Tag Archives: Abe

Previews

J1 Final Day Preview – Urawa Reds vs Nagoya Grampus at Saitama 15.30, Dec.1st

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Team News
Urawa Reds – no suspensions, DF Mizuta and MF Kashiwagi are both needing a fitness test, MF Naoki Yamada is in training but not match fit after six months out.
Nagoya Grampus – no suspensions, DF Abe, MF Alessandro Santos, FW Kennedy out injured.

Head to Head – 9 wins for Grampus, 7 for Reds and 5 draws since 2003.

Match Preview – Urawa Reds have slipped to 5th place as the final day approaches, with 3 losses in their last five matches, the fans will be disappointed if an ACL spot is not clinched, yet they have to win this – against a team also in the hunt for the ACL – AND rely on results around them, hoping that Reysol and Tosu do not win. It’s going to be a tall order to qualify for the ACL for Reds now but they will have home advantage and, if the fans are reasonable (comparing the last two seasons of relegation battles against this campaign) they may get full support of the crowd and pull through this one.

Nagoya Grampus have had a roller coaster season, up and down, injuries galore and have been consistent in their inconsistency! They had put a decent run together in the final weeks and were looking good for the 3rd spot when they slipped up against Antlers last week and that could well have put paid to their ACL chance. A draw is not good enough for them and, even with a win, like other teams, they have to wait and see what happens around them. They have suffered with the loss of Kennedy for many games this season and he is not expected back in this final match. EXPECT a WIN for URAWA REDS!

Previews

PREVIEW – Urawa Reds v. Yokohama F. Marinos – May 3rd

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Reds Too Strong For Marinos!

Team News
Urawa Reds – Naoki Yamada is a long-term injury absentee
Yomokaha F.Marinos – Tomisawa is suspended. DF Amano is a long term absentee through injury. Marquinos in training but will not be match fit even if available.

Match Preview
Last time out both teams were successful and both need wins to keep up the momentum gaimed. Urawa Reds (P8 W5 D1 L2 GD +4) line up in equal 2nd place on goal difference after two seasons of struggle and a win here would keep them in touch with leqders Sendai. Coach Petrovic’s three back system has been picked up quickly by the players and it now seems that key player Yuki Abe has settled at defensive midfield after being tried atnentre back. The re-emergence of Tsuboi in the back three has helped that choice.
Yokohama F.Marinos (P8 W1 D4 L3 GD -2) finally won their first game of the season last time out, against Vissel Kobe, with three goals in a seven minute spell. The fnishing was good, but the msrking was suddenly slack and, while a win will do the team wonders, there was little changed in their perfromance, some fans might well have been disappointed that the win meant that their coach was not fired, as must be being considered, even now. Perhaps a delay of the inevitable, as they will struggle to come out of this game with anything.
EXPECT a WIN for URAWA REDS!

Head to Head
Ten wins for Reds, nine for Marinos and five draws in 24 J1 and Nabisco Cup meetings. Both 2011 meetings were away wins.

Reports

Nagoya Grampus 1-2 Urawa Reds – April 28th

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Grampus lined up in a 3-2-2-2-1 to counter Urawa’s 3-2-3-2 line-up, which was an interesting tactic from home coach Stoijkovic, but it didn’t pay off as Marcio Richardes opened the scoring in the 23rd minute from 18 yards after a run across the top of the area was not closed down in some slack defending. Four minutes later Tulio headed down a cross and Kanazaki was there to flick it over the keeper to make it 1-1 at the break.
Reds won the game in the 68th minute on a Marcio Richardes PK after Hayuma Tanaka handled the ball – and got his second yellow card in the process – replays clearly showed the hand to ball and a deserved PK. Tulio almost pulled a point back with minutes to go but the keeper made a desperate one-handed save at his left post and Reds rebounded from their Saitama Derby defeat last week.