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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!

Previews

J1 Preview – Sat. October 27th – 14:00 – Nagoya Grampus v. Yokohama F.Marinos at Toyota Stadium

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Team News – Nagoya Grampus – DF Tanaka is suspended. MF Tanabe and DF Sato will miss the game on Japan U-19 duty.
Yokohama F.Marinos – DF Amano is a long term absentee.

Head to Head – Seven wins for Grampus, four for Marinos and EIGHT draws, all in J1 since 2003.

Match Preview – Two teams that have disappointed their fans after expecting a decent season, but, having said that, both teams are within sight of an ACL spot. Nagoya Grampus took all three points away at Sagan, who had previously been very hard to beat at home – and find themselves in 6th, just three points out of that ACL spot. After their season of inconsistency to find themselves in this “false”position may well paper over the cracks that the team is experiencing and they really need to rebuild if they are to continue to be a strong challenger in J1. To do that today, they’ll need to beat the best defence in J1 (29 goals conceded in 29 games). With Josh Kennedy under the weather and suffering from regular injuries, Tamada and Nagai have to score more goals, soon!

Yokohama F.Marinos are unbeaten in four games now, after a bad run of losses interrupted their long mid-season unbeaten run, and still find themselves – like their opponents today – within reach of that ACL spot. The fact that they have had to rely on Marquinos to score many of their goals this season, after expecting much from Yuji Ono, does not bode well for the new season, but THIS season is not yet over and Marinos will want to build on their 4-0 demolition of Jubilo last week, although they saw two 0-0 draws before that. I don’t hold out much hope for either team to break out the goals here today – EXPECT a DRAW!