Emperor's Cup 4th Round matches – Last 16 draw
Gamba Osaka v Machida Zelvia (73)
Cerezo Osaka v Shimizu S-Pulse (74)
JEF United Chiba v Fukushima United (75)
Kashima Antlers v Jubilo Iwata (76)
Urawa Reds v Yokohama F.Marinos (77)
Nagoya Grampus v Roasso Kumamoto (78)
Omiya Ardija v Kawasaki Frontale (79)
Kashiwa Reysol v Yokogawa Musashino (80)
Winner of 73 to play winner of 74 in quarter finals (Osaka Derby coming there? More likely S-PUlse will pull though, though?).
Winners of 75 and 76 meet, 77 and 78, 79 and 80…. those quarter finals will be held on December 23rd.
The semi-final takes place December 29th, with the final, as always, on New Year’s Day.
In the opinion of JSoccer Magazine, it is great to have some kind of drawing to decide the teams – adds excitement and unpredictability — the magic of the cup! Now just make it a draw right from the start 
Kashiwa Reysol 2-2 Gamba Osaka highlights (English "commentary")
Results 0 Matchday 31 – Shimizu S-Pulse 0-1 Albirex Niigata highlights, Japanese interviews
Wednesday night, Nov. 7 results – –
Reysol 2-2 Gamba
S-Pulse 0-1 Albirex
Sanfrecce 3-0 Consadole
Vegalta 1-1 Cerezo
Frontale 4-2 Reds
Ardija 0-0 Antlers
Vissel 1-2 Marinos
Nagoya 1-0 FC Tokyo
Tosu 3-2 Iwata
Updated table at: http://www.jsoccer.com/tables/
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Thanks for your support of JSoccer Magazine!
Mai Yamagishi of NHK – a highlight for her, no doubt!
J1 Preview Nov.7th 19.00 – Shimizu S-Pulse vs Albirex Niigata at Outsourcing
Team News
Shimizu S-Pulse – FW Kim is suspended. No reported injuries but FW Omae and DF Jong-a-Pin not 100%.
Albirex Niigata – DF Kawaguchi will miss the game on Japan U-19 duty. MF Uchida is out long term.
Head to Head – 9 wins for Albirex, 8 for S-Pulse and 5 draws over 22 matches since 2004.
Match Preview – It seems many games in these final weeks will be must-win for one team or the other, none more so that Albirex Niigata in this battle of the orange! A loss for Niigata will see them fall further back in the race for safety, but they will find it hard against a team smarting from a Nabisco Cup Final defeat! Albirex are also without their ace keeper Higashiguchi, who has been the lynchpin of an excellent defensive record this season (if only they could score goals, too!).
As noted, Shimizu S-Pulse will want to bounce back from their cup final defeat and home advantage will only help them regain confidence. The team was an average age of just 23 in the Nabsico Cup Final, but the experience will only help them grow. They know that an ACL place is up for grabs and they are on form. They may even feel, if results go their way, a 2nd place or even the Champinship is still within reach. They won’t let that chance go. The fitness of Calvin Jong-a-Pin may be an issue, but they have the players to get around that if he doesn’t make it. They are starting games with many youngsters, but the experience they are gaining can only be good (average age of starting XI in the Nabisco Cup FInal was exactly 23!). EXPECT a WIN for SHIMIZU S-PULSE!
J1 Preview Nov.7th 19.00 – Kawasaki Frontale vs Urawa Reds at Todoroki
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!
J1 Preview Nov.7th 19.00 – Kashiwa Reysol vs Gamba Osaka at Kashiwa
Team News
Kashiwa Reysol – DF Kondo still out injured. MF Mizuno out for a month. DF Yamanaka will miss the game on Japan U-19 duty.
Gamba Osaka – Kaji rejoined the injury list. FW Sato is out until next season. DF Nakazawa, GK Kimura both out with broken legs. FW Kawanishi back in contention for a place after being out all season.
Head to Head – Just one draw in 17 meetings between these two teams since 2003! 10 wins for Gamba, 6 for Reysol. Kashiwa have won the last three matches!
Match Preview – While Kashiwa Reysol harbour slim hopes of an ACL-qualifying 3rd place finish, they have had to do without talismanic 2011 J1 MVP Leandro Domingues. Say what you like about the Brazilian, he pulls this team up from avaerage when he plays. Whether he returns for this game may be the key to whather Reysol get anything from a team that will give its all. They seem too reliant on their two decent Brazilians! Their third Brazilian Neto Baiano should not be relied on for anything!
Gamba Osaka know that a defeat could well seal their fate, as they may find themselves 5 or 6 points adrift of safety with just three games to play after today. Sure they are top scorers in J1, but their defence is the second-worst after Consadole Sapporo and that is what has let them down this season. Whether J1 or J2 next season, a rebuilding must begin, starting with a goalkeeper – they were unfortunate that the keeper promoted to the 1st XI this season broke a leg just weeks into the season and hit them hard, but this aging team need leadership and, if it wasn’t for Leandro, they’d already be relegated. EXPECT a WIN for GAMBA OSAKA, especially if Leandro is in for them, and Reysol’s Leandro is out!
J1 Preview Nov.7th 19.00 – Omiya Ardija vs Kashima Antlers at NACK 5
Team News
Omiya Ardija – DF Murakami is out long term.
Kashima Antlers – DF Yamamura is a long-term injury victim. MF Renato is ready to return from injury.
Head to Head – In 16 matches between these two teams since 2003, Ardija have won only once, with 4 draws occurring. 11 wins for Antlers.
Match Preview – Kashima Antlers come into the game still in relegation trouble, but wih the boost of a Nabisco Cup Final win at the weekend. Will they be on a roll, or will they be hungover? Their Nabisco win was not emphatic, by far, a penalty kick and a counter attack won the game for them on a very defensive display. Perhaps a similar approach will get them a point, or three, and secure their J1 place for 2013? Osako and Koroki are off form, but Dutra is creating space and chances, and their midfield gets the goals. And will again.
Omiya Ardija are the in-form team and a win today will see them quite probably safe from relegation and pull Antlers into that fight. It is a real six-pointer. They may be disillusioned by quotes from Novokovic in the German press this week that emphasised him saying he looks forward to returning to the Bundesliga in January. Possible out-of-context, and possibly not missed in the end, but the timing was not good. EXPECT a DRAW!