Tag Archives: football

Previews

J1 Preview – Sat. Sept.15th – 19:00 Sanfrecce Hiroshima vs Vegalta Sendai at Hiroshima Big Arch

Leave a comment

Sanfrecce Hiroshima – MF Mikic is out, along with MF Nakajima. MF Yamagishi may be ready to return from injury.
Vegalta Sendai – FW Muto is injured, DF Harada is doubtful

In 2008 J2, then J1 since 2010 there have been 9 meetings between the teams, 2 wins for Vegalta, 1 for Sanfrecce and SIX draws!

This is the epitome of the six-pointer at the top of the league … these two teams have switched places at the top for the last few weeks and have almost identical scoring, conceding and goal difference records, so a win for either will really create a gap that neither can afford the other to have. Vegalta sit a point clear right now, having won their last two matches, while Sanfrecce only managed a win and a draw. Sanfrecce, it should also be noted, lost in the Emperor’s Cup last week, so will be looking to make amends / concentrate on the league and will have their home fans to pacify after last weekend’s pathetic loss. While they will be missing influential midfielder Mikic and Nakajima from the middle, they have the squad to cover and will be giving their all.

Vegalta Sendai narrowly overcame neighbours Sony Sendai in the Cup last week and have no major injuries to worry about and have won two and drawn one since their shock defeat to Consadole Sapporo last month. Their bubble burst in the run-in last season and they eventually fell out of the ACL places, will that experience see them in good stead for this year, or will the run come to an end soon? I can’t see them keeping it going for much longer but I think they will be motivated enough to deny Sanfrecce a victory here, doing enough to allow Urawa Reds to keep in touch with both of these teams.
EXPECT a DRAW!

Previews

J1 Preview – Sat. Sept.15th – 19:00 Shimizu S-Pulse vs FC Tokyo at Nihondaira

Leave a comment

Shimizu S-Pulse – DF Yoshida out, FW Takagi very doubtful with hamstring injury.
FC Tokyo – MF Hasegawa is suspended. The injury list includes DFs Ota, Jang and Hiramatsu, MFs Otake and Kawano, and FW Edmilson. FW Hirayama must also be considered doubtful.

11 wins for Tokyo, 7 for S-Pulse and 7 draws over the last decade.

Sandwiched between two legs of a Nabisco Cup semi-final, S-Pulse take on FC Tokyo having won the away game earlier in the season – their first win in ten against the capital club. S-Pulse are on a revival, after a dry spell mid-season and will want to continue their climb up the table in order to have a run at the top three, or even the top spot, so can not afford to drop points now, especially at home. They will also be looking to psychologically kill off their opponents before their return for that semi-final 2nd leg and the fans will be looking for any opportunity to barrack Tokyo’s Maruyama – who won a penalty lick in that first leg with a spectacular dive. The probable loss of Takagi to a hamstring injury will mean that new signing Kim, and Sho Ito – if given the chance – will need to produce the goods.

FC Tokyo will, on the other hand, feel confident, having won that first leg last week, and have beaten Marinos and Sanfrecce in their last two J1 games. A barren period has come to an end – fans were even concerned about dropping into the relegation dogfight, but it seems that has passed now, and the team can concentrate on rising in J1 and looking to a Nabisco Cup Final. Injuries have beset the team all season and a consistent team selection has not been seen but the players that are fit, and selected, know what they have to do! They just might not do it in this game – especially with one eye on the Nabisco Cup?
EXPECT a WIN for SHIMIZU S-PULSE!

Previews

J1 Preview – Sat. Sept.15th – 19:00 Kashiwa Reysol vs Consadole Sapporo at Kashiwa

Leave a comment

Kashiwa Reysol – apart from three goalkeepers on the injury list, nothing else to report.
Consadole Sapporo – FW Tele is out, MF Ramon is doubtful. DF Kim is reported injured, adding to a long injury list.

6 wins for Reysol, 3 for Consadole and 2 draws – Sapporo’s last win was in 2008

Consadole Sapporo are all but mathematically down and the injuries keep mounting up, even new players they brought in in – Tele and Ramon – are suffering the jinx! Up against a high-scoring Kashiwa Reysol, at full strength the Consadole defence – having already conceded 61 goals in their 24 games – will find it hard to keep a clean sheet, and, once they go behind, they’ll lave even more space at the back for Kashiwa to exploit. The likes of Jorge Wagner and Leandro Domingues excel at finding space for their forwards to exploit and Sawa, Kudo and Tanaka all take chances regularly.

Hopefully, for Reysol fans, the acquisition of Neto Baiano will not upset the rhythm up front and / or cause a rift in the team who were scoring regularly already, without bringing in a player half way through the season?

There can be no other result today that A WIN for KASHIWA REYSOL!

Previews

J1 Preview – Sat. Sept.15th – 18:30 Omiya Ardija vs Sagan Tosu at Kumagaya

Leave a comment

Omiya Ardija – DF Kataoka is out for a month
Sagan Tosu – DF Kitani still out.

6 wins for Ardija, 1 for Tosu and 2 draws, all in J2 since 2003 except for this season’s 1-1 draw in Tosu.

Omiya Ardija find themselves in a must-win game today, and in the next ten, too! They managed to hold Urawa Reds in the Saitama Derby last week, even going down to ten men early on, but anything can happen in Derby matches… can they beat the mean defence of Sagan Tosu, especially as Sagan will be looking to get back on the winning track after losing out in a shock to Kamatamare Sanuki – at home – last week in the Emperor’s Cup.

Ardija are now showing a much worse goal difference than Albirex and Gamba, which may hurt them on the final day – they need to score more goals, concede less goals and, of course, rack up some points, fast, if they are to have any chance of continuing their run in the top division. I can not see this happening, certainly not against one of the meanest defences in the J.League and a team who were stung last week and will be looking to make amends.

Neither team has suspension or major injury problems, but Omiya are getting enough from their new players, while the great hope for this season, Cho, is struggling with consistency, also. Carlinhos seems to have settled in and Higashi is back from London 2012 firing on all cylinders – he scored the equaliser last week. But two players do not a team make!
EXPECT a WIN for SAGAN TOSU!

Previews

J1 Preview – Sat. Sept.15th – 18:00 Cerezo Osaka vs Nagoya Grampus at Nagai

Leave a comment

Cerezo Osaka – DF Sakemoto out for about two months.
Nagoya Grampus – FWs Kennedy and Tamada are back in action, although still to get more match fit! Reserve GK Takagi injured.

5 wins for Cerezo, 8 for Grampus and 5 draws in the last decade or so.

Cerezo have won their last two and are on a one-loss-in-five run and seem to be finally back at full strength after injuries and London 2012 Olympic duties decimated their team. They are five points clear of the drop zone and will be looking for 2 or 3 more wins in their final ten games to reach a safety plateau of around 38 points. Defender Sakemoto is their only injury and they will be looking to build on that decent run.

Nagoya Grampus have Nagai back from London 2012, Kennedy and Tamada back from injury and have won their last two, after two defeats before those games. They are still within reach of the top spot (7 points) or an ACL spot (4 points) and will be looking for a third win in-a-row to keep their hopes alive. If Kennedy is on form, he takes defenders out of the game and creates space for those around him, expect Nagai to take advantage of that, if the Cerezo defence allow it.
EXPECT a DRAW!

Previews

J1 Preview – Sat. Sept.15th – 19:00 Gamba Osaka vs Albirex Niigata at Banpaku

Leave a comment

Gamba Osaka – GK Kimura, DF Nakazawa and FW Kawanishi all out with broken legs. DFs Kaji and Eduardo out injured. FW Leandro is hopeful of returning from injury.
Albirex Niigata – MFs Uchida and Nakamura injured

7 wins for Gamba, 5 for Albirex, and 5 draws over the last decade, all in J1

Gamba have Leandro to thank for inspiring them to an unbeaten run that got them out of the bottom three and, sure enough, when he was out injured in the last league game Gamba went down to Sagan Tosu. This game is a real six pointer in the battle against relegation and Gamba will be hoping their Brazilian hot shot is fit. If so, expect goals – Gamba ARE the 2nd highest scorers in J1, even though they are in the lower reaches – and the points to go to Gamba.

The Gamba defence is still leaking goals, too, though, but the incoming loan of Iwashita seems to have settled them a little. Albirex are struggling to score goals but Gamba rarely keep a clean sheet, so perhaps we can expect a high scoring game? Albirex Niigata, though, are the lowest scorers in J1, having notched only 16 goals in 24 matches, and have lost three of the last four – surely the form of a team bound for J2?

EXPECT a WIN for GAMBA OSAKA!

Previews

J1 Preview – Sat. Sept.15th – 19:00 Kawasaki Frontale vs Kashima Antlers at Todoroki

Leave a comment

Kawasaki Frontale – DFs Saneto and Morishita out
Kashima Antlers – DF/MF Nakata is out for 2 months, DF/MF Yamamura is out for 3 months.

11 wins for Frontale, 7 for Antlers, and 3 draws over the last decade or so.

This probably should be classed as a must-win game for Kawasaki Frontale if they are not to be dragged down into the relegation fight. Last week’s narrow, uninspiring win over Vissel Kobe should have gone some way to seeing Kashima Antlers safe, although mathematically they are still in with a chance of being dragged down and will also be very grateful for a win…
Frontale fired coach Naoki Soma very early in the season, even though he had steered the team to a couple of wins. It was said his football was uninspiring, one wonders what the team management think of the current situation, and how much longer they will be patient if another win or two are not forthcoming?
I think the pressure will get to Frontale, but Antlers are not much better this season so EXPECT A DRAW!

In the Mix, Previews

J1 Preview Sat. Sept.15th – 19:00 Yokohama F. Marinos vs Urawa Reds at Nissan Stadium

Leave a comment

Yokohama F.Marinos only reporting long term injury victim Amano.
Urawa Reds – apart from MF Naoki Yamada who is out for the season, no other injuries reported this week.

Since 2003 we have seen 10 wins each, and five draws – even all the way!

Yokohama F.Marinos had a long run unbeaten and rose up the table before biting the dust against Cerezo Osaka away and then losing another up against FC Tokyo. The Marinos bubble burst and many fans are hoping it will mean that Manabu Saito will get more time on the field after returning from London 2012. Shunsuke Nakamura has not shown too much of his super skills this season, perhaps he should make way for Saito? Marinos have conceded only 26 goals this season BUT have scored only 30, with Marquinos, Ono and Oguro misfiring often.
Up against Urawa Reds, who will be looking for a win to make up for the disappointment of a draw in the Saitama Derby last time out, will be a tough ask for Marinos.

Reds seem to be gearing up for a tilt at the top in the final games and since the top two are playing each other this week, a win for Reds is imperative. They won’t let this opportunity pass will they?

EXPECT a WIN for URAWA REDS!

Previews

J1 Preview – Sept.15th -19:00 Vissel Kobe vs Jubilo Iwata at Kobe Universiade

Leave a comment

Vissel Kobe – DF Inoha is suspended. DF Hayashi is out for the season, MF Haneda is doubtful, but not in contention for selection anyway!?

Jubilo Iwata – MF Fujita is suspended. FW Kanazono still reported injured. GK Kawaguchi and MF Matsuoka out for the season. DFs Sakurauchi and Cho out. MFs Yamamoto, Baek and Rodrigo Souto all out injured.

8 wins for Jubilo, 7 for Vissel and 3 draws since 2003, Vissel winning both of the last two games 3-1, home and away!

Vissel Kobe lost narrowly, and probably deserved a draw, last time out at Kashima Antlers, and the team were probably disappointed with that. Then they lost in the Emperor’s Cup to lower league opposition, so plenty of players will have plenty to prove to their fans… another loss will be very upsetting for the Vissel faithful. The team are “only” nine points away from a 3rd place spot right now. ON the other hand they are also nine points away from a relegation spot – very middling. They will be looking to put on a final spurt in the last ten games with a view to finishing in the top 6. A tough call, but not impossible, they can then build on that in 2013 and become a championship-challenging team – or that is what the plan is! The likes of Ogawa and Morioka must mature together with the experience of Okubo and Kitamoto, blending together to make a real team. These are games that they must win if they are to gain the confidence to move up the table.

Jubilo Iwata remain in touch with the leaders, having held Sanfrecce Hiroshima to a draw last time out, and beating Kashiwa Reysol and Cerezo Osaka before that. Jubilo may be the top scorers in J1 this season, but they have conceded a lot, too – in fact one more goal than Vissel Kobe up to this game. Let’s go for a HIGH-SCORING DRAW!!

Previews

J1 Preview Aug.25th – 19:00 Sanfrecce Hiroshima vs FC Tokyo at Hiroshima Big Arch

Leave a comment

FC Tokyo – MF Otake out for the season, DFs Ota, Jang and Hiramatsu out for a few more weeks each, no news on FW Hirayama from the club, MF Hanyu may be set to return but needs match fitness.

Head to Head – 7 wins for Sanfrecce, just one for FC Tokyo and 5 draws since 2004, all in J1.

Sanfrecce Hiroshima sit atop the J.League four points clear of Vegalta Sendai, after the clubs around them all dropped points recently. Having said that, Sanfrecce themselves lost at home to S-Pulse when they topped the division two weeks ago so anything can happen with the “Curse of the Top Team” in J1! But FC Tokyo are seriously tiring and showing dire form right now, with fans seriously worried about them dropping into the relegation battle after such a good start to the season. A win for FC Tokyo here would settle the team, go some way to rebuilding shattered confidence and pull them away from a potential nail-biting final two months. But Tokyo are beset with injuries and inconsistencies and I can’t see them taking out a Sanfrecce riding high at the top, especially if Hisashi Sato – J1 top scorer – is allowed time in front of goal.
With five or six teams poised to challenge, if a decent run can be ut together, the fate of Sanfrecce’s Championship aim is in their own hands now and I can not see them losing today.
EXPECT a WIN for SANFRECCE HIROSHIMA!