Predicted! Japan Team’s 2021 J1 League table

Predicted! 2022 J1 League table | Japan Teams

The new J.League season begins this week, J1 League is back on Friday February 26, and I have many questions. Will URAWA have a proper go this time? Can KAWASAKI FRONTALE defend their title? Can a new club make it to ACL? And seriously: what now, NAGOYA? How will the J1 League table look in ten months’ time?

Are you ready for J1?

The most difficult league around the world to predict the table ahead of the season. Especially this year 4 teams are being relegated at the end of this year. It’ll absolutely make this season different from the last season.

1. Who will win the title? KAWASAKI, F.C. TOKYO, KASHIMA, OSAKA, or NAGOYA?

KAEWASAKI is likely to retain the title, but OSAKA will stay close to them waiting for the chance

KAWASAKI FRONTALE is the first place on the J1 club power ranking. Many attacking star players belong to them and they also have one of the best GK in the league.

They already beat down GAMBA OSAKA last week and got the first title this year and also won 14-3 against HOKKAIDO CONSADOLE SAPPORO in the training match. Their attacking football will be undefeatable again this year.

But Ryota OSHIMA, Kazuki KOZUKA and other main players didn’t sit on the bench last game. It’ll be the biggest concern. Especially OSHIMA is the most important key to being the champion, so he should be back soon and keep in good condition and high performance.

J.LEAGUE 2021 SEASON PREVIEW 【KAWASAKI FRONTALE】 | Japan Teams

J.LEAGUE 2021 SEASON PREVIEW 【KAWASAKI FRONTALE】

While KAWASAKI FRONTALE is going the right way, GAMBA is also following its path. Though GAMBA lost their first title FUJI XEROX SUPER CUP against KAWASAKI, they pressured KAWASAKI till the end(2-3 to KAWASAKI).

Both KAWASAKI and GAMBA are most likely to win the title considering their last season’s results and the potential of their squads. But more severe games than one’s other teams have will wait for those two teams. ACL will make their energy exhausted.

If any players leave the team after summer transfer, it’ll affect tactics on those two teams. And also both teams had some injured players last year. It’ll be a hard road if it happens again. Team management is one of the most important points for them.

F.C. TOKYO and KASHIMA ANTLERS just focus on J League titles

Last several years, KASHIMA ANTLERS and F.C. TOKYO finished close to the top place, but they are never happy with those results because only what they want is to finish the first place.

While KAWASAKI and GAMBA need to be worried about games in east Asia, TOKYO and KASHIMA can concentrate on J league. They have many opportunities to check young squads in J. League Cup(the J. League YBC Levain Cup).

They have many advantages against two giants. I already uploaded KASHIMA’s preview last week. They seem to be ready for get back the title.

J.LEAGUE 2021 SEASON PREVIEW 【Kashima Antlers】 | Japan Teams

J.LEAGUE 2021 SEASON PREVIEW 【Kashima Antlers】

F.C. TOKYO will also give pressure on two giants. Their striker Kensuke NAGAI can’t play for the opening match because of injury, but three Brazilian attackers ( Diego Oliveira, Leandro Oliveira Moura, Adaílton dos Santos da Silva) must be a threat against all clubs. Their tactics are based on a strong defensive lineup, Akihiro HAYASHI, Masato MORISHIGE, Tsuyoshi WATANABE, Ryoya OGAWA. All of them deserve to play for Japan national team. But HAYASHI doesn’t even join the training because of injury. Instead of him, Go HATANO will be a starting player. He has a lot of potentials, so F.C. TOKYO fans are expecting he becomes the best GK in the league near future. His growth will be necessary to win the game. Two SB Takumi NAKAMURA, Hodaka NAKAMURA compete with each other to be a starting lineup. Their growth is also necessary for the team to win the title. F.C. TOKYO also has high-class midfielder players. Experienced player Yojiro TAKAHAGI, Keigo HIGASHI back from his injury, one of the most valuable players in the team Shuto ABE, defensive midfielder Kazuya KONNO are also ready. In addition, Ryoma WATANABE signed with F.C. TOKYO. They seem to be even ready for ACL.

Both KASHIMA and F.C. TOKYO have young promising players and their concerns are if they are forced to sell them to other European clubs. They have to keep them if they really want to win the title.

NAGOYA GRAMPUS get a lot of attention

Football commentators predict NAGOYA will finish first or second place while fans are worried that NAGOYA still needs to find a striker. But actually, they will deserve to be a champion without a striker if Massimo works on his homework hard.

J.LEAGUE 2021 SEASON PREVIEW 【Nagoya Grampus】 | Japan Teams

J.LEAGUE 2021 SEASON PREVIEW 【Nagoya Grampus】

Those club potential is definitely higher than other teams.

So the most important thing is a team management for avoiding the troubles, like no one is transferred? no one gets injured?

2. Dark horses this season SHIMIZU,URAWA,SAPPORO,TOKUSHIMA

I might have to include “dark horses” in J1 League top three prediction

I already introduced the season preview of SHIMIZU. If LOTINA’s tactics work on, they will approach the title.

J.LEAGUE 2021 SEASON PREVIEW 【SHIMIZU S-Pulse】 | Japan Teams

J.LEAGUE 2021 SEASON PREVIEW 【SHIMIZU S-Pulse】

Urawa Reds defied fans’ expectations last season, but I predict that they will reel from their heartbreaking collapse which cost them ACL place because Rodríguez is rebuilding the team. Their players showed us individual potential and skills last year both attacking and defending situations, but they didn’t organize football as a team. Some main players left the team, but I’m sure they are still enough strong to win the title. They got a big loss as Daiki HASHIOKA left the team to Belgian First Division A-League and Leonardo left to Chinese league last winter transfer window.

But they signed with Daigo NISHI who really understands football can compensate HASHIOKA loss. And They have other promising young players, Koya YURUKI, Hidetoshi TAKEDA, Ryosuke YAMANAKA who showed their high potential last season.

Rodríguez already started to show his squads his discipline. He let Experienced player Yosuke KASHIWAGI go out of his team because he broke the rule several times. I’m looking forward to seeing his new team.

Genius back to the northernmost team

Shinji ONO is back to SAPPORO. In addition, another genius Ryota AOKI joined a team. Takahiro YANAGI from F.C. TOKYO who played for SENDAI last year and No1 University striker Tsuyoshi OGASHIWA also joined the team. They got enough players to finish in third place for ACL. Young talent, Shunta TANAKA and Takuro KANEKO are getting improving their strong points last year. But they still need a Goal Keeper. They haven’t found any Goal Keepers instead of one of the best GK Gu Sung-Yun. That loss made them put an unexpected 12 places. Probably Takanori SUGENO will be the first choice but his peak years have already gone.

Rookie player Kojiro NAKANO has a lot of potentials, so his growth will be necessary. He should learn professional attitude from SUGENO a lot.

What TOKUSHIMA VORTIS now?

Considering their total powers, their first goal is avoiding relegation. But if they start the season well, they could threaten giant J1 clubs.

J.LEAGUE 2021 SEASON PREVIEW 【TOKUSHIMA VORTIS】 | Japan Teams

J.LEAGUE 2021 SEASON PREVIEW 【TOKUSHIMA VORTIS】

3. Predicted! 2021 J1 League table

The key to finish a good place is GK

It’s almost impossible to win games without high-level Goal Keepers every year. if I check that clubs have national class GK, it’ll help me to predict their place on the table. But it’s very difficult to predict clubs that go to ACL next year because of their tight schedule. Their timing when they lose ACL( or of course, they could win but it can’t happen to make all of them champions) will also affect their place.

1st – 6 place: they will compete for the title

3rd – 11 place: they will compete in the top 3, it’ll be unpredictable

12 – 20 place: they will be at risk of relegation, they need a striker to win the point