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Shimizu S-Pulse 0-5 Vissel Kobe

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Vissel Kobe ended the first day of the 2nd Stage atop J1 after a convincing five goal away victory over 1st Stage cellar dwellers Shimizu S-Pulse. With goals coming from all over the field, it was a total victory that can only bring confidence for the coming stage.

Leandro – rejoining Vissel from Kashiwa Reysol – and, of course, teaming up again with manager Nelsinho, was thrown straight into the starting line-up and repaid that faith with hard work, creation of chances, and an easy finish to get on the score-sheet himself.

An interesting team selection from Nelsinho – with most of the squad available to him after a 1st Stage beset by injuries – saw nominal defensive midfielder Masatoshi Mihara return to the line-up, although just behind the strikers, while Ryota Morioka seems to have settled into his defensive midfield role, while previously accepted as an attacking player. Marquinhos was selected as a supporting striker/attacking midfielder to Leandro, the lone forward – technically – in a 3-2-2-2-1 formation.

The opening goal came from Morioka, in the 7th minute, who poked home a loose ball after Leandro had controlled a Takahito Soma cross, then created space from nowhere for an excellent shot that the keeper couldn’t hold.

Shunki Takahashi was next on the mark, volleying home another excellent far post cross from Soma in the 19th minute, with Leandro getting his goal four minutes before the break, after having a 22nd minute effort blocked by the desperate home defence. The returning Brazilian’s goal was simplicity itself, as a pinpoint pass from Jung Woo Young found Shunki Takahashi on the right wing. He sprinted to beat Mitchell Duke – no slouch in the speed stakes himself – to the ball and crossed it first time where the unmarked Leandro poked it home from close range.

In the 55th minute it was Soma yet again racing forward to send in a low, early cross for Marquinhos to stab home from close range. 4-0, and Vissel were cruising.

The final goal was, perhaps, the best of the day, and a personal victory for Shohei Takahashi. The central defender won the ball, found Leandro and sprinted off behind the Brazilian forward. Leandro sent the ball long and wide to Marquinhos in the right channel and the Vissel number 18 timed his run to perfection, reaching the ball for a first time cross to Takahashi for the defender to head home the final goal of the game after completing his 70 yard dash.

And so, Vissel end the day on top of J1 and looking forward to a successful 2nd Stage. A win against Shonan Bellmare on Wednesday night is next on the cards!

Team – Yamamoto, Iwanami, Masukawa, Sho.Takahashi, Morioka, Jung, Shu.Takahashi, Soma, Marquinhos, Mihara, Leandro

Vissel Kobe goals:
7′ Ryota MORIOKA
19′ Shunki TAKAHASHI
41′ LEANDRO
55′ MARQUINHOS
75′ Shohei TAKAHASHI

Attendance: 14,037

In the Mix, Previews

JSoccer Magazine J1 Previews Matchday 33

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17:30 Kashiwa Reysol vs Vissel Kobe at Kashiwa – VIssel to Hold Back Resyol Tide?

Team News
Kashiwa Reysol – MF Kurisawa is suspended. MF Mizuno will probably miss the last two games.
VIssel Kobe – GK Tokushige is still doubtful, FW Yoshida undergoing tests, DF Hayashi out for the season. FW Tokura is suspended.

Head to Head – 9 wins each, and just 2 draws in 20 meetings in J1 (and a J2 season in 2006) since 2003.

Match Preview – a match with it all the play for. Kashiwa Reysol seem to have the very influential Leandro Domingues back and fit, just in time for a push for that 3rd spot, the ACL place for 2013. They won’t have any problem overcoming their injuries with their deep squad and they’re in decent form after an away win at Marinos. I have said it before, but their forwards are doing the job – Kudo, Tanaka, Sawa are all in reasonable form, so hopefully, for the team’s sake, Neto Baiano won’t get a look-in!

Vissel Kobe, on the other hand, will miss Tokura, who has been among the goals recently, and are under severe pressure to win or face a final day fight against Sanfrecce Hiroshima to stay in J1. Having said that, with the current form of Ardija and Gamba, a win here might still leave them needing another win on the final day anyway! They won for the first time since August last week, in interim coach Adachi’s first match in charge since Akira Nishino was fired and that new coach adrenalin effect may still be in force today! It will be a tough match but Vissel have more to lose and I think we can EXPECT a WIN for VISSEL KOBE!

17:30 Kawasaki Frontale vs Shimizu S-Pulse at Todoroki – S-Pulse to Come Back from Losses!

Team News
Kawasaki Frontale – DF Jeci is injured again, along with DF Komiyama. DF Morishita is back from injury but not match fit, no suspensions.
Shimizu S-Pulse – MF Hattanda is doubtful, no suspensions.

Head to Head – 7 wins for Shimizu S-Pulse, 3 for Kawasaki Frontale and 3 draws since 2005 in 13 J1 meetings.

Match Preview – Kawasaki Frontale made their J1 place safe last weekend with a last gasp away win by the single goal at Niigata, probably condemning their opponents to relegation at the same time. Combined with a 4-2 win over Reds the week before, they have relaxed at last, and Renato is back on form – a hat trick against Reds – depending on results around them they could be looking at a top 6 finish after all, if they win their final two games. I feel that would be a false position, though, and the the team really need to look at some of the choices made by coach Kazama. If Renato is in the same form as against Reds they could score a goal or two!

Shimizu S-Pulse have had a roller coaster season. At one point in 2nd spot with the top in sight, they went on a winless, even goalless streak and plummeted down J1. They then recovered and as close as three games ago had faint Championship hopes, but certainly a hand on an ACL place. Two straight defeats in J1 (and the Nabisco Cup FInal loss) have knocked them back and they will have a confidence problem, perhaps. They are a young team and it will be important to get a win or two in these final games to help them bounce back and be ready for a new season of what the fans will hope is a successful one. The groundwork is there, a couple more defeats could kill that off, so the experience of coach Ghotbi and his older heads will not want to lose this one, even if a win will not get them that 3rd place it will mean a lot in the long run, I feel. EXPECT a WIN for SHIMIZU S-PULSE!

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14:30 Vegalta Sendai vs Albirex Niigata at Yurtec – Sendai to send Albirex to J2?

Team News
Vegalta Sendai – MF Tamura is suspended. DF Uemoto is a long-term injury absentee.
Albirex Niigata – DF Murakami is suspended. GK HIgashiguchi and MF Uchida are out for the season, and more. Reserve GK Watanabe also out until next season at least!

Head to Head – 2 wins for Vegalta Sendai, 1 for Albirex Niigata, and 3 draws over six meetings since 2010 in J1 and the Nabisco Cup.

Match Preview – down to two games to go and everything to play for, for both of these teams today. A loss for Albirex Niigata will condemn them to relegation, while a loss for Vegalta Sendai may well give the title to Sanfrecce, depending on results on the day. It is no exaggeration to say that this game is vital at both ends of the table.
Vegalta have proved they can do without missing players, utilizing the depth they have and should not miss Tamura, especially if Sekiguchi is fit and raring to go. Albirex, on the other hand, have struggled to score goals andhave little choice up front to change it at this stage. The defence has been strong, considering their position, although goalkeeper injuries will not help them at this late stage. Even a win for Albirex guarantees nothing in regards to safety so an early goal will be key to boostng their confidence, if they score, or deflating it completely if they concede. EXPECT a WIN for VEGALTA SENDAI!

14:30 Nagoya Grampus vs Kashima Antlers at Toyota – Nagoya to Push Kashima Down into trouble!

Team News
Nagoya Grampus – DF Abe, FW Kennedy out injured, no suspensions.
Kashima Antlers – MF Ogasawara is suspended. MF/DF Yamamura is still out injured but back in training.

Head to Head – 14 wins for Kashima Antlers, 8 for Nagoya Grampus and just 2 draws in 24 meetings since 2003.

Match Preview – Kashima Antlers still need a point or two for safety, and, in fact, if they lose both of their final games and results elsewhere go against them, they could be in for a season in J2, so the Nabisco Cup winners have everything to play and may feel that pressure. The influential Ogasawa will be missed and his de facto replacement for the future, Yamamura is still out, also. An inconsistent midfield today?
Nagoya Grampus are another team with a lot to play for ad are in a good position to claim an ACL place for 2013, after such an inconsistent season. They will not ease off, in fact, will take pleasure in inflicting possible serious damage on perennial rivals. The WILL miss Kennedy up front but Nagai, Tamada and Kanazaki are more than a handful, if on form, and Tulio always seems to to come up with a goal at the right time! EXPECT a WIN for NAGOYA GRAMPUS!

14:30 Gamba Osaka vs FC Tokyo at Expo’70 – Gamba to Steamroller Tokyo!

Team News
Gamba Osaka – GK Kimura is back in training after a broken leg. DF Nakazawa and FW Kawanishi both back and fit, also after broken legs! DF Kaji out for the season. DF Iwashita is suspended.
FC Tokyo – after an injury hit season DF Hiramatsu and MF Otake – both long-term absentees are the the only two reported missing this week, no suspensions.

Head to Head – 7 wins for FC Tokyo, 6 for Gamba Osaka, and 4 draws – all in J1 – since 2003.

Match Preview – one of the games where just one team has anything left to play for . . . FC Tokyo are safe. but have missed their slim chance of CL qualification and went down to issel Kobe last week in a rain-affected farce and won’t be too motivated for this game. The fans will take e opportunity to have a go at Konno, who left them for Gamba but the players may find it hard to get too excited about this one?
Gamba Osaka are in a must-win situation, still in a relegation spot despite decent fecent form. Ardija and Vissel also won last week, when Gamba took out S-Pulse away, so it was a case of no change aroud. Gamba BUT the teams immediately above ose three winners all lost and now Cerezo, Antlers and even Jubilo are still in mathematical danger of going down, so Gamba Osaka will be buoyed by that, as if they needed any motivation. If Leandro acores another goal or two in this game and the next, and Gamba do stay up, surely the Brazilian striker is in with a shot at the MVP award? EXPECT a WIN for GAMBA OSAKA!

14:30 Sanfrecce Hiroshima vs Cerezo Osaka at Hiroshima Big Arch – Hiroshima March On!

Team News
Sanfrecce Hiroshima – NO injuries reported by Sanfrecce, DF Chiba and MF Mikic are suspended.
Cerezo Osaka – Reporting injuries to MFs Yoshino and Maruhashi. FW Bando is suspended.

Head to Head – 6 wins apiece and 3 draws over a decade of meetings.

Match Preview – Sanfrecce Hiroshima know that a win could well give them the Championship with a game to spare, depending on the result at Vegalta and will be going all out to get that win in the hope that they don’t need to win on the final day (against Vissel Kobe, away, who are experts at saving themselves on the final day!). Sato will be gunning for the title of J1’s top goalscorer (and he has gone through the season without a single yellow card, too!) but will be without Mikic supplying the ammunition. There should still be enough talent in the Sanfrecce team to overcome an inconsistent Cerezo.

Cerezo Osaka capitulated last week and, indeed, have not won in four matches, although they have managed three draws. The team have confirmed that coach Culpi has accepted their offer and will be at the reins next season, even though he originally had to be dragged back after leaving once for a well-deserved break from football! Ironically, after the team’s good form convinced them to make the offer, now Cerezo find themselves still in need of some points to ensure safety and could still go down. Will they believe that scenario is possible and take this game seriously? One would hope so, but their inconsistency will tell and we can EXPECT a WIN for SANFRECCE HIROSHIMA!

14:30 Sagan Tosu vs Urawa Reds at Best Amenity – Tosu to Punish Reds Profligacy?

Team News
Sagan Tosu – MF Yeo out injured for the season, no suspensions.
Urawa Reds – DF Makino is suspended. DF Mizuta and MF Kashiwagi are doubtful, MF Naoki Yamada is in training but not match fit after six months out.

Head to Head – Reds won their league game this season, away, while Tosu won the Nabisco Cup match – the only two times these teams have ever met.

Match Preview – Sagan Tosu surprised all the critics with a fine start to their maiden J1 season but it looked as if the bubble had finally burst last month when they started to drift down the table. But they have confounded us all again with three wins in a row just when we thought they’d end up as mid-table also-rans on December 2nd. Those three winds, nine points have given them impetus going into the final two games and they are within two points of Urawa and Nagoya, with a better goal difference. Whatever happens in the next two matches, the fans will be happy and the club can look forward to a bright 2nd season in the top flight.

If Toyoda is firing on all cylinders and takes the chances created, and the home defence of Tosu is as strong as it has been, it will be tough for Urawa Reds who have dropped points all over during the last month and more. They no longer have a chance of the Championship and no their 3rd place – and a place in the ACL in 2013 – is under threat from Nagoya, Reysol and today’s opponents. It is the epitome of must-win for Reds, or they could see themselves dropping to 6th if results go against them elsewhere. But I don’t see any improvement up front (major signing needed for 2013) and EXPECT a WIN for SAGAN TOSU!

17:30 Consadole Sapporo vs Yokohama F.Marinos at Sapporo Dome – Surely Not Another Draw for Marinos?

Team News
Consadole Sapporo – DF KIm and FW Uchimura are suspended. DF Osanai is a new injury victim.
Yokohama F.Marinos – MF Tomisawa is suspended. No new injuries reported, MF Ogura is back in training.

Head to Head – 3 J1 wins for Yokohama F.Marinos, 1 Nabisco Cup win (in 2012) for Consadole Sapporo in four meetings in 2008 J1 and 2012 only.

Match Preview – Consadole Sapporo got a win the game after they were confirmed relegated, as if a sense of relief had allowed them to relax, but it didn’t last long and they are back as whipping boys, having shipped 11 goals in their last three defeats. They have now conceded 82 goals , or more than 2.5 per game and are earning the title of worst-ever J1 team. I can’t see them getting anything out of Yokohama F.Marinos, although the away team now have nothing left to play for after defeat by Kashiwa Reysol last time out left them out of the ACL running. Marinos have the equal best defence in the league (along with Sanfrecce and, surprisingly, Albirex!) but have trouble scoring . . . if Marquinhos get a few chances he’ll bury one, but Oguro and Yuji Ono are off-form and Marinos are suffering for it. Dare I say EXPECT a DRAW!?

17:30 Omiya Ardija vs Jubilo Iwata at NACK 5 – Jubilo to Get the Point They Need?

Team News
No injuries or suspensions reported for Omiya Ardija.
Jubilo Iwata still missing MF Matsuoka, and MF Baek reported as recovered but still doubtful to start.

Head to Head – 9 wins for Jubilo Iwata, 5 for Omiya Ardija, and 4 draws since 2005.

Match Preview – Omiya Ardija are unbeaten since late August, when they went down to Sendai, and the impressive run has come at just the right time to go some way to pulling them clear of relegation but there is still hard work ahead if they are to survive in J1. Away wins at Cerezo and Reysol recently, in between some creditable draws have kept pace with Gamba’s efforts, while pulling them away from Albirex in 17th place. Omiya’s fine form has dragged Vissel, Kashima and Cerezo into the dogfight and even Jubilo, today’s opponents, are not mathematically safe from relegation and need another point to be sure.

With a superior goal difference to most teams below them, Jubilo Iwata know that a single point from two games is enough for safety and they are also aware that they are completely out of the ACL reckoning now. I have a feeling that they will play for the draw and frustrate Ardija’s attack. At this stage of the season, Ardija might settle for a draw, also and while the likes of Cho and Higashi misfire, after promising so much, a draw is all they might expect. If Baek is still not fit for Jubilo they will be missing a midfield spark but if Maeda gets chance, especially on his head, he’ll bury it, and Ardija! EXPECT a DRAW!

Previews

J.League J1 Preview Matchday 32 – 14:00 Yokohama F.Marinos vs Kashiwa Reysol at Nissan

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Team News
Yokohama F.Marinos – MF Tomisawa is suspended. MF Ogura may be back in contention after injury.
Kashiwa Reysol – MF/FW Leandro Domingues fighting for fitness. DF Kondo and MF Mizuno definitely out.

Head to Head
7 wins for Reysol, 6 for Marinos and 4 draws since 2004.

Match Preview
Yokohama F.Marinos had a terrible start to the season, then went on a long unbeaten run, then hit a losing streak, and are now unbeaten in their last five – it’s time to make it count and keep winning if they are to have any chance of making that final ACL-qualifying spot in 3rd place. They are one of six teams who realistically have a chance and a win against Reysol would knock that team out of contention. They’ll have to do it without Tomisawa, who is suspended, and with just, seemingly, Marquinhos on form of their striking options.

Meanwhile, Kashiwa Reysol have missed the influential Leandro Domingues recently but are still just three points off that 3rd spot. A return for the Brazilian would be a huge boost for the team who have lost to Ardija and drawn with Gamba in their last two matches. Marinos should be a bigger test for them and for any chance of finishing 3rd and taking that final ACL spot they must win this game. Marinos, along with Sanfrecce, have the best defence in the league and have drawn a J1 record 14 times this season – EXPECT a DRAW here today, also!

Previews

J1 Preview Nov.7th 19.00 – Kashiwa Reysol vs Gamba Osaka at Kashiwa

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Team News
Kashiwa Reysol – DF Kondo still out injured. MF Mizuno out for a month. DF Yamanaka will miss the game on Japan U-19 duty.
Gamba Osaka – Kaji rejoined the injury list. FW Sato is out until next season. DF Nakazawa, GK Kimura both out with broken legs. FW Kawanishi back in contention for a place after being out all season.

Head to Head – Just one draw in 17 meetings between these two teams since 2003! 10 wins for Gamba, 6 for Reysol. Kashiwa have won the last three matches!

Match Preview – While Kashiwa Reysol harbour slim hopes of an ACL-qualifying 3rd place finish, they have had to do without talismanic 2011 J1 MVP Leandro Domingues. Say what you like about the Brazilian, he pulls this team up from avaerage when he plays. Whether he returns for this game may be the key to whather Reysol get anything from a team that will give its all. They seem too reliant on their two decent Brazilians! Their third Brazilian Neto Baiano should not be relied on for anything!

Gamba Osaka know that a defeat could well seal their fate, as they may find themselves 5 or 6 points adrift of safety with just three games to play after today. Sure they are top scorers in J1, but their defence is the second-worst after Consadole Sapporo and that is what has let them down this season. Whether J1 or J2 next season, a rebuilding must begin, starting with a goalkeeper – they were unfortunate that the keeper promoted to the 1st XI this season broke a leg just weeks into the season and hit them hard, but this aging team need leadership and, if it wasn’t for Leandro, they’d already be relegated. EXPECT a WIN for GAMBA OSAKA, especially if Leandro is in for them, and Reysol’s Leandro is out!

Previews

J1 Preview – Sat. October 27th – 14:00 – Kashiwa Reysol v. Omiya Ardija at Kashiwa Stadium

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Team News – Kashiwa Reysol – MF Leandro Domingues is expected to miss this game, DF Kondo will be out at least a month. DF Yamanaka will miss the game on Japan U-19 duty.
Omiya Ardija – DF Murakami is out long term, FW Novakovic is doubtful, facing a fitness test.

Head to Head – Four wins each, and five draws in 13 meetings since 2005.

Match Preview – Kashiwa Reysol knocked off Sanfrecce last week and, in doing so, took themselves in to 4th spot, making it three wins in five. It’s been an up and down season, perhaps their entry into the ACL did not help, stretching their squad and causing inconsistency early on in the season. They will be missing Leandro Domingues – last season’s J.League Player of the Season – and it shows, although no complaints about the end result last game! Defender Kondo will also be a big loss but surely they will be strong enough to take out Ardija, especially as a win could take them into 3rd spot.
Omiya Ardija are a place and a point clear of relegation and hoping that they can get something from this game, while those around them slip up. Omiya have steered clear of the bottom three in recent weeks, with a five game unbeaten run, although the last three games have all been draws, while before that they had a 5-0 away win at Sapporo! Don’t expect five goals today, in fact EXPECT a WIN for KASHIWA REYSOL!

In the Mix, Previews

J1 Preview – Kashiwa Reysol vs Kawasaki Frontale at Kashiwa Stadium – Oct.6, Matchday 28

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Team News
Kashiwa Reysol – DF Masushima is suspended. MF Leandro Domingues is undergoing treatment and will need a fitness test.
Kawasaki Frontale – GK Nishibe, DF Morishita, MF Inamoto and FW Kobayashi all reporting as injured.

Head to Head – In 13 J1 or Nabisco Cup meetings since 2005 Frontale have 6 wins to Reysol’s 4, with 3 draws.

Match Preview – Kashiwa Reysol have won just one of their last five and now sit 9 points adrift of 3rd place, 14 off the top, and look to have blown their chances of even an ACL-qualifying finish this season. With Leandro Domingues doubtful, and the recent arrival of Brazilian forward Neto Baiano dividing fans (and the team?) they will find it hard to break out of their slump but, who better to do it against than a very average Kawasaki Frontale? A narrow win against bottom club Consadole and a fortunate win against FC Tokyo two games back mask the fact that this is a team in trouble. They are probably only one win from safety, perhaps only needed 5 or 6 points from their final 7 games to make sure of J1 status next season, but the can’t seem to relax. As I’ve noted before, coach Kazama’s tactics will be looked at very carefully come the end of the season and whether he will still have a job for 2013 remains to be seen. EXPECT a DULL DRAW here today!?

In the Mix, Previews

JSoccer Magazine J1 Preview Sept.22nd, Matchday 26 – 19:00 Sagan Tosu vs Kashiwa Reysol at Best Amenity Stadium

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Sagan Tosu – FW Toyoda is a doubt, undergoing tests.
Kashiwa Reysol reporting no injuries except THREE goalkeepers! But top keeper is available!

2 wins each and 3 draws – all in J2 until this year’s 1-1 draw in J1, since Sagan entered the League in 2006.

Last year’s promoted team – Reysol – went on to win the title, to the surprise of everyone, including their own fans – probably! Anyone who admitted that they thought that Sagan Tosu were this year’s surprise promoted team was probably laughed out of town at the start of the season, but the J1 first-timers have more than held their own and now, despite having won only two of their last five, find themselves still in 7th and challenging for a spot in the ACL 2013. With the best defence in J1, Sagan Tosu continue to surprise us all and they know that a win here would take them above Reysol, maybe even into 4th spot with other results going their way. They may well be missing ace striker Toyoda, who would be a big loss, and Reysol appear to be at full strength so the game could go either way.

With the likes of Leandro Domingues, Kudo, Sawa and Jorge Wagner on form, the Reysol attack is a force to be reckoned with. A rampant attack up against a formidable defence? Something’s gotta give! I think it will be the Sagan defence this time and Reysol will roll out the goals.

EXPECT a WIN for KASHIWA REYSOL!

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!?

Previews

J1 Preview Aug.18th – 19:00 Vegalta Sendai vs Kashiwa Reysol at Yurtec

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Vegalta Sendai – DF Kakuda is out for at least a month.

Kashiwa Reysol – MF Leandro Domingues is suspended. DF Fujita out for a month.

6 wins for Reysol, 4 for Vegalta, and just one draw in 11.

this is a BIG game for both teams. Kashiwa Reysol can continue their impressive rise up the table after their bad start – now just 5 points off the top, a win here will draw them level with today’s opponents and prove their credentials. A loss will allow Sendai to pull away from Reysol, but Reysol have drawn their last two, while Sendai lost to bottom club Sapporo last weekend, so both teams will be pulling out all of the stops.

Reysol will be missing influential midfielder Leandro Domingues to suspension and may well be settling for a draw by the time Sendai have pulled out all THEIR stops! If Akamine, Wilson and Ota can take their chances Vegalta could take this, especially with home support, but Sendai have not won in four games but still remain in 2nd place… will a draw be the best these two teams can do today? EXPECT a DRAW!

Reports

Kashiwa Reysol 1-1 Sagan Tosu – April 28th

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The home team welcomed back Leandro Domingues and Hiroki Sakai after suspension last week and took the lead seconds before half time as Kitajima guided home a corner via a defender’s shoulder to give Reysol the lead at the break. Kobayashi got the point-saving goal after the defence had made a mess of an inswinging free kick. Reysol’s season continues to be very average, while Sagan Tosu continue to confound the critics.