On July 14 at 5 PM, the 23rd round of the J.League will see Nagoya Grampus host Kashiwa Reysol at the Toyota Stadium.
In last weekend’s 22nd round of the J.League, Nagoya Grampus suffered a 0-1 defeat away to Machida Zelvia. The team displayed a rather lackluster offensive performance in the match, managing only one shot on target throughout the game. Newly appointed attacking midfielder Keita Sakakibara did not perform up to expectations and failed to help the team break through the front lines. Regarding the immense difficulties the team is currently facing, Nagoya manager Masatada Ishii said in an interview, “We created some offensive opportunities but also had many disappointing moments. I will discuss tactics with the players again. Looking down is meaningless; we will continue to look forward.”
Currently in the J.League standings, Nagoya Grampus temporarily stands at 8 wins, 3 draws, and 11 losses, ranking 12th in the league. They are still 14 points behind the top three, significantly deviating from the championship goal set by the team at the beginning of the season. In this season’s 11 home games, Nagoya Grampus has achieved a record of 3 wins, 3 draws, and 5 losses, with quite poor point-scoring ability, averaging less than 0.9 goals per game. However, the good news is that since Nagoya Grampus was eliminated early in both the J.League Cup and the Emperor’s Cup, the team will not be troubled by the multi-front battles of cup matches on Wednesday of this week or in August, allowing them to focus fully on the league.
In terms of squad, Nagoya Grampus will continue to miss the assistance of starting center-forward Ryoichi Maeda in this match. Additionally, midfielders Ryota Igarashi, full-back Yasushi Ono, and central defender Goh Kwang Sung will all be absent due to injuries. It is worth noting that before the start of this round of the league, Nagoya Grampus welcomed back wing-back Yuki Soma, who had previously played abroad in the Portuguese SuperLiga. Masatada Ishii confirmed before the game that he would start him to help the team in their offensive efforts.
In the previous round, Kashiwa Reysol defeated FC Tokyo 3-2 at home, thanks to an excellent offensive display. Although they conceded the first goal in the match, they still managed to complete a comeback with outstanding performances from their second-line attackers. The late winning goal scored by Yoshiro Kojima was particularly impressive. It is worth mentioning that Kashiwa Reysol actually encountered significant difficulties in defeating FC Tokyo. Team manager Masaki Hata could not be present to direct the team due to illness before the game, and acting manager Ryoichi Kurisawa had no prior experience as a head coach. Therefore, the team’s morale boost from overcoming various disadvantages to achieve a comeback victory is evident.
Currently in the J.League standings, Kashiwa Reysol temporarily stands at 7 wins, 8 draws, and 7 losses, ranking 11th in the league. They have already pulled 8 points clear of the relegation zone and are unlikely to need to worry about relegation this season as they did last year. In this season’s 11 away appearances, Kashiwa Reysol has recorded a record of 3 wins, 5 draws, and 3 losses, with scoring efficiency roughly equal to that at home. In the third round of the Emperor’s Cup on Wednesday, Kashiwa Reysol narrowly eliminated Tsukuba University 2-1 thanks to a goal from main striker Shinzo Koroki in extra time, but the physical toll of this match on the team cannot be underestimated.
In terms of squad, after this match, Kashiwa Reysol’s starting right-back Daiki Kaneko and forward Shinzo Koroki will report for duty with the Olympic team to prepare for the Paris Olympics at the end of this month. In addition, starting central defender Tomoya Ugajin will continue to be sidelined due to injury, while new summer transfer Yusuke Enoda has the chance to make his debut for the new club in this match.
In the previous 20 encounters between the two teams, Nagoya Grampus has achieved a record of 10 wins, 5 draws, and 5 losses, slightly holding a psychological advantage. In this round of the league, Nagoya, who have lost four consecutive games, will aim to rebound with the advantage of playing at home. Can Kashiwa Reysol, welcoming back manager Masaki Hata, escape the away match unscathed?
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