GW365 - J1 League Report for Sorare (Patreon)

Intro

We have a full schedule of J1 League games to look forward to this weekend!

We come into this GW after Wednesday league cup games. This means we could see more rotation depending on how seriously teams take the league cup:

The full schedule including the games on Youtube International can be found below:

Predicted Lineups

These can also be found on Playsharper website here

The injury tracker can be found here

Important to note the %s used here and where they are not above 75% it is because I feel 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.

These are my own opinion of the situation at each team. I try to be as neutral as possible but we all have biases :) So always do your own research when making picks!

Hiroshima vs FC Tokyo

Notes

• Hiroshima are in excellent form having won the last 5 games
• I have stuck with the same lineup as last game. Matsumoto is back in training and was an unused sub last game.
• Him, Nakano and Shichi all fighting for a spot. Vieira has scored from the bench in his last 3 games. Manager has been reluctant to start him
• Higashi in particular in excellent form and getting lots of plaudits. He is u23 till 2025 and has had his injury troubles. He has the potential to be an excellent card for SO5 for his price.

Notes

• Kashif in full training. He is aiming to play this game. I am still cautious as prefer players get mins from the bench at least before i use in SO5
• Higashi went off with a muscle issue and is a risk for this game
• After the loss to Cerezo Osaka last week, the manager said Diego had muscle pain. Ive not seen him in training pics yet so there is a slight risk with him
• Morisighe started last week and did well. The manager praised his leadership. He has had condition issues this season so this is the main concern with him longer term.

Odds

Prediction

Hiroshima are getting into full flow now after a stop start first few games. I see them being too strong for Tokyo who been a little inconsistent so far.

Hiroshima 2 - 0 FC Tokyo

Kobe vs YFM

Notes

• Kobe have been consistent this season both in form and lineups. I see this continuing here with Honda the only known main injury concern from last weeks game.
• He was seen in training yesterday which bodes well, however without fully knowing his condition, I have lowered his % with Thuler the likely replacement if hes not quite ready.

Notes

• Matsubura played the first half in the league cup. Im waiting for pregame notes later today to see if there are any hints on his condition/ability to play here.
• Eduardo did well in the league cup win. He also played the full 90 mins and currently Tsunoda, when fit, is starting in the league games and I see this continuing
• Nishumura also got minutes. If fit, I still have him in front of MJ to start based on who Muscat has picked previously.

Odds

Prediction

This game will be a true test of Kobes strength. The table toppers have been in tantilising form so far this season and YFM have been solid but slightly lacking firepower in some games. Overall, I see this being a cagey game with a draw the likeliest outcomes

Kobe 1 - 1 YFM

Sapporo vs Fukuoka

Notes

• I havent seen Ogashiwa in training this week. Without any further info and considering his injury record, he is a big risk for this game.
• Fernandes did play midweek. He did well but said himself hes not 100% and I think its unlikely he will start 2 games in quick succession.
• Nakamura is suspended for this game after picking up a red last week. I see Fukumori returning to LCB though as hes done well in midfield it may well be Suga who is faster and less vulnerable to counter attacks.
• Komai returned last week and has been a managers favourite before injury. He could also return to the starting line up.
• Sugeno has said hes fit and ready to play. No hints that he will start so I have Gu in nets still

Notes

• Yamagishi went off with an injury the last game. He said he was feeling ok earlier in the week but missed the league cup game.
• Fukuoka changed their public training to a private session which currently makes it hard to know if he or Miya are ready to play.
• Grolli did play in the league cup after missing the league game last week.

Odds

Prediction

Both teams have impressed me this season. I feel at home, Sapporo will be too strong for Fukuoka

Sapporo 2-1Fukuoka

Niigata vs Kashima Antlers

• No new injuries for Niigata
• Chiba returned in the midweek cup clash. Last season he was rotated with the other two CBs and will be pushing for a start this and future GWs

Notes

• Antlers are in awful form and have lost their last 4 games
• Tsunemoto was seen in training yesterday. Its unclear if hes match fit.
• Araki and Doi are doubts for this game
• The manager has been experimenting and this has caused confusion with players/tactics. Its also makes it unclear what setup he will try for this game.

Odds

Prediction

Niigata have looked a solid unit all season with great harmony in the camp. This is the polar opposite of what is happening at Antlers where there are rumours of infighting and a group of players unsure what the teams tactics are. Despite individual player quality, I see another Antlers defeat in this game

Niigata 1-0 Kashima Antlers

Kyoto vs Sagan Tosu

Notes

• Patric was surprisingly benched last game. Fans want Ichimi to be given more gametime
• Ota got a cleansheet in the cup game and started after he did this last time around. I do expect Wakahara to stay in nets but I have  lowered the %
• The team have been doing well recently and there is decent depth in most spots.

Notes

• Fujita, Narahara and Iwasaki are all injury concerns
• Nakano played in the league cup game. He has a chance to play here, depending of the formation Sagan adopt
• Fukuta was surprisingly dropped the last league game. He did play in the cup game - comments from the manager point to him playing with an injury currently

Odds

Prediction

Sagan have a number of injuries and players with fatigue. Though the manager has worked magic with them in the past, I see Kyoto winning this game comfortably

Kyoto 2- 0 Sagan Tosu

Cerezo Osaka vs Kashiwa Reysol

Notes

• The msg boards seem to think Kagawa will be rested for this game and the team revert to 4-4-2. There is concerns that him and Okuno played the full 90 mins midweek and are fatigued
• Suzuki has come in a number of times with this manager after defeats
• KJH made a big mistake but also made some crucial saves. There is some noise asking for change here. I still think its unlikely

Notes

• Team are now unbeaten in 3. Small important steps in improving confidence within the camp
• Saruta started in nets for the league cup. This position remains unstable but indications are Matsumoto and Morita are the ones fighting it out. i have given Matsumoto the edge and hope to get clarity from this game.
• Tsuchiya is an injury concern for this game. Kawaguchi is his likely replacement

Odds

Prediction

Though Kashiwa have looked more assured in recent games, they are still vulnerable at the back. Cerezo too having trouble keeping clean sheets making a score draw the most likely result

Cerezo Osaka 2 - 2 Kashiwa Reysol

Nagoya Grampus vs Shonan

Notes

• Nagoya have been very solid and consistent this season. They have conceded just 3 goals all season and yet to concede at home
• I see no reason for any changes to be made with the exception of Izumi coming in for Uchida depending on the formers fitness

Notes

• No fresh injury concerns for Shonan.
• Onose and Hata started in the league cup. Both are challenging for starts.

Odds

Prediction

Nagoya arent always the greatest to watch, however with their consistent core team, they are doing great this year. I expect another narrow victory though wouldnt be too surprise if it was a stalemate.

Nagoya Grampus 1 - 0 Shonan Bellmare

Kawasaki Frontale vs Urawa

Notes

• Kawasaki are in very poor form and havent won in their first 4 home league games
• Oniki has been making changes each game and recently adopted a 4-2-3-1
• They did have a confidence boosting 6-0 win in the league cup against a weakened Shimizu side.
• Players like Wakizaka and Tono in particular did well and I see them starting in this game
• Kurumaya also could come in at defence.
• Chanathip picked up an injury midweek and almost cert out for this game
• Kamifukumoto has had 3 clean sheets in a row in nets. A growing section of fans are wanting him to have a shot at starting. The manager has faith in JSR and there has been no indication of a change...for now
• I havent seen Damiao or Segawa in training pics so assumed out for this game.

Notes

• Kante is suspended for this game. Koroki will continue as striker
• Sakai is back in partial training though I see him not starting this game.
• Moberg did well from the bench and the most likely player to come into the side. The manager however has been pretty consistent with his lineups and no urgent need to change anything

Odds

Prediction

The midweek cup win could well give Kawasaki the jolt to kickstart their season. I am however cautious with them and havent seen anything convincing from them in the last few league game. I see a disciplined Urawa side winning this in a narrow contest

Kawasaki 0-1 Urawa Reds

Gamba Osaka vs YFC

Notes

• Usami started and got some much needed min in the midweek game. He is pushing for a start in this game though a lot will depend on how his body reacted to the cup game. They are understandably being cautious with him.

UPDATE - from an article I just read, Usami spoke about not feeling 100% in the cup game. I can see him starting from the bench based on this

• Kwon Kyung Won is suspended and Egawa the likely replacement
• Yamamoto and Fukuda are unlikely to feature in this game

Notes

• Lara returned from injury in the cup game and could feature in this game.
• YFC are rock bottom of the table with no wins in their first 8 games and conceding the most goals too
• Without their captain Gabriel, I cant see things changing for them especially at the back.

Odds

Prediction

This game is between 2 of the bottom 3 teams. For me, Gamba are a much better team and should win comfortably. However, they have a habit of self combusting at crucial times of the game. Saying that, my hopium knows no bounds for Gamba and I have them winning 4-0 with Usami bagging a hat -trick :D

Gamba 4-0 YFC

Finish

I hope found this useful!

As always these are just my own views on the situation based on research for each team. There are press conferences happening currently though what info comes out varies by the club and managers mood!

I will be updating the Discord Channel with any info I see that could prove useful all the way to deadline, so keep a look out for that

If you have any feedback or queries, just give me a shout on Discord

Good luck!