Tag Archives: Iwata

Previews

Jubilo Iwata vs Gamba Osaka at Yamaha 15.30, Dec.1st

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Team News
Jubilo Iwata – no suspensions, MF Matsuoka injured, but MF Baek reported as recovered but still doubtful to start.
Gamba Osaka – DF Iwashita is suspended. GK Kimura is back in training after a broken leg. DF Kaji and FW Sato out for the season.

Head to Head – 9 wins for Gamba, 7 for Jubilo and 4 draws in 20 meetings since 2003.

Match Preview – While Jubilo Iwata haven’t won since a fortunate victory over Vissel Kobe in mid-September their J1 place was assured for 2013 on other results of the teams around them. The loss of Baek in their midfield has hit them big time and the team will be looking forward to a new season to restart. The home fans will be frustrated and loud in their final game – it may go against them. The Maeda curse may be in effect!! (Look it up!)

Gamba Osaka simply MUST win this game AND hope that two of Albirex, Vissel and Cerezo lose their games. Their injuries have finally cleared up and CB Nakazawa returned last week, just in time for the suspension of Iwashita. This game promises goals – Gamba are top scorers in J1 (believe it or not!), while Jubilo have hit 55 goals this season, the teams attacks have managed 121 goals between them. On the other hand these two teams have conceded 105 goals between them. Yes, that is 226 goals in 66 games! Jubilo Iwata have little to play for and are in a huge depression, Gamba have their survival to play for and, even a win does not guarantee safety, but they WILL go for it! EXPECT a highscoring WIN for GAMBA OSAKA!

Previews

J.League J1 Preview Matchday 32 – 14:00 Jubilo Iwata vs Nagoya Grampus at Yamaha

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Team News
Jubilo Iwata – CB Suganuma is suspended. MF Baek is back in training but probably not match fit. MF Matsuoka a long-term injury.
Nagoya Grampus – FW Kennedy is still out with a long-term recurring injury.

Head to Head
9 wins for Grampus, five for Jubilo, and six draws over the last decade or so.

Match Preview
Jubilo Iwata have been in freefall down J1 having lost four of their last five and now find themselves in 10th position. They are six points away from today’s opponents and that 3rd placed spot, so can kiss the ACL 2013 goodbye. Amazingly they are also mathematically still in the relegation race although it would be almost impossible for them to be relegated! While 10th spot would probably have been accepted by the fans at the start of the season, after spending so much time in the top 3 or 4 this season is probably going to turn out to be a disappointment in the end. The influential Korean Baek may well be in contention to return from injury but, even though I feel he was the main reason they did so well (and the reason they dropped so badly when he was injured) I don’t believe he is match fit anyway and will make little difference to this team who have got used to losing.

Nagoya Grampus have been much too inconsistent this season, yet still, with three games to go they find themselves on the verge of ACL qualification, only ot of 3rd place on goal difference from Urawa Reds. With injuries affecting their team selection, coach Stoijkovic has been forced to use Tulio as a forward at times and Australian international Kennedy is still out and not expected back this season, but I believe they should stick with selections from Tamada, Nagai and Kanazaki as forwards, as opposed to Tulio! I believe Nagoya will be motivated enough, and confident enough on their four game unbeaten run for us to EXPECT a WIN for NAGOYA GRAMPUS!

In the Mix, Reports

Results 0 Matchday 31 – Shimizu S-Pulse 0-1 Albirex Niigata highlights, Japanese interviews

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Wednesday night, Nov. 7 results – –

Reysol 2-2 Gamba
S-Pulse 0-1 Albirex
Sanfrecce 3-0 Consadole
Vegalta 1-1 Cerezo
Frontale 4-2 Reds
Ardija 0-0 Antlers
Vissel 1-2 Marinos
Nagoya 1-0 FC Tokyo
Tosu 3-2 Iwata

Updated table at: http://www.jsoccer.com/tables/

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!

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.

In the Mix, Previews

J1 Preview – Jubilo Iwata vs Shimizu S-Pulse at Ecopa Stadium – Oct.6, Matchday 28

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Team News
Jubilo Iwata – FW Kanazono is close to return, but not this week? GK Kawaguchi also back in training. MFs Matuoka and Baek are long term injuries.
Shimizu S-Pulse – Only FW Takagi is reporting injured and may be fit for the bench after a hamstring injury.

Head to Head – Very even in 22 meetings since 2003, with 9 wins for S-Pulse, 8 for Jubilo and 5 draws.

Match Preview – A strange one here, Ecopa Stadium chosen as the home venue – probably because Jubilo expect a big S-Pulse away following and can make more money at a bigger stadium, but Ecopa is more the home of S-Pulse in many people’s eyes! So, home advantage lost here, for Jubilo and, with S-Pulse seeing off Vegalta Sendai last week, and vaulting up to within a point of Jubilo, the “away” team will be all fired up for the win to help them move above their neighbours for the first time in months, and have them ready for a final six game tilt for the top 3. Excellent incentive for S-Pulse to win, of course, but also JUbilo will not want that to happen and will pull out all the stops to make sure it doesn’t. Nevertheless, with Kim finally among the goals last weekend, and Jubilo missing their influential Korean, Baek, the blue half of Shizuoka may well be disappointed at the end of the day!
With S-Pulse slowly weeding out some dead wood, as well as moving Shinji Ono on – with the blessing of the club – the team have plenty of leeway in looking for a new foreign signing to replace the departed Brosque, and plenty of youngsters chomping at the bit to join the revolution. A top 3 finish will buoy the team towards big things in 2013 – and an ACL place, of course – and a win here will push them closer to overhauling Vegalta Sendai for that spot. EXPECT a WIN for SHIMIZU S-PULSE!

In the Mix, Previews

JSoccer Magazine J1 Preview Sept.22nd, Matchday 26 – 16:00 Jubilo Iwata vs Albirex Niigata at Yamaha Stadium

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Jubilo Iwata – DF Cho may be available for selection but GK Kawaguchi, MFs Baek, Rodrigo Souto, Matsuoka and Kitaji all unavailable.
Albirex Niigata – MFs Nakamura and Uchida, and FW Suzuki are all long-term injuries.

8 wins for Iwata, 4 for Niigata and 6 draws since 2004.

Jubilo Iwata were lucky to come out of last week’s match away at Vissel Kobe with a win, thanks in no small way to some help from the referee and are feeling the pressure from a list of injuries. It is surprising to many that they are still in with a chance of an ACL-qualifying top three place, although the top three seem to be locked in now. They should find it no problem against Albirex Niigata – a team that has scored just 17 goals all season, even less than bottom-dwellers Consadole! On the other hand their defence has been strong, but will be sorely tested against a rampant Jubilo, who average more than two goals per game and have won three out of their last four – despite all those injuries.

Maeda, for Jubilo, is looking to creep up on the goalscoring crown-to-be of Hisato Sato at Sanfrecce, and cement his place in the national team, while Albirex are just looking for another season in J1. A decent keeper, an Olympic defender, and some decent players all told are hampered by a total lack of firepower up front, with Bruno Lopes, Yano and Hirai, among others, totally failing in their duty.

EXPECT a WIN for JUBILO IWATA!

Previews

J1 Preview – Sept.15th -19:00 Vissel Kobe vs Jubilo Iwata at Kobe Universiade

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Vissel Kobe – DF Inoha is suspended. DF Hayashi is out for the season, MF Haneda is doubtful, but not in contention for selection anyway!?

Jubilo Iwata – MF Fujita is suspended. FW Kanazono still reported injured. GK Kawaguchi and MF Matsuoka out for the season. DFs Sakurauchi and Cho out. MFs Yamamoto, Baek and Rodrigo Souto all out injured.

8 wins for Jubilo, 7 for Vissel and 3 draws since 2003, Vissel winning both of the last two games 3-1, home and away!

Vissel Kobe lost narrowly, and probably deserved a draw, last time out at Kashima Antlers, and the team were probably disappointed with that. Then they lost in the Emperor’s Cup to lower league opposition, so plenty of players will have plenty to prove to their fans… another loss will be very upsetting for the Vissel faithful. The team are “only” nine points away from a 3rd place spot right now. ON the other hand they are also nine points away from a relegation spot – very middling. They will be looking to put on a final spurt in the last ten games with a view to finishing in the top 6. A tough call, but not impossible, they can then build on that in 2013 and become a championship-challenging team – or that is what the plan is! The likes of Ogawa and Morioka must mature together with the experience of Okubo and Kitamoto, blending together to make a real team. These are games that they must win if they are to gain the confidence to move up the table.

Jubilo Iwata remain in touch with the leaders, having held Sanfrecce Hiroshima to a draw last time out, and beating Kashiwa Reysol and Cerezo Osaka before that. Jubilo may be the top scorers in J1 this season, but they have conceded a lot, too – in fact one more goal than Vissel Kobe up to this game. Let’s go for a HIGH-SCORING DRAW!!

Previews

J1 Preview Aug.25th – 19:00 Kashiwa Reysol vs Jubilo Iwata at Kashiwa

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Jubilo Iwata – GL Kawaguchi and MF Matsuoka out for the season, DF Cho, MF Yamamoto and FW Han out injured. DF/MF Riki Kitawaki has been allocated number 28 and may be considered for selection soon.

Head to Head – 9 wins for Jubilo, just 3 for Reysol, and 3 draws since 2003, all in J1.

Kashiwa missed the influence of suspended midfielder Leandro Domingues last week and struggled to create chances, but I question their wisdom in bringing in Neto Baiano and leaving the likes of Sawa and Tanaka on the bench. Proven goalscorers, team players doing well, replaced by a player who was a complete failure in his previous stint in Japan. I can only presume that Reysol see a huge improvement since then and feel he is worth a place – I will reserve judgement for now.
This is certainly a HUGE game for both teams – Reysol have drawn their last three games after an impressive run took them up the table, while Jubilo have been inconsistent lately but still cling to 6th place, just two points behind Reysol. Jubilo have won only one in their last four but remain J1 top-scorers, unfortunately they are 4th worst in defence, having conceded 35 goals. Japan national team forward Maeda scored two late goals to get all three points for Jubilo against Cerezo last week and will be looking to consolidate his position in the Samurai Blue ahead of the World Cup 2014 qualifier against Iraq
Reysol are only two goals behind Jubilo in the scoring stakes so perhaps we can expect a HIGH SCORING DRAW here today!?