Introduction to the 18 teams in the J1 League for 2023

In 2023, there will be major reforms in the J1 League. Due to expansion, the format this year will be promotion of 3 teams and relegation of 1 team. Only one of the 18 J1 teams will be relegated, so the pressure to avoid relegation will be greatly reduced. Based on the experience of the non-relegation season in 2020, it is likely that attacking play and goal scoring will increase due to the reduced pressure to avoid relegation. Teams with strong goal scorers will have a better chance to gain an advantage in the game, and this will be considered in the team rankings. The competition for the championship will still be fierce, and Yokohama Kawasaki's advantage may shrink.

One thing to note is that, in the past 2 years, the home advantage in the J1 League has been increasing. Last year was the first time in over a decade that the away win rate was less than 30%. This trend is becoming increasingly similar to the top 5 leagues, and needs to be continuously monitored.

This year's ranking is relatively clear. The first tier consists of teams that have the chance to compete for the championship, the second tier consists of teams in the middle of the table, the third tier consists of teams slightly lower in the middle, and the fourth tier consists of teams at risk of relegation.

First tier: Yokohama F. Marinos, Kawasaki Frontale, Kashima Antlers, Nagoya Grampus, Sanfrecce Hiroshima

Second tier: Cerezo Osaka, Vissel Kobe, Urawa Red Diamonds, FC Tokyo

Third tier: Hokkaido Consadole Sapporo, Kashiwa Reysol, Sagan Tosu, Gamba Osaka, Albirex Niigata

Fourth tier: Avispa Fukuoka, Shonan Bellmare, Kyoto Sanga, Yokohama FC

Tier 1: Yokohama Mariners, Kawasaki Frontale, Kashima Antlers, Nagoya Grampus, Hiroshima Sanfrecce

Yokohama Mariners

The Yokohama Mariners in 2022 are undoubtedly the best team in the J1 league, leading Kawasaki to win the championship by 2 points. The offense and defense are the strongest in J1, and the home and away performances are relatively balanced. What is particularly commendable is the team's development of its own potential. Players such as Nishimura Takuma and Mizunuma Kota could only be regarded as ordinary J1 first-line players before, not reaching the level of stars or superstars, but in the Yokohama system. He showed the peak state of his career and also entered the national team. The extraordinary performance of many of these players has led Yokohama to be far ahead of other teams in lineup depth, winning every rotation or even a big rotation with 8-9 players, which is extremely important for stability in a long season. In addition, the Yokohama Mariners' foreign aid has always been strong, and Elber, Ceara, Lopez, etc. can all play a role.

This season, the Yokohama Mariners lost last year's J-League MVP Tomoki Iwata. This player is not only an excellent international central defender, but also can play as a guest right back and defensive midfielder and can perform above average. The depth of Yokohama's backcourt has weakened a lot. The striker let Ceara go and introduce Zhizhong Asahi. This also has some influence. Lopez and Ceara are close to each other and have different styles. As a center, they can form a double insurance. After all, Zhizhong Asahi is young and has no J1 experience. This year will test Lopez's state. . Teruhito Nakagawa left the team to join Tokyo. He is no longer the absolute main force of the team, but he still plays in big competitions and is also one of the spiritual leaders. This loss is also a pity. In the end, the goalkeeper Gaoqiu Yangping was in Europe. The team urgently recalled the old club Taiki Iikura, and the goalkeeper's position was fine. Personally, I think the Yokohama Mariners are still one of the strongest teams in Japan this season. Almost every position has 2 players who are enough to be called the J1 lineup as a rotation. Therefore, the stability is still high and they can always maintain the championship ranks. However, I also think that Yokohama's advantage this year may not be as obvious as last year. After all, the core of the backcourt has left the team without supplements, and the center has lost a layer of insurance. In the case of strengthening competitors, Yokohama has not strengthened, or even declined slightly. Where there are hidden dangers.

Kawasaki Frontale

Last year, the Kawasaki striker lost the championship again. In the past 6 years, he had 4 championships, but he still failed to achieve three consecutive championships. The performance of the AFC Champions League was not satisfactory. Compared with the peak seasons of the previous two years, the travel of international players such as Kaoru Santomoma and Aoshi Tanaka to Europe has seriously affected the strength of the team. The players added are not so talented, and the offense in the midfield is still maintained by veterans. The center position Damian is older and affected by injuries. He only scored 5 goals in a season. His parents, Zhao Bo, contributed to goals but his athletic ability further declined. The team was also unlucky. The game was postponed when the opponent had the new crown, but the new crown was not enough for the game standard, resulting in 14 players losing consecutive games. Last year, Kawasaki's strong dialogue actually performed well, but it lost a lot of points to several weak teams that were relegated. Facing such a team with strong athletic ability and hard work, Kawasaki seemed a little powerless.

In the new season, Kawasaki's signings are average. Shogo Taniguchi went to West Asia to earn money. The departure of the captain and the core of the defense will have a huge impact on the backcourt. I think this will be directly reflected in the results. The imported Danan Takuma can play central defender, but last year he played right wing-back most of the time in Kashiwa, so the generalist consideration is more important. The other positions have not changed much. Miyagi Tenzu went out to exercise, and Chinenkei joined Kashima. The two are not bad, but there is really no chance in Kawasaki. Segawa Yusuke was introduced, and Miyashiro Daisho was brought back. The manpower in the frontcourt is still enough. I have two worries about Kawasaki in the new season. The first is the backcourt. Shogo Taniguchi’s departure from the team will have too much impact. Zheng Chenglong, Tori Kyohei, and Shintaro Kuriya are one year older, even if they have made some preparations as above. Fukumoto Naoto, Danan Takuma, etc., the ability of the backcourt may still decline. The second is the status of the veterans. The frontcourt parents Zhao Bo, Damian, Kobayashi Yu, etc. are also one year older. Last year, I think Damian and his parents Zhaobo can only be regarded as the starting level of the strong team, not up to the championship team. The development level has reached, if it drops again this year, young players may need to take over immediately. Therefore, the uncertainty of Kawasaki's performance this year is very high, and it may not be as good as last year. However, Kawasaki has many years of experience, no flaws in each position, and a large number of people. Furuki, Miyashiro Daisho and others can grow rapidly, and the veterans have performed at critical moments. Kawasaki should still be able to maintain its competitiveness for a year and become one of the championship teams and even the favorites. But it must be said that Kawasaki's core lineup will be one year older next year, and the schedule of 20 teams will be more frequent. If there is no large-scale signings, Kawasaki's competitiveness may continue to decline.

Kashima Antlers

Kashima drove high and low last year. In the first half of the year, it was a team with a good chance to compete for the championship. The fully evolved Ueda Keise and the returning Suzuki Yuma combined two swords. The offensive firepower can be called the best in Japan. , Coach Weller's tactics are also very effective. However, Ueda Keise's trip to Europe in the middle of the season directly affected Kashima's performance throughout the year. After several consecutive downturns, Weller dismissed get out of class and Iwamasa Taiki took over. Iwamasa Taiki's performance in leading the team can't be considered good either. He never solved the goal vacancy after Ueda Keise left the team, and finally finished in fourth place hastily.

In the new season, Kashima's signings can be said to be the largest in Japan, so it is also highly anticipated. The backcourt Masako Won and Ueda Naruto returned together. The two were important members of the Kashima League AFC Champions League in 2016-17. They are still young. If they return to their peak form, it will be a huge improvement for Kashima’s backcourt . The midfielder added Tomoya Fujii, a wide player with strong running ability and extraordinary ability. He also performed very well in Hiroshima last year and greatly strengthened the wing. The striker Everardo left the team, introduced Chinenkyo, and took back Yuki Kakita. Personally, Chinenkyo thinks that he is fully capable of starting in J1. His shooting skills, confrontation and center forward capabilities are very comprehensive, but he has no chance in Kawasaki. Kashima this year The strength of the midfielder and the backcourt is very good. Suzuki Yuma also has a strong ability to play the ball. Chinenqing has a lot of room to play. Yuki Kakita has been renting out for 5 years and can expect improvement this year. Among the lost players, Sangan Jiandou has a greater impact in Europe, and the others are acceptable, and the young man Kaishu Sano is also added.

Generally speaking, I think Kashima's lineup is already very good. The goalkeeper position and even three players have the ability to compete for the main force. The returning double central defender and Anzai Xinghui are quasi-international players. Midfielder Yuta Higuchi and Pituka , Fujii Tomoya, etc. are all very good, and we can also look forward to the continued improvement of Ryotaro Araki after recovering from injury. The striker Yuma Suzuki finally got a helper, at least he will be stronger than in the second half of last year. Therefore, if you only look at the strength on paper, Kashima will definitely be a championship team this year, not inferior to Yokohama Kawasaki, and slightly higher than other teams by half a level. But I still have two worries about Kashima. The first is the ability of the coach. At least Iwamasa Taiki did not see anything in the second half of last year. I still continued the traditional style of Ishii Masatada and Oiwa Tsuyoshi, and changed on the spot. The ability is also average and the experience is inexperienced. The coach may not be Kashima's advantage. The second and more important point is Kashima's internal problems. Last year, while signing Weller, he fired Weller early. The club's high-level conflicts are not small, which may cause internal friction. Kashima's performance in the warm-up match at the beginning of the season was not very good. The team needs to quickly develop its combat effectiveness and use results to resolve disputes.

Nagoya Whale

Nagoya's performance last year can be said to be quite bad. The doping incident of the core striker Sivir Chok led to a lack of excellence throughout the year. Nobufuku Sakai was injured in two games. There were serious problems and a large number of goals were conceded, and the defense that survived was not as good as before. At one point, they even had to fight for relegation. However, the team's strength is still good enough, and the financial resources are also strong. After abandoning 4-3-3, they changed to three central defenders, which solved the defensive problem. The team's midfielder Sho Inagaki is still stable, and the striker superstar Matthaeus scored goals, assisted the organization and set the ball on his shoulders, and finally ended the season with a mid-range result.

This year the team chose to continue to trust Hasegawa Kenta and give him an excellent configuration. Yoshida Toyo, Abe Hiroyuki, Kakigani Yoichiro, Leo Silva and other old players left the team. Keiya Sento, whose performance did not meet expectations, joined the Kashiwa team, which has a slight impact on the thickness of the lineup, but the core framework remains unchanged, and the main lineup has no impact. Big, only Soma Yuki's departure has a huge impact on the team, and the wing attack has dropped significantly. In terms of signings, Yuki Nogami was introduced in the backcourt to supplement the thickness. Midfielders Takuji Yonemoto and Ryuji Izumi returned to the team, and excellent rookie Riku Yamada from Kofu was introduced. The midfielder has enough manpower in the middle. The most important signing is the striker. Urawa actually rented Juncker to Nagoya. The player's strength has been proved in the past two years. His shooting skills are the best in Japan. He has excellent abilities in organization, counterattack and center forward Above the Japanese average level, he is undoubtedly a top scorer. Even if the head coach only let him start 14 games last year, and he was replaced in 60 minutes without any emphasis on tactics, he still scored 7 goals. Nagoya's midfield is already very strong. Langerak, who is the goalkeeper, is the strongest player in Japan. The midfield is almost equipped with national players. Junker's joining has made up for Nagoya's most critical weakness in the center, and it is a step-by-step change. There are fewer places for relegation this year, teams may not pay much attention to defense, and super shooters are more decisive to the game. I personally think that as long as Juncker does not suffer serious injuries, Nagoya can be improved by more than 15 points, so he has a chance to enter the ranks of the championship.

Finally, let’s talk about Hasegawa Kenta’s problem. Many people questioned that he was not very good in the late Gamba, in Tokyo and Nagoya, a bit like the old Mourinho. I personally feel that Hasegawa still has strong on-the-spot command and tactical targeting capabilities, but his teams often need good players as a foundation, and there are no bright spots on the offensive end. The only problem in Nagoya this year is the wing. The lack of Yuki Soma, a key player, requires Hasegawa to think of a way. He already has good players in other positions. The healthy Junker + Matthaus is said to be the No. 1 player in Japan. One's offensive combination is not too much, so Nagoya deserves to play a good performance.

Sanfrecce Hiroshima

Last year's Hiroshima Sanfrecce can be regarded as the most surprising team in Japan. The team's performance at the beginning of the season was not very impressive, but when coach Skibe arrived at the team, a huge change took place. Skipbe has changed Hiroshima's defensive style for many years, and boldly used the young combination of Makoto Mitsuda and Tsukasa Morishima on the offensive end. The tactics are varied and the offensive firepower is extremely strong. In less than a year, Hiroshima has been built into the most powerful team. An entertaining and competitive team, if it weren't for losing too many points in the early stage and the team's thickness is not enough to compete for the championship standard, it may even have a chance to win the championship. Such an example of a coach quickly changing a team is also very rare in Japan's 30-year history. Almost all players have improved significantly under the guidance of the new coach. Makoto Mitsuta, Tsukasa Morishima, and Taketo Notsuta in the main lineup have entered the East Asian Cup national team, and Takumeng Kawamura also became a surprise player in the second half of the season.

In the new season, Hiroshima's lineup has not changed much. It is a pity that Fujii Tomoya left the team, but Makoto Mitsuta is likely to play right-wing back, which will not affect his strength too much. Those who leave the team in the backcourt cannot reach the level of a strong Japanese team, and Yuo Asano obviously has no chance. In terms of signings, Shizhi Takaaki, a very offensive left player, can replace the aging Kashiwa Hofumi, and midfielder Matsumoto Daiya returns. He performed well in Kanazawa last year and has potential. Hiroshima's main lineup has hardly changed this year. A large number of young players who have improved last year can expect to continue to grow. Therefore, if you only look at the main lineup, Hiroshima has the strength to compete for the first place, which is not inferior to any J1 team. But after all, a season is still relatively long, and it is inevitable that there will be problems such as injuries and fatigue. Hiroshima's strikers are not bad, and if the young people in the midfield can improve, there is no problem. Dong Junxi, the gap between his strength and the main force is not small, and the defense line is that besides the three central defenders, there is only Jijrani, who is too weak as a substitute. In terms of the thickness of the lineup, especially the thickness of the midfield, Hiroshima is far inferior to the previous four teams. Finally, there is the question of tactics. Last year, Skibbey's tactics were very effective. I believe that other teams will also conduct research. Whether Hiroshima can continue to perform well this year also needs attention. In general, Hiroshima has a chance to compete for the championship if the main lineup is free from injuries and illnesses, but if there are extensive injuries in the backcourt, the record may drop sharply, and the stability is not very good.

Second level: Osaka Sakura, Kobe Victory Ship, Urawa Red Diamonds, FC Tokyo

osaka cherry blossom

Osaka Sakura ranked fifth last year, which should be said to have exceeded expectations. Coach Xiaoju Akio has a lot of cards, but the quality is not that high. The nobles left the team in conflict with the team. Hiroshi Kiyotake was injured and did not play much. Even the original core Harakawa was injured and missed many games. There is no reliable Zhengyin striker, and the 4 strikers will play in turn. Under such circumstances, Sakura still relied on the cooperation of the whole team to achieve good results, especially against strong teams. They scored points against Yokohama and Kawasaki, and improved in counterattack and set kicks. There are also many surprises in the team. Tokuma Suzuki has become an excellent core since he played J1. Xiong Shengya's performance at the right winger position exceeded expectations, and several forwards also contributed.

In the new season, Osaka Sakura's lineup has gone further. In fact, there is room for record improvement, but there are also hidden dangers. The team rented out Hiroto Yamada, Taggart and Mendes left the team, Yusuke Maruhashi left the team, and Patrick went to Kobe. In terms of signings, Crockers and Ceara joined in, Shinji Kagawa and Shota Fujio returned, and foreign aid Kapi Xiapa was introduced. The return of Kagawa Shinji is very helpful to the football market, but he has hardly played many games abroad in recent years. The current 4-4-2 tactics of the team may not be suitable for him to play. The mental effect of the return may be greater than the actual performance on the field. . Ceara is a good reinforcement. He is a relatively standard shooter, good at grasping opportunities, and other abilities are average. Osaka Sakura has the ability to create threats and can send him shells. As a backup, he performed very well in J2 last year. Crox has a good wing attack and positioning ability, but he is not as good as Xiong Shengya in terms of running and defense, and may share playing time. Theoretically, Osaka Sakura should be stronger than last year, but I think the reinforcements of the previous teams this year are also sufficient, and the team's previous chemistry is good. Fortunately, Ceara at least needs his attack against weak teams. ability, but Kagawa and Crockers join, it is not realistic to not give them playing time, it may mean some changes in the team's style of play, and the difficulty of locker room management is also increasing. Is this right for Akio Kiku? Good things still need attention. If the new aid can play a role, Osaka Sakura has further potential.

vissel kobe

Kobe can be regarded as the most disappointing team last year. The last 11 games and 8 wins the year before last gave high expectations. But last year, the team suffered heavy losses at the beginning of the season. The core players in the plan such as Takahiro Ogihara, Yuya Osako, and Samper were seriously injured. Iniesta is old and has no contribution on the court. Injury, new aid Tomoaki Makino did not play a role, and Kikuchi Ryuho, who performed well, also showed his original shape due to the departure of the backcourt commander. The frontcourt is full of injured players, and the backcourt keeps conceding goals. Kobe is in the quagmire of relegation at the beginning of the season. However, Kobe is indeed too rich. In the middle of the season, Takayuki Yoshida took office again, introduced Iino Seven Saints, reused players with strong running ability, and forcibly changed the technical team into a running, fighting, and counter-attacking style of play. , and waited until Dazaiyong also came back, the role of the star began to show, and finally finished the season without any danger.

The changes in Kobe in the new season are not too big. Only Yuki Kobayashi and Yutaro Oda are more influential in Europe. Yuki Kobayashi, Shiono Inoue, and Yuta Satoya were originally rotation players. Goalkeeper Taiki Iikura left without a share. Insurance. In terms of signings, Sakura winger Patrick was reinforced on the wing, Turrell stayed, and Haruka Ide and Yuki Honda joined. I personally think that Kobe's lineup is still competitive. Yuya Osako and Yoshiki Muto are excellent offensive players who are good enough to start in the upper reaches of J1. If the single center tactic is used, there is no shortage of strikers. The central and backcourt system is relatively complete, and we can expect to perform similarly or even better than in the second half of last year. The tactical stability that is relatively focused on running is higher, so I think Kobe will be a mid-upstream team this year. However, if Kobe wants to compete for the championship this year, it may still be a bit difficult, and there is a certain gap with other strong teams in terms of attack. There should be no hope for Iniesta. If the team can strengthen a truly excellent frontcourt offensive core in the summer, it will be of great help to the record.

Urawa Red Diamonds

Urawa's league performance last year did not meet expectations, and it can still be explained by the performance of the AFC Champions League. The team encountered trouble at the beginning of the season. The coach Rodriguez has many powerful foreign aids, but he is not very good at using them. Leading to an early withdrawal from the ranks of the championship. In the second half of the year, Rodriguez simply gave up Junker and other big-name stars, and used Matsuo Yusuke as a center forward. He picked up his previous successful 4-2-3-1 running-based tactics, improved the league record, and the AFC Champions League. Successful promotion in East Asia, if you can win the AFC Champions League, it will be a successful season.

In the new season, Urawa will undergo a coaching change, and Polish coach Skorsha will join. He has experience in West Asia before and coached in Poland most of the time. He has no experience in the five major leagues. It is a question mark whether he can adapt after coming to Japan. The team's personnel changes are also quite large. Juncker rented out Nagoya, Esaka Ren joined Ulsan, Matsuo Yusuke and Miyamoto Yuta traveled to Europe. Although Esakaren and Junker were not comfortable playing under the former coach, after all, one is a quasi-national footballer and the other is a super shooter. It is a pity to let them go like this. In terms of signings, Norwegian defender Hoyblaten joined, Ogiwara Takuya returned, and Kumamoto's main striker Takahashi Toshiki joined last year. Urawa's current lineup is definitely not bad. The defenders are full of talents and can line up two sets of effective starters. The midfielder has at least an above-average strength. Both Atsuki Ito and Tomoaki Okubo have shown potential. This year is expected to go further. The ability of foreign aid Moberg is outstanding. The main problem is the striker line. Xingzhi Shinzo is obviously old. Takahashi Toshiki can only be regarded as an excellent J2 shooter. He has never played in J1. He directly joined a giant like Urawa. I think his ability may not meet the standard. . Then you can only look forward to Lin Sen at the center position, and Schalke may be more of a winger. Lin Sen didn't play much last year due to injury, and I don't think Lin Sen can be stronger than Junker. Once he doesn't play, who will score the goal will be a big problem. Urawa's new coach has a very average resume, and it is his first contact with Japanese football. I think the team's performance this year may be affected by the problems of the coach and forward.

FC Tokyo

When Alberto took office in Tokyo last year, he got a super high school student, Matsuki Kuo, and he performed quite well at the beginning. However, there are too many injuries in the backcourt of the team, Nagatomo Yuto is old, and the state of center Oliveira has dropped sharply and only scored 4 goals throughout the year. Finally, it is not bad to get 6th place. In the new season, Tokyo’s reinforcements are very solid, and almost no important players leave the team. The striker rented center Perotti to make two-handed preparations, and the weakest right winger position introduced Nakagawa Teruhito. It's big money for Tokyo, and his performance in key games is worth looking forward to. In terms of midfield and backcourt, Kuo Matsuki has not been in Europe at least yet, and the excellent midfielder Koizumi Kei has joined. His defensive coverage ability is quite good, which can make Tokyo's midfielder tougher to another level. The introduction of Deyuan Yuhei to solve the problem of full-backs is at least a qualified rotation player.

Tokyo's lineup this year is much more reasonable than last year, so it will be a stable mid-upstream team. However, I think it is difficult for the team to go further. The midfielder still lacks an excellent commander. According to my one-year observation, Matsuki may be more inclined to the 8th position. He has offensive ability but not the core style of play. The combination of Koizumi Kei + Matsuki Kubu + Abe Hiiragi has excellent defense and movement, and can also advance, but the offensive organization is slightly insufficient. The status of strikers Oliveira and Teruhito Nakagawa is uncertain, and it is hard to say what the ability of new aid Perotti will be. The biggest problem may be the backcourt. The full-back positions Nagatomo Yuto, Tokumoto Yuhei, and Kashifu are definitely not up to the level of a strong J1 team. I don’t even think they can even reach the average level. They have obvious weaknesses. In modern football tactics, full-backs are very important. They need both offense and defense. Let's see how Alberto handles this problem.

The third level: Sapporo Consadole, Kashiwa Helios, Tosu Sandstone, Osaka Gamba, Niigata Swan

Sapporo Consadole

Sapporo finished 10th last year and still ended the season in a standard mid-range position. In recent years, the team can be called a typical representative of mid-range teams. Relying on Master Pei's tactics, there is no shortage of goals, and the home game is also good. At least Playing against weak teams is relatively stable. But in fact, Sapporo still encountered a lot of trouble last year. There was almost no one available for the striker. In many games, Komai Zencheng had to play as a guest center forward, playing an alternative tactic like 3-7-0. The team's old defensive problems have not been resolved, mainly because of the second spring of the old goalkeeper Kanno Takatoshi, a large number of attacks and saves single-handedly. Very scary. Of course, after the return of talented players such as Xiao Baigang and Kaneko Takuro, Sapporo's performance is still far from the point where it needs to be relegated.

In the new season, Sapporo's useless forwards have left a lot, which has no impact on the team. The only major loss is that Takane Tomoki was poached by Kashiwa. This player has organizational talent in midfield, can play left center back, and has a long pass with his left foot. Very accurate, is a very important player in Sapporo, it is a pity not to stay. In terms of signings, the defenders are very optimistic about the main player of the National Olympics Haruya Baba, midfielder Yuki Kobayashi and winger Yuo Asano also joined. In addition, the key point is that Koo Sung-yoon has returned from military service, and Kanno Takahashi can finally be the goalkeeper. Take a break and play cup games with peace of mind. Sapporo's lineup this year is not much different from last year, and even slightly stronger, so I think Sapporo has maintained a mid-range position for many years in a row. Even if there are 3 relegation places, they will definitely not be relegated, let alone only 1 this year. There is no change in the tactical style, and you can still expect the team to concede a lot of goals. Finally, I would like to talk about Haruya Baba. The evaluation of this player is quite polarized. With his physical talent at his age, the performance of the Olympic team, the comprehensiveness of being able to play right back, center back, and midfielder, is worthy of investing resources. to exercise. But his real performance and instability sometimes have many problems in the J2 mid-range team. It may be a good choice to come to Sapporo. No one will blame him for conceding the ball here. Okamura Daihachi can also practice at this level. Exercise well , In the future, it will be seen whether he can become a member of the national team.

cypress sun god

Last year's Kashiwa Helios was one of the best performing teams in my mind. The 70-year-old coach Nelcinho has profound skills and brought a team that was considered to be the favorite for relegation to the second place. The name ended far beyond expectations, and even the coach himself boasted at the press conference that "everyone thought we would be relegated before the season, but they didn't expect us to be so good." If it weren't for Kim Sung Kyu's departure from the team, the results would have been even better. The 20-year-old young player in the frontcourt, Shindai Hosoya, played the leading role in the offense. His performance was relatively stable throughout the year, and he grew into a J1 main player. However, Savio, a former parallel foreign aid, suddenly broke out, and his performance in the first half of the year was at the quasi-MVP level. The team's 5-3-2 tactics are low-key and pragmatic. The backcourt uses numbers to make up for the lack of ability, and the counterattack is very sharp. Veteran Yuki Muto and others in the frontcourt have contributed.

In the new season, Kashiwa Helios lost central defenders Yuji Takahashi and Takumi Ueshima, and two right-wing players, Takuma Ohnan and Kengo Kitazuru, were poached, and the backcourt was greatly affected. In terms of signings, the strength is not small. The backcourt will strengthen Eiichi Katayama, Yugo Tachida and Diego. The goalkeeper will supplement Tatsumi Morida as the backup plan for young player Masashi Sasaki. . Among these new aids, Eiichi Katayama is a qualified J1 wide player. He has the skill of throwing the ball or is versatile. He should have no problem playing right wing back. Diego performed well enough in Tosu last year. As for Tachida Yugo, he It is true that Qingshui has been pitted for so many years until he was relegated last year, but the Cypress team has also saved many players. Let's see if Nelcinho can unleash his true potential. Kashiwa's new midfielders have their own characteristics. In fact, Kashiwa and Tosu have certain similarities. Sento Keiya fits Kashiwa's tactics very well, Takamine Tomiki has strong organizational skills, and Yamada Kota is the absolute core of Yamagata. , The offensive talent is excellent, and it is time to return to J1 for development. So I think Bai's midfield is not weaker than last year's. Even if last year was a bit of an accidental factor, he will definitely not be able to avoid relegation this year. Bo's problem is the front line. Even if Hosoya has improved significantly, he only scored 8 goals after all, and the second half of the season was basically misfired. Douglas and Yuki Muto are too old to expect their performance. I personally guess that the Kashiwa team will adopt a 5-3-1-1 tactic, with Yamada Kota playing as the second forward position, and taking charge of the offense together with Savio and Hosoya Masada. If the three can play in their ideal state, the Cypress team may also become a dark horse.

Tosu Sandstone

Tosu once again demonstrated the charm of the Japanese version of "Magic Ball" last year, let go of almost all the main players, and introduced a group of corner players. These new J1 substitutes and J2 players once again formed a very powerful team. In the end, relegation was determined early, and in the last 5-6 rounds, they could still give points to brothers from all walks of life as favors. The rented Miyashiro Daisho and Kakita Hiroki have all made good progress, holding up the center forward position. Midfielders Fukuda Akito and Koizumi Kei are the mainstays. There are many people available for the team. Almost every first team The players all made their contribution. The running data that Tosu relies on for survival is still amazing. During the season, it once reached an average of 128 kilometers per game, which is also the top level in the five major leagues.

In the new season, Tosu will change another group of people. This plot has been played for 3 consecutive years. To be honest, it is not surprising. Diego and Koizumi, who performed well last year, all took it out for money, and the two strikers failed to renew their leases. However, this year's reinforcement of Tosu is at least on paper the best in recent years. First of all, Hiroto Iwasaki, who played for the national team in Tosu, was left behind, and the attack on the left side was guaranteed. The midfielder introduced Kawawon to replace Koizumi. The 24-year-old Hawon was the key to Kumamoto's success last year. He had a very high attendance rate, a single midfielder to support the defense, and long passes and long shots. I think he has a very high upper limit. In the future, even if they don't travel to Europe, they should be able to join the Japanese giants, and Tosu is just a transit point. Central defender Yamazaki Kosuke, who joined from Yamagata, has the opportunity to compete for the main force. The addition of striker Fukuoka Kyoshin and Kawayama Ryonosuke can make up for the loss of Kakita Yuki and Miyashiro Daisho's departure. Tosu's signings this year are very targeted, and the players are not bad. More importantly, most of them are joining rather than renting. If they play well in the coming year, they can continue to sell for money, which is very beneficial to the long-term development of the team. It’s been three years since Tosu’s operation. According to my personal observation, the buyer of Tosu probably pays more attention to physical fitness, especially running. Every player must have a strong running ability. Running 10KM more than the opponent per game is similar to playing one more player (teams with poor running can even lead by 15KM) to make up for the lack of player skills. The team has been successful with this idea for at least 3 years, and there is no reason to think that it will fail this year. Therefore, I think Tosu will still be in the mid-range position this year without relegation pressure.

Gamba Osaka

Gamba Osaka’s performance in 2022 is still not ideal. The team has quite a few well-known stars, and the coach also invited Tomohiro Katanosaka who performed well in Oita, but the coach’s tactics are obviously still mainly civilian players. The fit of the stars is poor, the content of the game is of poor quality, and the serious injuries of goalkeeper Higashiguchi Junzhao and offensive core Usami Takashi made the situation worse. They had to adjust their tactics many times, and the three substitute goalkeepers were in a sluggish performance. Katanosaka took the 25th round and finally dismissed get out of class, and the team has been in crisis of relegation. At the critical moment, the management of Gamba made the right choice. The old coach Hiroshi Matsuda took office. His 4-4-2 tactic double-headed the Brazilian center. Thrilling relegation.

In the new season, Gamba has quite a lot of personnel adjustments. The double center Patrick and Pereira both left the team. In terms of reinforcement, Gu Huangsheng was taken back, and he was preparing to succeed the 36-year-old Junaki Higashiguchi. The backcourt introduces an excellent young fullback Riku Handa, who has the potential to travel to Europe, and center back Jiang Chuanyongqing was the core of Nagasaki's backcourt last year, and he also has room for improvement. On the offensive line, Kumamoto winger Naohiro Sugiyama joined. His breakthrough, shooting and attendance rate are very good. Finally, there is the position of coach. The team chose Boyatos from Tokushima. Last year, he brought 23 historic draws in Tokushima. It is a bit dumbfounding. His team has problems on the offensive end, and the defense is fairly stable. He is also a cutting-edge player. coach. In fact, it is not difficult to see the team's thinking from Gamba's signings and coach selection. There were too many so-called big-name and high-paying stars before, and they were not at their peak. This year's new players are all young players with potential, who can grow together with the team and the coach, so I think Gamba will focus on giving young people more opportunities to play in the next 1-2 years. This year, when the pressure of relegation is very small, the performance is sacrificed to train newcomers. As far as this year's lineup is concerned, Gamba's goalkeeper is in an excellent position, and his ability in the midfield is not weak. The coach's tactics can at least stabilize the defense, and the offense is a bit random. Overall, relegation is no problem.

Niigata Swan

Niigata Swans finally returned to the J1 league. Last year they were the best team in J2. They scored 84 points and decided to upgrade early. Impeccable. The new coach Matsuhashi Rizou took a step further on the basis of Alberto's tactics and boldly used more young people. Gao Yuyang, Ito Ryotaro, Matsuda Eitaro, Mito Shunsuke and other players formed a gorgeous attack in the frontcourt. When Zhien left the team, the team still had younger players such as Yota Komi. Compared with the excellent offense, Niigata also did a very good defense last year. Veteran Wu Xinglong James and Chiba Kazuhiko both played a role. The team relied on a set of main players and several The performance of the substitute has been triumphant all the way.

In the new season, Niigata has almost no personnel loss. Two foreign aids, Gomez and Nescau, have been introduced to supplement the strength of the lineup. The offensive line has received Shusuke Ota, who performed best in Machida last year, and continues to strengthen the winger's combat power. Defender Arai Naoto joined to supplement Fullback thickness. I personally think that Niigata's lineup is still very strong in J1, because almost all the midfielders in the team are young, and most of them come from wealthy families with good potential. As the season progresses, the team's young players have the opportunity to continue to grow, and their combat effectiveness will also increase. And I think this year's competition system is very beneficial to Niigata. The coach and players are very young, and J1 lacks experience. If they do not perform well, they will easily fall into pressure and self-doubt. But this year, only one team has been relegated from J1, and the pressure of relegation has been greatly reduced. As long as the young players from Niigata perform normally, it is not difficult to score goals, and there is no pressure to win a few teams. It is easy to play better and better. As one of the largest cities in northern Japan, Niigata has an excellent football market and financial resources. The quality of this group of players is also very good. This time they return to J1 and have a chance to stay for a long time.