Arai Kei Knock-Up Game
Comments: Expect a fair bit of chopping and changing at wing-back early in the year. An epic hat-trick in the 3-3 tie at home to Marinos last term was a clear highlight, though only being able to start 14 league games all year must be a concern for Grampus. Give yourself a medal. Arai kei knock up game play. Plenty of changes over the winter, some fresh talents are on-board, but holes exist in the squad too which leads me to conclude that they aren't genuine ACL contenders nor a relegation candidate, will that be enough to appease their passionate band of followers? Again I look forward to hearing feedback (good natured, I hope) from fans of all teams, followers of the league in general or just casual passers by, you're all welcome.
Arai Kei Knock-Up Game
One to Watch: Ryotaro Ito – A J2 MVP contender in 2022, now at the age of 25 it seems like Ryotaro Ito is finally ready to stamp his authority on the top table of Japanese football. One to Watch: Takuma Nishimura – From unheralded arrival to genuine league MVP contender in the space of less than 12 months, 2022 was quite the ride for Takuma Nishimura. Biggest Loss: Tomoki Iwata – Hands up who had him down to win J1 MVP when the 2022 season kicked off? Additionally, I'd bank on them adding an attacking player from overseas before the season kicks off. I'm guessing these are the kind of choices that might generate the greatest debate, so please cut me some slack, I like to use stats, but several players below have made the grade based largely on gut instinct developed over a decade watching the J. One to Watch: Takashi Usami – Losing Usami to an achilles injury in round 3 last term ripped the heart out of Gamba, while his return, though unspectacular, had a real soothing affect on those around him. As you might expect from a statistical stud like Kawahara, who dominated both J2 offensive and defensive numbers last term, he's made the smart move of beginning his ascent to the summit of Japan's top flight with perennially under the radar Tosu, giving him room to breathe as he finds his feet in the rarefied air of J1. Arai kei knock-up game. Ryota Oshima unfortunately seems to be getting struck down by injury on a more and more regular basis meaning the onus will once again be on Yasuto Wakizaka to be creator in chief for his side.
Certainly, if replacement Capixaba impresses early doors then Jean Patric may find himself quickly forgotten about in South Osaka. Key performance indicators I've collected over the past 2 years and how those numbers stack up against fellow J1 sides. Arai kei knock up game 2. One to Watch: Mateus Castro – He was almost like a one-man band at times last year, contributing 8 goals and 5 assists including a wonder-strike at home to Iwata. Comments: New defenders Misao and Iyoha have both operated on the left side of back threes in recent years so Cho could, in theory, use the 3-4-2-1 formation that served him well during his time with Shonan.
5 goals and 8 assists in 2022, Toru Oniki will be looking for more of the same this term. Goalkeeping giant Gu Sung-yun is back from military service and they've acquired some intriguing young Japanese talent, though they're likely going to have to find a way to successfully integrate Supachok and Kim Gun-hee into their starting eleven if they're to stand any chance of throwing off the mid-table shackles. I have done a great deal of research to get these lineups as accurate as I can to the best of my knowledge, but full disclosure, I've also acted on a few hunches and taken a punt on some lesser known talents (I guess there wouldn't be much point reading this article if I just stated the obvious). Does he take to his second spell in J1 like a duck to water and if so, how long can Yokohama FC keep him at the Mitsuzawa? Comments: Everyone I've listed on the right wing is also capable of playing on the left so Nishido and Arai may have to bide their time and prove themselves in the Levain Cup. That meant that at the age of 27, after a number of years of threatening to do so, Koya Yuruki finally made his breakthrough as a bona fide star in Japan's top flight. Unable to quite make the grade in the cut-throat atmosphere of Urawa's top team, a loan spell with Mito got his career back on the right path before 9 goals and 11 assists in his debut campaign at the Big Swan marked him out as a danger man of some repute. While 13 goals and 10 assists during 2 seasons spent in the fantasista position speak highly of his abilities, his 114 through balls played in 2022 (2nd most in J2) give an even better indicator of the type of talent the Sunkings now have on their hands. Now, let me balance out that rather provocative negative comment by saying, there is an absolute ton of talent throughout this side. Secondly, if Marinos really wanted Ceará, he'd still be there. One to Watch: Yuya Yamagishi – A double digit goalscoring season for a team not known for their attacking prowess saw the likes of Gamba and Kashima reportedly knocking on Yamagishi's door.
Arai Kei Knock Up Game 2
Best Signing: Mizuki Arai – Defeating a whole battalion of rivals to land this gong is Mizuki Arai who is the latest player to make his way along the well-trodden path from Tokyo Verdy to Yokohama FC, albeit via a brief loan spell in Portugal. If they're able to find any sort of rhythm this time round then surely the most successful club in J League history have to be considered genuine contenders for a 9th J1 crown. While I'm confident you'll agree with some of the points below, I'm also sure there will be many choices and opinions that people will disagree with, and that's all fine, it's why we love the beautiful game so much, right? He has commendably opted to remain with Avispa, but after a meandering career largely spent in J2 where he averaged a goal every 6 games, is it realistic to expect more heroics from him this term? Notes: Albert Puig is about to begin his second season at the helm, and after a solid, if unspectacular 2022, what can we realistically expect in the coming months? Notes: With a highest J1 placing this side of the millennium in the bank, their coach and the bulk of last season's squad still in tow and only one relegation spot to be avoided in 2023, it's easy to be optimistic about Bellmare's chances.
Should kantoku Yomoda be able to find the right blend then they may turn a few heads and shoot up the table. Basically, it illustrates who played, scored, assisted etc., and how often, during the 2022 league campaign. Also, who prevails in the Higashiguchi vs Tani battle is still anyone's guess. Jean Patric was the Cherry Blossoms' hero with his brilliant last minute winner away to Gamba in the Osaka Derby last summer, but in reality, and I swear this isn't sour grapes, given he was a regular in Portugal's top flight prior to heading to Osaka, his overall contribution could be viewed as underwhelming. Best Signing: Kasper Junker – Since returning to the top flight in 2018, both of Grampus' previous expensive foreign centre-forwards, Jô and Jakub Świerczok, have enjoyed explosive starts to life in Nagoya before disaster struck. Marcos Junior is still nipping away at his heels for a starting berth and chances to play centre-forward may lie ahead in the wake of Léo Ceará's departure. In Danish dazzler Kasper Junker is it a case of third time lucky? Finding the back of the net has been an issue for the Wasps since they returned to the top flight in 2021, so credit to the front office for pulling off quite the coup by re-patriating the highly touted Sato amid stiff competition. Biggest Loss – The opposite of best signing.
Yokohama F. Marinos. How will he do with a stronger supporting cast surrounding him in 2023? His 13 efforts in 2022 incredibly saw him finish just 1 behind the league's overall top scorer, though it was a large overperformance versus his xG tally. I didn't play League for, let's just say, a pretty long time, and I just rolled Rek'Sai in ARAM so I decided eh, why not. Anyway, no matter whether this is your first time hearing about this blog or your 100th visit, thanks so much for supporting my work and I hope you enjoy what lies ahead. Teams are listed below in the order they finished the 2022 campaign and each club's mini-section contains the following information. Still, I'm reasonably confident that the spine of their team is armed with the talent, nous and J1 experience to shift up the rankings ever so slightly. One to Watch: Matheus Savio – the effervescent Brazilian looked like he'd become the player Sunkings supporters had long dreamed he would, with his 6 goals and 3 assists in the first half of 2022 proving the catalyst for Reysol's surprise bid for a top 4 spot. In that case, Fujii becomes a candidate for a full-back berth. His Kashima side were able to meander to 4th last season despite seemingly being out of form for a good chunk of the campaign. Biggest Loss: Jean Patric – Not a whole lot of competition for this category to be honest, which surely stands Cerezo in good stead for the upcoming campaign. Biggest Loss: Leo Silva – Nagoya got good mileage out of the veteran last term leaving many a fan to lament his departure.
Arai Kei Knock Up Game Play
Just how deep that feeling continues to run very much depends on how Yonemoto, Nagasawa and Yamada do in plugging the Silva shaped whole at the heart of the Grampus engine room. Seriously, thanks very much for your support and enjoy J1 2023. Comments: There are still a number of unknowns at Gamba and several of the players listed as wide forwards could conceivably play as as one of the more advanced central midfielders and operate in a sort of hybrid number 10 role. He'll be missed by the Frontale fans, their marketing team and DOGSO loving refs alike, but after winning 4 J1 titles, 1 Emperor's Cup and 1 Levain Cup in 9 seasons in Kawasaki, it's hard to begrudge him moving on. One to Watch: Kuryu Matsuki – FC Tokyo are a team that have relied on moments of individual, usually Brazilian, brilliance to get them over the line for a few years now. Notes: Going by the goals he set out when he first joined the club, the Skibbe project is running well ahead of schedule. The 2023 version follows a pattern that those of you familiar with my work will recognise, but I've also thrown in a couple of additions that will hopefully enhance your reading experience.
Biggest Loss: Masashi Kamekawa – Barely edging out Montedio Yamagata recruit Zain Issaka owing to his greater versatility and the fact that he strengthens a rival (Fukuoka), Kamekawa spent a solitary season with YFC, but made a pretty big impression. If their new Polish coach can find the formula to convert spreadsheet success into tangible on-field results, then they'll be right up there. The Cherry Blossoms have never won J1, I'm not saying this is going to be their year, but their fans absolutely have the right to expect them to improve upon last season's 5th placed showing. I was quite bullish about their chances twelve months back and they rather underwhelmed.
Though the Gasmen are certainly more than capable of another top 6 finish should things go according to plan. The answers to these questions will go a long way to defining the Fulie's year. 7 goals in his first 6 J1 games back in 2021 had opposition defences cowering in fear, but his career in Saitama never really went according to script in the 18 months that followed. One to Watch: Pieros Sotiriou – With Morishima and Mitsuta riding shotgun either side of him, is Sotiriou destined to be the angel upon the Christmas tree for Skibbe as he seeks to deliver a first J1 title to the Edion Stadium since 2015? Biggest Loss: Kazuya Konno – Just like Cerezo above, the Gasmen didn't suffer a lot of key departures in the winter, meaning I'm left choosing a player who saw injuries and experienced competition get in the way of him making a greater impact during his 2 years with the club. Best Signing: Kenta Inoue – Right-sided player, solid defensively and comfortable in midfield, transferred from Oita to Marinos, remind you of anyone? Ball playing, youth product Yuki Kobayashi was often a figure of stability at the back for Vissel during the early part of 2022 when it seemed that all around him was burning to the ground. One to watch for sure. Notes: Mired in mid-table since 2019, it seems prudent to predict more of the same at Sapporo once again.
Konno's screamer against future employers Fukuoka last July clearly got their attention and served notice of just how deadly he can be given time and space to operate. I also hope this illustrates where certain clubs have perhaps overstocked in one area of the field while neglecting others. Notes: Vissel supporters have a right to feel a tad puzzled by their club's recent transfer strategy.