Just this past weekend, Shimizu S Pulse missed out on automatic qualification with a 0-2 defeat on the road against Fujie MYFC.
However, Shimizu S Pulse is still expected to regain the second place in the league with a win over arch-rivals Iwata Yamaha in the Shizuoka Derby. To get all three points, they have to improve their efficiency when switching from defense to offense.
Although Shimizu S Pulse has a lot of attacking players in their squad, I firmly believe that the top scorer of last year's J-League with 10 goals, Téa Gohin Tanner, will be a big hitter for the team in front of the field.
Iwata Yamaha beat Nagasaki Katsushimaru 1-0 on Sunday and climbed up to the second place in the league ahead of Shimizu S Pulse. With only 5 rounds left in the J-League, they can't afford to lose.
In this match, Iwata Yamaiba is expected to play a tight defense and leave no chance for Shimizu S Pulse's attackers to take advantage of the situation. Therefore, I predict that they will make it a priority to keep their defense solid.
However, Iwata Yamaiba also boasts a strong group of forwards, with Xie Mingliang seen as a key player in the team's offense.
