エスパルスが戻って来た！２節前に首位サンフレッチェを倒し、続くナビスコ杯では高木の土壇場の決勝弾により４-３の接戦で名古屋を制し、前節はリーグ戦でも名古屋を倒したエスパルスは、ブロスケ、大前、高木が得点者の中に名を連ねて、ようやく峠を越した感がある。アレックス・ブロスケと、ちびっこコンビの大前・高木が完全復調を果たすなら、エスパルスの前進は今後も止まりそうもない。
東京ヴェルディへの期限付き移籍でジミー・フランサが抜けた外国人枠を早々に埋めるべく、エスパルスはキム・ヒョンソンを期限付き移籍で獲得している。高原らの力をうまく引出し、大前や高木らをサポートする能力は脅威だ。
前半戦は、まずはＪ１での位置を確保することに着実に努めたサガン鳥栖は、現在、首位まで２試合差の６位。今日の試合を落とすと、エスパルスに並ばれてしまう。非常な混戦状態のＪ１だが、このままホームストレッチに向かうのか。ホームゲームにはもっぱら強いサガンだが、目下快調のエスパルスとのこの試合、清水エスパルスの勝利だろう。
Sagan Tosu – MF Okamoto is suspended. DF Kitani out for at least another month.
Shimizu S-Pulse – FW Franca has moved on loan to Verdy allowing the signing of FW Kim Hyun-Sung on loan. DF/MF Muramatsu is back from the Olympics.
Only one previous meeting between these two teams, the 1-1 draw earlier this season.
Shimizu S-Pulse are BACK! After beating top team Sanfrecce two games back, they took out Nagoya in the Nabisco Cup in a 4-3 thriller that saw them go thought on away goals on a last gasp Takagi winner. Then they proceeded to beat Nagoya in the league, also, last weekend and upped their goals total with Brosque, Omae and Takagi all getting in among the goals again – have S-Pulse turned the corner? Certainly, if the diminutive front pair of Omae and Takagi can continue their revival, with the likes of Alex Brosque in support S-Pulse will continue their rise up J1.
Jymmy Franca has been released to Tokyo Verdy on loan, freeing up a foreigner spot and S-Pulse have not delayed, bringing in FW Kim Hyun-Sung on loan until the end of the season. He’s a big man to push the likes of Takahara to bigger things or to supplement the likes of Omae and Takagi.
Sagan Tosu have quietly gone about their business of consolidating their place in j1 in their first ever season in the top flight and currently sit in 6th spot, just two wins off the top. A loss today would bring S-Pulse level with them, such is the close nature of the J1 table this season as we go into the home stretch, but Tosu have an excellent home record and despite the critics predicting the bubble will burst sooner rather than later, they are still winning points and fans with their play.
They have won three of their last four – beating Kashima, Kawasaki and Tokyo – all teams in close proximity, thereby keeping themsleves above their opponents. It’s the same with this game – a win they pull away from S-Pulse, a loss, and they’re level.
While Sagan have an enviable home record I feel that the timely changes and the adrenalin of recent results will mean that we can EXPECT a WIN for SHIMIZU S-PULSE.
負傷者続発で苦しい戦力のジュビロだが、オリンピックから戻ったベク・ソンドンのチーム復帰は大きい。このジュビロ駆動の要はチームの機能を促進するはずだが、現在、最下位３チームを除けば最悪のディフェンス陣は改善が求められる。ここ５試合でわずか１勝の相手は、最下位の札幌。上位３チームに喰らいついて行くためには、この試合は必勝。
キム・ボギョン、清武の抜けた後、山口と扇原の帰国は好材料。このところ慣れない中盤での戦いが続いているが、その中で健闘する柿谷の存在は大きい。負傷者多数のジュビロ、主力選手復帰のセレッソ、この試合はセレッソに分！
Jubilo Iwata – GK Kawaguchi is out for the season. FW Kanazono is out for at least another two months. MF Matsuoka is out for the season. MF Yamamoto out for a month, DF Cho out for at least another two weeks. FW Han out for a month or so.
Cerezo Osaka – MFs Yamaguchi and Ogihara and FW Sugimoto have returned from Olympic duty.
7 wins for Jubilo, 6 for Cerezo and 2 draws since 2003 – all in J1, of course. Jubilo have never been relegated.
Jubilo are suffering from a long injury list and are starting to tire and drop points when they really would like to be winning games. Influential Korean MF/FW Baek will be back from the Olympics and I feel he is a key man in the machine at Jubilo and may help turn things around for them but they must tighten up their defence – outside the bottom three they have the worst defensive record in J1. Having said that they have scored almost two goals per game on average so expect goals one way or another! They have won just one of the last five, and that was against bottom club Sapporo, and, if they are to stay in touch with the top 3 this is a must win for them.
Cerezo Osaka have been hit from all sides this season and must be wondering what they have to do to keep a fixed team. With Yamaguchi and Ogihara at London 2012 and Kim and Kiyotake shipped out, they have been playing with an entirely new midfield for the last few games and it’s only due to some timely goals from Kakitani that they are not deeper in trouble. The player, who signed with Cerezo before he was ten years old, but then spent the best part of three seasons at Tokushima Vortis developing his game, returned just in time to help the team get over the losses of Kagawa and Inui, and then saw Ienaga, Kim and Kiyotake also leave the team. He is the man to watch, a rising star, but how long will Cerezo be able to hold onto him? Jubilo injuries and players returning to Cerezo will swing it towards a WIN for CEREZO OSAKA!
復調の兆しが見えるガンバ大阪のここ３試合は、１勝２分け。結果次第ではあるが、アルディージャとアルビレックスにもうひと踏ん張りの位置にいる。それだけに、勝ち点を積み重ねていくのみであることは、チーム共通の理解だ。一方の名古屋グランパスは、ここ２試合—Ｊ１とナビスコ杯—を７失点でエスパルスに連敗している。その前のヴィッセル戦では、闘莉王を前線に置く布陣で５-１の勝利を収めているが、今日その闘莉王は出場停止。玉田とケネディの出場がいまだ危ぶまれる中、オリンピック帰りの永井に期待したい。ただ、周囲の選手との連動で働く永井を誰がサポートするのか。敗戦せずにこのまま前進を続けて行きたいガンバは、最低でも引き分けが欲しい試合だが、この試合に関しては、ガンバ大阪の勝利を期待できる！
Nagoya Grampus – Tulio is suspended. FW Nagai is back from the Olympics., while FWs Kennedy and Tamada are both expected to be out but will be tested for fitness. MF Isomura out for at least a month more.
Gamba Osaka – RBs Kaji AND Eduardo both re-injured themselves and will be out. GK Kimura and DF Nakazawa are both out with broken legs. FW Kawanishi still regaining match fitness after a broken leg – not ready.
Very even over the last decade with 8 wins for Nagoya, 7 for Gamba, and 4 draws.
Gamba have won one and drawn two of their last three games – three games where a mini-revival has begun. They are now within a win of leap-frogging both Omiya Ardija and Albirex Niigata – depending on their results, of course – and KNOW they have to keep racking up the points to reach safety. Nagoya have conceded 7 goals to S-Pulse in their last two games – J1 and Nabisco Cup – and lost both. Before that, they beat Vissel 5-1 with four goals coming from Tulio. With Tulio suspended today, the team will be hoping that Kensuke Nagai – fresh from his Olympic performances – will be fit and ready to play, since Tamada and Kennedy are both still very doubtful. Nagai thrives on being set up by players around him – will Nagoya have anyone to partner him up front?
Gamba Osaka are missing a goalkeeper and at least three defenders through injury but it is the forward line that they will be concentrating on anyway, if they are to win games, they need goals. Leandro has returned, and is scoring goals and Gamba will be confident on their unbeaten run – this is a game that they MUST get at least a draw from, but they will be hoping for a win and I think we can EXPECT a WIN for GAMBA OSAKA!
Ｊ１首位の座が名実ともにふさわしいサンフレッチェ。
一方のアルビレックスは、ここ５試合で２勝も、Ｊ２陥落に向けての流れを押し戻せないでいる。ブルーノロペス、平井、矢野らの攻撃陣は、ただ点が取れないだけではなく、ゴール前での自信を喪失してしまったようだ。21試合わずか15得点は最下位の札幌のレベルだが、逆に失点は、ベガルタの20、サンフレッチェの23に続く25点と、守備陣は称賛に価する。
この試合、低得点ゲームになりそうだが、勝つのはサンフレッチェ広島！
Albirex Niigata – DF Suzuki returns from the Olympics. DF Uchida out for the season. FW Musashi Suzuki out for three months.
Sanfrecce Hiroshima – MF Hwang is back from Korea’s Olympic outing.
10 wins for Sanfrecce, 5 for Albirex, and 7 draws since 2003, that season being in J2 before both teams entered J1.
Sanfrecce are top of J1, and well-deserving of the position. But the last time they made the summit they lost their next game. if they are to win J1 they need to kill off opponents and beat the pressure that they feel. Albirex Niigata are slowly sliding into J2, even though they have won 2 of their last 5 games. FC Tokyo and Consadole Sapporo were their victims, but I can’t see them adding Sanfrecce’s scalp to that list. The likes of Bruno Lopes, HIrai and Yano are just not scoring goals, or looking confident in front of goal – just 15 goals in 21 games says it all. That’s level with Sapporo’s goalscoring record. Having noted their forwards’ lack of goals, the Albirex defence should be commended for only conceding 25 goals – almost comparable to teams like Vegalta (20) or Sanfrecce themselves (23), but those teams score goals also.
This may be low-scoring but EXPECT a WIN for SANFECCE HIROSHIMA!
首位を勝ち点６の差で追う好調Ｆマリノスに対し、ここ５試合を１勝２敗２分けと、好不調の波が激しい川崎フロンターレのダービーマッチ。前半戦、１試合あたりの得点が１点以下と、決定力のないマリノスとしては、オリンピックから戻った齋藤、そしてマルキーニョス、小野、大黒らが点を量産したいところ。
一時は上位６チームに名を連ねてシーズンを終えることも可能に思われたフロンターレだったが、この試合を落とすようでは、10位以下に順位を下げることも考えられる。サポーターには気の毒だが、この試合、横浜Ｆマリノスの勝利！
Yokohama F.Marinos – MF Saito is back from the Olympics. DF Amano is out for the season.
Kawasaki Frontale – GK Ando is back from the Olympics. DF Morishita will be out for at least two months. MF Rene Santos out for a month or so.
10 wins for Frontale, 7 for Marinos, with 4 draws since 2005, all in J1 or the Nabsico Cup.
Yokohama F.Marinos are on a terrific run, after a terrible start and are just six points off the top, while Kawasaki Frontale are winning the most inconsistent team award recently with a win, two draws and two defeats in their last five. Marinos will welcome back Saito from the Olympics and will be hoping that he, along with Marquinhos, Ono and Oguro can continue scoring goals after seeing an average of less than a goal a game in the first half of this season.
Kawasaki Frontale opened the season with decent results, but the points were at odds with the performance of the team and the powers-that-be at the club removed coach Soma and installed Yahiro Kazama and the team prospered. But the last 6 or 7 games have seen an inconsistency that has cut their chances of a top 6 finish. Less than a win here could even see them drop out of the top ten. The fans will not be happy but EXPECT a WIN for YOKOHAMA F.MARINOS!