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J-League 1: Omiya Ardija- Jubilo Iwata

 

Battle of two teams who have yet to score this season, Jubilo at least have a point on board and showed some attacking intent at home to Vegalta last week. Omiya played at FC Tokyo and the Ajinomoto Stadium had been a lucky venue for them in the past, but they were never really in that contest, ahead of which I had outlined their issues coming into this campaign..............

Omiya Ardija had a hugely impressive return to the top flight last season finishing a club-record fifth, they had completed ten seasons previously in JL1 between 2005-14 and finished 12th-16th in each ! That is a very narrow band and it is hard to think of them as anything other than relegation battlers despite such a fine 2016, when much went their way, they overachieved as both a team and individually, with Akihiro Ienaga scoring 11 goals, which was twice his previous best top flight tally and Ataru Esaka who, after only one season at JL2 level, stepped up to score 8 from midfield.  They need something similar to repeat last year's heroics and I do not see where it is going to come from !

Ienaga has moved to Kawasaki Frontale and there were already signs in Stage 2 last season, that teams were handling Esaka better. Midfielders Tomonobu Yokoyama (Consadole) and Jin Izumisawa (Gamba) have also left and it feels like the team which had such a great two seasons has broken up and lost it's heartbeat. Ienaga missed seven stage 2 games last season through which Omiya were 1-4-2, posting a 7-2-1 record when he played, they lost 2-0 at home to Frontale last week and for now, I have to view them as considerably weaker and a team I do not want to side with until some of the newcomers step up and/or they prove otherwise.
 

To be fair, they were not too bad with the ball and created a couple of chances, but nearly all from distance, or after they fell behind. Without it, they were poor, Omiya defended way too deep and put little pressure on FCT even on the edge of their own penalty area (Tokyo scored their second with a shot from there and there was not an Ardija player within 5 metres of the scorer) , were slow to the second ball and looked very vulnerable to the high press. They have an easier task today, having started with two tough fixtures, but conceded two in both and even one goal today is likely to be enough for Jubilo Iwata to take something and until we see some improvement from Omiya, we have to look to take them on. The off season signing of veteran midfielder Shunsuke Nakamura looks good business for Iwata, he has played all 180 minutes so far, after concerns about his fitness and still poses a huge dead ball threat , from open play too, if Omiya drop off and allow their opponent as much space as last week, he had a big game for former club Marinos at this venue last season in a 5-1 win.