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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, Previews

J1 Preview – Nagoya Grampus vs Omiya Ardija at Mizuho Athletic Stadium – Oct.6, Matchday 28

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Team News
Nagoya Grampus – Kennedy has a recurrence of his back injury and is very doubtful, MFs Nakamura and Isomura out injured, reserve GK Takagi out.
Omiya Ardija – MF/FW Slatan is suspended. DF Kataoka out injured.

Head to Head – In 17 meetings in J1 or the Nabisco Cup since 2005 Grampus have 9 wins to Ardija’s 4, and 4 games have ended in a draw.

Match Preview – Nagoya won three in-a-row after their 5-0 defeat by Gamba Osaka and looked to have turned the corner, then they lost to Sanfrecce (top team, fair enough) and, last week succumbed 5-0 to Albirex! With Kennedy probably out again, with a recurrence of his back injury, they will need to dig deep into the reserves of confidence to come back, but come back I think they can. It’s time for Tulio to be the hero again! Nothing less than a win will keep Grampus in with a hope of hitting the top 3 for an ACL 2013 spot.
Omiya Ardija are on a four game unbeaten run – two wins and two draws – that has pulled them out of the bottom three but, discounting a 5-0 win over Consdaole in that time, the team have scored only 23 goals in their other 26 games and do not look like improving on that tally any time soon. If they keep grinding out the low-scoring points they could be safe yet again, but I don’t fancy them today! EXPECT a WIN for NAGOYA GRAMPUS!

In the Mix, Previews

JSoccer Magazine J1 Preview Sept.22nd, Matchday 26 – 19:00 Nagoya Grampus vs Sanfrecce Hiroshima at Mizuho Athletic Stadium

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Nagoya Grampus – FW Nagai is suspended. MF Isomura out long-term.
Sanfrecce Hiroshima – MFs Nakajima and Mikic, and DF Hwang will be missing through injury.

6 wins for Nagoya, 3 for Hiroshima and 6 draws since 2004.

Nagoya Grampus took out Cerezo Osaka away last weekend, but the top team will be a different proposition altogether! With three wins in a row, and Josh Kennedy finally back on the field, the team will be quietly confident that they can make up the six points and attack the top of the division but a game against any team above them is a must-win if they are to have any chance of cancelling out their points deficit over the next two months in the final run-up. Nagai will be missing through suspension but, in Tamada, Kanazaki and Kennedy, Nagoya have more than enough firepower at their disposal, but does their defence have the organisational skills to hold back Sato, Takahagi and co?

Sanfrecce took the top spot by winning a vital six-pointer battle of the top two last weekend and will be confident that they can continue, as well as being under no illusions of what they have to do to keep hold of pole position as the final straight of the season looms! Mikic’s creation will be a big loss but Takahagi is doing his best to supply, and catch the eye of Zaccheroni at the same time, perhaps!? Sato just puts the goals in when given the chance, so Tulio and his crew at the back for Nagoya will have their hands full in this match. It’s well known that the team at the top of J1 are under the most pressure and reaching the summit often means the next match is lost – I am following that principle here today! Nagoya also will know that if they win this match they will be within four points of Sanfrecce!
EXPECT a WIN for NAGOYA GRAMPUS!