FC Tokyo have won two and lost two of their last six games in Japan and things are a bit shaky at the moment. The fact that too many of FC Tokyo's players need to sit out because they were selected for all levels of the Japanese team has contributed to their performance. On the other hand, the team's offense and defense balance is not very good.
The key to today's battle will be their ability to stop their opponents up front, free to press with intensity. In my opinion, Hyundai midfielder Jusei Matsuki, who has both an attacking and defensive game and definitely has the ability to fight for goals from favorable positions, will be the most dangerous figure in the team's attack.
In the league match before the international break, Iwata Yamaiba were defeated by Hiroshima 0:2 as visitors, and have only won one of their last seven league matches. Although they have some good strikers sitting in town, I think the team lacks a player who can break through the opponent's defense by himself, and that's the main reason why it's hard for them to win in recent months.
Daiki Yamada is individually skilled and alert, so he has the ability to pick up his teammates' attacks and gain an advantage in the team's porous midfield and backfield, which makes him one of the most threatening players in terms of goals today. However, since FC Tokyo's players have good individual quality and teamwork performance, I expect them to beat Iwata Yamaha at home in this battle.
