On August 3 at 18:00, in the 25th round of the J2 League, Vegalta Sendai will host leaders Shimizu S-Pulse at Yurtec Stadium.
In their away match for the 24th round on July 14, Vegalta Sendai suffered a 0-2 defeat to old rivals Tokushima Vortis. Despite numerous offensive opportunities, the team failed to score. While forward Genki Nakajima and Kei Okawa showed good fighting spirit, their creativity was somewhat lacking. Regarding the difficulties faced in recent league matches, head coach Yoshiro Moriyama said, “Due to injuries and suspensions, we made adjustments to our lineup, but the results were not as expected. We found our rhythm in the last 10 minutes of the second half, and the substitutes performed well. We will start afresh from here.”
Currently in the J2 League standings, Vegalta Sendai is temporarily ranked 6th with 10 wins, 8 draws, and 6 losses, holding just a two-point advantage over Chiba, who are outside the playoff zone, with a goal difference 14 goals behind. In their 11 home games this season, Vegalta Sendai achieved 5 wins, 3 draws, and 3 losses, with slightly reduced point-scoring ability compared to away games. Additionally, they conceded eight goals in their last three home matches, indicating defensive issues that did not meet expectations at the beginning of the season.
In terms of the squad, for this match, Vegalta Sendai’s full-back Ryohta Takada will return from suspension, while Brazilian center-back Matheus Morais will continue to miss out. Also, new summer signings Kei Okawa and Yuki Mita have already made their debuts and are likely to be included in the squad for this round.
Shimizu S-Pulse won their last league match 2-0 away against an injury-ravaged Oita Trinita. Their Brazilian foreigner Lucas Braga has been performing excellently in recent rounds, capable of breaking through opponents’ defenses with individual skill and providing consistent goal-scoring efficiency from the right flank, a significant boost for Shimizu S-Pulse. On their recent good form in the league, head coach Akinori Nishizawa said, “We maintained a good level of intensity in both attack and defense. We want to perform well in the final 14 rounds. We have identified areas for improvement in defense and have also made adjustments in attack.”
Currently in the J2 League standings, Shimizu S-Pulse is temporarily ranked first with 17 wins, 1 draw, and 6 losses, leading Nagasaki by one point but with nine fewer goals scored. In their 13 away games this season, Shimizu S-Pulse only managed 7 wins and 6 losses, a considerable gap compared to their undefeated record of 10 wins and 1 draw at home. In their last five away league matches, Shimizu S-Pulse only won against Oita Trinita in the previous round, losing to teams like Yamaguchi and Ehime, with poor offensive performances.
In terms of the squad, for this match, Shimizu S-Pulse only has three injured players—Kaito Makino, Takumi Kato, and Kenta Nishize—who are unlikely to feature in the starting lineup given the current depth of the squad. Notably, new summer signings Zen Doi and Aziz will be available for selection, having performed well in their debut in a friendly match against Lens.
In their previous 20 encounters, both sides won 8 times each with 4 draws, showing a balanced rivalry. In this round, home side Vegalta Sendai seeks to bounce back from consecutive losses, while table-topping Shimizu S-Pulse looks to continue its strong run. Will they give their opponents a chance to catch their breath?
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