Tag Archives: Kashiwagi

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

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!

PREVIEW – Jubilo Iwata v. Urawa Reds – May 6th

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!