Last week, Shuko Mito had no choice but to shake hands with their opponents in a 2-2 draw in a showdown with promotion favorites Iwaki FC despite taking the lead on two occasions, and both rounds of the early season ended in draws.
In this matchup, although Shuko Mito had the better of the possession, they missed good opportunities due to too many unnecessary mistakes. Fortunately, substitute Hoshifumi Teranuma stepped up in time to score a brilliant goal to turn the situation around and bring a little bit of consolation.
Whether or not Shuko Mito can win this battle will largely depend on the performance of the two strikers on the offensive end. I'm curious to see if the coach will start Rui Ji Ando and Kui Umeda, or if he'll play Shoji Kariyama and Hoshifumi Teranuma up front.
After defeating Iwata Yamaha in their opening match, Okayama Green Pheasants played against another relegated team, Shimizu S Pulse, last week, and the two sides ended up shaking hands in a 0-0 draw. Despite their defeat in the promotion playoffs last season, Okayama Green Pheasants have not been demoralized and have continued their strong performance from last season, with a solid defense that is often capable of launching quick counter-attacks from the back, and a high scoring efficiency in front of the goal, which poses a huge threat to their opponents.
