On August 17 at 6 PM, the 27th round of the J1 League will see Kawasaki Frontale host their Kanagawa derby rivals, Yokohama F. Marinos, at the Todoroki Athletics Stadium.
In last weekend’s 26th round of the J1 League matches, Kawasaki Frontale comfortably defeated their Tama River derby rivals FC Tokyo 3-0 away from home. The team’s young striker, Kaito Yamada, scored twice with headers by the 20th minute, and in the second half, young central defender Kōei Takai capitalized on a set-piece opportunity to score, helping Kawasaki achieve their most convincing derby victory this season. Regarding this resounding win, Kawasaki Frontale head coach, Tatsuma Yoshimoto, told the media, “The 3-0 result has boosted the players’ confidence. We practice headers every day, and I’m glad our efforts have paid off, but we need to adjust how we handle the ball during attacks.”
Currently in the J1 League standings, Kawasaki Frontale is temporarily ranked 10th with 8 wins, 10 draws, and 8 losses, trailing the top three by 12 points, making it difficult for them to compete for AFC Champions League qualification for next season despite improving performance. However, in their 13 home games this season, Kawasaki Frontale has achieved 5 wins, 5 draws, and 3 losses, conceding an average of only one goal per game while scoring an average of 1.7 goals, showing a significant improvement. In their previous five league home games, Kawasaki Frontale lost unexpectedly only to the relegation-threatened Shonan Bellmare, with all other results falling within normal expectations.
In terms of squad selection, Kawasaki Frontale will be without their two main central defenders, Yūshi Maruyama and Jesse, who are both injured. Additionally, the team’s young midfielder Koki Sego and young central defender Kota Mawatari announced their departures to join overseas teams this week, which is undoubtedly a severe blow for this round of the league. For Yoshimoto, the team may have to rely on new summer signing Colombian central defender César to start and bolster the defense in this match.
Yokohama F. Marinos suffered a reversal and lost 1-2 at home to defending champions Vissel Kobe in the last round. The team took the lead in the first half through Eduardo’s header, but the Brazilian center-back committed a major error, giving away a penalty three minutes later, allowing Vissel Kobe to equalize before halftime, thus reversing the course of the game. Regarding this disappointing loss, Yokohama F. Marinos interim head coach, Ross McCormack, said, “This was a defeat that was overturned. I think the players gave it their all but failed to play the football they wanted, especially with the second goal conceded where we didn’t defend well. They shouldn’t have been allowed such an easy pass through.”
Currently in the J1 League standings, Yokohama F. Marinos is temporarily ranked 9th with 10 wins, 5 draws, and 11 losses, also trailing the top three by a considerable 11 points. As AFC Champions League runners-up, they are likely to miss out on continental competition next season. In their 13 away games this season, Yokohama F. Marinos have achieved 5 wins, 2 draws, and 6 losses, performing fairly average, with their defensive capabilities significantly reduced compared to home games. In their last three away league matches, Yokohama F. Marinos successively lost to Avispa Fukuoka and Gamba Osaka, but on July 20, they surprisingly beat league leaders Machida Zelvia 2-1 at the National Stadium, showing some recovery.
In terms of squad selection, Yokohama F. Marinos will lose the help of captain Takuya Kida (suspended due to accumulated yellow cards), and left-back Katsuya Ōta is likely to miss out due to injury. The good news is that another left-back, Taiki Watanabe, has already recovered from his concussion and is fit to play.
In their previous 20 encounters, Kawasaki Frontale has a psychological advantage with 10 wins, 5 draws, and 5 losses. In this round of the league, Kawasaki Frontale, who are currently enjoying a three-game winning streak, naturally aim to leverage their home advantage to continue their winning streak. Yokohama F. Marinos, eager to catch up on points, will not back down easily. What sparks will these two teams ignite?
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