Shimizu S-Pulse – LB Lee and CB Jong-a-Pin are suspended, while DF Yoshida is undergoing fitness tests.
Urawa Reds – all players seem to be fit for selection except Naoki Yamada who is out for the season.
Head to Head – ten wins each and four draws over the last decade – very even. Reds won the encounter earlier this year, but you have to go back to 2008 for Reds’ last League win before that!
Shimizu S-Pulse have begun a revival, as predicted here and this game is a major test of their credentials. A win for S-Pulse will put them within one point of Urawa Reds, while a win for Reds will dent Shimizu’s confidence and send them 7 points adrift of their opponents. Both teams have had problems scoring this season, though S-Pulse have finally started finding the net in the last few weeks and new signing, Korean Olympic forward Kim Hyun Sung will be looking to score his first for the team, while Omae and Takagi are hitting goals again, ably supported by Alex Brosque. So, while the forwards may be on song, the team will be without at least two of their regular defence and so may consider curtailing the attacking tendencies to concentrate on keeping it tight at the back – or maybe not! Coach Afshin Ghotbi is a swashbuckling type and while his players are confident he may just hope to score more goals than Reds!
As noted, Urawa Reds are not scoring many goals, so may not trouble the depleted S-Pulse defence as mush as they should… Ugajin has been scoring from midfield recently, and Haraguchi is gaining confidence up front. If the likes of Tanaka, Popo and Despotovic can give help from the bench Reds may hit the net today.
I am going to stick my neck out and go for a highscoring WIN for SHIMIZU S-PULSE!
