Going into the new Japanese season, I think Kobe Victory will have a rocky road to defend their title, with Urawa Red Diamonds and Yokohama Mariners pushing them all the way.
Kobe's chances of defending their title will depend on whether Isao Osako can stay healthy, but they have made some good signings, and I think the addition of Yosuke Ideguchi will especially strengthen the team's defense. As for the Yokohama Mariners, Kewell has been appointed as the new supervisor of the team, but they had a quiet off-season in the transfer market, so I think he will need a little bit of time to adapt to Japanese soccer.
Urawa Red Diamonds and Sanfrecce Hiroshima will have a new look this season, with Red Diamonds having a new supervisor and Sanfrecce playing in a new stadium, so I think they are both supported by positive vibes and strengths, and hopefully both will be able to make a push at the top of the table.
In fact, I'm looking at Urawa Red Diamonds to win the title. I'm also pretty excited to see Onasubagan in action, while newcomer Thiago Sintana could also be a scorer, given his ability to score a lot of goals and his history of winning the Japanese Golden Boot in 2022.
