Preview of Monday: Niigata Swan’s Home Record Poor, Kyoto Sanga Won a Thrilling Comeback Last Round

At 6 PM on August 12th, in the 26th round of the J League, Niigata Swan will host Kyoto Sanga at the Denka Big Swan Stadium.

In the J League’s 25th round, which took place last Wednesday, Niigata Swan, despite leading by two goals, was held to a 2-2 draw by Jubilo Iwata. The team’s captain, Akiyama Hiroki, used his ball-handling skills to overwhelm Iwata’s defense in the first half. However, after the second half began, Niigata Swan’s aerial defense showed major problems. Four defenders, including Thomas Deng, focused all their attention on the Brazilian forward, Pecksoto, but missed the striker, Germain Liang, who has already scored ten goals this season. Regarding this disappointing draw, Niigata coach Matsuhashi Rikizo said: “It was a very sad game. We lost two goals because of poor preparation. It was actually a game that looked good for most of the time.”

Currently in the J League standings, Niigata Swan sits in 16th place with a record of 7 wins, 8 draws, and 10 losses. They are only 1 point away from the relegation zone. The reason for this is that their relegation rivals, Shonan Bellmare and Jubilo Iwata, both won their matches last weekend. In their 12 home games this season, Niigata Swan have only managed 2 wins, 5 draws, and 5 losses. They have conceded an average of 1.8 goals per game, their defense being in a terrible state. In the last three home games, Niigata Swan, who owns the largest football stadium in the Hokuriku region, have conceded 8 goals, all from open play.

In terms of lineup, only striker Suzuki Takayuki is injured for Niigata Swan this game. Multiple players, including winger Ota Shuusuke and attacking midfielder Nagakura Kanaki, have recovered from their injuries. However, Niigata Swan’s new signing, Hashimoto Ken, did not make the squad list in the last game.

Kyoto Sanga pulled off a 3-2 comeback victory over Nagoya Grampus in their last game. The team was already two goals down after 20 minutes of play, facing a seemingly impossible situation. However, in the second half, after two minutes, Nagoya Grampus defender Uchida Takaya was sent off for a red card after denying a clear goalscoring opportunity. Kyoto Sanga then launched a counterattack, with the front three, Elias, Hara Daichi, and Túlio, scoring three goals in 20 minutes to turn the tide. Regarding this exhilarating victory, Kyoto coach Cao Guicai said: “We need to reflect on our first-half performance. Why couldn’t we play like this from the start? We were very lucky to only concede two goals.”

Currently in the J League standings, Kyoto Sanga sits in 16th place with a record of 7 wins, 7 draws, and 11 losses. They are only one point away from escaping the relegation zone. In their 13 away games this season, Kyoto Sanga have an impressive record of 5 wins, 4 draws, and 4 losses, ranking 6th in the league for away points efficiency. This is significantly better than their home point efficiency, which puts them at the bottom of the league. In their last three away games, Kyoto Sanga have defeated Shonan Bellmare, Avispa Fukuoka, and Jubilo Iwata, three teams of similar strength. In the games against Fukuoka and Iwata, they only managed to score the winning goal after 80 minutes.

In terms of lineup, Kyoto Sanga will be without defender Asada Shogo, full-back Fukuda Shinnosuke, and midfielder Kawasaki Sata, who was injured at the Paris Olympics. However, the striker, Murilo Costa, who was signed in the transfer window, can play in this game and will be a major boost to the team’s attack.

In the previous 20 meetings between the two teams, Niigata Swan has a slight psychological advantage with 7 wins, 7 draws, and 6 losses. In this round of the league, Niigata Swan, feeling the pressure of relegation, will be looking to return to winning ways at home. Can Kyoto Sanga, who only need to avoid defeat to escape the relegation zone, achieve their goal?

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