Saturday Preview: Kofu Winery Struggle at Home, Okayama GrreenArk Eager to Climb to Third Place

On October 5th at 1 PM, the 34th round of J2 League will see Kofu Winery host Okayama GrreenArk.

In the 33rd round of the J2 League on September 28th, Kofu Winery lost 1-2 at home to Yamagata Montedio, a team from Tohoku. The team managed to equalize in the first half with a goal by Takamasa Iida, but the two wing-backs struggled to contain Yamagata’s proficient counterattacks in the second half, allowing veteran Takashi Yamada to score again. Regarding the performance, Kofu Winery’s head coach, Shinji Otsuka, said in the post-match press conference, “This game became tough from the start of the first half, as we kept losing possession. After adjusting our attack, I thought we could take control, but I was unable to change the situation with substitutions. I feel responsible. We used a 4-2-3-1 formation, switching to 4-4-2 when defending, to cover more ground.”

Currently, in the J2 League standings, Kofu Winery sits 14th with 10 wins, 9 draws, and 14 losses, leading the relegation zone by 9 points, which means they are likely safe from relegation this season. In their 16 home league games this season, Kofu Winery has only won 3, drawing 4 and losing 9, making their home scoring ability inferior to relegation-threatened teams like Kumamoto and Gunma. In their last two home games, Kofu Winery lost to Kumamoto and Yamagata, two offensive teams, and this is their third consecutive home game.

In terms of squad, goalkeeper Koki Kawa will be out due to injury for Kofu Winery in this match. It is likely that the team will revert to the original 3-4-2-1 formation to increase attacking power. Notably, in the previous game, Brazilian import Augusto performed poorly as a central defender and may be replaced by Riki Inoue.

Okayama GrreenArk won 1-0 at home against Nagasaki in their last league game. Striker Lu Kang, who recently returned from injury, has been performing well, while summer transfer striker Kazunari Ichimi has become redundant and was not included in the squad last round. Regarding the team’s recent improvement over three rounds, manager Takayuki Kimiyasu admitted to the media, “Returning home really feels like coming back to our own place. I believe we entered the game with a strong desire to win. From now on, every game will have a huge impact on our final results, so we will prepare well.”

Currently, in the J2 League standings, Okayama GrreenArk sits 4th with 14 wins, 13 draws, and 6 losses, trailing the direct promotion zone by 16 points. Their sole goal this season is to secure third place in the playoffs to gain home advantage. In their 16 away league games this season, Okayama GrreenArk has won 5, drawn 9, and lost 2, one of the teams with the fewest away losses. In their last three away games, Okayama GrreenArk conceded only one goal against Tokushima and kept clean sheets against Yamaguchi and Mito.

In terms of squad, Okayama GrreenArk’s Brazilian striker Geison will continue to be absent due to injury, and winger Kuuza Kameda will also miss the game due to injury. Notably, Okayama GrreenArk’s main right wingback, Keisuke Yanagi, has been absent for several rounds and may be injured.

In the past 20 meetings between the two teams, Okayama GrreenArk has 8 wins, 5 draws, and 7 losses, holding a slight advantage. In this round, Kofu Winery will aim to use their home advantage to bounce back, while Okayama GrreenArk, aiming to secure a favorable position in the promotion playoffs, will fight hard for points in every game. What sparks will these two teams create?

>>”>For more predictions and schemes for this match, click >>>