In the first round of the J-League, Shuko Mito visited Shimizu S Pulse and the two sides shook hands with 0-0. Although the team got lucky in the match, their solid defense allowed them to collect a point in a tough schedule.
Shuko Mito's defense is well organized and the concentration of their players is impressive. When they are defending, every player is giving their all, which is the key to their success in grabbing points. In this match, Shuko Mito will look to improve their offense efficiency, and I predict that Hiroshi Maeda will play a key role. He is a physical player who is able to control the ball solidly and support his teammates quickly with quick straight passes.
Iwaki FC suffered a setback in their JAL opener last weekend, falling behind 0-3 at half-time, and despite the team's second-half improvement, they ultimately fell to Fujie MYFC 2-3.
Although Iwaki FC's performance improved in the second half, they did not put enough pressure on their opponent in the early part of the game. Perhaps it was the fact that the opponent was a promoted team that led to a certain degree of gullibility before the match.
Nonetheless, there were some takeaways from this game for Iwaki FC. I don't think Kana Tanemura's leadership up front should be underestimated, as he has grown into the centerpiece of the team's offense.
