Sunday Preview: Nagasaki Seeks Victory in Farewell to Old Home Ground, Gunma’s Relegation Survival Only Theoretical

On September 22 at 1 PM, in the 32nd round of J2 League, V-Varen Nagasaki will host bottom-of-the-table Thespakusatsu Gunma at the Nagasaki Prefectural Stadium. Notably, this match will be Nagasaki’s last at this venue, with their next home game moving to the newly built Nagasaki Peace Stadium.

In the 31st round of J2 League on September 15, V-Varen Nagasaki secured a 2-0 away win against Fukushima United FC. The team’s main striker, Matheus Jesus, scored an impressive goal in the first half, and substitute center-back, Hayato Tanaka, added another goal from a set-piece in the second half. Speaking about the team’s return to form, Nagasaki head coach, Takahiro Senda, said, “We’ve been conceding goals in the second half recently, but today we identified the issues early and made adjustments. The substitutes (Ryusei Masayama, Tsubasa Kasagawa) controlled the game well.”

Currently, in the J2 League standings, V-Varen Nagasaki is third with 15 wins, 12 draws, and 4 losses, trailing the direct promotion zone by 11 points, making it difficult to catch up as the season nears its end. In 15 home games this season, Nagasaki has won 8, drawn 4, and lost 3, slightly less effective than their away record. They have only managed one point in their last four home games across all competitions, losing to teams like Yamaguchi and Mito HollyHock, so they need to regain their form for this farewell match at Nagasaki Prefectural Stadium.

In terms of squad availability, V-Varen Nagasaki will miss the defensive support of Ryutaro Ienari, Jun Okano, and Kazuto Aoi. These players were originally slated as starters, but new signings in the summer transfer window, such as Haruto Shoso and Yoshiaki Aoki, have taken their places. Most importantly, starting center-forward Juanma will be suspended due to accumulated yellow cards, and there are no other players who can replicate his tactical role.

Thespakusatsu Gunma suffered a 1-4 away defeat to Montedio Yamagata in their last league match. They conceded two goals from aerial duels in the first half and became even more vulnerable after substitutions aimed at boosting their attack in the second half. Entering September, Gunma’s defense had shown gradual improvement (securing 4 points against Akita and Sendai), but it crumbled again against Yamagata. Head coach Satoru Mutou commented, “We played such a game when we had to win. We must reflect and prepare for the next match. We still lack in some areas, and we’ll work hard in training.”

In the J2 League standings, Thespakusatsu Gunma is 20th with 3 wins, 8 draws, and 20 losses, trailing the safety zone by 16 points, leaving relegation survival only theoretically possible. In 15 away games this season, Gunma has only won 2, drawn 4, and lost 9, conceding nearly two goals per game on average. In their last three away matches, they lost to Shimizu S-Pulse, Mito HollyHock, and Montedio Yamagata, with the closest scoreline being a 1-2 loss to local rivals Mito, where they only scored a consolation goal in the dying moments.

In terms of squad availability, Thespakusatsu Gunma will miss the help of Yudai Kitano, Rei Fujimura, Yumehiro Saito, and Seika Saito, who are long-term absentees. Summer transfer signings such as Atsuki Kouda and Daisuke Senbo have started in recent rounds but haven’t contributed significantly.

In the previous 19 meetings between the two sides, V-Varen Nagasaki holds a dominant record of 16 wins, 1 draw, and 2 losses. In this round, Nagasaki will certainly aim for a victory to bid farewell to their old home ground. Will Gunma, who are almost certain to be relegated, put up a fight in this away match? Stay tuned!

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