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!