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Previews

J1 Preview Nov.7th 19.00 – Vegalta Sendai vs Cerezo Osaka at Yurtec

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Team News – Cerezo Osaka – no players suspended, no injuries reported!
Vegalta Sendai – DF/MF Kakuda is suspended. No reported injuries.

Head to Head – 2009 J2 since Cerezo won this match. In 19 games since 2003, Sendai have won 9, Cerezo 5, with 5 draws.

Match Preview – Vegalta Sendai know that the J.League Championship is, again, in their own hands. Repeated dropped points by all three top teams has left the title race close and, with four games to go, the top two teams are still locked together, clear of the chasing Urawa Reds. But Shimizu S-Pulse may yet have a say! Cerezo are in better form that Vegalta, and, barring ridiculous mathematical combinations of results, must be safe. So no pressure and a good game from them or no pressure, so they relax and give it away. Which Cerezo will turn up today?

Vegalta Sendai have home advantage and know they MUST win this, considering that their rivals for the title have Consadole Sapporo as opponents today. Akamine is in fine form and Wilson has found his touch again, recently. Surprisingly enough, Vegalta do not seem to have missed the in and out form (and injury) of Sekiguchi, who was touted as the next player to go overseas last season. Tehir deoth may help in the last few games. EXPECT a WIN for VEGALTA SENDAI!

In the Mix, Previews

J1 Preview Nov.7th 19.00 – Sagan Tosu vs Jubilo Iwata at Saga

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Team News
Sagan Tosu – MFs Fujita and Kim are suspended. DF Yeo will be out for the rest of the season.
Jubilo Iwata – Still missing MFs Matsuoka and Baek, long term injuries.

Head to Head – One win each in only two historical meetings between these two clubs… Jubilo won the J1 encounter in this season, Tosu won in the Nabisco Cup.

Match Preview Both teams have little left to play for and the home team will be OK with that. Sagan Tosu, in their first season in the top flight, surprised many, including themselves, perhaps and were riding a wave for quite a while. Three losses in their last five matches have seen them drop away from that dream of an ACL spot, although still only five points off it – very much possible, in theory! Jubilo Iwata, on the other hand have not won in their last five, two draws and three losses have seen them plummet to 10th although, with the division so close in the middle, they are still only six points of 3rd and nothing is impossible in J1. A weak start, for me, was improved when they signed Baek and an injury to that player saw them lose form again – what an influence he has been.

Talking of influences, though, Sagan will also be missing an influential Korean in Kim and could suffer through that. With Fujita out too, their attack may suffer, although their home defensive performances have been excellent and that should not change today. Just 33 goals conceded all season means they are always in with a chance of a draw or a low-scoring win. I think today we will see a WIN for SAGAN TOSU!

In the Mix, Previews

J1 Preview Nov.7th 19.00 – Sanfrecce Hiroshima vs Consadole Sapporo at Big Arch

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Team News
Sanfrecce Hiroshima – MF Notsuda will miss the game on Japan U-19 duty.
Consadole Sapporo – MF Sakaki will miss the game on Japan U-19 duty. DF North is undergoing tests, FW Maeda may be back from injury, fitness tests.

Head to Head – In 2003 J2 play Sanfrecce won 3 out of 4 then and won their encounter this season in J1. Just the one draw for Consadole in five outings.

Match Preview – who can see anything else but a win for the top team against the bottom team here today? Consadole Sapporo have never beaten Sanfrecce and lost at home, easily, earlier in the season. Sapporo’s injury list is still long, but shortening slowly, and Kondo and Maeda, if fit, would be adecent forward line, but ateam that has scored just 22 goals all season against a Sanfrecce team that has conceded just 31? Don’t expect an away win here today!

Sanfrecce Hiroshima know they MUST put the wins together in the final month of the season to ward off Vegalta Sendai and, who knows, S-Pulse – if they put a decent run together. Simply put, wins for Sanfrecce (and Vegalta) mean S-Pulse can not catch them. One less team to worry about on the final day?! Surely Sanfrecce won’t waste this chance to keep the pressure up on those chasing them, and, perhaps to improve their goal difference at the same time?! Bad timing on transfer rumours that Moriwaki has been approached by Urawa Reds – perhaps intentionally released by Reds! Hopefully, for Sanfrecce fans, that won’t unsettle the, EXPECT a WIN for SANFRECCE HIROSHIMA!

In the Mix, Previews

J1 Preview Nov.7th 19.00 – Vissel Kobe vs Yokohama F. Marinos at Home's

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Team News
Vissel Kobe – DF Iwanami will miss the game on Japan U-19 duty. GK Tokushige and DF Hayashi definitely out. FW Ogawa is back in training, a possible selection. FW Yoshida and DF Soma undergoing fitness tests.
Yokohama F.Marinos – DF Amano is a long term absentee who is now back in training, but not yet fit?

Head to Head – 8 wins for Marinos, just 4 for Vissel and NINE draws in this fixture since 2003.

Match Preview – Vissel Kobe went through September with loss after loss – October is was draws galore, so November starts with a win? They are just three points above Gamba Osaka in the final relegation spot, and only five above Niigata one spot below. A win here would go a LONG way to ensuring safety in J1 and allow them to build on the fine young players that they have. Injuries and bad luck have plagued the team and they SHOULD be higher than they are. Relegation would not do them justice, and could well see them lose thee promise of the likes of Ogawa, Morioka and Inui, among others, as J1 teams snap them up.

Yokohama F.Marinos are in 7th position, five points off an ACL spot which must seem far away now but is much closer than it ever would have seemed after their dire start to the season. Rumours of Nakamura moving back to Celtic abound right now, and may unsettle the team, or give the fans something to attack the team with, and the promise of Yuji Ono in 2011 has completely disappeared this season. Just 38 goals in their 30 games so far has not been good enough, although their defence is the best in J1 up to now. more goals, more points, more confidence, they could be much higher – find a natural goalscorer and have a great 2013? For now, they have little to play for and may suffer in this game. EXPECT a WIN for VISSEL KOBE!

In the Mix, Previews

J1 Preview Nov.7th 19.00 – Nagoya Grampus vs FC Tokyo at Mizuho

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Team News
Nagoya Grampus – MF Taguchi is suspended. MF Tanabe and DF Sato will miss the game on Japan U-19 duty. FW Kennedy has recurrence of back injury and not expected to be fit. MF Isomura is back in training after long injury break.
FC Tokyo – MF Hasegawa is suspended, MF Hashimoto will miss the game on Japan U-19 duty. DF Ota and MF Kaga are back in training and could be selected. DF Hiramatsu and MF are long term injuries.

Head to Head – Since 2003 it’s 10 wins for Tokyo, 6 for Nagoya and 4 draws. FC Tokyo won the home leg of this fixture earlier this season.

Match Preview – A mid-table match-up? Or a couple of teams still with slim chances of ACL qualification? Either way I am not expecting too much from this one! Both teams have had injury-hit, inconsistent seasons with big wins and unexpected defeats and will be happy to start afresh in 2013, I am sure. The return of Kennedy seemed to boost Grampus, and he certainly creates space and chances for Nagai, but the Australian is injured again – a big loss, perhaps. Home advantage and the wrath of manager Stojkovic over recently lost points may well be the catalyst that gives Nagoya this match?

FC Tokyo – a win and a draw after some bad results recently have given FC Tokyo some impetus as the season draws to a close. They are safe from relegation and, who knows, a few wins in the final month could see them challenging for that 3rd ACL spot – a long shot but worth considering, and well worth them doing their best to win this as it would take them above today’s opponents, and there is some cash at stake too, depending on the finishing position in J1! Hasegawa is missing, suspended, but their injury list is clearing up. Players fighting for a new contract, perhaps, after injury-hit seasons, could pull them through this one – I’ll go for A DRAW though!

In the Mix, Reports

Kashima Antlers 1-2 Shimizu S-Pulse – from Afshin Ghotbi's Point of View

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Ahead of the J.League Yamazaki Nabisco Cup Final on Saturday S-Pulse were victorious in the home of their Cup Final opponents . . . here’s what the man himself, Afshin Ghotbi has to say . .

Taken from http://www.afshinghotbi.com

Another great result in a gutsy performance from our orange men secured an important three points. Inspired by earlier results around J1, we started sharply and were rewarded by an early goal in the 7th minute. Hiraoka sprang Yoshida free behind the Kashima defense, and his first touch found Kim Hyun Sung free in the danger area. Kim showed his class scoring from short range after taking three delicate and precise touches, blasting the ball high into the net from close range. Kashima came back into the game scoring off a corner kick in the 43rd minute. After Hiraoka got blocked, Iwamasa got free and his volley bounced off Sugiyama’s body, deflecting past Hayashi into our net. We reacted brilliantly to this setback by scoring immediately from the kick-off at the 44th minute. This time Kim became the provider, finding Omae’s head for the winning goal. With a one-goal lead, we defended well in the second half, weathering Kashima’s attacks and securing a deserved victory marking an undefeated month of October.

All the results favored us, and we are within seven points of the top spot and only one point off the ACL spot. With four games to go, our dream lives on.

We will face Kashima again in the final of the Nabisco Cup on Saturday November 3rd. Join me at Tokyo National Stadium and let’s make history together.

JSoccer Magazine on Twitter: JSoccer Magazine on Twitter.

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!

Previews

J1 Preview – Sat. October 27th – 17:00 Albirex Niigata v. Sagan Tosu at Tohoku Den Stadium

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Team News – Albirex Niigata – DF Suzuki is suspended. DF Kawaguchi will miss the game on Japan U-19 duty. MF Nakamura back in training. GK Higashiguchi out for the season and more.
Sagan Tosu – DF Yeo will be out for the rest of the season.

Head to Head – Four wins for Albirex, to one for Sagan and no draws. Albirex’s wins were all in J2. Sagan won their previous J1 encounter earlier this season.

Match Preview –
Albirex Niigata look doomed to J2, and have done for a long time. A freak 5-0 win against Nagoya Grampus gave them 5 of their 23 season goals – just 18 goals in their other 28 matches is a pathetic haul which does not do their quite decent defensive record justice. Their goals conceded column matches top team Sanfrecce and they can expect to lose a defender or two to other teams if they do drop to J2 – which they will if they do not score goals against Sagan Tosu today – this could well be their last chance with Gamba and Omiya in decent form going into the final five games.

Sagan, on the other hand, have lost four of their last five after their bubble finally burst? They have dropped down to 9th and are mathematically still not safe from relegation! That won’t happen and they will have consolidated their J1 position in their debut season, the fans will not be complaining, but their season promised so much more just five games ago. They will be looking to end this bad run and it could be Albirex who feel the force today, especially without key defender Suzuki!! EXPECT a WIN for SAGAN TOSU!

Previews

J1 Preview – Sat. October 27th – 17:00 FC Tokyo v. Consadole Sapporo at Ajinomoto Stadium

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Team News – FC Tokyo – MF Hasegawa is suspended, MF Hashimoto will miss the game on Japan U-19 duty. DF Ota and MF Kaga are back in training and could be selected. DF Hiramatsu and MF Otake are long term injuries.
Consadole Sapporo – DF Kushibiki is suspended. MF Sakaki will miss the game on Japan U-19 duty. FW Kondo is back in training but not match fit.

Head to Head – Three wins for Tokyo, just one for Consadole and a draw in only five previous meetings.

Match Preview – FC Tokyo find themselves JUST clear of the relegation zone in a season that promised so much. Just like Reysol, perhaps, they suffered from an ACL campaign stretching their resources, as well as a glut of injuries not helping. They have won only one in their last five, while their opponents today have suddenly found their shooting boots – winning one and drawing the other of their two games since relegation was confirmed. On 41 points, and with a goal difference of minus 4, FC Tokyo can not be said to have set the season alight and may find themselves below Cerezo Osaka by the end of the day.

Consadole Sapporo seem to have had a load lifted by being relegated – it can’t get any worse, it would seem and they have relaxed. They’ve also cleared a few of their injuries up and could / should be planning for a season in J2 already. That does not necessarily mean Tele and Ramon should be playing! I feel that Sapporo have relaxed a little and now feel no pressure, while FC Tokyo are in a slump, lacking confidence and cohesion . . . EXPECT a WIN for CONSADOLE SAPPORO!

Previews

J1 Preview – Sat. October 27th – 17:00 Kashima Antlers v. Shimizu S-Pulse at Kashima Stadium

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Team News – Kashima Antlers – DF Yamamura is a long-term injury victim.
Shimizu S-Pulse – FW Takagi is suspended.

Head to Head – 11 wins for Antlers, five for S-Pulse and EIGHT draws, in 24 matches since 2003.

Match Preview – Kashima Antlers entertain their Nabisco Cup Final opponents, with three draws in their last five matches and still realistically needing 2 or 3 points to make sure of their J1 place for 2013 and are only missing Yamamura in defence and have no suspensions. Osako and Koroki – a decent young Japanese partnership – should be scoring freely, but they have been very inconsistent and the likes of Dutra have been getting time on the field instead. The Antlers fans will be disappointed with the season and perhaps only a Nabisco Cup win can save the job of Jorginho – which might not be a good thing, if this is the way they play under the Brazilian coach!

Shimizu S-Pulse will have been disappointed with their home draw last week, against Vissel Kobe, but beat Jubilo and Vegalta in the two previous games AND won 3-0 in the Nabisco Cup Final over FC Tokyo so will be in the confidence zone. If Korean forward Kim can add to his goals total, if Omae can keep scoring, if Takagi can stay fit … all these things can come together and give S-Pulse an excellent final five games and see them take an ACL spot. It’s time they sealed up coach Afshin Ghotbi’s next five years or more before another team snaps him up! EXPECT a WIN for SHIMIZU S-PULSE!