Preview: Round 4 of J.League YBC Levain Cup Group Stage

April 18, 2023 (Fire) 17:00

Yokohama FM and Nagoya can advance to the prime stage if they win. Hiroshima, who won a big victory over Kobe in the previous section, will be a goal rush again against the same opponent[Preview: Levain Cup GS Round 4]

Round 4 of the group stage of the J.League YBC Levain Cup will be held on the 19th.

Yokohama FM (Group A) and Nagoya (Group C), who have won three games in a row so far, have the potential to advance to the Prime Stage.

The condition for Yokohama FM to break through is that if Sapporo vs. Tosu ends in a draw after winning Iwata, they will pass the top spot. Also, even if Sapporo vs Tosu ends in a draw, depending on the results of Group D and Group E matches, they will be confirmed to advance to the Prime Stage.

If Nagoya wins Yokohama FC and Hiroshima draws or better than Kobe, the progress will be decided depending on the results of Group A, Group D and Group E matches.

Group A’s Yokohama FM played away to Iwata. In the previous section, they defeated Sapporo and achieved 3 consecutive wins. In the previous match against Iwata, they won 1-0. So far, they have conceded only 1 goal and have continued a stable fight, and there is a good chance that they will break out of the group at once. On the other hand, Iwata is suffering from three consecutive losses. As they have gradually improved in the league match, I would like to bring that good flow to this tournament.

Sapporo welcomes Tosu at home. The previous match ended in a scoreless draw, and in the most recent league match Urawa lost 4 goals. With the number of goals conceded increasing, Seiya Baba and other young defenders want to bring a sense of stability to the team. Tosu defeated Iwata in the previous section and won their first victory. Expectations are high for Ryonosuke Kabayama, who scored the winning goal.

In Group B, Kawasaki Frontier welcomes Shimizu at home. There is no victory so far, and the tough battle that can not produce results even in the league match continues. Can we get revenge against the opponent who lost in the last match and leave the possibility? Shimizu suffered a complete loss to Shonan in the previous round. Still, they are in good shape, winning big in league matches. Expectations are high for his Sehun, who scored a goal in the previous match.

In the other match, Urawa will face Shonan. It’s all been a draw so far, and it’s been an unwinnable battle. However, in last weekend’s league match, they won a big 4-1 victory over Sapporo. Players such as Kaito Matsuzaki and Kaito Yasui, whose turn in the league match is limited, want to show their stubbornness. Shonan defeated Shimizu in the previous round to take the lead in the group. Will Naoki Yamada, who scored two goals in that match, bring more momentum to the team?

Nagoya, which has the potential to break through in Group C, will enter the home of Yokohama FC. The previous section of the same card won a come-from-behind victory with 3-2. Will Sakai Nobuyoshi, who scored two goals, explode again? On the other hand, Yokohama FC is suffering from three consecutive losses. In the previous match, although they were ahead by two goals, they suffered a come-from-behind loss.

Hiroshima welcomes Kobe at home. In the previous section, they dismissed Kobe 5-0 away. The combination of Douglas Vieira and Ezekieu, who have been performing well in the league, seems to hold the key. On the other hand, will Kobe be able to recover from the previous section, where they conceded five goals? Andrés, who has a limited number of appearances this season, is expected to inspire Iniesta.

Group D leaders Niigata played away to Kashiwa. In the previous section, they scored a comfortable 2-0 victory over Kashiwa at home. Will the young attacking duo of Eitaro Matsuda and Yota Komi, who both scored goals, be able to achieve another result? On the other hand, Kashiwa has not won a match so far and sinks to the bottom. The recovery of Kota Yamada, who has not yet achieved results after joining, is awaited.

Fukuoka welcomes Kashima at home. The previous section of the same card was defeated 0-1. The attacking team will need to be inspired, as the match ended with just one shot. Kashima, on the other hand, won the previous round, but have suffered four league losses in a row. I want to show the performance that Ryotaro Araki and other young players cut off the bad flow.

In the E group, G Osaka, the leader, will enter the home of FC Tokyo. In the previous section, they won a comfortable 3-0 victory over the same opponent. Expectations are high for Naohiro Sugiyama, who scored two goals. On the other hand, it will be a game of revenge for FC Tokyo. With Naoki Kumada and other lively young players, their performance is likely to be the key.

C-Osaka welcomes Kyoto at home. The previous section of the same card suffered a complete defeat with 0-4. I want to rebuild the defense that showed a gap and hope to break through the group. Can Kyoto bring the momentum of the previous section to this match? 18-year-old Sora Hiraga, who scored the second goal, will be the player to watch.

■ Check the highlights of each game
Sapporo vs Tosu
Iwata vs Yokohama FM
Kawasaki F vs Shimizu
Yokohama FC vs Nagoya
Hiroshima vs Kobe
Kashiwa vs Niigata
Fukuoka vs Kashima
FC Tokyo vs G Osaka
C Osaka vs Kyoto
Urawa vs Shonan