J1 Matchday 10 Review: Three Teams Level at the Top
Matchday 10 is done and dusted. The last two matches both finished 3-0, with Kobe winning at Okayama and Machida beating Fukuoka.
Full match by match breakdown, every Sorare score and the updated table are over on J League Scout.
The top of the table is v tight now. Hiroshima, Machida and FC Tokyo are all on 23 points, split only by goal difference. Kobe are one point back on 22.
And Matchday 11 is already here. Every team plays again on Wednesday 21 October, so recovery time is basically nothing.
Okayama 0-3 Vissel Kobe
Kobe bounced back well from the Kashiwa defeat. The scoreline makes it look more comfortable than it was early on.
Okayama were v decent in the first half and had a big chance straight after the break. Gonda made an important save, then Osako opened the scoring. After that the gap in attacking quality was obvious.
Osako scored twice
Muto assisted Osako's second
Thuler got the third from a Diego long throw
Kobe now have back to back wins in the ACL and the league
Lineup and selection
Gonda was back in goal after Maekawa played against Kashiwa. Not a huge shock given the recent changes, but it matters for predicted lineups
The clean sheet helps his case for Wednesday against Kawasaki, but it doesnt make him the permanent number one. For me its still open
Kuwasaki came into midfield in place of Takahashi
Nagato started at left-back and was replaced by Iwamoto at half-time. No confirmed injury reason yet
Okayama made four changes. Lukao returned from suspension and started with Esaka and Na Sang-ho, which was broadly as expected
Lukao went off at half-time for Leo Gaucho and Esaka lasted 79 minutes. The attacking pecking order is still pretty unsettled
Tactical analysis
Kobe's attacking quality was the difference. Muto's movement and delivery caused problems and Osako was excellent in the box. The first goal mattered a lot because Okayama had only just missed a chance of their own.
Kiyama said Okayama competed well until they conceded, then couldnt cope with the intensity and quality from Kobe. Esaka felt the same about the first half. I think thats fair. Okayama werent outplayed for 90 minutes, but their response to going behind was poor.
Sorare implications
Gonda and Maekawa: a goalkeeper pairing worth covering if you can
Osako: looks more and more important
Muto: attacking contribution is improving
Nagato: check his condition before Wednesday
Kobe move up to fourth, one point off the top. Okayama have now lost three league games in a row and face Mito on Wednesday.
Machida 3-0 Fukuoka
Another big win for Machida, especially with the schedule they had. They played in Singapore on Thursday, had two days between matches, and still won 3-0 to move up to second.
Mochizuki was the standout. He scored once and assisted Yengi's opener
Hiroyuki Mae got the other goal against his former club
Mochizuki has now scored in consecutive competitive matches, after his winner in Singapore
It wasnt total domination though. Machida had eight shots to Fukuoka's six and an xG of just 0.99 to 0.43. Fukuoka had spells of possession in the second half but lacked quality. Machida were clinical and defended well when they had to.
Lineup and selection
Kuroda made three changes. Mochizuki, Neta Lavi and Akimoto came in for Nakamura, Sento and Nishimura. Given the schedule none of that was a surprise
The interesting bit is Ogawa starting again in the supporting attacking role, with Yengi ahead of him. He didnt score but was involved in the build-up to Mae's goal and had several shooting chances. For me this looks like a deliberate setup now, not a temporary fix
Yengi scored again and came off for Nishimura after 65 minutes
Ogawa lasted 77 minutes before Duke came on
Tactical analysis
Kuroda's comments were v useful. He said Machida are working on their build-up while adding more runs in behind. So rather than going direct all the time, theyre getting more comfortable controlling the ball and picking when to accelerate. The second goal was a good example. Machida attacked the space behind Fukuoka and Mae finished the move.
Kuroda was also happy with Akimoto and Mochizuki on opposite sides. Fukuoka manager Tsukahara admitted his team struggled to press Mae and Neta Lavi, which let Machida progress the ball without much pressure.
A couple of other notes:
Mae's goal was his first for Machida. His comments afterwards sounded like relief at finally scoring, not a change of role
Kai Maeda was on the bench for Fukuoka and came on after 68 minutes. Worth watching, but ive found no confirmed fitness reason
Sorare implications
Mochizuki: a goal and assist from right wing-back, and becoming a v interesting option
Ogawa: still attractive for minutes, but playing behind Yengi could affect his scoring profile
Yengi: looks reasonably secure as the central striker for now
Machida face Shimizu on Wednesday. Fukuoka face Gamba in what is already a big one near the bottom.
What mattered in the last two games
Biggest result: Machida beating Fukuoka. Still level with Hiroshima and FC Tokyo at the top despite a tough Asian schedule
Best performance: Mochizuki, with a goal and an assist from right wing-back. Osako deserves plenty of credit for his two as well
Most important selection news: Kobe's goalkeeper situation. Gonda is back with a clean sheet, but Maekawa is a genuine alternative
Tactical development: Ogawa behind Yengi for Machida, which could matter for Sorare scoring expectations
Improving prospects: Mochizuki, Osako and Yengi
Worth monitoring: Ogawa's role, Gonda and Maekawa, Nagato's half-time withdrawal and Kai Maeda being benched
No new confirmed injury diagnosis came out of these two matches. Nagato's substitution is the main unexplained fitness question.
Matchday 10 round review
All ten matches are now done.
Shimizu 2-2 Gamba
JEF Chiba 0-0 Yokohama FM
Tokyo Verdy 0-4 FC Tokyo
Hiroshima 3-0 Kyoto
Kashima 2-0 Nagasaki
Cerezo 2-4 Kawasaki
Mito 0-1 Urawa
Kashiwa 1-3 Nagoya
Okayama 0-3 Kobe
Machida 3-0 Fukuoka
Biggest results
Kashiwa 1-3 Nagoya was probably the biggest result of the round. Kashiwa had been playing great football and moved top after beating Kobe. Nagoya defended well, punished mistakes and were clinical. One defeat doesnt worry me much, their attacking play over the last few weeks has been excellent
Hiroshima 3-0 Kyoto was arguably the best overall team performance. Lots of chances, another clean sheet and a goal difference of +19
FC Tokyo 4-0 Verdy was impressive, but Someno's early red card makes it hard to judge on its own
Best performances
Hiroshima keep impressing me. Suzuki scored again, Matsumoto returned well and Asano is getting more involved. Their attacking options are improving while the defence stays excellent.
Kobe deserve credit too for responding to the Kashiwa defeat, especially with a midweek Asian match in between.
For individuals, Id pick Mochizuki, Osako, Suzuki and Suga.
Most misleading scorelines
Cerezo 2-4 Kawasaki: Cerezo lost Ohata early and went to a 4-4-1. They actually improved after the red card and equalised twice. Kawasaki deserved the win in the end, but Cerezo werent simply outplayed
Machida 3-0 Fukuoka: brilliant at taking chances, but they created less than 1.0 xG
Biggest lineup surprises
Kashiwa goalkeeper: Wakahara starting was the biggest genuine surprise for me. He was substituted with suspected concussion against Kobe, so I didnt expect him back. He then took another collision and was replaced by Nagai. Thats a real concern ahead of Wednesday
Kobe goalkeeper: Gonda returning was interesting but not surprising. He and Maekawa are both realistic options
Kashima rotation: Oniki made seven changes. Big rotation, but expected because of the schedule
Machida attack: Ogawa behind Yengi is more of a tactical development than a surprise
Tactical developments
Machida: getting more comfortable mixing controlled build-up with runs behind the defence. Kuroda talked about this after the match
Cerezo: the switch to 4-4-1 after Ohata's red card worked surprisingly well and their transitions caused Kawasaki problems
Nagoya: excellent defensive organisation and counterattacking against Kashiwa
Hiroshima: attacking depth is improving, but more competition makes individual minutes harder to predict
Verdy: Soma is still experimenting. Morita returning is encouraging, but Someno's suspension creates another problem
Player selection outlook
Improving: Mochizuki, Osako, Suga, Matsumoto, Nagakura, Yengi and Fujii
More uncertain: Gonda and Maekawa, Ogawa's attacking role, Cerezo's defensive selections and Gamba's forward hierarchy
Worth monitoring: Morita's fitness, Asano's minutes, Kai Maeda's selection and whether Germain returns to Shimizu's XI
I wouldnt make big Sorare selection changes just because someone scored this weekend. The schedule is the biggest factor.
Injuries and availability
Wakahara: Japanese reporting confirms he was replaced with suspected concussion for the second league match in a row. Nagai came on against Nagoya and could be important on Wednesday, depending on the medical assessment and Kojima's availability
Someno, Ohata and Senba were all sent off on Saturday. Treat them as unavailable for the next league match, subject to official disciplinary confirmation
Morita is back for Verdy, which is encouraging
Asano is still building minutes for Hiroshima
Nagato: the half-time withdrawal for Kobe still needs checking
League implications
Top five after ten matches:
Hiroshima: 23 points, goal difference +19
Machida: 23 points, goal difference +15
FC Tokyo: 23 points, goal difference +13
Kobe: 22 points, goal difference +8
Kashiwa: 21 points, goal difference +5
At the bottom, Verdy are still winless on four points. JEF have six, while Gamba and Fukuoka both have seven. Just two points separate 14th-placed Mito from 18th-placed Gamba, so the bottom half is v congested.
Looking ahead to Matchday 11
All ten teams play again on Wednesday 21 October. Five things Im watching:
FC Tokyo vs Kashiwa: a big one near the top. Wakahara's condition and Kashiwa's defensive selections are key
Kawasaki vs Kobe: the Kobe goalkeeper pick is still open. Gonda has strengthened his case, but Maekawa could easily come back
Shimizu vs Machida: Machida have a demanding schedule including the trip back from Singapore. Rotation risk is real, especially in attack
Nagasaki vs Hiroshima: Hiroshima have loads of attacking options for Gaul, so expect some changes rather than assuming Saturday's XI continues
Fukuoka vs Gamba: both teams are struggling near the bottom, so confidence and selection hierarchies are both in play
For me the most interesting thing is how different managers are handling the congested schedule. Kashima made seven changes and won comfortably. Machida kept several key players despite the Asian trip and also won 3-0. Hiroshima can now rotate attackers without a big drop in quality.
For Sorare thats the key split. Some teams have genuine rotation risk across several positions, while others are keeping a settled core. With another full round on Wednesday and more fixtures next weekend, I expect more changes. The challenge is working out which managers will rotate and which players are still worth the risk.
Do let me know your thoughts.
Sources: J.League official site, Machida official site, Gekisaka.