ＦＣ東京 – ＭＦ大竹の今季の出場は絶望的。ＦＷ平山は、３週間は出場の見込みなし。
前節は悪天候の中、サンフレッチェ広島から勝利をもぎ取ったアルビレックス新潟 (点８勝２分２敗５差－３) だったが、９試合でわずか５得点とサポーターには物足りない試合が続いている。今節も１-０の勝利といきたいところだが、そうはさせてもらえないだろう。
一方のＦＣ東京 (点12勝４分０敗４差－２)、出だしは順調だったものの、ここ５試合で４つの黒星と下り坂だ。ただ、渡邊千真がＡＣＬでのゴールに気を良くしているし、ＡＣＬに先発出場せず休息十分の石川にも期待したい。見どころは、ＦＣ東京のスピードに新潟ディフェンス陣が機能するか。ＦＣ東京の勝利か！
両者の対戦は、アルビレックスの７勝、ＦＣ東京の６勝、引き分けが２試合。2008年に連勝して以来、東京のリーグ戦での勝利はない。
特筆すべき負傷者、出場停止者、両チームともになし。
３連勝で復調の兆しの見えた鹿島アントラーズ (点10勝３分１敗５差－２) だったが、木曜日の好調エスパルス戦には完敗。鹿島サポーターにとっては、この敗戦で、その前の３連勝がご破算になってしまった。５-０で圧勝したガンバ大阪戦のように、興梠と大迫を並走させ、ジュニーニョを控えに座らせておくなら、アントラーズの勝利の可能性は高い！
一方のサガン鳥栖 (点15勝４分３敗２差＋４) は、Ｊ１デビューの今季、大方の予想を覆す活躍をしている。今季すでに４勝、ここ４試合敗れていないサガンは、アントラーズにも一泡ふかせてやりたいところだ。ただ、ホームの熱狂的なサポーターの後押しを受けるアントラーズは、エスパルス戦の屈辱を晴らすべく、強い気持ちでこの試合に臨む！鹿島アントラーズの勝利か！
直接対決 – 初顔合わせ。
特筆すべき負傷者、出場停止者、両チームともになし。
木曜日、浦和レッズをアウェイで倒し、２勝目を連勝で飾った横浜Ｆマリノス (点10勝２分４敗３差－１)！新監督を求めるサポーターが多い中、この２連勝により交代劇が保留状態だが、監督交代は不可欠との見方は依然と強い。マリノスはマルキーニョスがついに出場をはたした。途中交代での出場だったが、後半43分に勝ち越しゴールを決めた。ただ試合は、マリノスの出来云々というよりは、レッズがお粗末だった！
乱調のセレッソを相手に、今季９試合目にして初白星のコンサドーレ札幌 (点４勝１分１敗７差－８)。はたして「神風」は暗雲を吹き飛ばしたのか？監督交代のないマリノスを相手に、コンサドーレが勢いに乗って走れるか？ゲームは引き分けか！
今季、コンサドーレはナビスコ杯でマリノスを倒している。Ｊ１での戦いは、2008年の２試合のみ。マリノスの２勝。
セレッソ大阪 — ＤＦ高橋、少なくとも２週間は出場の見込みなし。
ヴィッセル神戸—後任監督がまだ決定されていない中、安達ヘッドコーチが暫定監督を務める。ＦＷ大久保は、負傷を押してでも、古巣とのこの一戦に臨みたい。ＦＷ田代は、少なくとも２週間は出場の見込みなし。
和田監督交代後の大宮アルディージャ戦、ヴィッセル神戸 (点12勝４分０敗５差－３) は、小川、李光善、茂木の得点で完封勝ち。茂木の得点は、交代後、ファーストタッチだった。このままの勢いで乱調セレッソを倒したい。大宮戦で2-7-1の布陣を敷いたヴィッセルだが、安達暫定監督によれば心理的に相手を動揺させるためだとのこと。また、朴康造も先発に使い、メンバーをいじっている。新監督就任前の、安達監督にとっては最後の一戦。限界の戦いを期待する。
先週、ジュビロ磐田を倒したかと思えば、木曜日、コンサドーレ札幌に初白星を献上する乱調セレッソ大阪 (点13勝４分１敗４差＋２)。試合が始まるまでは全く予測のつかないセレッソだが、平均の法則では良いチームだということになる。ただ、この試合に限っては、監督解任という劇薬の効果が切れない神戸に軍配が上がるか！
過去10試合中、ヴィッセル５勝、セレッソ３勝。引き分け２試合。昨季は、２試合とも３得点でヴィッセルの勝利！
ベガルタ仙台 vs. 清水エスパルス
ベガルタ仙台 — ＦＭ赤嶺、負傷のため引き続き出場の見込みなし。
清水エスパルス — ＭＦアレックス・ブロスケ、ＦＷジミー・フランサ共に出場停止。
清水エスパルス (点18勝６分０敗３差＋４) は、木曜日、ブロスケとフランサの欠場にもかかわらず、復調目覚ましい鹿島アントラーズを倒した。リーグ優勝を確信するアフシン・ゴトビ監督のもと、高木の得点にうかがえるように、若手の成長著しいチームに仕上がっている。まだ負けのない今季のベガルタ仙台を相手に、今節は真価を問われる一戦となる。
これまでは否定的な声をかき消して無敗を続けてきたベガルタ仙台 (点23勝７分２敗０差＋13) だが、昨季同様、厳しい戦いの中、勢いを失いつつある。２位エスパルスの挑戦をホームで受ける仙台だが、チーム一丸となっての精力的な戦いができないと、無敗が途絶える可能性も大いにある。清水エスパルスの勝利か！
エスパルス３勝、ベガルタ１勝、引き分けが２試合。この対決でのベガルタの唯一の勝利は、2003年。
FC Tokyo – MF Otake must be considered out for the season. FW Hirayama expected to be out at least three weeks.
Abirex Niigata (P9 W2 D2 L5 GD -3) shocked Sanfrecce Hiroshima last time out in a game that appeared to be played by two teams under the weather, a case of bad Sanfrecce as opposed to good Albirex perhaps! Albirex have scored just fve goals in nine games this season, although have only conceded eight goals in that time … not much goal action for the Niigata fans so far but they’ll be happy with another 1-0 win, for sure. They will probably not get it, though.
FC Tokyo (P8 W4 D0 L4 GD -2) have gone on a downward slide after a good start and now sit in 10th place after losing four out of their last five J1 games. The capital team will be looking to halt that slide and Kazuma Watanabe will be expecting the start after a goalscoring ACL performance in midweek. Ishihara didn’t start the game in that ACL win so will be rested and ready to create or score as necessary. Expect the speedy FC Tokyo attack to unpick the lock of the stingy Niigata defence. Except a WIN for FC Tokyo!
Albirex have notched seven wins to FC Tokyo’s six, with two games ending in draws. Tokyo haven’t won in league play since doing the double over Niigata in 2008.
Kashima Antlers (P9 W3 D1 L5 GD -2) had begun a revival with three wins in a row, including a 5-0 demolition of Gamba Osaka last weekend, but were put in their place on Thursday by an excellent display from S-Pulse that had Antlers choking all over the field. The good work of three wins was undone and Kashima fans will be hoping for a win this weekend to put that display behind them. As noted last week, Koroki and Osako need to be given a run together and they both scored in the Gamba win…. as long as Juninho knows his place is on the bench harmony will prevail and Antlers will come good!
Sagan Tosu (P9 W4 D3 L2 GD +4) are confounding critics and fans alike with their performances so far in their first ever season in J1 and do not look like they will be returning to J2 any time soon. Four wins, and unbeaten since losing to Grampus five games ago, they will be hoping that they can keep Antlers at bay but it will be a tall order. Antlers will have partisan home support, experience being up against the odds and will be looking for that home win for their fans to forget the S-Pulse debacle! Expect a Win for Kashima Antlers!
This will be the first ever meeting between these two teams.
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.
Jubilo Iwata – MF Kosuke Yamamoto is suspended. GK Kawaguchi out for at least 4 more months.
Urawa Reds – MF Kashiwagi is doubtful with a left leg injury. MF Naoki Yamada is out, probably for the season.
Both teams lost, perhaps unexpectedly, last time out and will be looking to bounce back from those defeats. Jubilo Iwata (P9 W$ D2 L3 GD +1) have lost two in a row, and conceded seven goals in the process and have only won one in the last five – that a 1-0 win over a struggling Marinos – and loo to be settling into the season of mediocrity that I predicted for them after a start that saw them rack up points, if not with decent displays! They have dropped to 7th and seem to be on a downward spiral now. Don’t expect them to come out of it this week.
Urawa Reds (P9 W5 D1 L3 GD +3) must be very disappointed after losing their Saitama Derby to Omiya Ardija, but bouncing back to beat fancied Nagoya Grampus, only to lose again last time out to lowly Yokohama F.Marinos! Reds may well be challenging Cerezo Osaka for the title of most inconsistent J1 team this season! Coach Petrovic’s three-man defence has only conceded nine goals in nine games, but the team has only scored 12 goals and really have to hope that the resurgent form of Marcio Richardes continues, as well as hoping that Genki Haraguchi returns to the form and fitness that had him challenging for a place in the national team, and certainly for the London Olympics. Expect a Win for Urawa Reds!
Reds have ten wins, to Jubilo’s seven, with four draws over the years, but Reds have not won this fixture since 2009!
Gamba Osaka – FW Kawanishi out for another month recovering from a broken leg.
Omiya Ardija (P9 W3 D2 L4 GD -6) were sent packing in their last match, away at Vissel Kobe, with the whole team having an off day it seemed. Barely a shot on goal and Vissel were unlucky to only get three goals. Rafael will be trying to prove he is worth the big salary he’s getting, while Cho will need to be on form to ensure a call-up for the Korean national team next time out. Higashi, in central midfield will be looking to cement a place in the London Olympic team so plenty to play for outside the J.League for some of these players – only good performances will do! Omiya have the players, but do they have the TEAM?
Gamba Osaka (P8 W2 D1 L5 GD -8) have the 6th best attacking record in J1 but by far the worst defensive record in the division, little change from previous seasons, some might say, but the results have not gone Gamba’s way yet and coach Matsunami needs to get his players working together as a team and seal up that defence. Will veteran keeper Fujigaya make way for understudy Kimura in J.League play after Kimura started in the ACL defeat in midweek? Gamba made many changes during the pre-season AND have already changed their coaching staff once this season, so no-one could really expect them to be challenging for honours in this season of rebuilding but they will need to win games like these to ensure a respectable mid-table finish. Expect a WIN for Gamba Osaka!
Gamba have registered nine wins to Ardija’s five in 14 meetings. These teams have never played to a draw!