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Kashiwa Reysol have not spent much time in the relegation zone this season, but they also haven’t been able to put much space between them and the drop, making every match crucial as they try to stay in the top flight.On the other hand, Yokohama FC have been rooted to the bottom of the table all season, but a good run of form in the late summer has demonstr…

Sagan Tosu have been led by their defense all season, so it was fitting when their center back delivered them victory at both ends of the pitch against Vegalta Sendai on Sunday.Eduardo took his usual spot in the heart of defense and played immaculately, cutting out Vegalta’s forays forward with ease. The Sagan backline, which had struggled of late with just…

For weeks, Kawasaki Frontale have seen their lead atop the 2021 MEIJI YASUDA J1 LEAGUE table decrease, with Yokohama F·Marinos closing down on them, but they hit back over the weekend. The champions beat Hokkaido Consadole Sapporo, 2-0, while Marinos fell to Kashima Antlers by the same scoreline to put Kawasaki four points ahead of their title challengers.F…

A recent look at our JSTATS indicate ongoing shifts in how goalkeepers are being used across the MEIJI YASUDA J1 LEAGUE.For example, goal kicks are a routine part of any match, but how teams in Japan choose to take them is changing.A look at the J1 League data on where goal kicks are taken shows that in 2017, 19.4% of goal kicks were hit short - defined as …

Yokohama F·Marinos’ pursuit of Kawasaki Frontale has been relentless and their high-powered attack now has them on the verge of passing the defending champions. The Tricolor are just a point back of Frontale, with a chance to potentially jump into first place this weekend, but if they are going to get there, they are going to have to pass the team with more…

A couple months ago, Kawasaki Frontale were cruising to another MEIJI YASUDA J1 LEAGUE title. Powered by the most dangerous attack in the league, they looked unstoppable. But the goals have become harder to come by, as have the results, and now their lead atop the table is down to just one point with Yokohama F·Marinos in hot pursuit.While Marinos have jump…

Another week, another hat trick by a Yokohama F·Marinos forward voted as the Performance of the Week by the J.LEAGUE’s international fans.On Matchweek 24, it was Daizen Maeda who scored three goals and garnered top weekly honors. Last weekend, it was Léo Ceará’s turn for a hat trick and Top Performance recognition.The Brazilian showed off all his skills to …

The Yokohama F·Marinos attack has been unstoppable for months and that continued in Tosu. Four different players scored for the Tricolor en route to a 4-0 victory against a Sagan team that has become known for its steely backline. Combined with Kawasaki Frontale’s loss to Avispa Fukuoka, Marinos now stand just one point back of the defending champions in th…

Kawasaki Frontale are the defending MEIJI YASUDA J1 LEAGUE champions, and put together arguably the best season in the history of the league in 2020. This year, they’ve looked just as dominant and entered Wednesday’s trip to Fukuoka without a loss in their last 30 matches.To beat Frontale, it would take something extraordinary. Well, Avispa Fukuoka had Jord…

Sagan Tosu’s rise to third place this season has been driven by their terrific defense. Even in recent weeks, as the defense has slumped some, they are still resolute at the back and clearly leaning upon goal prevention to stay near the top of the table. But they’ve needed more firepower up front, and they may have found it by moving Tomoya Koyamatsu into a…

Second-place Yokohama F·Marinos visit third-place Sagan Tosu for a midweek clash, but while the two teams are separated by just one place, they are in very different races.Marinos are engaged in a title fight, having cut the deficit to defending champions Kawasaki Frontale to just four points for the top spot. Meanwhile, Sagan only hold third place on goal …

Nagoya Grampus hit a bit of a rough patch over the last couple months, dropping from potential title contender to out of the top four entirely, so they made a big signing to help turn things around. Jakub Świerczok was brought in to give them a bonafide striker, and he showed why Nagoya thought he can be a season-changer for them against Avispa Fukuoka.The …

Vissel Kobe and Kashima Antlers entered the weekend level on points for fourth place, and their clash at Noevir Stadium Kobe was understandably billed as a battle between teams vying for an AFC Champions League berth for next season. For nearly 80 minutes, it looked like neither team would come out on top, but then Yoshinori Muto got involved.The forward, s…

Yokohama F·Marinos are just four points back of Kawasaki Frontale for first place in the MEIJI YASUDA J1 LEAGUE thanks to Léo Ceará’s blinding hat trick in Saturday’s 5-0 victory over Vegalta Sendai.Léo Ceará scored his first after 25 minutes when he beat a defender and goalkeeper to a header, which found the open net. On the other side of halftime, the Bra…

Vissel Kobe are in search of their first top-four finish in club history, while Kashima Antlers are trying to return to that rarified air for the fifth time in six seasons after missing out last year. And on Sunday, when they meet at Noevir Stadium Kobe, that all-important top-four spot will be on the line.Vissel are on the outside looking in right now, sit…

Ryota Aoki got off to a slow start this season, playing under a half of football across Hokkaido Consadole Sapporo’s first 12 matches, but his playing time has steadily increased ever since and so has the quality of his play. Now, he just might be a key player to getting the Consadole attack kick-started.Consadole are still trying to figure out how to reorg…

The MEIJI YASUDA J.LEAGUE fans have voted and the winner was clear - Daizen Maeda was their top player in Matchweek 24.The Yokohama F·Marinos forward was spectacular in his side’s 5-1 win over Oita Trinita. Going all 90 minutes for the first time since returning from Japan U-24 duty at Tokyo 2020, Maeda scored a hat trick, picked up an assist and started th…

Sagan Tosu were not expected to be sitting in fourth right now. After finishing 13th place in the MEIJI YASUDA J1 LEAGUE last season, and having never before qualified for the AFC Champions League, many expected they would be battling simply to survive in the top division in 2021.Instead, they've surprised everyone, sitting in the top four thanks to an…

Yokohama F·Marinos transferred their leading goalscorer, Ado Onaiwu, during the Tokyo 2020 break and promptly had their winning streak snapped last week. The question then: Was it a sign of things to come for the second-place team in the MEIJI YASUDA J1 LEAGUE?The answer provided this weekend by Daizen Maeda: Not quite. The Japanese superstar put on a show,…

Vissel Kobe entered the season hoping to finish in the top four for the first time in club history, and in July they moved into that all-important fourth-place spot. For that, and the team’s overall excellent play, Atsuhiro Miura was named J1 Manager of the Month.Vissel played three matches in July, winning two and drawing one. They poured in six goals, sho…