GW459 - J1 League Lineups (Patreon)

Intro

J1 League wkend of fun is here!

The below are the fixtures coming up:

YFM played midweek on Wednesday in a crunch ACL game. There game is on Sunday but there is 1) risk of rotation 2) limited team news will be available as lots will come out after the deadline

League Table

Predicted Lineups

Important to note the %s used here. If no %, it means I see them as a starter and no known risks. For sorare, its about there scorer potential so check out KEY PLAYERS even subs have a way :)

When 75% or below - there is some risk involved. My main aim with these is to show where risk/potential DNPs are lurking.

I base these %s on info I read from various sources including comments from the manager and reading a lot of local Japanese news coverage/message boards. Saying that, there will always be unknowns including last minute injury/illness of a player etc.

Always do your own research when making picks. For SO5, it can make sense to take some calculated risks depending on the potential score and the rest of your team/prize pool.

Fukuoka vs FC Tokyo

Fukuoka

• Drew 1-1 against Shonan last week. Are unbeaten after 3 games and conceeded just 1 goal.
• Team very stable so far.
• Miya was on bench last game. Could come in, no indication yet.
• Have signed a new striker (Zahedi) who is an Iranian international. He is fit to play, from bench most likely.

Key SO5 Players - Nara, Mae,  Konno

Set Piece Takers -Mae, Konno

FC Tokyo

• Winless after 3 games
• Trevisan sent off last game. Kimoto most likely replacement. Doi is also possible, he has been out with a sickness and only just returned to training.
• Ogashiwa is back to full fitness. He came off the bench last week and then played and scored in a training game. In the running for a start/increased mins.
• Ko not in squad and sounds like its a management decision.
• Some talk the manager job is already on the line. There is significant chance of changes this game imo
• Some noise about formation changing to 4-4-2 and Diego making way for different style of play (Ogashiwa maybe up top?). Has the panic button been pressed? Maybe it has tbh!

Key SO5 Players -Trevisan, Matsuki, Diego

Set Piece Takers - Matsuki, Araki

Sapporo vs Machida

Sapporo

• Lost 0-1 against Urawa. Winless after 3 games and yet to score
• Sugeno injured his finger and was out last week. In training though being cautious. V unlikely to start with info atm.
• Nakamura returns from suspension
• Suzuki started up front last week. Should continue but this manager known to play false 9s
• Kondo is back in full training, bench at best most likely.
• Aoki likely RW with Asano moving up to shadow striker

Key SO5 Players - Okamura,Asano, Suzuki

Set Piece Takers - Asano, Arano

Machida

• Newly promoted as Champions in J2. Started season excellent, unbeaten after 3.
• Vasquez went off injured last game. unlikely here
• Duke called up on int duty and also unlikely to play/bench at best.
• Shoji returned to the bench last game
• Two clean sheets in a row so no need for any changes at back imo
• Na Sang Ho and Erik are out injured.

Key SO5 Players - Suzuki, Dresevic, Tani

Set Piece Takers - Suzuki

Kobe vs Hiroshima

Kobe

• Current champions. Came from behind to beat FC Tokyo last week
• Manager made changes including dropping Hatsuse and Ideguchi
• Honda and Hirose did well and though im a huge fan of Hatsuse, more likely the same combo used.
• Miyashiro played as a shadow striker/AM role. He did excellently also getting a crucial goal.
• Competition is much higher this season at Kobe so more risks! Overall my feeling is the manager will stick to players after a win like last weeks and change it up when there are fixture congestion/performance drop like vs Kashiwa when the lost.
• Yuruki and Sasaki injured last game and out this match. Yuruki confirmed out for 6-8 wks.
• Lots of options at CB though no indication of changes being made there.

Key SO5 Players - Sakai, Yamaguchi, Muto, Osako

Set Piece Takers -  Osako

Hiroshima

• Dominant 4-0 win vs Sagan. Great start to season, 7 points from possible 9.
• Entire team playing great attacking football. Team have the best xG in league.
• Marcos Junior played a practice game and fully fit. Most likely to be eased in from bench
• Same lineup used in all 3 games so far. No known injuries so should stay the same

Key SO5 Players - Sasaki, Mitsuda, Ohashi

Set Piece Takers -  Higashi, Mitsuta,

Kashiwa vs Nagoya

Kashiwa Reysol

• Solid start to season.
• Surprise win away to Kobe last week.
• Team stable in opening 3 games, expecting similar lineup
• Savio continued being maestro with another assist. 
• Defense again solid. Have conceeded just 1 goal in 3 games.

Key SO5 Players - Koga, Inukai, Savio, Hosoya

Set Piece Takers - Savio

Nagoya

• Terrible start to the season with 3 straight losses. Have yet to score a goal this season!
• Junker has an undisclosed injury. He tweeted saying he wasnt in shape. Manager gave contradictory info! Atm big risk of not playing. 
• Yonemoto back from suspension and hint he starts as anchor.
• Risk of changes in players and setup again. Very hard to predict. Some talk that managers job at risk.
• Kawazura unlikely to feature yet

Key SO5 Players - Langerak, Ha Chang Rae, Junker

Set Piece Takers - Yamagishi, Yamanaka

Gamba vs Iwata

Gamba

UPDATE - SEE BELOW FROM TODAY:

• Had a break last week. Started season relatively ok with win and draw
• Usami v likely starts again. Has scored in both games
• Jebali almost cert still out
• New signing Welton got some mins from bench vs Niigata. Prob still bench player atm
• Matsuda did well at RB and that spot is a battle vs Handa

Iwata

• Newly promoted side
• Lost last week vs Kashiwa
• Conceeded most goals in league so far (8 in 3 games)
• Daiki Ogawa close to full fitness and could play RB

Key SO5 Players - Matsubura, Graca Uehara

Set Piece Takers - Uehara

Sagan vs Cerezo

Sagan

• Lost 4-0 away to Hiroshima 
• Mixed start to season. 
• Manager likes to tweak/change things according to the opposition
• Honda situation remains unclear

Key SO5 Players - Park, Yamazaki, Kawahara, Naganuma,

Set Piece Takers - Kawahara, Tezuka

Cerezo

• Unbeaten after 3 games and playing well.
• Ceara returned from bench last week, thankfully injury wasnt bad.
• Fernandes and Capixaba v likely out.
• Nishio has started last two games so now my fav...for now

Key SO5 Players - KJH,  Maikuma, Tanaka, Kagawa, Ceara

Set Piece Takers - Kagawa

Tokyo Verdy vs Niigata

Tokyo Verdy

• Newly promoted side
• Winless after 3 games. Have played decent in patches but conceeded goals late including last week.
• Inami sent off and suspended.
• Someno went off with an injury - has been seen in training and should be fine though slight risk there.
• Miyahara in full training and pushing for a start.

Key SO5 Players - Someno, Hayashi

Set Piece Takers - Morita, Yamada

Niigata

• Solid start to season with 2 from 3 games.
• Ono made debut last game. 
• Deng called up by Australia for WC qualifier games. Unclear if available to play this game.
• Some noise Arai could even shift to CB. Endo also a possibility.
• Manager likes to regularly rotate team!

Key SO5 Players - Kojima, Fujiwara, Akiyama

Set Piece Takers - Takagi, Hasegawa

Kyoto vs YFM

Kyoto Sanga

• Got first win of season away to Kawasaki
• Defender Suzuki surprisingly missing first game. No info yet.
• Matsuda came in for Takeda last match and should get another start.
• Hiraga started last game but was subbed at HT. I expect him to return to the bench this game.
• Havent had a clean sheet vs YFM in their last 8 games.

Key SO5 Players - Gu Sung, Suzuki, Kawasaki, Hara

Set Piece Takers - Kawasaki

YFM

• Played on Wednesday night in the ACL
• V limited info available as only returned to training today (Friday). 
• Yan went off injured last game. I cant see him playing though no concrete info yet
• YFM put alot of energy in the 2 legs of the ACL with very similar lineup. The games were v physical. 
• YFM are well known to rotate! This feels like a game we could see some players rested/changed up. 
• The %s here reflect that though this is just my feeling rather than any info (as there is none yet!)
• Nagato was sent off at the start of the second half in the ACL game...weirdly this means he should be well rested here!
• There is also a lack of CBs available though Watanabe can fill if Eduardo/Kamijima need a rest.
• Miyachi and Elber can play both wings. 

Kashima vs Kawasaki

Kashima

• Lost 1-0 to Machida and struggled to create chances.
• Chinen and Sekigawa back in training. Sekigawa should be good to go though so chat that manager is not his biggest fan.
• Chinen has been liked at DCM. Matsumura also tried in training. After last weeks flat performance may get a chance
• Shibasaki back in training. Mins from bench most likely.

Key SO5 Players - Ueda, Higuchi, Suzuki

Set Piece Takers - Higuchi

Kawasaki

• Suffered third home loss in comps in a row last wk
• Lots of changes last wk including keeper, formation eg Tachibanada at RB
• Possibility Tachibanada plays RB again. If so then Ze Roberto most likely to get a chance in DCM.
• Jesiel is back in full training. Not clear if able to start. 
• Manager may well make more changes/tweaks this game. He has a habit of experimenting till something works!
• Erison back in partial trainning, unclear if ready to start.
• Sai situation remains a mystery. He is fit but not in the squad

Key SO5 Players - Wakizaka, Marcinho, Erison, Ienaga

Set Piece Takers - Wakizaka, Erison

Shonan vs Urawa

Shonan

• Solid start to season. Drew 1-1 with Fukuoka last week.
• 3-5-2 formation also possible, usually mirror opposition
• No known new injuries, likely similar lineup.

Key SO5 Players -  Min Tae, Sugioka, Tanaka,Lukian

Set Piece Takers - Sugioka

Urawa

• New manager got his first win of the season
• Scholz and Maeda went off with injuries that game
• Maeda is fine but Scholz yet to be seen in training and assumed out. Sato to come in as his replacement
• Rest of team should remain same as last week

Key SO5 Players - Nishikawa, Scholz, Hoibraten, Ito, Santana,

Set Piece Takers - Gustafsson

SO5

• Machida have started great, their def looks solid to me vs a Sapporo team who have yet to score this seaspn.
• Cerezo have played some great stuff but been guilty of wasting chances - esp Ceara. I think they can expose a fragile looking Sagan team
• Kashiwa defense looks good and with Nagoya team in a mini crisis/having yet to score, I like players like Koga again this GW/CS chances.
• Gamba def also looks great vs a Iwata side who outside the game vs Frontale have struggled upfront.
• YFM are rotation risk but Popp is on fire so a def stack with him has a great ceiling potential. 
• Kobe vs Hiroshima is a HUGE game and will be no doubt tight. I slightly pref Hiroshima for their peak scorers.

Finish

Hope you found this useful!

If anything major drops before the deadline I will let you know on Discord! Any questions or comments, just let me know :)