Cerezo have announced that Hiroshi Kiyotake will join FC Nuremburg after the Olympics!

Over a decade Kashiwa have three wins, Cerezo just one, with four draws. Cerezo’s sole win was a 5-0 home thrashing of Reysol last season, in Kashiwa’s title-winning term!

Cerezo Osaka (P11 W4 D2 L5 GD +1) almost took maximum points from Shimizu S-Pulse last weekend, but for a last second equaliser from Alex Brosque and are still living up to their inconsistent tag. With the announcement of Kiyotake’s departure to the Bundesliga (and the expected departure of another key player in Kim Bo Kyung) Cerezo are going to have to, once again, rebuild a team – but they are getting used to that now, after losing Kagawa, Inui and Ienaga over the last two tears or so! They’ve won only one of their last five games – a 3-2 win over Jubilo, and in that game they allowed two late goals and almost let the game slip away! Surely their fans will want a win to console them over the loss of Kiyotake!

Kashiwa Reysol (P10 W# D2 L5 GD -3) surprised us all last season by lasting longer than anyone really expected and coming out with the championship. This season they are no longer the surprise package, and they are juggling their ACL campaign with league play – and failing. They surprised a resurgent Kawasaki Frontale last time out but the adrenalin will be flowing fo the home team in this game and we can EXPECT a WIN for CEREZO OSAKA!