only one of their last four but are still in touch with the leaders and are 2nd highest top scorers in J1 so can never be counted out of any game but I have a strong feeling that home advantage and the stinging defeat of Kashima Antlers to Sagan Tosu last week will swing the game the way of the home team.

EXPECT a WIN FOR KASHIMA ANTLERS!

Gamba Osaka – GK Kimura and DF Nakazawa are both out with broken legs. FW Kawanishi still regaining match fitness after a broken leg – not ready. DF Eduardo long term injury. The club signed DF Iwashita from S-Pulse on loan.

Cerezo Osaka – MFs Yamaguchi and Ogihara are with Olympic team and MF B K Kim is with Korea’s Olympic team. FW Sugimoto has officially returned to the club from a loan period at Tokyo Verdy, but is with the Olympic squad right now! MFs Kurogi and Maruhashi are suspended.

10 wins for Gamba, 3 for Cerezo, and three draws over the last decade or so. To note, though, two of those Cerezo wins have come in the last three meetings – earlier in J1 this season.

A win for Gamba Osaka here – on the back of a win over Omiya Ardija last weekend – will lift the club, in more ways than one. Another win will out the terrible start to the season behind them, bring them up to within a point of their neighbours, as well as putting pressure on Omiya and Niigata. The gain in confidence that two wins-in-a-row would do for Gamba Osaka would be immeasurable. Contrarily, a loss would quite possibly condemn Gamba to a relegation dogfight that they would not win. Leandro scored two goals against Omiya and could well have had 3 or 4 more with a little luck. A forward high in confidence and a defence on their toes due to the arrival of new blood all adds up to the recipe to win for Gamba.

Cerezo Osaka, on the other hand, have lost their complete midfield – Kiyotake and Kim transferred out, and Yamaguchi and Ogihara at London 2012 – AND some of their replacements are suspended for this game! Kakitani is firing on all cylinders, but one man does not make a team (and how long before he is looking for a move overseas, too!?). The trio of Olympic athletes returning for the next game may help cerezo pull away from the drop zone but, for this game, at least, they will struggle,

EXPECT a WIN for GAMBA OSAKA!

Yokohama F.Marinos – MF Saito is with the Olympic team. DF Amano is out for the season.

Albirex Niigata – MF Honma, FWs Bruno Lopes and Yano are suspended. DF Suzuki is with the Olympic team. DF Uchida out for the season. FW Musashi Suzuki out for three months. New CB/LB signed from Omiya Ardija – Tsubouchi.

9 wins for Marinos, 7 for Albirex and 5 draws over the last decade, all in J1 or the Nabisco Cup.

Yokohama F. Marinos are low scorers, but low conceders – the best defence in J1 and their position now, just 7 points off the top spot and on an impressive unbeaten run must seem like a miracle to fans who were calling for the head of the manager after a bad start to the season! If the likes of Marquinhos and Ono can stay fit and score goals, ably assisted by Oguro Marinos will continue to rise up the table and challenge for a top 6 spot. When Saito returns from the Olympics they’ll be even better but that’s another story! Today, with Albirex Niigata missing key players Bruno Lopes, last week’s point-winning goalscorer Yano and influential midfielder, as well as centre back Suzuki at London 2012, I can not see Albirex getting anything out of this match. The 2-0 win over FC Tokyo was merely a blip as this team head for relegation.

EXPECT a WIN for YOKOHAMA F. MARINOS!

Kawasaki Frontale – GK Ando is with the Olympic team. DF Morishita will be out for at least two months.

Sagan Tosu – DF Kitani out for at least another month.

7 wins for Frontale, 2 for Tosu and 1 draw – all in J2 until this year when Sagan won in the Nabsico Cup and Frontale won away in J1 play.
Kawasaki Frontale were held for a 2-2 draw by Jubilo Iwata last time out and are in a lull that has seen them lose at home to Vissel Kobe last month, and fight out a scoreless draw with S-Pulse before being outplayed by Sanfrecce in a 3-0 defeat. They have scored 28, and conceded 28 goals, so their need to score more and concede less is obvious. Yajima is their only “big” scorer, with six goals to his name. They have suffered a string of injuries and had to change the team selection a lot more often than they would have wanted, but players are returning to the team and this could help in the long run.

Sagan Tosu continue to confound their critics who expected the team – in their first season in J1 – to struggle. They have lost just once in their last five games – a pulsating, rain-soaked encounter with Urawa Reds that ended 4-3 after Tosu went 4-0 down, so anything can happen in their games, it seems! Many are waiting for the bubble to burst and, yet, technically they are only 7 points off the top spot, or 4 points away from an ACL place. There seems to be no way that this team are returning to J2 this season! A pleasant surprise to many I think they can hold Kawasaki today, also.

EXPECT a DRAW!

– Reysol to Continue Push For the Top!

Kashiwa Reysol – DF Hashimoto is suspended. DF Fujita out for a month. Brazilian FW Neto Baiano has signed for Reysol.

FC Tokyo – MF/DF Takahashi is suspended. GK Gonda and DF Tokunaga are with the Olympic team. MF Otake is out for the season. DF Jang out for three months. MF Hanyu out for at least another month.

8 wins for Reysol, 6 for FC Tokyo and 2 draws over the last decade.
Kashiwa Reysol are now top scorers in J1, four points off the top spot, with the likes of Kudo and Sawa, as well as midfielder Leandro Domingues hitting the back of the net frequently., keeping national team selectee Junya Tanaka on the bench often so, why buy a Brazilian forward mid-season? Especially one who failed spectacularly in a previous stint in Japan with JEF United? Neto Baiano has grown since he left Japan but is he good enough to come in and take Reysol to the next level, or will he disrupt the teamwork that has got them this far – wait and see!

FC Tokyo have half a team missing through injury or Olympic duty and will be happy to see the return of Gonda and Tokunaga, at least, next week, but not for this game. With Takahashi suspended, also, their work will be cut out holding off the rampant Reysol attack. Lucas was rested during the week’s Nabisco Cup tie and it also gave Edmilson a chance to get match fit so, if Ishikawa and Hasegawa are firing on all cylinders, FC Tokyo may help in making this a high-scoring game. Tokyo have won only one in the last five league games and are averaging only just over a goal a game, so the forwards need to convert those chances that come from the hard-working midfield. I think a high-scoring draw today? EXPECT a DRAW!

Vissel Kobe – DF Inoha is undergoing tests on a knee injury.

Urawa Reds – MF Naoki Yamada is out for the season

11 wins for Urawa, 9 for Kobe and 2 draws over the last decade, all in J1 or the Nabisco Cup. Vissel won four-in-a-row until Reds’ home win in J1 this season.

Match Preview – Urawa Reds have won just two of their last five, drawing the other three, but remain just three points off the top since Sanfrecce and Vegalta have been having similar inconsistent runs. This has allowed teams in the middle of the table to close the gap and, if Urawa are to pull away from their challengers and cement an ACL 2013 place, or even the Championship, they must win games like this. They still struggle to score goals, of their 28 so far this season 4 came in one game against Sagan Tosu, so they are barely over a goal per game average. not good enough for a team to make a top three place! They were lucky to not lose players to the London Olympics but have not taken advantage of other teams’ inconsistencies and, to make it simple, they need more goals. Marcio Richardes has weighed in recently but he needs help from Haraguchi, or the bench players – the likes of Tatsuya Tanaka, for example, when they are given their chances.

Vissel Kobe have stuttered after a reasonable start to the season and two losses and two draws in their last four games, including a 5-1 defeat at Nagoya last week has been a disappointment to those expecting more from the team under coach Akira Nishino, but, hopefully for Vissel fans, and Nishino in particular, the owners will have patience as the coach builds his team in his image. It took him a few years to get Gamba to win the league and then the ACL – Vissel fans won’t mind waiting a little. The likes of Morioka, Ogawa, Okui and even Inoha, not that old yet, are the future of the club and I see a bright future, if Nishino is given time to build his team. Ogawa is turning into a key man – or teenager – for the club and could be the difference against a back three. Abe, Suzuki and the Reds have plenty of experience, but youth, enthusiasm and speed is a dangerous combination to come up against. Reds beware! Unfortunately Vissel may be missing centre back Inoha – again – and will be lacking there if Takagi is selected.

EXPECT a DRAW!

Omiya Ardija – MF Carlinhos is suspended. MF Higashi is with the Olympic team. MF Murakami out for at least two months. FW Shimizu is out for about one month.

Sanfrecce Hiroshima – MF Hwang is with Korea’s Olympic team. MF Yamagishi considered doubtful.
11 wins for Sanfrecce, 4 for Ardija and 3 draws over the last decade. With Hisashi Sato sitting pretty at the top of the goalscoring charts on 16 goals (including only one PK, by the way), ably supported by Naoki Ishihara – who moved from Omiya Ardija at the start of the season – Sanfrecce are scoring goals, but they couldn’t hold on to a lead last weekend, when they allowed Shimizu S-Pulse – with only ten men it should be noted – to score two late goals and send them to a defeat. Sanfrecce were top for a week but that defeat sent them into 2nd again. They shouldn’t have any problem against an ailing Omiya Ardija who lost in a crucial relegation battle to Gamba Osaka last weekend.

Ardija are missing Higashi to the Olympic squad and have added Slovenians Zlatan Ljubijankič and MILIVOJE NOVAKOVIC to their squad in recent weeks, although they have let defensive stalwart go to relegation rivals Albirex Niigata! Last week they opened the scoring against Gamba, with a classy Yu Hasegawa goal, but could not hold on to their lead and slipped into the relegation battle. A loss here today will make sure they struggle for the remainder of the season! The team needs more from the likes of Cho and Carlinhos, and they need it NOW!

EXPECT a WIN for SANFRECCE HIROSHIMA!

Shimizu S-Pulse – the team released CB Iwashita on loan to Gamba Osaka. MF Muramatsu is with the Olympic team.

Nagoya Grampus – FW Nagai is with the Olympic team. FWs Kennedy and Tamada both out. MF Isomura out for at least a month more.
8 wins for Nagoya, 7 for Shimizu, and 6 draws over the last decade, all in J1 or the Nabisco Cup, of course – neither team ever having been relegated.Nagoya Grampus were missing striker Nagai to the London Olympics. Combine that with injuries to Tamada and Kennedy and manager Dragan Stojkovic was forced to play centre back Tulio upfront. He repaid his manager’s faith with four goals against Vissel Kobe last week! He will be a handful for Calvin Jong-a-Pin and his S-Pulse defensive partners if Grampus choose to keep Tulio upfront for this contest. Prior to last week’s goal-fest Grampus had scored four in four games, including a loss to Consadole and so they will be looking to build on that win and make a push for the top three over the next few games.

Meanwhile, Shimizu S-Pulse have put in good performances but lost games because they are not scoring. Early season the likes of Omae and Takagi were putting the chances away, then the goals dried up and the chase for the 100th goal of their history seemed to make it hard for them. On the other hand, there are times when they are winning games when a player (or even two) short – talk about inconsistency. 21 goals in 20 games, and “only” 23 conceded in that time (five of which were when they went down to nine men against Reysol) means a low-scoring draw is probably expected here but I feel S-Pulse may well have turned the corner and I think we can EXPECT a WIN for SHIMIZU S-PULSE!

Consadole Sapporo – DF Osanai out for a month, DFs Kim and North and FW Tele are expected to be fit but have fitness tests. Vegalta Sendai – DF Kakuda is out for at least a month.

7 wins for Sapporo, 6 for Sendai and 6 draws over the years, all in J2 until this year.

Vegalta Sendai won 4-1 earlier in the season and who is going to predict that the top club will lose to the bottom club – a team that has conceded 47 goals and scored just 13 in their 20 games so far. Sendai returned to the top of the league last weekend, but only because Sanfrecce lost to S-Pulse. In fact Sendai have won only one of their last five games as the top of J1 becomes congested moving into the final stretch. The team that wins games when a draw seems likely will win the league. Right now the top half of the league is getting closer as teams drop points, someone has to be consistent!

Consadole Sapporo have reinforced recently but many are unsure if is desperation and the hope that they can survive the drop, or planning ahead for next season in J2! For Vegalta, forward Akamine is on fine form after injuries and inconsistency slowed him down and Brazilian forward Wilson has settled in and started scoring regularly after a slow start. We can expect goals, mostly for Vegalta! For me a key man this season has been midfielder Matsushita, growing in stature and dictating plays. His free kicks and hard work have helped Sendai get to where they are.

EXPECT a WIN for VEGALTA SENDAI!

Sagan Tosu – DF Kitani out for at least another month.
Kashima Antlers – DF/MF Yamamura is with the Olympic team.

Head to Head – the teams have met only once before in a 0-0 draw earlier in the season.

Sagan Tosu have an impressive home form and are still surprising some of us in their first ever season in J1. That home form has gone some way to making sure that are not (yet) in the relegation dogfight. They are in no man’s land right now, nine points off the top, nine points away from the relegation places. Their fans will not complain if they stay there for this inaugural J1 season! But Kashima Antlers will have something to say about that. The away team held the top team last weekend – on two goals from Osako – and are on an unbeaten run that is seeing them move slowly up the table and look to make their season safe before a renewal of form in 2013?! If Osako and Koroki continue to score Kashima will not be pulled back into the struggle this season and, after winning this game they’ll push Sagan slowly toward a final month of nail-biting nervousness, perhaps, as they fight to keep their J1 status? Or am I being too hard on Sagan!
EXPECT a WIN for KASHIMA ANTLERS!