Saturday, June 23rd

14:00 Consadole Sapporo vs Gamba Osaka – Sapporo Dome
A Six Pointer – Gamba MUST Win!
Consadole – FWs Yokono and Sakaki were added to a long injury list.
Gamba – DFs Kaji and Eduardo out, FW Kawanishi still missing due to long term (broken leg) injury. Sasaki must be considered doubtful.
One win for Gamba, and one draw, in J1 2008 is about it!
Gamba Osaka (P13 W2 D3 L11 GD -11) have addressed their goalscoring problem by re-signing club favourite Leandro on loan, although he will not yet be available to play in this match. Games against Sagan Tosu and Urawa Reds have seen defeats for Gamba, despite having the lion’s share of the chances and possession. They need to score goals and who better than Consadole to score against!? Gamba haven’t won in their last five but drew against top club Vegalta and really should have beaten both Tosu and Reds and so will be looking to correct results, if not displays. A loss here would confirm that Gamba are J2-bound!
Consadole Sapporo (P14 W1 D1 L12 GD -22) have conceded 17 goals in their last five games, all losses, of course and not even their greatest fan can believe that they will survive in this division so, perhaps that small ray of hope, a silver lining is that they should feel no pressure!? All the pressure will be on Gamba as this is a REAL six-pointer but, despite all the expectation and pressure on the away team I think we can EXPECT a WIN for GAMBA OSAKA!

18:00 FC Tokyo vs Cerezo Osaka – Ajinomoto Stadium
Cerezo Need Wins Before Kiyotake’s Farewell!
FC Tokyo – MF Otake out for the season, FW Hirayama nearing fitness, DF Ota has a metatarsal stress fracture.
Cerezo – no injuries reported, but rumours of FW Kempes being sold are strong.
Three wins each, and five draws since 2003 in 11 meetings.
Four goals conceded, three wins and draw, before last week’s 1-0 loss to Marinos suggests FC Tokyo (P13 W7 D1 L5 GD +1) could easily be higher than they are. Better finishing needed for the capital team who started out very promising before slipping. Being ousted from the ACL may allow them to concentrate on J1 – a  blessing in disguise? But, on the other hand, what is their target from this season? An ACL place? Here we go again, then!
Cerezo Osaka (P14 W5 D2 L7 GD -2) must face life without Kiyotake soon, and rumours of Kim’s departure also abound, while they may well let Kempes go very soon – changes in the offing. The young team should be able to stay away from the relegation zone but need to show more consistency. Expect an away win today for CEREZO OSAKA!

18:00 Shimizu S-Pulse vs Sagan Tosu – Outsourcing Stadium
A Must-Win for S-Pulse, If They Are to Challenge for the Top!
Sagan – DF Kitani and MF Takahashi are out injured.
The first meeting between these two teams in J1!
Shimizu S-Pulse (P14 W7 D2 L5 GD +3) have scored two goals in their last five games – in the 1-0 win over Vegalta and their 1-1 draw with Cerezo and must get among the goals if they are to challenge for the top spot. Thankfully S-Pulse also have the best (equal) defensive record in the division, so are still hovering in the upper echelons and waiting to move in for the kill! if they had a Didier Drogba they’d be already ten points clear at the top!
Sagan Tosu lost their unbeaten home record last week to a single goal from Yokohama F.Marinos (a habit for Marinos this season) and have started to feel the pressure of keeping up their good, unexpected start to their first ever season in J1. Only one win in their last five now sees Sagan settling into the pattern that I expected from them and I feel they won’t again reach the heights of  the first couple of months of J1 play, even starting to struggle in the relegation area soon. Expect a WIN FOR SHIMIZU S-PULSE!

18:30 Kashiwa Reysol vs Kashima Antlers – Kashiwa Stadium
Stalemate in the Offing?
Reysol – DF Masushima is suspended. FW Ricardo Lobo has gone on loan to JEF, FW Kitajima has left on loan to Roasso Kumamoto.
Antlers – DF Araiba is suspended, but no injuries reported.
Nine wins for Antlers, just the two for Reysol with three draws over the last decade. Both of Reysol’s wins came last year in their championship season.
Kashiwa Reysol (P13 W6 D2 L5 GD +2) are on a four match winning run including a come-from-behind 4-2 destruction of Omiya Ardija last weekend. They have finally realised that Ricardo Lobo is not the man they needed to compliment their championship-winning team and he has been jettisoned to JEF United in J2 on loan. With various players hitting top form and this confidence-boosting run of wins, they will be a handful for Antlers for sure.
Kashima Antlers (P14 W5 D2 L7 GD +2) sit in 13th place, despite putting a good run together to negate their goal-less and point-less start to the season but wins against Kobe and Sapporo were bookended with losses against Jubilo and Nagoya, so they are definitely inconsistent right now and not beating in-form teams. Reysol are in-form, but Antlers will fight to the death and I expect a DRAW here!

18:30 Sanfrecce Hiroshima vs Omiya Ardija – Hiroshima Big Arch
Easy for Sanfrecce?
Ardija – FW Cho is suspended, DF Tsubouchi nearing return to fitness.
11 wins for Sanfrecce, just four for Ardija, and two draws in the last decade.
Despite a new coach, players moving on and the fact that they seemed to bean Omiya Ardija reject in FW Ishihara, Hiroshima Sanfrecce (P14 W9 D1 L4 GD +14) have prospered and currently sit in 2nd place, just two points off the lead and having scored 30 goals in the process. With Sato and Ishihara on top form and the players settling in fast under new coach Moriyasu, things look good for Sanfrecce.
Despite a new coach, formation changes and higher expectations Omiya Ardija (P14 W4 D3 L7 GD -13) have not won in four outings, conceding 11 goals in the process. With Cho mising today, and up against a player who was laways on the bench when he played for Ardija – Ishihara – we can expect fireworks as the ex-player proves a point!? Omiya to go down, a WIN for SANFRECCE HIROSHIMA!

19:00 Urawa Reds vs Vegalta Sendai – Saitama Stadium
Tough One for Vegalta!
Reds – MF Suzuki is considered doubtful with a thigh injury, MF Naoki Yamada is out for the season. FWs Popo and Escudero still on the injury list.
Vegalta – FW Wilson is suspended. DF Uemoto still out. MF Sekiguchi doubtful for a full game.
Three wins for Reds, one win for Vegalta and three draws in just the seven meetings between these two teams. Reds have already beaten their opponents in the Nabisco Cup this year.
Urawa Reds (P14 W7 D4 L3 GD +5) were fortunate to come out with a win last weekend when they were outplayed and out-shot by Gamba Osaka, but it’s goals that count, and a last minute winner will have given the team a boost and added to their unbeaten run – last five games have yielded two wins and three draws so Reds will know they need to get more wins out of these games that are ending as draws and this is, as they say, a real six-pointer if they are to keep in touch with the top team.
Vegalta Sendai (P14 W9 D3 L2 GD +18) have won only two of their last five games, and that includes losses against near-challengers Frontale and S-Pulse, so the cracks are beginning to show and the pressure is taking its toll. I do not expect them to stay top much longer and, as with last season, they will probably end the season in 4th or 5th place. This is a game they must win if they are to disprove my theory of impending collapse but I think we will see a WIN for URAWA REDS.

19:00 Kawasaki Frontale vs Yokohama F.Marinos – Todoroki Stadium
Kazama’s Kawasaki March On!?
Frontale – DF Komiyama nearing full fitness after long absence. DF Jeci still out. MF Noborusato out with a fracture, MF Sugiura has a sprained ankle – doubtful.
Marinos – DF Amano is out for the season.
Ten wins for Frontale, seven for Marinos and three draws in meetings between these close rivals over the last ten years.
Despite a reasonable start to the season results-wise, it was obvious deep down that 1-0 wins from goals scored on free kicks was giving the fans a false sense of security and the powers-that-be at Kawasaki Frontale (P14 W8 D1 L5 GD +1) were not fooled and made a change, bringing in coach Kazama for Soma, and what a difference it has made. Frontale are now within five points of the top (although 17 goals difference less!) and have won four of their last five. Defensive injuries have taken their toll, but they are scoring to make up for the goals conceded!
Yokohama F.Marinos (P14 W5 D6 L3 GD +3) started the campaign badly but put a run together and swiftly moved into the top half of the table. They are unbeaten in their last five, although two draws are included in there, and it is of note that they have scored only 15 goals in their 13 games. Luckily their defence is doing its job and we await the forwards coming into form to make the season safe, if not spectacular! But they will struggle this weekend and I expect a WIN for KAWASAKI FRONTALE!

19:00 Nagoya Grampus vs Jubilo Iwata – Mizuho Athletics Stadium
Resurgent Grampus Stifle High-Flying Jubilo?
Grampus – FW Tamada must still be considered doubtful. MFs Isomura and Nakamura are out long term.
Jubilo – Influential MF Yamada is suspended. GK Kawaguchi and FW Kanazono are long-term injury absentees.
Eight wins for Grampus, five for Jubilo and six draws for these two teams in 19 meetings since 2003.
Jubilo Iwata (P14 W7 D3 L4 GD +11) looked very average at the start of the season, even though they weren’t struggling. Along came Korean Baek and suddenly there was a new flowing to their game and a good run came together. It should be noted that after he was carried off last weekend, Vissel Kobe took all three points. Is he really that pivotal to their game and will he be completely fit this week? Despite their home loss last week Jubilo have scored 16 goals in their last five and will be plenty to handle for a faltering Grampus.
Nagoya Grampus (P13 W6 D2 L5 GD -1) are looking at a negative goal difference and the bottom half of the table, which must have been unexpected for them at the start of the campaign. FW Nagai is blossoming but they still leave gaps and lack concentration during games and manager Stoijkovic will be looking for much more from his team in the coming months and a definite rise up the table. Today could be the day they put one over on a team above them, but I am going for A DRAW here today!

19:00 Vissel Kobe vs Albirex Niigata – Home’s Stadium
Nishino’s Kobe to Get Another Three Points!
Vissel – FWs Tashiro and Mogi out. MF Hashimoto still doubtful.
Albirex – DF Kim is suspended. MF Uchida is out for the season.
Just two wins for Vissel in 17 meetings between these two teams since 2003. 11 wins for Albirex and four draws.
Vissel Kobe upset Jubilo Iwata away last weekend and looked good for their win – with 19-year-old Keijiro Ogawa scoring his first ever hat trick in the process. New coach Nishino is still learning the strengths of his team but looks as if he will use national team player Inoha in his favoured position of centre back, which will leave him looking for a key player to fill in at defensive midfield. So far Oya is looking like he could be that player. Young, a bright future, and, along with Ogawa, Okui, Morioka and others playing regularly the Nishino dynasty is underway! Albirex should not put up too much of a fight and Vissel will be disappointed if they do not win this one, which will add to their confidence in the coming weeks.
Albirex Niigata (P14 W3 D3 L8 GD -11) have won just three games last season, but one of those was last week against Shimizu S-Pulse and they will nave gained a new found confidence under new coach Yanagishita, after winning for him in his first game. but they have not displayed much for any opponents to be too concerned about so far this season and I expect a WIN for VISSEL KOBE!