The Nagoya Whalers beat Niigata Swan by a slim 1-0 margin in their league opener last weekend after a period of rest and recuperation, closing the gap to the league leaders to two points in one fell swoop.
The Whalers showed a high level of tactical intelligence in this crucial win, playing defense from the front while aggressively battling for possession. Although the departure of Matthios Dus Santos to join Saudi Arabia's Aidayun poses quite a challenge, I firmly believe that Ryuji Izumi is expected to grow into the new centerpiece of the team's attacking end. The fact that the player is capable of playing multiple positions such as center or winger provides the Whalers with a wealth of attacking options.
Meanwhile, Kashima Antlers beat Hokkaido's Gonzaga Sapporo 3-0 on Sunday, with only one defeat in their last 14 league matches, with goalkeeper Tomoki Hayakawa leading a tidal wave of offense from the entire team. Not only did they manage to break through the opponents' defense, but they also showed excellent teamwork in the attack, with several players always jumping in to assist the attack whenever the ball was passed forward.
In this round, I predict that Yuma Suzuki will be the key player of Antlers' offense. As long as he can control the ball effectively and create more shooting chances for his teammates, Deerhorn is expected to get the desired result in this match.
