On June 26th at 6:00 PM, Kobe Victory Ship will host league leaders Machida Zelvia in the 20th round of the J.League.
Kobe Victory Ship lost 1-2 away to title rivals Gamba Osaka last Saturday. The team only scored through a late penalty from Yuki Muto. In the match against Gamba Osaka, Kobe’s two strikers, Yuya Osako and Yuki Muto, had almost no opportunities in the attacking zone. Osako’s goal in the 20th minute was cancelled due to a controversial decision. Regarding the team’s current situation, Kobe’s starting full-back, Gotoku Sakai, said: “We all need to do more. We can’t rush things, we need to keep facing the challenges that come our way.”
Currently in the J.League table, Kobe Victory Ship is ranked 4th with 10 wins, 3 draws, and 6 losses, still 6 points behind this game’s opponent, Machida Zelvia. They still need to put in a lot of effort to achieve their goal of consecutive championships this season. In their 9 home games this season, Kobe Victory Ship has only achieved a record of 4 wins, 1 draw, and 4 losses, with a win rate of only 44%. This is far from enough for a title-contending team. In their previous home games, Kobe Victory Ship suffered upset losses to Kyoto Sanga and Tokyo Verdy. The team seems to have a mental lapse when playing in front of their home fans.
In terms of the lineup, for this game, Kobe Victory Ship’s starting center-back, Tetsufumi Yamakawa, will be suspended due to an accumulation of yellow cards. However, another starting center-back, Tule, has recovered from injury. The only remaining injured player is midfielder, Mizuki Saito. However, Kobe’s substitute winger, Nanao Iino, is rumored to be leaving the team soon. He might join a mid-to-lower-table team to seek more playing time. As a result, Kobe must actively find a replacement in the summer transfer window.
Machida Zelvia, who will be playing away, drew 0-0 at home against Avispa Fukuoka last weekend. The team had almost 60% of the possession, but only managed 1 shot on target, which is even fewer than Fukuoka, who played a more defensive counter-attacking game. Against Machida Zelvia’s tactics, most J.League relegation teams have already figured out a way to counter them. They only need to reduce possession in the back line and increase long-range clearances, which would make Machida, who focuses on counter-attacks, lose their bearings in chaotic situations. Regarding the team’s current difficulties, Machida manager, Tsuyoshi Kuroda, said that his team would adjust as soon as possible and return to their winning streak.
Currently in the J.League table, Machida Zelvia is still ranked first with 12 wins, 3 draws, and 4 losses. However, due to consecutive point drops against relegation teams, their advantage over the teams behind them has shrunk to just 2 points. They only need to be one win behind to face the threat of losing their top spot. However, in their 9 away games this season, Machida Zelvia has recorded a record of 7 wins, 1 draw, and 1 loss, with a scoring ability ranking first in the league. Their average goals conceded per game is only 0.67, indicating a solid defense. In their last away game, Machida Zelvia defeated the AFC Champions League runner-up, Yokohama F. Marinos, 3-1, demonstrating their outstanding performance.
In terms of the lineup, for this game, Machida Zelvia’s forward players, Mitchell Duke, Sang-ho Ro, Takuya Anzai, and center-back, Min-gyu Jang, will still be unavailable. They were injured during the Emperor’s Cup match against Tsukuba University due to foul play. Head coach Tsuyoshi Kuroda also expressed his dissatisfaction with this. Furthermore, before the start of this game, Machida Zelvia’s starting center-forward, Shota Fujio, was rumored to be transferring to a Korean league team. It is reported that multiple teams, including Ulsan Hyundai, are very interested in the center-forward who excels in defensive attributes.
In the first meeting between the two teams, Kobe Victory Ship defeated Machida Zelvia 2-1 at the National Stadium. In this round of the league, Kobe will return to their home ground, Noevir Stadium Kobe, to fight for 3 points. Will the struggling Machida Zelvia be willing to give up their points?
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