Hosts have given themselves a real chance of survival with consecutive wins over West Ham United and West Bromwich Albion, they outplayed the Hammers, who are just a single league place below the Swans here two weeks ago and showed huge spirit to follow up last week at the Hawthorns. The squad and coaching staff look very together and committed to the battle ahead and despite still being bottom of the EPL and unlike the clubs immediately above them, they are going to look at the league table and be full of hope and not despair ! A seemingly hopeless position has quickly turned around, they are three points from safety, but have the best goal difference of the bottom three and also better than Sunderland whom they will be looking to catch, they have at least one game in hand on all the clubs above them and five of their last seven games are at home, Chelsea are the next team to visit, so this will be "easier" of the two and if they win today, they will be quite big odds on to survive.
 

Hosts are much improved under manager Justin Edinburgh, who did a fine job at Newport County and was approached by at least two big lower level clubs, before taking up this position in February. Since then, the Gills have averaged 1.6 points per game and that would equate to 5th place over the full season, they have performed well against the better teams drawing with leaders Bristol City recently in a very dogged performance and fighting back from two down to earn a point at second placed Preston in midweek. That was about as far away from an end of season showing from a team with "nothing to play for" (which is the Gills) as you can get and Edinburgh teams do not easily lie down. He claims to be very focused on pushing on and trying to finish as high up the table as possible, a platform to build on and to market the club next season and I feel there will be a direct correlation between where they finish and how much money the new boss will be given to spend.
 

These two are "guaranteed" at least a playoff spot , they sit 7 and 8 points respectively behind second placed Preston North End with again, respectively, two and one games in hand. Dons have the better schedule, Town and North End have to play each other and also leaders Bristol City and there is obviously a good chance for the winner today to put pressure on that automatic promotion place. They are "free wheeling" to do so, in that they have nothing to lose and I feel we are very likely to see goals this afternoon. I slightly favour the visitors, who are the better footballing team, they won the reverse fixture 2-1, have refound some form after their usual near end of season blip and scored seven goals in winning their last two and they have scored in 13 straight road games. They get Dele Alli back today (possibly from the bench), the 18 yo has been the worst kept secret in League 1 for several years, but his 14 goals in 36 games from midfield this season , forced Tottenham Hotspur into paying big money for the teenager, who was then loaned back to Dons, he has missed six weeks with injury. With Town likely to debut a defender who have not played in five months, this looks a decent opportunity for the visitors to get amongst the goals. I will suggest 1.5 units MK Dons to score over 1.5 goals 2.50-2.625 general quote, this match is being televised, so additionally, some companies will trade this market in running. Town have conceded two or more in 8 of their last 20 home starts (40%) and even that implies these odds are too big, given that Dons are better than almost all of those previous opponents, pose more offensive threat and that the draw is of very limited use to either team.
 

 

Next newsletter will be sent at 09.00 UK time on Saturday.

 

Kashima Antlers- Vissel Kobe
 

Montedio Yamagata- FC Tokyo
 

Sanfrecce Hiroshima- Shimizu S-Pulse
 

Kawasaki Frontale- Ventforet Kofu

 

I think the best way to start is by reproducing the whole of last week's J-League newsletter and you can find that below the "good luck" sign off.

 

Vissel Kobe, FC Tokyo and Ventforet Kofu are discussed in some detail there and we can return to the trio shortly, but lets start with Sanfrecce Hiroshima- Shimizu S-Pulse . I was keen to oppose SSP for the trip to Nagoya Grampus and highlighted their defensive issues.........

 
SSP have not kept a clean sheet in six and have conceded at least twice in five of those, they did manage to score twice against Gamba Osaka last week, but to be honest, they owed more to the opposition goalkeeper who made two howlers, than any real offensive prowess in that game. The second goal was reported as thus ....."Then, in the 63rd minute Higashiguchi took a cross comfortably and all seemed well. As the defence cleared out and the attacking team returned to their positions the Gamba keeper dropped the ball to the floor, ready to punt it out. He hadn't checked behind though. where Genki Omae was lurking. The diminutive S-Pulse forward pounced on the free ball and tucked it into the net gratefully. 2-2, leaving Higashiguchi red-faced ! " That was not the first error(s) that Higashiguchi has made recently btw and his form has put me off backing Gamba this round.

Anyway , I have not seen an awful lot of them this season, but SSP feel they have played a little better than recent results suggest, however, it seems hard to see how they are going to keep Nagoya out for long and this could easily and quickly develop into a shootout, which is what this "local" game ( SSP are calling this their derby fixture again this season, with the continued absence of Jubilo Iwata from the top flight) usually develops into, with the last seven h2h meetings going "over" at an average of 4.43 goals per game, the visitors have scored at least twice in 6 of 10 visits. Nagoya have score four first half goals in their last two home starts and SSP have conceded at least twice in the second half in their last three away games, so the goals will surely come sooner or later for Grampus.

 

 

They lost that 3-1 , Grampus were two up at half time, scored a third early in the second period( 48 mins) and then sat back, which allowed SSP to get a late consolation, but I do not doubt for one moment that the hosts could have scored 4-5 goals if they had pushed on. Shimizu made a big deal of their home game with Vegalta Sendai in the Nabisco Cup in midweek and got a hard earned 2-1 win, but that was very much B team v B team and the first 11-14 are really struggling, especially at the back and I feel a visit to Hiroshima where the hosts have scored six road goals in the last week, including two at highflying FC Tokyo, who were previously unbeaten and who have scored 11 in the last four h2h meetings is the last thing they need right now. Tactically, Sanfrecce were spot on in the capital, took huge confidence from that and having followed up in midweek, want to now reproduce those performances in front of their home supporters who have been very loyal through a difficult start to the season.

 

1.5 units Sanfrecce Hiroshima -1 ball 2.11 asian line/Sportmarket.

 

Vissel Kobe are now unbeaten in six and head coach Nelsinho has done a fantastic job on them in double quick time and I think that once again, they have been underestimated by the oddsmakers today, getting a big handicap start at Kashima Antlers who are a bigger name, but have an almost identical record to Kobe and the vistors are still on an upward curve and improving as a group. They also have a decent record here and have won on their last two visits (league and cup last season), scoring three goals in each, it is here, in Ibaraki that Antlers have struggled, they are 8-4-10 in their last 22 home league starts and it is that vulnerability here which cost them the title last year ( collecting 36 of 60 points on the road). Kobe drew 2-2 at Albirex Niigata last week and I spoke about that game in midweek......

They had to settle for a share of the points there, but deserved more and were left frustrated by the result, they gifted Albirex the second goal with an absolute defensive howler and after getting back on terms with a really well worked goal from Shunki Takahashi, they dominated and created two really good opportunities in particular for the normally reliable Marquinhos. They showed us some resilience and once again the offensive potential they pocess, that's six goals in two outings and it could easily have been 12 and they are not a team I want to oppose , or even miss out on backing when the odds are right.

A similar performance should be enough to get them at least a share of the spoils and getting more than a half goal start, looks a real bonus. Antlers flew to Sydney and back this last midweek to play Western Sydney Warriors, the AFC Champions League champions and got a fine 2-1 win, but it was hard fought for 90+ minutes and 11 players took part in that and last weekend's J-League match, to say nothing of the circa 20 hours flying time and they are all bound to be a little weary, mentally and physically, coming into this game.

 

1.5 units Vissel Kobe +0.5 ball 2.16 asian line/Sportmarket.

 

Kawasaki are top scorers in J-League averaging over two goals per game so far and will want to make the most of this start against the team with the worst defensive record, ahead of three games in a row against teams like themselves with title ambitions. Any points dropped to Ventforet at present are seen as points dropped and this is a favoured opponent for Frontale, who have not lost to Kofu in ten home games, averaging 2.2 goals per game and have also scored 13 goals in the last six meetings in the reverse fixture, winning four. Sagan won 3-0 in Kofu last week (see below), the match was over as a contest with the second goal which came after just 25 minutes and Ventforet are dire defensively right now and are offering close to zero at the other end of the pitch. There are no surprises with them, they arrive at 0-0 and will be looking to hold on to it, but it is hard to see any plan B after they concede , as they surely will today.
 

Ventforet were desperate to stop the rot in midweek and used a far stronger line up than most other clubs for their Nabisco Cup game, fielding seven of the 14 who played against Sagan and it looked to have worked as they led 2-0 very early, but conceded twice to allow Albirex, who were without Rafael Silva and you should all know by now how absolutely vital he is to Niigata, who are largely toothless in his absence and the fact that they still scored twice and on the road , only further highlights how bad the situation is for Kofu.

 

1.5 units Kawasaki Frontale -1 ball 1.99 asian line/Sportmarket.

 

I pulled the plug on FC Tokyo last week ( see below) and that instinct was right, the reasons for doing so was a combination of seeing Sanfrecce as an improving team, along with the hosts missing a couple of key players and being a little vulnerable through the defensive spine. They played quite well and put Hiroshima under a lot of pressure, especially late in teh game, but it was not to be, as usual, I will let Massimo Ficcadenti talk about the game: "We took an early lead but after we conceded the equaliser the flow of the game changed completely. Even so, the side continued to play with spirit, we got our rhythm back and made adjustments in areas where we had lost our balance slightly." Takahashi had responsibility for both midfield and defence, but we moved him back to add further stability. "Yonemoto suffered a knock on the head in the first half and we had no alternative but to substitute him. "Hiroshima's intention to defend in blocks at the back, win the ball and counter attack was very pronounced in the second half. "We fell straight into their trap and conceded two goals. Hiroshima are a strong team that has made its mark. In games like today's the outcome hinges on certain events that change the course of the match. "However, I want to tell the players to lift their heads up, I always ask that they fight until the bitter end and they showed that again today. "To create a genuine spirit we need to keeping on going, that's the important thing. "Even though we have this great frustration today, we can't allow ourselves to stop now. "
 

Ficcadenti made only limited rotation in midweek for the cup, with the clear intention of getting back on track asap, they won 2-0 and the brace of goals from one of the players coming in, namely Hirotaka Mita, who has made only one league start this season, which gives the coach not only options, but (good) decisions to make this weekend.
 

Montedio have scored only two goals and won once this season and look set for a long battle against relegation and I highlighted the likelihood of that ahead of Matchday 1 ......
 

To be honest, you can make a case for Yamagata potentially being worse than Vortis, although they will surely have a better season and they also lost 8 home starts in J2, they have not really strengthened and will have to hit the ground running to avoid a season long battle to avoid relegation. They start with a trip to Vegalta Sendai who are no world beaters , but they might not need to be, what they are is battle hardened in terms of relegation fights after finishing bottom six in each of the last two seasons but surviving each time and are all too aware that these are the type of games which ultimately decide your fate. They picked up 1.25 points per game once Susumu Watanabe took charge, he has been at the club many years and knows it inside out, key was that they were unbeaten in their seven starts against the other bottom six teams under Watanabe and although he has lost a couple of key players in the off season, he has brought in his own men and guys he knows will battle . I am not certain that the hosts will be any good, but my instinct is that in three weeks time I might be kicking myself that I did not take something at odds against about a Yamagata road loss .
 

This is a match FCT should win and the type of tactical battle that Ficcadenti loves, apart from Hiroshima last week, only a fitter and very strong Gamba Osaka side have scored against Tokyo and they should be able to edge this , 0-1. 0-2.

 

 

 

Kobe saw off Kofu 4-1, a result which was incredibly flattering to the visitors whom I will return to shortly, on another day, Vissel would have scored 8-9 goals with absolutely no exaggeration and we also have to bear in mind that Kobe have been a little short defensively in recent starts and Michihiro Yasuda ,Bueno and Shohei Takahashi were all sitting this one out, at least two of them had missed the previous two starts, both of which came on the road and in which Vissel kept clean sheets and that has left me wondering about how good they can be once everyone is available. At least one and possibly two of the defenders are set to return today, but Bueno will be out for a month or so longer. However, it is upfront where they are starting to look a little fearsome and that very fluid front three (whomever starts) is going to score a lot of goals and they have good options with five players virtually interchangeable. Albirex have struggled a little, especially at the back and have already conceded nine goals, upfront they have relied very heavily on Rafael Silva who has scored four and assisted with the other two of Niigata's six goals this season and he will surely come in for special attention from Kobe and coach Nelsinho, who got a close look at him in the final game of last season with his former club. Goals have been a big problem for a long time, just 23 goals in their last 30 league and cup starts against top flight teams, 17 defeats in that sequence and only more that one goal in five games. Not a side you want back to score twice, even one might be beyond them if Kobe can cut the supply to Silva, the visitors have not lost in four h2h meetings and that trend looks set to continue, handicap start feels like a bonus. 1.5 units Vissel Kobe +0.25 ball 1.99 asian line/Sportmarket.

 

It is a little hard to over emphasize how poor Kofu were last weekend, they once again obviously had a game plan to try and frustrate as long as possible , but after conceding early, there was nowhere for them to go, or a plan B to resort to, at least one which plays to their strengths, such as they are.This is another team very short of goals, only woeful Tokushima Vortis scored fewer goals last season, they have failed to score in 9 of 14 starts and they have just one goal from an offensive player in the last 7. Former Yokohama F. Marinos manager Yasuhiro Higuchi is now at the helm , he has a tough job here, has tinkered with the formation slightly and it might take time for him to get his ideas across, it took ten games before Marinos recorded a win under him and whilst he already has one here, we cannot even call this a work in progress yet. They sold their top scorer and best defender in the off season and replacements have yet to make an impact.
 

We discussed Sagan ahead of their last away start,a  trip to Kashima Antlers.....Sagan have started well, posting two wins including one over Gamba Osaka, where they went toe to toe early with the treble winners, however, once they took the lead, arguably a little against the run of play they reverted more to type and according to Gamba, "parked the bus", but this is a team with a little something about them and against whom it is absolutely vital to score first. They won 10 times on the road last season and are ideally suited to playing on the break and with Antlers leaking goals, it is easy to see the visitors scoring and one, given their defensive prowess, might well again be enough.
 

One goal wasn't enough as it turned out as they led , but lost 3-1 to a trio of very quick second half goals , they got back on track with a win and cleansheet at home last week and they will be looking to kick start their road campaign in this one, after tough trips to Marinos and Antlers and this certainly looks more win-able, they have lost just once in six visits to Kofu, with three cleansheets in the last four and these are two teams who play similarly, but Sagan just do it so much better. 1.25 units Sagan Tosu -0.25 ball 2.20 asian line/Sportmarket.
 

.

Edit: I made a very late decision (one minute before sending) to remove the FC Tokyo match bet and preview, I will probably discuss the reasons ahead of the next round of J-League games.

 

Nagoya Grampus-Shimizu S-Pulse

 

I spoke about the offensive potential of Nagoya on opening day ......Gamba Osaka were easily the best J-League team last season and completed the domestic treble despite being in the relegation zone after 14 rounds. Knowing that, it will not surprise you to know that they, with 39 points, were the best team over the second half of the campaign , followed by Kashiwa Reysol with 36 and Kashima Antlers with 33, they were the only three teams to break the 30 point barrier, although special mention goes to Nagoya Grampus with 29, which was far and away the best of the teams who finished in the bottom half of the table and I see them as a big potential improver.

Akira Nishino is in his second year in charge there and his ideas were clearly getting across to the players and having an influence in the second half of last season, he was wildly successful at Gamba Osaka for a decade, winning numerous trophies and two coach of the year awards. He took a while to start winning things at Gamba and Nagoya are clearly prepared to give him time and to back his judgement, the signings of Kengo Kawamata from Albirex Niigata and  Leandro Domingues from Kashiwa Reysol last summer worked out well, with Kensuke Nagai thriving alongside them with 9 goals and three assists over the last 17 games and the club averaging almost two goals per game. They have now added veteran Slovenian striker Milivoje Novakovic from Shimizu S-Pulse, who's record of scoring 16 goals and contributing 4 assists in 38 league and cup appearances for a team battling relegation was awesome, as was the fact he was available for every single game and only missed 23 minutes of league action, at pushing 35 years of age. Really see a big season for them if they can all gel and hit the ground running. They open against one the promoted teams and you are never quite sure what you will get with them, but I would suggest that given up the bigger handicap on Nagoya, who were champions in 2010 and runners up in 2011, might be the way to go.

They scored three that day and have actually averaged 2.0 per game across eight competitive matches, scoring three in half of them. SSP have not kept a clean sheet in six and have conceded at least twice in five of those, they did manage to score twice against Gamba Osaka last week, but to be honest, they owed more to the opposition goalkeeper who made two howlers, than any real offensive prowess in that game. The second goal was reported as thus ....."Then, in the 63rd minute Higashiguchi took a cross comfortably and all seemed well. As the defence cleared out and the attacking team returned to their positions the Gamba keeper dropped the ball to the floor, ready to punt it out. He hadn't checked behind though. where Genki Omae was lurking. The diminutive S-Pulse forward pounced on the free ball and tucked it into the net gratefully. 2-2, leaving Higashiguchi red-faced ! " That was not the first error(s) that Higashiguchi has made recently btw and his form has put me off backing Gamba this round.

Anyway , I have not seen an awful lot of them this season, but SSP feel they have played a little better than recent results suggest, however, it seems hard to see how they are going to keep Nagoya out for long and this could easily and quickly develop into a shootout, which is what this "local" game ( SSP are calling this their derby fixture again this season, with the continued absence of Jubilo Iwata from the top flight) usually develops into, with the last seven h2h meetings going "over" at an average of 4.43 goals per game, the visitors have scored at least twice in 6 of 10 visits. Nagoya have score four first half goals in their last two home starts and SSP have conceded at least twice in the second half in their last three away games, so the goals will surely come sooner or later for Grampus.

 

1.25 Nagoya Grampus -0.75 ball 2.17 asian line/Sportmarket. 

 

1.25 units "over" 3 goals 2.21 asian line/Sportmarket Pro......alternative is the more standard 2.75 goal line at circa 1.90.

 

Given SSP's second half road record and that a lot of the action in these h2h games has come after the break ( 2.85 goals pg in the last second halves, two or more in six), you could look at the "over" goal line at half time, this is the late game, kick off 11.00 UK time btw. 1.25 units first line quoted above 2.0 as long as there have not been more than two goals in the opening half and we are playing 11 v 11.

 

 

Vissel Kobe- Ventforet Kofu
 

Shonan Bellmare- FC Tokyo

 

I do not need to write too much about this pair of games. We discussed Vissel Kobe in quite some  depth in midweek and have looked at the last two FC Tokyo games, including their win at Kobe and home game with Kofu, so a very incestuous set of previews, all of which are reproduced below.
 

FCT have had a free midweek, so have been able to prepare solely for this fixture, they only beat Kofu 1-0 , but it was an hour or so before the vsitors even tried to come out of their ultra defensive shell and the hosts should have won by a bigger margin, hitting the woodwork twice , including once from a penalty.
 

Realistic Ventforet manager Yasuhiro Higuchi said : "I think it's disappointing that we take so many negatives from the game, not only the result. We'd had two weeks to prepare for the match and worked on a variety of things such as the speed of our changeover from defence to attack, aggressive and powerful pressing of the ball and so on. In the first half though, we didn't fight for the ball and the slowness of our changeover was conspicuous. The impression I got was that some of our players were frightened of making mistakes. That's very disappointing and I want to demand improvement from the team. We didn't score because we couldn't increase the quality of our passing. We made so many simple mistakes in our build up play that we couldn't string passes together and penetrate the opposition defence. There is an issue with the tempo of our passing amongst other things but we didn't do ourselves justice at all today or play to our usual capability. There's nothing to do but recognize our current situation and continue to train. The games won't wait for us so we have to unite as a team and give it our best shot".
 

Shonan Bellmare have a respectable seven points from their four games following promotion last season, but six have come on the road and they have been less effective when making the running on home soil and with FCT having plenty of pace up front and a disciplined approach, they should enjoy this and their road starts in general this season.
 

Pretty sure we know what we will get from Kofu, which is more of the same, they will come looking for a point and only open up once they are behind and time is running out, The new boss is trying to change things around, but it is going to take time and a lot of hard work.

 

1.5 units Vissel Kobe -0.5 ball 2.08 asian line/Sportmarket.
 

 

We have not previously previewed the early round cup games in Japan and I have no real intention of doing so this year on a regular basis , but I wanted to discuss one team in particular with a view to the future and feel they are too big today in any case, so we can kill two birds with one stone ! Regardless of their result this "morning" and this is an early kick off , this is a team we will be following for several weeks, at least all the while they are offering value, or until my thinking is proved wrong, but I do not feel that will be the case !
 

Last weekend in my preview of the FC Tokyo-Ventforet Kofu game I touched upon FCT's prevoius match, a 2-0 win at Vissel Kobe.......Kobe were better than I thought last week and they are a team we will be returning to over the next week or two, as I saw something very interesting in their play. I did look at them today, but the fixture , away to Sanfrecce Hiroshima, was not quite what I was looking for. anyway, I feel that three points and a cleansheet there might look even better in a couple of week than it even does currently.

 

Kobe won 1-0 , Sanfrecce were unbeaten before that, had not conceded in two previous home games and were many peoples idea of a potential champion this season, the formline is solid and I am still a little angry with myself that I did not take a little something on Kobe at big odds in Hiroshima.
 

I had already spoken about them as a team to watch on opening day ............Reysol would have made the betting criteria, but again, are playing the worst possible team , with their coach from the last five years Nelsinho, who has had more clubs than Tiger Woods ( this is his 31st managerial appointment !), joining opponents Vissel Kobe, he knows more about the visitors than any man alive and will surely have a game plan and some tricks up his sleeve. He is very agressive, you might remember I spoke last season about how Gamba complaiined  that the coach, his staff and players were intimidating match officials, he is probably just what Kobe need, they are looking to break into the big time and showed potential last season, top 3 after a third of the season, before fading away at the end. Nelsinho has strengthened adding options to an already good strike force, but making the defence which gave up almost 1.5 goals per game his priority. Odd one, if  Reysol were playing any other bottom half team, aside from Nagoya,  I would probably have backed them and likewise, I would have sided with Kobe if they were meeting any team without the fitness edge. Interesting game, but one I will have to pass.

 

They lost that 1-0, but were at a disadvantage in terms of match fitness, as I mentioned. Their next home game was the visit from FCT and I was very impressed, this was the first time I had really seen them in 2015, they had clearly worked incredibly hard through the off season for Nelsinho, they were very dynamic and energetic. Michihiro Yasuda ( very solid for a Sagan Tosu team who gave up so few goals last season) and Shohei Takahashi ( hugely impressive in a poor Omiya Ardija side) had started to gel and gave them a far more solid look at the back, they also strengthened in midfield and attack and were playing to their strengths with Ryota Morioka given a lot of freedom, playing just behind the front three in a fluid 3-4-3 (although it was hard to be 100% sure about the formation, given their movement) , but in the win in Hiroshima, it was definitely 3-4-3. A couple of players who had impressed against FCT were on the bench last time out ( Pedro Junior and Ferrugem) and they clearly have good options all over the pitch now.
 

It might be that they are ideally suited to playing away from home, as they have a lot of pace and were very quick to turn defence into attack, they caused Tokyo all kinds of problem and before going behind, they had already hit the woodwork and after conceding, missed a penalty. They did not let that overly affect them and they were moving and passing the ball as well as any team (Gamba aside) I have seen in J-League for some time and I cannot recall the last time I was so impressed with a team who had lost 2-0 at home ! Tokyo, who I know are a good team were pinned back and could hardly leave their own third for the opening 20 minutes of the second half, before they scored with almost their first real opportunity after the break and it was game over.

F.C.Tokyo boss Massimo Ficcadenti was obviously taken with the hosts and said:"I think that first of all we should recognize the quality of this Kobe team."  His counterpart Nelsinho saw the game thus: "We were able to play the systematic game we had prepared for in the first half and prevented the opposition from playing to their strengths. They didn't create anything dangerous from open play. We just lost our positioning at a set play and that mistake cost us a goal. We got our rhythm back, threatened their goal and created chances. We won and then wasted a penalty. Anyway, at half time I told the players the only thing lacking was finishing. I told them I wasn't going to change anything and sent them out for the second half. Our defender Bueno was injured in the second half and had to come off; he'd been playing well and I think that had an impact on the team. Nevertheless we moved the ball around as we had in the first half and maintained our rhythm; we conceded a second goal from another mistake and that was decisive".
 

At Sanfrecce Hiroshima, they again played at a very high tempo, especially at the start of both halves when they forced the home side very deep and a moment of real quality from Pedro Junior (who had come off the bench) on the break, set up the winner.

 

In between the two games, they had beaten Montedio Yamagata 3-1 in this competition, they treated the Nabisco Cup with respect last year and made it through to the last eight, where they lost over two legs to treble winning Gamba Osaka, en route they had beaten Vegalta Sendai who prioritised what was always going to be a long battle against relegation and even though they have started solidly this year in the league, their schedule has been "easy" and I feel it will be more of the same this time round. All teams rotate heavily in the league cup, but Nelsinho will want to keep the winning mentality and momentum up, competition for starting places is starting to get a little fierce and they look to have more quality alternatives than Sendai.

 

FC Tokyo- Ventforet Kofu  (written April 3rd)

 

Kobe were better than I thought last week and they are a team we will be returning to over the next week or two, as I saw something very interesting in their play. I did look at them today, but the fixture , away to Sanfrecce Hiroshima, was not quite what I was looking for. anyway, I feel that three points and a cleansheet there might look even better in a couple of week than it even does currently. Lets leave almost the final word to good old Massimo Ficcadenti .....

"I think that first of all we should recognize the quality of the Kobe team. I think our players produced a magnificent display today. In the first half we had several chances and threatened the opposition goal on many occasions. In the second period they came out a little more and we managed to score another goal. After that we were able to see out the game the way we wanted. I really want to praise the team for their excellent performance today. In terms of the physical and tactical aspects, I'm extremely satisfied with the way we were able to produce exactly what we've been aiming for in the game today".
 

Good work ethic amongst the players and after the game, rather than talk about the win, which they left to the coach, most of them felt they could play better and were if anything, a little disappointed by their personal performances, which can only augur well for the future.

 

Tokyo were another team we discussed a lot last season, especially through the early/middle part of the campaign, they were close to getting it right all season long , but as I said last July, they are a "mixture of the unwatchable and unplayable" ! At times they looked as good as anyone in J-League and many opposing coaches viewed them as the best team thay had played and this was highlighted with four players making the most recently named national team squad, champions Gambe Osaka are the only other team to have as many in the squad and shows the quality that coach Massimo Ficcadenti, whom we quoted almost week by week last season, has at his disposal. His team opened with a  2-2 draw away to a fitter Gamba, which was very noteworthy as they fought back from two down late and followed up with a home draw with Yokohama and cup defeat of Albirex Niigata in midweek, so pleasing enough, without setting the world on fire. I have just watched the highlights of the match with Marinos, I do not want to say anything about that until next week, instead we can look at Ficcadenti's comments after the Gamba game which are perhaps more pertinent.......

"I felt we held the ball with confidence in the first half and played good football. However, conceding a goal like that changes the flow of the game and it became very difficult for us. In the second half we conceded again to a penalty and the game became more difficult still. We changed our formation after that since the opposition were closing down the space in midfield. We simplified the midfield and tried to win the game inside the penalty area. We had a clear idea of what we were trying to do, played with a high intensity and the tactics worked well. We managed to go from a very grim situation at 0-2 down to drawing the game. Gamba Osaka were the champions last year and there's no mistaking they are the strongest team in the league, so to play the way we did shows the real mentality of our side. From that point of view I'm very satisfied today".
 

Kobe have lost their last three home starts and FCT have tasted defeat here just once in ten visits and I favour the visitors to record their first league win of the season. Their sole loss here in recent years came in last season's league meeting, after which I wrote ...They (FCT) lost 2-1, again creating plenty of chances, which they failed to make the most of. Ficcadenti , who obviously sees his team through rose coloured spectacles said :"In the first half the players did exactly as asked and created a host of chances. They also did well in restricting the number of chances the opposition had. As for the second half, I had them focus on pressing further up the pitch than in the first half; then, after we gifted the opposition a goal it was difficult for us to play the way we had intended. The players didn't give up after we went 2-0 down and after we pulled a goal back we created several chances to have tied the game. The Kobe keeper had a good game but it was we who created the greater number of chances, I think".

To be fair to Ficcadenti, Vissel Kobe manager Adachi admitted that they had trouble with the pressing game of Tokyo and that his team couldn't get any fluidity until the first goal. Tokyo have not had much luck in the league and have played better than results suggest, they forced Vissel into errors in the first half and stole possession any number of times

.  The two teams met in Kobe again just four weeks later in the cup, with FCT winning very easily that time, with three unanswered goals. Away win.