The Yokohama Mariners are in a worrying position with only one win in nine consecutive matches after losing 1-3 to Machida Zevia at their home stadium in a tightly contested match on Saturday.
Observations revealed that the Brazilian players in the Mariners' forward lineup are in dire need of defensive awareness, which may be the crux of the team's downward spiral. Worse still, once they lost possession of the ball, the team's formation appeared to be unbalanced, giving the opponents an opportunity to capitalize on the situation.
With this in mind, Takuya Kita plays a key role in adjusting the team's offensive and defensive strategies. He will be responsible for ensuring that the team's offense and defense are balanced, and will try to regain possession of the ball from higher positions.
Meanwhile, Sanfrecce Hiroshima are unbeaten in their last four league matches and have won three of their last four matches after comfortably defeating Tokyo Green 4-1 last weekend.
The key to Three Arrows' win was a strong defense that was on display from the opening kickoff. The defense, consisting of three central defenders and the goalkeeper, was equally solid.
In this win, Pyros Sudirio was particularly impressive, scoring two solo goals. I predict he will be the most threatening goal scorer in today's game. The striker has been playing heroically in recent matches and has been working well with the team. He has not only contributed to the goals, but he has also been active in front of the net.
Considering that Yokohama Marinos are deficient in attack/defense transition and counterattacks, I strongly believe that Sanfrecce Hiroshima will have an advantage in organizing their defense. I expect the visiting Sanfrecce to win by 3 points.
