The Yokohama Mariners won 2-1 in the first round of the last eight, but the fact is that they missed a lot of scoring chances, so they still might feel sorry for themselves.
The Mariners' top scorer Andersen Lubis scored again, and N'Souza added his second goal, but both players wasted other chances to score. Having played in numerous knockout round matches, I know how important it is to have a good grasp of the game, so the Mariners' strikers will have to improve in the next round.
The third player of Mariners' attacking triangle, Jose Elba, will play a crucial role in the wing position. I think these 3 Brazilians will be responsible for breaking down FC Santo's defense.
FC Yamaichi won 4-2 against Kawasaki Striker in the last match, which proved that they can play effective attacking soccer even on the road. With that in mind, I'm sure the Mariners' midfielders Takuya Kida and Hakuta Watanabe will be dropping in and protecting the defense during the game.
FC Shantung's leading scorer Kilisin made two starts on his last visit to Japan. He watched the game in the first round with only a little bit of injury in the back seat. I expect his game today will greatly enhance the team's goal threat.
In fact, his return from injury will be a great news for Kashashuvili as he will be trying to find an opening in the Mariners' defense to receive Kilisin's pass. In other words, with Kilisin, Kashashuvili and Peto up front, I'm sure the visiting team, FC Santo, will be able to create goal scoring chances.
Yokohama Marinos will have a good chance to have more possession time, while FC Shandong will be able to create threats in counterattacks. I expect this match to be a draw with both sides able to score goals and Yokohama Mariners to advance to the quarterfinals.
