After Hokkaido's Gonzaga Sapporo beat FC Tokyo 3-1 away from home last week, they have won all of their last three matches to ensure their mid-table position in the Nippon Professional League remains unchanged this season.
The key to this away win was Gonzaga's success in tearing through FC Tokyo's tightly-knit defense to get right to the heart of the action. Tsuyoshi Kobayashi's excellent performance was an added bonus, as he was always able to accurately support in open positions, so he will be a big challenge for Urawa Red Diamonds' stalwarts.
On the other hand, Urawa Red Diamonds lost 2-3 to Fukuoka Hornets at home last weekend, and have lost their last three matches and two consecutive home matches. The main reason for the team's decline is the laxity of the back line, especially when they lose possession of the ball, the transition between offense and defense looks very unstable.
However, Urawa Red Diamonds have a top player in Alexander Schouhous, who is rock solid at the back and also creates scoring chances for his team, and he scored his 6th goal of the season against Fukuoka Hornets.
