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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!

Previews

J1 Preview – Sat. October 27th – 14:00 Gamba Osaka v. Sanfrecce Hiroshima at Banpaku Stadium

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Team News – Gamba Osaka – MF Kurata is suspended. FW Sato is out for at least six months with cruciate ligament injury.
Sanfrecce Hiroshima – MF Notsuda will miss the game on Japan U-19 duty.

Head to Head – 12 wins for Gamba, five for Sanfrecce and four draws over the last decade.

Match Preview – Gamba took a big away win at Frontale last week, and added it to big away wins over the likes of Reds and Grampus BUT they seem to struggle more at home. With five games to go the away days may be easier on the players, with less fans on their backs if things go wrong? An early goal will settle the fans – if it’s for Gamba! otherwise, expect a tough time … and, let’s face it, even if Gamba score early, they won’t keep a clean sheet, will they? This will not be a 1-0 win! Gamba suffered a blow when they lost FW Sato to a knee injury until well into 2013, but Ienaga stepped up with two goals last weekend and looks to be settling in nicely, finally.

Sanfrecce Hiroshima have suffered the curse of the top team more than once this season. It struck again last week, the team going down to a last-gasp winner for Reysol, at home and will be looking to make amends and stay clear of Vegalta Sendai, albeit on goal difference only, if both teams win this time around. We are looking at the two biggest scorers in J1 (Gamba with 57, trump Sanfrecce’s 54) so I believe we can EXPECT a HIGH-SCORING DRAW today!

Previews

J1 Preview – Sat. October 27th – 14:00 – Nagoya Grampus v. Yokohama F.Marinos at Toyota Stadium

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Team News – Nagoya Grampus – DF Tanaka is suspended. MF Tanabe and DF Sato will miss the game on Japan U-19 duty.
Yokohama F.Marinos – DF Amano is a long term absentee.

Head to Head – Seven wins for Grampus, four for Marinos and EIGHT draws, all in J1 since 2003.

Match Preview – Two teams that have disappointed their fans after expecting a decent season, but, having said that, both teams are within sight of an ACL spot. Nagoya Grampus took all three points away at Sagan, who had previously been very hard to beat at home – and find themselves in 6th, just three points out of that ACL spot. After their season of inconsistency to find themselves in this “false”position may well paper over the cracks that the team is experiencing and they really need to rebuild if they are to continue to be a strong challenger in J1. To do that today, they’ll need to beat the best defence in J1 (29 goals conceded in 29 games). With Josh Kennedy under the weather and suffering from regular injuries, Tamada and Nagai have to score more goals, soon!

Yokohama F.Marinos are unbeaten in four games now, after a bad run of losses interrupted their long mid-season unbeaten run, and still find themselves – like their opponents today – within reach of that ACL spot. The fact that they have had to rely on Marquinos to score many of their goals this season, after expecting much from Yuji Ono, does not bode well for the new season, but THIS season is not yet over and Marinos will want to build on their 4-0 demolition of Jubilo last week, although they saw two 0-0 draws before that. I don’t hold out much hope for either team to break out the goals here today – EXPECT a DRAW!

Previews

J1 Preview – Sat. October 27th – 14:00 – Jubilo Iwata v. Vegalta Sendai at Yamaha Stadium

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Team News – Jubilo Iwata – FW Yamazaki is suspended. FW Maeda is still doubtful. They are still missing MFs Matsuoka and Baek, too.
Vegalta Sendai – DF/MF Kakuda is suspended. No injuries reported.

Head to Head – Four wins for Jubilo, three for Vegalta and seven draws over the last decade.

Match Preview – Jubilo Iwata have lost their last three as they go into freefall, dropping to 8th, albeit just 3 points off 4th spot. Anything can still happen in J1 in five games but Jubilo have got into a losing habit and I can’t see them breaking that any time soon. The influence of Baek has been missed in the creative department and, with Maeda doubtful, too, the scoring part of the team is under pressure, also. Expect a crisis of confidence in their final games, knowing that their title hopes have long gone now.

Vaegalta Sendai have lost two of their last five, while Sanfrecce above them have dropped just one less point and Reds below them have lost three in that time. So, the team’s fate is really in their own hands and, even at this stage of the season, most followers are expecting them to crack up and give it away… will this mean less pressure? Would they realy settle for 2nd position after this long? I don’t think so. It seems they have been through their bad patch and come out still (almost) on top. EXPECT a DRAW today, but it will still be enough to keep them in at least 2nd place.

Previews

J1 Preview – Sat. October 27th – 14:00 – Kashiwa Reysol v. Omiya Ardija at Kashiwa Stadium

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Team News – Kashiwa Reysol – MF Leandro Domingues is expected to miss this game, DF Kondo will be out at least a month. DF Yamanaka will miss the game on Japan U-19 duty.
Omiya Ardija – DF Murakami is out long term, FW Novakovic is doubtful, facing a fitness test.

Head to Head – Four wins each, and five draws in 13 meetings since 2005.

Match Preview – Kashiwa Reysol knocked off Sanfrecce last week and, in doing so, took themselves in to 4th spot, making it three wins in five. It’s been an up and down season, perhaps their entry into the ACL did not help, stretching their squad and causing inconsistency early on in the season. They will be missing Leandro Domingues – last season’s J.League Player of the Season – and it shows, although no complaints about the end result last game! Defender Kondo will also be a big loss but surely they will be strong enough to take out Ardija, especially as a win could take them into 3rd spot.
Omiya Ardija are a place and a point clear of relegation and hoping that they can get something from this game, while those around them slip up. Omiya have steered clear of the bottom three in recent weeks, with a five game unbeaten run, although the last three games have all been draws, while before that they had a 5-0 away win at Sapporo! Don’t expect five goals today, in fact EXPECT a WIN for KASHIWA REYSOL!

Previews

J1 Preview – Sat. October 27th – 14.00 – Urawa Reds v. Cerezo Osaka at Saitama Stadium

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Cerezo to do S-Pulse a BIG Favour and hold off Reds?

Team News – Urawa Reds – MF Yajima will miss the game on Japan U-19 duty.

Cerezo Osaka report no injuries or suspensions.

Head to Head – Eight wins for Reds, five for Cerezo and two draws in a decade of J1 and Nabisco Cup meetings.

Match Preview – Urawa Reds have lost three out of their last five when they could have been challenging for the top spot, and find themselves six points adrift of the top two, WAY behind in goal difference too, AND under attack from the trio of teams on 45 points, just three behind them as we go into the last five games. Reds’ lack of a real striker has been their downfall – relying on late Popo goals is not a strategy for a winning team and having to start him as a lone striker shows desperation! Keep this team together, add a real striker and maybe, just maybe, a 2013 Championship challenge might be seen. But today a resurgent and relaxed Cerezo Osaka may put paid to a top spot dream altogether and even knock them out of the top three.

Cerezo re-hired coach Levir Culpi to keep them in J1, nothing more, and it looks as if he has done that. Cerezo realistically need another 2 or 3 points from their final games to be sure and then they can plan ahead for next season, try to keep their best players from oving on, and find a coach that can bring out the potential that these players, this team has. They are relaxed indeed under Culpi but he is not staying, they’ll win a few more games for him before he goes home, though. Including this one? Maybe! EXPECT a DRAW!

In the Mix, Reports

J2 Matchday 39 – Results, table ….

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Montedio Yamagata 1-0 Giravanz Kitakyushu
Kyoto Sanga 3-1 FC Gifu
Avispa Fukuoka 2-3 Ventforet Kofu
Roasso Kumamoto 0-1 Yokohama FC
Tokyo Verdy 4-1 Tochigi SC
Machida Zelvia 2-4 Ehime FC
Shonan Bellmare 1-1 JEF United Chiba
Matsumoto Yamaga 2-1 Mito HollyHock
Tokushima Vortis 3-0 Kataller Toyama
Thespa Kusatsu 1-0 Fagiano Okayama
Gainare Tottori 1-0 Oita Trinita

Table at http://www.jsoccer.com/tables/

Starting at the top, Ventforet Kofu clinched the J2 Championship in an away victory over Avispa Fukuoka, while Kyoto Sanga put away their inconsistency for a while (?) and made 2nd spot their own with a 3-1 win over FC Gifu. Kyoto also have a game in hand – to be played this week at Tokushima Vortis – and COULD go four points clear of 3rd placed Shonan Bellmare with a win. With three games to go after that match is played, it would be a HUGE three points for the Kansai team.

Meanwhile, fighting for the play-off spots we saw Montedio Yamagata stay in the hunt with a 1-0 win over Giravanz Kitakyushu, who are now out of the running. Shonan Bellmare fought out a 1-1 draw and are in 3rd (66 points) and 6th (33) respectively. Oita Trinita went down away to Gainare Tottori in a shock result that sees Oita left in 4th on 64 points. In 5th we see Yokohama FC, who pulled off single goal away win at Roasso Kumamoto. Hanging around just outside the play-off zone, in 7th we see Tokyo Verdy, only edged out be JEF on goal difference, it must be said, who beat up Tochigi 4-1, effectively ending the losing team’s play-off hopes, although not mathematically, and this IS J2 we are discussing!

Montedio are in 8th and still in the fight and a special mention for Matsumoto Yamaga, in their debut year in J2, up to 9th (with a win over Mito HollyHock) and, technically still in with a chance, too – but, more importantly well clear of relegation and a nicely-consolidated place in J2 for 2013.

Fagiano Okayama likely lost their slim hopes of making the play-offs with a 1-0 defeat at Thespa Kusatsu, while aforementioned defeats for Kitakyushi, Mito and Tochigi sees those teams consigned to middle-table “obscurity” for this season now.

At the bottom Machida Zelvia went down 4-2 at home to Ehime FC and are now six points adrift of FC Gifu, in 21st position in J2 and are staring relegation from J2 in the face, J.League with associate members V-Varen Nagasaki well clear at the top of the JFL. For a full explanation of the possibilities of J2/JFL relegation/promotion see JSoccer Magazine Issue 5 page 27.

In J1 AND J2 we are in for BIG finish – be there with JSoccer Magazine and JSoccer.com

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?!