J1 League Preview: Sagan Tosu Aims for Victory to Escape the Relegation Zone, Hiroshima Hit by Multiple Absences

On July 21 at 18:00, in the 24th round of the J1 League, Sagan Tosu will host Hiroshima at the Ekimae Real Estate Stadium.

In their previous match, Sagan Tosu lost 0-2 at home against Gamba Osaka in the 23rd round of the J1 League. Their defensive performance was not ideal, and the foreign player Araujo, who started in the attack, did not perform as expected and was replaced by Teruki Nakahara at halftime. Reflecting on this sudden loss after three consecutive victories, Sagan Tosu’s head coach Kenta Hasegawa expressed his disappointment: “I believe we were attacking for a long time, but I think we lacked the finishing touch to score. I think that difference was evident throughout the game. In addition, our new signings played without having trained together, which was very difficult for them.”

Currently in the J1 League standings, Sagan Tosu is temporarily ranked 19th with 7 wins, 2 draws, and 14 losses, two points away from escaping the relegation zone. However, the team still has an advantage in goal difference and total goals scored. This season, Sagan Tosu has recorded 4 wins, 1 draw, and 7 losses at home, averaging 1.5 goals per game, showing relatively strong offensive power among relegation-threatened teams. In home games over the past two months, Sagan Tosu achieved a significant 5-2 victory over Kawasaki Frontale and comfortably won three points against Kyoto Sanga, another relegation rival, by a three-goal margin. The team’s explosive performance at home deserves recognition.

In terms of squad, new signings Kenta Kiyotake and Silvka made their debuts for Sagan Tosu in the last league match but are still getting accustomed to the team’s system. Additionally, Sagan Tosu will continue to be without the services of Fumiaki Honda, Akahito Kanemoto, Keiki Narahara, and Taisei Inoue. Brazilian foreign player Marcelo was also not included in the squad for the last match and is doubtful for this game.

Hiroshima, the visiting team, managed a hard-fought 1-0 victory at home against Fukuoka Yellow Bees last weekend thanks to a goal from Yuki Ohashi. They did not create many scoring opportunities in the match, and if not for Ohashi’s aerial duel, Hiroshima would likely have been held to a draw at home by a depleted Fukuoka side. Speaking about this tough victory, Hiroshima’s head coach Bernd Schieber said: “We performed poorly in the first half and could hardly demonstrate our capabilities. Fukuoka is a tough opponent, and our main striker Sotirios Satiris suffered a muscle injury, while Sei Manda twisted his foot, which made things difficult for us.”

In the current J1 League standings, Hiroshima sits fifth with 9 wins, 10 draws, and 4 losses, seven points behind the top three teams with one less game played. There is no hope of closing the gap to within a single win before the mid-season break. Instead, they can only hope to strengthen their squad in the transfer market in three weeks and make up the points difference. In their 11 away matches this season, Hiroshima has recorded 3 wins, 7 draws, and 1 loss, the fewest losses away from home in the J1 League. Defensively, they concede fewer than one goal per game, demonstrating outstanding performance.

Regarding the squad, in addition to losing the services of Sotirios Satiris and Sei Manda, key players in the attack, Hiroshima will also miss the defensive contributions of Shogo Sakazaki and substitute center-back Daichi Yamazaki due to injuries, significantly impacting their defense. However, the good news is that Junya Taguchi, who had been the subject of transfer rumors, returned to the starting lineup in the last match and looks set to stay with the team to bolster Hiroshima’s defense. In training sessions this week, Riku Kato, who suffered a concussion, also participated in team drills, and the local striker is likely to start in this round.

In the 20 previous meetings between the two teams, Hiroshima has recorded 10 wins, 6 draws, and 4 losses. In this round, Sagan Tosu aims to secure all three points and escape the relegation zone before the mid-season break. Will the injury-hit Hiroshima give their opponents a chance to take points?

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