After Urawa Red Diamonds beat Niigata Swan 4:1 on Saturday, they have won two consecutive matches in the league and are six points adrift of top-ranked Kobe Victory Ship.
Red Diamond has clearly made a lot of progress lately with the offense they've built up from the back, including goalkeeper Chusaku Nishikawa. I think this is the main reason why Niigata Swans managed to beat them. In addition, they have Shoya Nakajima, a former Japan national team midfielder who can rewrite the game up front. With his nimble turns and precise passing, he managed to control the team's offense.
Kyoto Immortals continue to sit in second place at the top of the league table after losing their third consecutive league game at home to Fukuoka Hornets last weekend in a 2:00 loss. One of the biggest problems right now is that the defense seems to be weak in the sideline position when they attack. To get better results, they need to strengthen their defensive performance in the penalty area.
However, there is one redeeming feature in them and that is that Taku Miyagi scored his first goal of the year against Fukuoka Hornets. I think he will once again be the most threatening player on the team, and that has to do with the veteran's form and shooting ability.
Urawa Red Diamonds are finally back to their highest level, regardless of individual player performance and overall performance. Moreover, they are much stronger than the Immortals in Kyoto. I expect they will be able to win at home and get 3 points in a row in their third league game.
