Tag Archives: Kawasaki Frontale

In the Mix, Previews

J1 Preview Nov.7th 19.00 – Kawasaki Frontale vs Urawa Reds at Todoroki

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Team News
Kawasaki Frontale – MF Ohshima and FW Kazama will miss the game on Japan U-19 duty. DF Morishita back in training but not expected to play yet.
Urawa Reds – MF Yajima will miss the game on Japan U-19 duty. DF Hirakawa doubtful, DF Mizuta out. MF Naoki Yamada in training but not yet fit after 6 months out.

Head to Head – 9 wins for Reds, just 4 for Frontale and 5 draws since 2005. Frontale have not won this game since 2009.

Match Preview – Urawa Reds must win this with S-Pulse on their heels for that 3rd ACL spot, while Kawasaki Frontale are also in a must-win situation, for fear of being dragged deeper into the relegation dogfight. Reds still lack a goalscorer, Genki Haraguchi has proved he is not that player, while Despotovic has not featured this season and must soon be on his way! Rumours of Reds approaching Davi of Kofu and Koroki of Antlers have surfaced this week, but any incoming player will be too late for this season.

Frontale are far from safe and another defeat will have their fans biting their nails for 2 or 3 more games yet, especially if Ardija, Gamba and Vissel get the right results. Surely not all of them will win, but I think this is a defeat for Frontale. Certainly, even 2 or 3 wins in their final games should not hide the fact that coach Kazama has problems somewhere – if he finds them, maybe a better season next year! EXPECT a WIN for URAWA REDS!

Previews

J1 Preview – Sat. October 27th – 19:00 Vissel Kobe v. Kawasaki Frontale at Home's Stadium

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Team News – Vissel Kobe – DF Lee is suspended. DF Iwanami will miss the game on Japan U-19 duty.
Kawasaki Frontale – MF Ohshima and FW Kazama will miss the game on Japan U-19 duty.

Head to Head – Five wins for Vissel, six for Frontale and two draws in 13 J1 games since 2005.

Match Preview – Vissel Kobe halted a losing run with two draws in their last two outings but have dropped into relegation danger, finding themselves just three points from Gamba osaka in the 3rd relegation spot of 16th. They’Ve had some bad luck with injuries, and suspensions have not helped, but a decent group of young players need to keep hold of that J1 place in order for coach Akira Nishino to be able to build a new dynasty, as he did with Gamba osaka a decade ago. Whether the likes of Ogawa and Morioka are a match for the young Endo and Hashimoto, that Nishino had at Gamba, is another matter, but they deserve a chance, and to do that they need to win this!

Kawasaki Frontale may sit in 12th position but two fortunate wins in their last five games put them in a false position and it is only four points above Vissel… 39 points is usually enough to consider a J1 position safe but anything can happen and, with the form of the teams below them, combined with a defeat here today, they MAY find themselves scrambling for point on the final day – stranger things have happened. They changed their team manager after a few weeks of the season and they may well need to be doing that again before 2013! They are inconsistent, wasteful in front of goal, and deserve little from this season. EXPECT a WIN for VISSEL KOBE!

In the Mix, Reports

J1 Matchday 29 Round-Up

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Vegalta Sendai 3-2 Urawa Reds
Yokohama F Marinos 4-0 Jubilo Iwata
Omiya Ardija 1-1 Albirex Niigata
Kawasaki Frontale 2-3 Gamba Osaka
Shimizu S-Pulse 1-1 Vissel Kobe
Sagan Tosu 1-3 Nagoya Grampus
Consadole Sapporo 0-0 Kashima Antlers
Cerezo Osaka 1-1 FC Tokyo
Sanfrecce Hiroshima 1-2 Kashiwa Reysol

Table, as always, at http://www.jsoccer.com/tables/

It gets ever-more tight in J1 after this weekend’s results after Sanfrecce Hiroshima – sitting atop the league with a five point lead two games back – losing, at home to Kashiwa Reysol, and finding they are now on top on goal difference alone. Meanwhile 2nd placed Vegalta Sendai took out 3rd placed Urawa Reds (3-2) to, realistically make the race for the Championship a two horse race now but, as we all know in J.League, anything can still happen! Shimizu S-Pulse fans will be hoping, no perhaps that should be dreaming that the unexpected CAN occur as they close in on Urawa Reds, albeit with a home draw (1-1) against Vissel Kobe. With a win, S-Pulse might still be dreaming of a final run that brings them the title, but now, they probably have to settle for stealing that 3rd spot off Reds?! BUt, Kashiwa Reysol’s win over the top team meant that they sneaked into 4th spot and are also ready to attack Reds’ position.

Moving on down J1, Nagoya battered Sagan’s usually impregnable home fortress and took all three points (1-3) tp push them down into 9th spot, while Jubilo were indeed battered by Yokohama F.Marinos in a 4-0 win that could well have been 6 or 8-0 from many accounts. Marinos (7th) moved above Iwata (8th) with that win, albeit by just one point, and having equal goal difference.

The mid-table match-up – and mid-table is a compliment / testament to Cerezo, after their season! – ended 1-1, points shared and those teams are in 10th (Tokyo) and 11th (Cerezo) position. Moving into the relegation dogfight, Cerezo on 39 points couldn’t possibly go down now (could they!?) and sitting on the same points total are Kawasaki Frontale, who were beaten at home in a see-saw 3-2 defeat by Gamba Osaka, who have now scored 58 goals (four more than top dogs Sanfrecce!) but have a goal difference of +1! The win was vital for Gamba, as it pulled them to within one point of safety as Omiya Ardija and Albirex Niigata fought out a 1-1 draw. Omiya remain one spot (and one point) above Gamba, but have a 15 goal deficit in the goal difference category, compared to the Osaka team! Could be very important on that final day!

To round off the matches, Kashima Antlers, after “winning” an away point in a scoreless draw in Sapporo, are still not mathematically safe, having 38 points to their name, while that away point at an in-form S-Pulse was vital for Vissel, who sit in 14th position, just one, two and three points clear of Ardija, Gamba and Albirex respectively. It looks as if J1 will be going down to the final day at the top AND the bottom?!

In the Mix, Previews

Matchday 29 – JSoccer Magazine Previews J1 Saturday October 20th

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13:00 Vegalta Sendai vs. Urawa Reds at Yurtec.S – Reds to Kill Off Sendai Title Hopes?

Urawa Reds need a win to match the 51 points of Vegalta Sendai – a loss and they go six points back with just five games to go. They’d probably have to give up on their championship hopes so need at least a draw, but preferably a win. Sanfrecce will probably be hoping for a draw or, perhaps a Reds win.

On Sendai’s side, a win will give them 54 points, which is what Sanfrecce sit on now – it’s tight at the top and points will be at a premium in the coming month. Reds have lost two of their last three, while Vegalta have lost two of their last four … both teams need some consistency to finish the season to overtake Sanfrecce. Something’s gotta give in this match, and I think that will be Vegalta.

Reds need a goalscorer, instead of relying on last-gasp goals from Popo, but they’ll do enough in this match – EXPECT a WIN for URAWA REDS!

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14:00 Yokohama F.Marinos vs. Jubilo Iwata at Nissan.S – Bore Draw in Order Today?

One of the best defences in J1 at home, entertaining one of the best attacks in the league? Or alternatively, Marinos don’t score too many, while Jubilo have conceded quite a few. Anything could happen! Since their extended unbeaten run came to and end Marinos have gone downhill, boring even their own fans. They’ve won one in their last five and are in No-Man’s land on 40 points.

Having said that, Jubilo are only two points ahead, but four spaces up and were stung by S-Pulse in the Shizuoka Derby last time out. They will be missing international forward Maeda to injury and may struggle to break down this stubborn Marinos defence. Nothing less than a win for either team would be enough to keep them in touch with that 3rd spot and an ACL place in 2013. But I feel this will be a DRAW! Not enough for either team!

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15:00 Omiya Ardija vs. Albirex Niigata at NACK5.S – A Point Each for Relegation Battlers?

This match really is the proverbial relegation dogfight six-pointer. While Albirex have scored only 22 goals (five of them in that one wild game against Grampus), Ardija have just 28, we shouldn’t expect a goalfest! Added to that Albirex have conceded only one more goal than leaders Sanfrecce, BUT have lost their ‘keeper Higashiguchi for the season, and much longer.

Omiya Ardija have been close to relegation over and over, that experience MAY come in useful. They have won two and drawn three of their last five games – an unbeaten run that has seen them move out of the bottom three, just. Albirex have also turned it around with three draws and a win in their last four… it looks very much to me like a DRAW today!

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15:00 Kawasaki Frontale vs. Gamba Osaka at Todoroki – Gamba to Earn Vital Win!
Gamba Osaka will feel hard done by after their loss at Sendai last league match and find themselves three points adrift of safety with the two teams above them playing each other. Gamba are the highest scorers in J1 but also have the second-worst defence in the division, but Kawasaki Frontale are not the best team to take advantage of that.

While Frontale managed to win two out of their last three to hit 39 points and be very close to safety. They lost on a single goal to Reysol last time out and, while their injury woes have cleared up, their teamwork has not really gelled all season … coach Kazama may be looking for a new job next season even if he racks up a few wins before the end of the season.

The desperation of Gamba Osaka will trump the average season that Frontale are having and, presuming that talisman Leandro is fit and raring to go, expect a VITAL WIN for GAMBA OSAKA!

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15:00 Shimizu S-Pulse vs. Vissel Kobe at OUTSOURCING.S – S-Pulse Hangover? Or Extended Run of Success?

Shimizu S-Pulse beat off FC Tokyo for a place in the Nabisco Cup Final last weekend and will either be on a high ready to add to their three wins in-a-row, including that semi-final OR they’ll be hungover from the celebrations and succumb to a Vissel Kobe that REALLY needs the points! Will they build on that today?

Vissel Kobe have been hit by centre back problems, with Kitamoto suspended and Inoha returning from national team duty to report he is three weeks out of the game. They also have Tashiro in and out of the treatment room up front, and Okubo confirmed as missing at least two weeks. It’s time for a big game from Tokura, and Vissel have to pray that the error-prone Takagi is on form if he is selected as a cover centre back today.

Both teams have been rebuilding and, with some luck it could have been Vissel in that top six spot but, instead, they find themselves fighting relegation and need the win. Do they need it more than S-Pulse? EXPECT a DRAW! Shared spoils.

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15:00 Sagan Tosu vs. Nagoya Grampus at Saga – Sagan Home Form to Return!

Just a single point separates these teams in 7th and 8th places and Sagan’s home fortress has been breached recently, although they have still conceded only 30 goals in their maiden J1 season so far and have out-paced all the critics’ expectations, but are fading now as the season draws to a close. Cerezo Osaka took them out last game and they will want to show their home fans that they have not given up on their season yet.

Even though they have only scored four goals in the last five games, two of those were wins… they have lost two of their last three, though, including that confidence-killing 5-0 defeat from Albirex Niigata. Three or four wins in their final month could give them an air of respectability, while three or four losses would see them in the bottom half… what do they have left in them? They will miss Josh Kennedy if he continues to suffer from those back injuries but Tamada, Nagai et al should take on the goalscoring and creating among themselves.

EXPECT a WIN for SAGAN TOSU!

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16:00 Consadole Sapporo vs. Kashima Antlers at Atsubetsu – Surely Sapporo Can’t Win Two In-a-Row!

Last time out in J1 everyone had Consadole Sapporo down for a thrashing at the hands of Urawa Reds, but the surprise of the day, week, month (season?) saw Reds capitulate to the already-relegated team – at home! Once the “relief” of knowing their destiny sweeps over a doomed team, perhaps a change takes place! Could they win another? They’d have to go against history, having never even gained a point against today(s opponents in the past, but nothing is impossible, is it!?

Kashima Antlers made short work of Reysol last week in their Nabisco Cup semi-final and thrashed FC Tokyo 5-1 in their last league match, their up and down season will be on an up this time out and they’ll be hoping to continue their run with a win against Consadole. Osako got back among the goals recently and, with Maeda injured and Havenaar not having the best games in the national team jersey, perhaps Osaka will feel the chance to attract the eye of national team coach Alberto Zaccheroni over the next month or so – it’s now or never, Osako! EXPECT a WIN for KASHIMA ANTLERS!

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18:00 Cerezo Osaka vs. FC Tokyo at KINCHO.S – Cerezo to Continue Rise!

Cerezo Osaka are on the up – four wins in their last five games have taken them to the brink of safety. Re-hired coach Levir Culpi has almost completed his job and will be on his way in early December, leaving a space for a new coach – who that is, and whether Cerezo can hold on to their players for 2013 will decide the future of the team. They will give their all to get the win that will almost guarantee safety.

FC Tokyo have lost two of their last three and sit two points above Cerezo on the 40 points that probably does see them safe, but losing to Cerezo will dent the confidence indeed. Morishige is an influential player to lose on an away trip to a team in form and coach Popovic has not yet shown enough faith in Vucicevic to give him the start, but he looks more the apart than Edmilson – a stopgap at best? I EXPECT a WIN for CEREZO OSAKA!

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19:00 Sanfrecce Hiroshima vs. Kashiwa Reysol at Hiroshima.B – Sanfrecce to Consolidate Top Spot.

Sanfrecce Hiroshima are unbeaten in their last five and showing the form that should keep their head above water if it continues … with the two teams closest to them playing each other it is their chance to pull away from at least one of them, perhaps both – if there is a draw there! They are reporting no new injuries and have no suspensions and will be confident and ready to consolidate their place at the top. Losing this game will be a tragedy and they will NOT let that happen. Sato will be buoyed by his recognition of national team selection – although he didn’t play on the European tour – and will be on a high that his team will join.

Kashiwa Reysol have lost three of their last four – including a Nabisco Cup semi-final against Kashima Antlers and are missing Leandro Domingues and the reliable Sugai, they realistically have nothing left to play for? Six points out of 3rd place and playing the top team today, they can expect little chance of bouncing back from their cup defeat here today. With Sanfrecce knowing how much this game means I can’t see anything other than a WIN for SANFRECCE HIROSHIMA!

Follow Alan on Twitter @JSoccerMagazine

In the Mix, Previews

J1 Preview – Kashiwa Reysol vs Kawasaki Frontale at Kashiwa Stadium – Oct.6, Matchday 28

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Team News
Kashiwa Reysol – DF Masushima is suspended. MF Leandro Domingues is undergoing treatment and will need a fitness test.
Kawasaki Frontale – GK Nishibe, DF Morishita, MF Inamoto and FW Kobayashi all reporting as injured.

Head to Head – In 13 J1 or Nabisco Cup meetings since 2005 Frontale have 6 wins to Reysol’s 4, with 3 draws.

Match Preview – Kashiwa Reysol have won just one of their last five and now sit 9 points adrift of 3rd place, 14 off the top, and look to have blown their chances of even an ACL-qualifying finish this season. With Leandro Domingues doubtful, and the recent arrival of Brazilian forward Neto Baiano dividing fans (and the team?) they will find it hard to break out of their slump but, who better to do it against than a very average Kawasaki Frontale? A narrow win against bottom club Consadole and a fortunate win against FC Tokyo two games back mask the fact that this is a team in trouble. They are probably only one win from safety, perhaps only needed 5 or 6 points from their final 7 games to make sure of J1 status next season, but the can’t seem to relax. As I’ve noted before, coach Kazama’s tactics will be looked at very carefully come the end of the season and whether he will still have a job for 2013 remains to be seen. EXPECT a DULL DRAW here today!?

In the Mix, Previews

JSoccer Magazine J1 Preview Sept.22nd, Matchday 26 – 19:00 FC Tokyo vs Kawasaki Frontale at Ajinomoto Stadium

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FC Tokyo reporting FWs Edmilson still doubtful, FW Hirayama possibly fit but not match fit by a long way, DF Ota is back in training and a possible to return. DFs Hiramatsu and Jang are long term injuries, as are MFs Kawano and Otake.
Kawasaki Frontale – Both Tanaka and Igawa are suspended. GK NIshibe is out, as are DF Morishita, MF Inamoto and FW Kobayashi.

No draw in this meeting since 2008, all three meetings until then were draws, since then 5 wins for Tokyo, 6 for Kawasaki.

FC Tokyo have a long injury list and it began to take its toll last month, contributing to a bad run that the team have now come out of, with wins against Sanfrecce and Marinos, as well as a draw away at S-Pulse in their last three games. With Lucas on form, Ishikawa fit and new boy Vucacevic finding the net last week, Tokyo will be on a high and looking to continue their run.

Kawasaki Frontale went down 2-0 to Kashima last weekend but found their way back into the game but are suffering from a dire run, not having won a game since late July and fans will be calling for the head of coach Kazama if they can’t put a run together and pull away from the relegation zone. 8 points clear of the bottom three might seem relatively safe, but 2 points in the last five games does not bode well, and if that run continues, the team will find themselves looking for a good result on the final day!
EXPECT a WIN for FC TOKYO!

Previews

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

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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!

Previews

J1 Preview Aug.18th – 19:00 Yokohama F.Marinos vs Kawasaki Frontale at Nissan

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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!

Previews

PREVIEW – Nagoya Grampus v. Kawasaki Frontale – May 6th

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Frontale to Hold Grampus to more dropped points!

Nagoya Grampus – DF Hayuma Tanaka is suspended. Still no news coming out of the camp on fitness of FW Josh Kennedy so he must still be considered doubtful.

Kawasaki Frontale – DF Jeci out for at least another month. DF Komiyama expected to be out 4 to 6 weeks.

Nagoya Grampus (P8 W4 D2 L2 GD +3) had the J.league week off for ACL play, so have a game in hand on their rivals now, but lost last time out to Urawa Reds – at home – and only managed a draw with Sanfrecce before that, so will be looking to halt the slide. he has his knockers but the top scorer of 2010 and 2011 – Josh Kennedy – is obviously missed by Grampus and the team will be hoping he recovers from injury sooner rather than later!

Kawasaki Frontale (P9 W4 D1 L4 GD -2) made the coaching change early on, even though they had a decent start results-wise to the season. Coach Soma bit the dust as the style of play was not satisfying to the powers-that-be at Frontale and the new coach has certainly stamped his mark on the team already. leaving Brazilians on the bench, for example! Playing Inamoto at centre back may be a master stroke, only time will tell, but a 4-3 win over Jubilo in the last game will give his team some confidence, although they’ll be looking to concede less goals in the next game! The adrenalin of a new coach and that last win may carry Frontale to a point this weekend. Expect a Draw!

Frontale have nine wins, to Grampus’ four, with three draws over the years. Nagoya won both games last season.

In the Mix, Reports

J1 Round-Up, May 3rd, Matchday 9

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J1 Round-Up, May 3rd, Matchday 9

Here are the results:

Consadole Sapporo 1-0 Cerezo Osaka
Vissel Kobe 3-0 Omiya Ardija
Kawasaki Frontale 4-3 Jubilo Iwata
Sanfrecce Hiroshima 0-1 Albirex Niigata
Sagan Tosu 1-1 Vegalta Sendai
Urawa Reds 1-2 Yokohama F. Marinos
Shimizu S-Pulse 3-0 Kashima Antlers

JSoccer.COMment:
Cerezo proved once and for all how inconsistent they are by giving Cosadole Sapporo their first win of the season! Yusuke Kondo scored the winner in the 25th minute and Consadole hold on for the three points.

Vissel Kobe fired coach Wada, put Adachi in charge for a couple of games while they work out finances with Akira Nishino, travel arrangements with Stuart Baxter, or work up enough courage to approach Pep Guardiola! (I also suggested that Michael Laudrup be considered!). The new coach will be happy to know that Vissel played with freedom and confidence and destroyed Omiya Ardija with ease! Goals from Ogawa, lee and Mogi (his first touch) sealed the points for Vissel.

Frontale found their goalscoring touch under new coach Kazama, but almost let Jubilo back into the game late on. Jubilo are being found out after their start seemed better than they deserved? Yajima scored two for Frontale.

Sanfrecce gave Albirex their first win of the season, just when it seemed Sanfrecce would make a run at Sendai on top. Were Sanfrecce bad, or did Albirex finally come good? A bit of both, it seems!

Tosu held unbeaten Vegalta to a draw, just as predicted on this very site in the previews. Is that the beginning of the end for Sendai? Will S-Pulse take them out this weekend and send them on a downward spiral? Watch this space!

Reds gave Marinos an unexpected second win in-a-row on Thursday. Saito scored a lovely goal (does he ever score simple ones!!?), Makino matched his brilliance with one of his own to make it 1-1, but old soldier Marquinos came on as a late sub and confounded us all with the winner!

S-Pulse staked their claim to be title contenders with a 3-0 drubbing of resurgent Antlers. Ito popped one in at close range very early on, then Takagi scored a screamer, and Omae another well taken volley to round out the scoring and send the away team back to Kashima under a cloud.

Note that FC Tokyo v. Kashiwa Reysol and Gamba Osaka v. Nagoya Grampus – postponed die to ACL commitments – will be played on June 27