J.League 2022 | Last 5 Games, Who will survive? vol.1

Five games are left in the 2022 season, J.League(Japan professional football league). Yokohama F.Marinos is staying in the top position, and Kawasaki Frontale is chasing them as the second. And, this year two clubs will get relegated to the J2 league and one club is playing in the playoff against the club from the J2 league. So, at the end of the league, three clubs are facing relegation.

1. Who will be the champion this year

Yokohama F.Marinos has an advantage, but Frontale still has a chance

Frontale needs to win all games to get the top position, but the situation is very hard.

Who can predict this result? I think nobody did. It’s very difficult to predict the table every season, especially J.League. But, many journalists predicted that Marinos and Frontale competed for the top position. Frontale is suffering from a gruelling schedule. Some people say that all clubs have the same situation. Yes, but Frontale seems to be in a harder situation than any other club. Frontale has five more matches.

1. Away vs Sapporo(11) 01.10.2022
2. Home vs Shimizu(12) 08.10.2022
3. Home vs Kyoto(15) 12.10.2022
4. Home vs Kobe(17) 29.10.2022
5. Away vs FC Tokyo(9) 05.11.2022

The next four matches must be harder because those opponent clubs need points to stay in the J1 league. Their lives are at stake, they will make a frantic effort to get points. Sapporo won the game against Shonan(14), and the score was 5-1. Five players netted the goal. Their football is beautiful, but it doesn’t work sometimes. But, if Frontale prevents Sapporo’s strong points, it’s not difficult to win. The concern is the physical condition of Frontale players. Last two games, Frontale players apparently looked tired. And this time, they have a long flight. Some players should join the activity as Japanese national players. The key point will be how to manage their physical and mental condition.

Shimizu places at twelve, but they have many good talents including the national team players. GK Shuichi Gonda is one of them. And the former Japanese national team and Spanish league star player, Takashi Inui also performs well recently. And a Brazilian striker Thiago Santana is the top scorer in the league so far. What’s more, Yuito Suzuki who is the promised young player, and Koya Suzuki who is the former national team striker, are also ready on the bench.

The club which has the most famous Spanish player around the world is placed at the second bottom. Iniesta is still somebody and other Japanese famous players perform very well, but as a team, they are not shining so far, and they are facing relegation. But considering their potential, this match will be the hardest for Frontale.

Who will save Frontale? It could be anyone because there are many good talents. Considering they lost a Brazilian striker Leandro Damião who got injured, another striker needs to fire every game.

Ryo Miyaichi got into trouble, but Yokohama F.Marinos is still the closest

59 Goals in 29 Games! Who can stop this club? Though the last game was on the 18th of September, they didn’t score a goal but still, I can say that all clubs have a headache when they think about how to stop their attacking. Many scorers are ready to go. Even the top scorer Léo Cear á is not the starting player. The former MVP player Teruhito Nakagawa is also not secured his position. Ryo Miyaichi who was selected for a Japanese national team got injured, but It didn’t make them struggle to net goals. Next five games, except for Nagoya and Urawa, their opponents conceded more than 30 goals(more than 1 goal each game).

1. Away vs Nagoya(Place:10/18, 26 goals, 29 conceded) 01.10.2022
2. Home vs G.Osaka(Place:16/18, 28 goals, 42 conceded) 08.10.2022
3. Home vs Iwata(Place:18/18, 27 goals, 51 conceded) 12.10.2022
4. Home vs Urawa(Place:8/18, 42 goals, 28 conceded) 29.10.2022
5. Away vs Kobe(Place:17/18, 25 goals, 35 conceded) 05.11.2022

Urawa and Kobe got players in the season to boost their performance. While Kobe is struggling to get out of the place at relegation risk, Urawa is getting a bit better. Especially, Jens David Joacim Moberg Karlsson, his level is out of the J league, absolutely outstanding.

Yokohama F.Marinos has an advantage against Frontale, but only four points. If they win four of five games, they can get back a champion Schale(Petri dish). Urawa’s and Nagoya’s games, those matches must be the turning points.

Related articles: Predicted! 2022 J1 League table | Japan Teams, Surprising!!| J League | Transfer News vol.1 | Japan Teams

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