GW453 - J1 League Lineups - FINAL (Patreon)

Hi all - I have updated the lineups and notes for each team. 

Also included at the end is some SO5 analysis

Intro

J1 League is back!

For Sorare, we have fixtures on Saturday and Sunday.

The below also includes whats streamed on Youtube:

YFM and Kawasaki Frontale played in the ACL. There is some rotation risk here. Will pick up info before the deadline/training pics

Newly promoted teams = hardest to predict! Lineups will take a couple of weeks to work out and most importantly for Sorare, find the potential gems!

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.

Iwata vs Kobe

Iwata

• Newly promoted side
• Legendary keeper Kawashima joined in the offseason. My slight fav to start vs Miura - hard to call as both played in preseason.
• Uehara is main set piece taker. Rei Hirakawa was one of the stand out players in J2 last season.
• Bought in Peixoto who took a knock in preseason friendly. Is a slight doubt for the opening game
• Gomes and Nakamara also brought in as CMs. Gomes has a slight injury making Nakamara fav to start.

Key SO5 Players - Matsubura, Gracam Uehara

Set Piece Takers - Uehara

Vissel Kobe

• Current champions
• Muto seen in training yesterday but unclear his fitness. doubt for this game.
• Ide also went off injured in the Super Cup loss. A doubt with Ideguchi fav to replace
• I see Miyashiro as backup/sub for now. One to monitor for now
• Lots of CB choices. My fav is last seasons pref duo. Hatsuse and Sakai best choices for SO5.

Key SO5 Players - Hatsuse, Sakai, Yamaguchi, Muto, Osako

Set Piece Takers - Hatsuse, Yuruki, Osako

Fukuoka vs Sapporo

Fukuoka

• Keeper situation remains unclear. Murakami was main keeper last season but manager has said he likes both of them! Avoid both if possible
• Can play 4 at the back or 3. 
• In preseason Inoue and Tashiro also played as CBs. 
• Ben Khalifa a doubt, unclear his condition.
• Matsuoka expected to make debut. Decent u23 SO5 player imo.

Key SO5 Players -  Mae, Matsuoka, Konno

Set Piece Takers -Mae, Konno

Sapporo

• Lost some key players in off season including Tanaka, Ogashihwa and Fernandes.
• Takagi big fav to be starting keeper
• Baba started all the pre season games. Hard to know vs new signing Takao who starts.
• Suzuki injured in training camp. Back in full training and should start.
• Lots of choices in AM eg Tasegawa/Aoki/Kobayashii
• Supachop joined camp late and is a doubt to start
• Komai and Okamura missed some preseason but back in training and should start
• Asano and can play RWB also. Baba can play multiple positions
• Had a poor preseason losing multiple games.

Key SO5 Players - Okamura,Asano, Suzuki

Set Piece Takers - Asano, Arano

Sagan vs Niigata

Sagan

• Lots of transfers in and out as is often the case with Sagan
• Kimura brought in from FC Tokyo, slight fav to start at CB alongside Yamazaki
• Can play 3 or 4 at the back. This will effect if players like Muruhashi starts
• Nakahara did v well for Tokyo Verdy last season. Lots expected from him this year
• Strikers Ryan and Araujo brought in. Competing with Togashi to start
• Honda close to match fitness. Unclear if bench or a start.

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

Set Piece Takers - Kawahara, Tezuka

Niigata

• Lots of options in most spots. Eg Ono can play striker and midfield
• Manager is known to change CBs almost every game! v hard to predict
• Hasegawa impressed for Kofu last season. Komi a big young talent with lots expected from him.
• Ota out injured

Key SO5 Players - Kojima, Fujiwara,Arai

Set Piece Takers - Takagi, Hasegawa

Machida vs Gamba

Machida

• Newly promoted as Champions in J2
• Tani fav to start as keeper
• Can play 3 or 4 at the back. Lots of high quality CBs. Eg Dresevic, Shoji and Jang Min Gyu togther also possible
• Duke played in Asia Cup for Australia and picked up a knock. In full training though some risk
• Na Sang Ho can play both wings and striker. Again lots of options
• Erik is out injured. Usual starter ST

Key SO5 Players - Dresevic, Shoji, Na Sang Ho

Set Piece Takers - Shimoda, Suzuki

Gamba

• Lots of changes
• This is the lineup Gamba played in a recent preseason game vs Hiroshima
• Sakamoto started upfront. Jebali previously had been the pref choice
• Higashiguchi is injured. Ichimori will start. Nakatani has come in, nice stack potential
• Handa at RB impressed before injury last season
• Suzuki is the managers favourite and should start/set pieces too
• I feel Lavi is a starter when fit. Dawhan played over him a few times preseason so one to watch
• Yamada left training early on Wednesday training. Unclear his fitness.
• Welton signed for Gamba recently. LW and starter when he is up to match fitness

Key SO5 Players - Nakatani, Handa, Alano,

Set Piece Takers - Suzuki, Arano, Usami

Shonan vs Kawasaki

Shonan

• Lukian and Y. Suzuki set for debuts
• Min Tae new captain and main CB
• A few options available in def and CM
• Abe most likely to start with Lukian. Disaro and Akito Suzuki offer alternative options

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

Set Piece Takers - Sugioka

Kawasaki

• Played on Tuesday night in a devastating loss in the ACL
• Jesiel surprisingly missed the ACL game, assumed injured
• Yamamoto has done well in midfield
• Kawasaki have played 3 games already (Super Cup + 2 ACL games) which makes rotation possible! Hard one to predict for now as v limited info available.

Key SO5 Players - Wakizaka, Marcinho, Erison, Ienaga

Set Piece Takers - Wakizaka, Erison

Cerezo Osaka  vs FC Tokyo

Cerezo

• Shindo is injured and out
• Nishio fav to partner Toriumi. Yamashita made captain so could get the nod as CB
• Noborizato should make his debut
• Tanaka will be playing DCM and formation tweaked. A little unclear atm.
• New signing Bueno can play winger or upfront
• Lots of players like Kiyotake/Okuno that can play multiple spots and bring balance to the side.

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

Set Piece Takers - Kagawa

FC Tokyo

• Have brought in a number of big players in the off season including Ogashiwa, Endo, Ko and Araki
• Difficult to know what the hierarchy is. Formation may change to accommodate players like Araki/Ogashiwa.
• Matsuki made captain and expected to play key role
• Keeper Brandon picked up a knock at the Asian Cup. Seen in training and should start
• Big hint that youngster Doi starts
• Players like Koizumi can play LB and CM (or be benched!)
• Ogashiwa missed some preseason with an injury. Unclear if fit to start

Key SO5 Players -Trevisan, Matsuki, Diego

Set Piece Takers - Matsuki, Koizumi

Kashiwa Reysol  vs Kyoto Sanga

Kashiwa Reysol

• Relatively quiet offseason with a similar squad available to last season
• Kinoshita in the running to make his debut
• Inukai signed on full contract and him + Koga main CBs
• Savio + Hosoya partnership critical to their season! (And great for SO5)

Key SO5 Players - Koga, Inukai, Savio, Hosoya

Set Piece Takers - Savio

Kyoto Sanga

• Lots of transfers in!
• Lots of options esp upfront with Tullio joining
• Had a good preseason with Hara and Ichimi scoring lots.
• Keeper Gu signed on full transfer and will be starting keeper
• CB Suzuki signed from Shimizu - excellent defender and suits matrix.

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

Set Piece Takers - Kawasaki

Tokyo Verdy vs Yokohama Marinos

Tokyo Verdy

• Newly promoted side
• Miyahara injured and likely out
• Someno (on loan from Antlers) should start. Great talent.
• Yamami impressed in preseason. Coinflip between him and Saito for a start.

Key SO5 Players - Someno, Hayashi

Set Piece Takers - Morita

Yokohama FM

• Played in the ACL on Wednesday night.
• Limited info available at the moment. As that game went to injury time, rotation a def risk.
• Nagato did return and in the running to start as LB

Should get more info before deadline - will update!

Key SO5 Players - Popp, Nagato, Eduardo, Elber, Yan

Set Piece Takers - Nagato, Eduardo

SO5

Best def - Kobe (41% CS) (Maekawa, Hatsuse and Saki best combo)

Best attack - YFM (xG 1.88) - Yan, Elber though some rotation risk

Best stack - Kobe

Threshold players

Players to watch

Osako (Kobe) - Top scorer last season, Kobe with good match up

Tanaka (Cerezo) - In new position (DCM). Interested to see how he scores! 

Matsuki (FC Tokyo) - Big season expected from one of the best youth players in Japan. Now captain and FC Tokyo have bought lots of attacking flair.

Machida Zelvia - Newly promoted and spent heavily. Did well in preseason and v attacking.

Finish

Hope you found this useful, if anything major drops ill post here :)

I am building a number of tools including injury/suspension tracker which ill share next week