Sanfrecce Hiroshima – MF Hwang is with Korea’s Olympic team. MF Yamagishi considered doubtful.
Shimizu S-Pulse – GK Hayashi and MF Muramatsu are with the Olympic team.

Seven wins for S-Pulse, five for Sanfrecce and seven draws.

Sanfrecce Hiroshima are sitting atop the J.League with one of the best defences in J1, and scoring a plenty. Having said that they have won only two of their last five games and are only on top because the teams around them have had slightly worse runs over the last month. It IS a negative way of looking at it, but it will ensure that the top of the table will remain close until the end of the season, in my opinion, while teams like Shimizu S-Pulse and Vissel Kobe – neither of who are even in the top ten right now – could still put a run together and be challenging for the top within 5 or 6 games given a good run. Hisashi Sato is in fine form up front for Sanfrecce, while goals are coming from all over the field, also. If they are to remain top now, they need to win the games that are being drawn.

S-Pulse, on the other hand need to score goals – that’s all! They have put on some good displays and, honestly, if you take out blips in the games against Marinos (last week) and Reysol, in their other 17 games they have conceded only 14 gaols, yet they sit way down in 13th position. The problem is they have not scored goals – an average of one per game is not good enough, but a few goals, a decent run and they’ll find themselves pushing for the top again. This is a game they must win if they are to prove to themselves and their fans that they can be a force this season. It’s just five points to 5th place, and today there are three of those points up for grabs! The likes of Brosque, Omae, Takagi and Takahara DO have goals in them – I think we’ll see some today!
EXPECT a WIN for SHIMIZU S-PULSE!

Cerezo Osaka – DF Fujimoto is suspended, MFs Yamaguchi and Ogihara are with Olympic team and MF B K Kim is with Korea’s Olympic team.FW Sugimoto has officially returned to the club from a loan period at Tokyo.

Five wins for Sapporo, three for Cerezo. All games were in J2 until this season’s Sapporo win.

Cerezo Osaka were, until last week anyway, the only team to allow Consadole Sapporo three points this season and, after an inconsistent start to the season are now becoming consistent. Consistently bad, that is! Without a win in their last five games and having trouble scoring, they are also losing players left, right and centre…. Kiyotake and Kim will both not be returning after the Olympics and, but for the recent goals of Kakitani they would be even lower than the 16th place that they see themselves in this week.

This game is a MUST win for the Osaka team but Consadole Sapporo – having beaten Nagoya Grampus last weekend – will have gained hope and confidence, while Cerezo are slumping big time. With Gamba Osaka on the horizon next week, a loss here will put enormous pressure on Cerezo but performing without their Olympic duo of defensive midfielders – Yamaguchi and Ogihara – will give Consadole even more hope. If Jade North and his Sapporo defenders can put on another decent display there is no reason why Consadole can’t do the double over Cerezo for this season.
EXPECT a WIN for CONSADOLE SAPPORO!

Gamba Osaka – GK Kimura and DF Nakazawa are both out with broken legs. DFs Kaji and Eduardo are long term injuries. MF Ienaga has signed on loan and will be available for this match, wearing no.41.
Omiya Ardija – MF Higashi is with the Olympic team. MF Murakami out for at least two months. FW Sakemoto is out for about one month. DF/MF Kikuchi is suspended.

Nine wins for Gamba, six for Ardija with no draws over 15 match-ups since 2005.

Gamba Osaka have given some excellent performances for an hour in so many games this season and then lost games or points to late goals. They SHOULD have won against the likes of Sagan Tosu, Urawa Reds, Nagoya Grampus and probably last week against Vissel Kobe, too. But it’s goals that count and the fact that they let in late goals, fail to win when playing well can not be good for confidence. This game is the proverbial six-pointer – a win will put them within three points of their opponents and level out the goal difference, and then next week Gamba take on Cerezo – these two games are must win for the team, or they are J2-bound. Leandro and the newly-returned Ienaga will be in the mood to win and could make the difference.

Omiya Ardija are missing Higashi with the Olympic squad and Cho – so good last season – has not been putting his game together after his move from Albirex. The fans will be hoping that Zlatan Ljubijankic, signed from Belgian side Gent, will be the answer to their prayers in front of goal, although he may not be ready to start this weekend? The team scraped an important 1-0 victory out of S-Pulse a few weeks back but otherwise are not pulling in many points. This game is a HUGE test of their credentials and a loss will see them dragged into the relegation battle.
EXPECT a WIN for GAMBA OSAKA!

Nagoya Grampus – FW Nagai is with the Olympic team. FWs Kennedy and Tamada both out. MF Isomura out for at least a month more. MF Danilson and FW Kanazaki also doubtful starters.

11 wins for Nagoya, five for Kobe, and three draws since 2003, Vissel’s last win coming in 2007, when they won 5-0 at home!
Nagoya Grampus are struggling with inconsistency caused by injuries all over the field, as well as the loss of Nagai to the Olympics. They are currently without their three first choice strikers, forcing the team to select Tulio at centre forward in the last two games. While he did score last time out, Nagoya went down to a shock defeat to bottom club Consadole and need to make improvements. Sitting in 8th place, they have won only one of their last five and have a positive goal difference of just one goal – if they intend to push for the top, or at least a top three place, things need to improve NOW! Tulio at centre forward is NOT the answer!

Vissel Kobe held Gamba Osaka last time out for only their 2nd draw of the season (they have drawn their last two games, actually) and looked good in places as coach Akira Nishino puts his attacking stamp onto his team. They have lost once in the last five, and that in a game where they were all over top team Vegalta Sendai but failed to score and let in a counter attack to go down 1-0. Things look promising as the team starts to gel and, although in 12th place they are just four points away from Jubulo in 4th, so a good run could see them rise up the table rapidly. The defence is growing in stature with national teamer Inoha in charge and teenager Ogawa up front is a handful for any defence.
EXPECT a WIN for VISSEL KOBE!

Jubilo Iwata – FW Yamazaki is with Japan’s Olympic team, FW Baek is with Korea’s Olympic team. 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. Incoming Jubilo have Kobayashi on loan from Tokyo Verdy, an interesting signing.
Kawasaki Frontale – GK Ando is with the Olympic team. DFs Jeci and Komiyama are considered over their injuries, but DF Morishita will be out for at least two months.

Eight wins apiece and a couple of draws over the last decade. Very even!

Jubilo Iwata have faltered, as predicted earlier in the season, over the last few games – they have lost three of their last five, but are still scoring high in goals and will always be dangerous. They have signed 20-year-old Yuki Kobayashi from Tokyo Verdy on loan – a big, and surprising loss for Verdy, but a nice surprise for the Jubilo fans, I think. He has been almost ever-present for Verdy in J2 and is expected to be able to make the step-up to J1 with ease. Missing players at the Olympics and through injury, he will be an excellent short term replacement but will also mix up the competition for places in the future, not a bad thing for a team faltering mid-season.

Kawasaki Frontale beat Omiya Ardija 4-1 last time out, with ease, but their previous four games saw two losses and two draws as their inconsistent season continues. Including that four goal haul last week they have still scored only 26 goals, conceding the same amount, also, leaving their goal difference at zero. They need to do something about that and perhaps letting go influential midfielder Tasaka (to Vfl Bochum) will not help the cause. The likes of forwards Yajima, Kurotsu and Komatsu need to start converting the chances supplied by Kengo Nakamura and co. if Frontale are to end the season anywhere but an average side. Today sees a side on the wane, with a side showing inconsistency – it’s anyone’s guess but let’s …

EXPECT A DRAW!

Albirex Niigata – DF Suzuki is with the Olympic team. DF Uchida out for the season. FW Suzuki out for three months. FW Michel is suspended.
Kashiwa Reysol – DF Fujita is expected to be out for at least another week.

Six wins for Reysol, three for Albirex and four draws with Niigata not winning since 2009.
Albirex Niigata have pulled up to 14th – all be it only one point from safety – on a two wins, two draws, four match unbeaten run, but have still scored only 12 goals all season. But they have a defence that is doing its job – they have conceded 20 goals less than Gamba Osaka, for example – so, continued strong defensive performances coupled with a few more goals will see their continued rise. But the likes of Yano and Hirai MUST score goals if this team is to survive.

Kashiwa Reysol have out together an incredible run after a bad start to the season and currently sit just four points off the top after a winning run that has only seen a recent home hiccup – a defeat by Nagoya Grampus three games back – in their race to the top three. The form of Kudo (a hat trick last week) and Sawa (hat trick against Gamba recently) is keeping recent national team selectee Junya Tanaka on the bench – not a bad thing to have depth in scoring. The division’s top scorers have 41 goals to their name. Expect more in this game, even against the tight defence of Albirex.

EXPECT a WIN for KASHIWA REYSOL!

Vegalta Sendai – DF Kakuda is out for at least a month.
Yokohama F.Marinos – MF Saito is with the Olympic team.

Just seven meetings over the years, with three wins for Sendai and two for Marinos, with two draws for good measure.
Vegalta Sendai have faltered – as predicted right here – over the last few weeks, with just four goals and one win in their last five games, while Yokohama F.Marinos finally found their goalscoring touch last time out with a 3-0 win over S-Pulse. Sendai have been fortunate with players hitting form at the right time, and covering the absence of other players through injury and Wilson – much-maligned earlier in the season – seems to have settled in to J1 life. Goals from him and Akamine must continue, with good support from the likes of Ota and Sekiguchi if Sendai are to stay in the hunt for the Championship.

Marinos have put a good run together after a terrible start and even, as noted, scored three goals last week. They have been lacking in the scoring department, but the defence has been strong. if the likes of Ono and Oguro can score goals, Marinos will hover in the lower reaches of the top ten now, and if Marquinhos can stay fit and play more goals will come from him also and they’ll make it hard even for the likes of Sendai. A key player for the rest of the season will be young forward Yuji Ono – if he stays fit, and not suspended – he has a tendency to lose his head – his consistency and goals will be the difference between top half and top 6.
EXPECT a DRAW!.

Urawa Reds – MF Naoki Yamada is out for the season. MF Kashiwagi is suspended.
FC Tokyo – GK Gonda, DF/MF Tokunaga and MF Yonemoto are all with the Olympic team. MF Otake is out for the season. DF Jang out for three months. MF Hanyu out for at least another month.

Over the last decade it’s 13 wins for Reds, just two for Tokyo (with four draws) and those Tokyo wins were in 2003 and 2004!
Urawa Reds have made a huge improvement this season under coach Petrovic after two seasons of under-performing. The fact that they are still riding high after more than half the season shows they mean business. 2012-arrived internationals like Makino and Abe have improved the squad dramatically and, while they have had problems scoring, a return to fitness for Popo, and some consistency from Haraguchi – looking to prove that he should have been at the Olympics – will see them in good stead in forthcoming games and allow them to push for the Championship.

FC Tokyo are affected by a long injury list and players at the London Olympics – with GK Gonda in London, though, Shiota – a good keeper in his own right – has a chance to shine and the team will not be lacking in that department. Tokunaga is missed, though – he was the main man allowing the fans to forget the departure of Konno to Gamba Osaka. They will struggle against a rampant Reds! If Ishikawa is fit, he could well be the man to unlock the Urawa defence, especially if Makino goes on attacking runs too often – Ishikawa is the man to take advantage of space left behind.
EXPECT a WIN for URAWA REDS!