Sanfrecce Hiroshima – MF Hwang is with Korea’s Olympic team. MF Yamagishi considered doubtful.
Shimizu S-Pulse – GK Hayashi and MF Muramatsu are with the Olympic team.

Seven wins for S-Pulse, five for Sanfrecce and seven draws.

Sanfrecce Hiroshima are sitting atop the J.League with one of the best defences in J1, and scoring a plenty. Having said that they have won only two of their last five games and are only on top because the teams around them have had slightly worse runs over the last month. It IS a negative way of looking at it, but it will ensure that the top of the table will remain close until the end of the season, in my opinion, while teams like Shimizu S-Pulse and Vissel Kobe – neither of who are even in the top ten right now – could still put a run together and be challenging for the top within 5 or 6 games given a good run. Hisashi Sato is in fine form up front for Sanfrecce, while goals are coming from all over the field, also. If they are to remain top now, they need to win the games that are being drawn.

S-Pulse, on the other hand need to score goals – that’s all! They have put on some good displays and, honestly, if you take out blips in the games against Marinos (last week) and Reysol, in their other 17 games they have conceded only 14 gaols, yet they sit way down in 13th position. The problem is they have not scored goals – an average of one per game is not good enough, but a few goals, a decent run and they’ll find themselves pushing for the top again. This is a game they must win if they are to prove to themselves and their fans that they can be a force this season. It’s just five points to 5th place, and today there are three of those points up for grabs! The likes of Brosque, Omae, Takagi and Takahara DO have goals in them – I think we’ll see some today!
EXPECT a WIN for SHIMIZU S-PULSE!