Emperor's Cup preview: Kobe League misses three consecutive championships, Hiroshima strives to pursue victory
6686 Sports reported on November 16th in the Emperor's Cup semi-finals, Kobe won the semi-finals and will face the challenge of Hiroshima Sanfrecce at Panasonic Suita Stadium.
Kobe won the championship and the visiting team drew 1-1 with Gamba Osaka in the 36th round of the Japanese Professional League on November 9. The team's defensive performance in the game was not ideal and was completely restricted by the opponent's rapid counterattack. The double guns Yuya Osako and Yoshiki Muto have already lost their former magic. After drawing with Gamba Osaka at the same venue, Kobe confirmed that they would not be able to compete in the league this season and could not complete the great cause of three consecutive championships.
In addition to having to accept the terrible fact that Kobe won the championship and missed the championship, the name of the team's core player, attacker Yoshiki Muto, was also linked to strong teams such as Nagoya and Hiroshima. In addition, young attacker Miyadai Daishou may also study abroad next winter.
After the game, Kobe coach Takayuki Yoshida said: "It is indeed disappointing because our original goal was to win three consecutive championships, but I think our current points are the result of hard work in every game. Looking back at the games we have played, there may be some places where we can do better, and the points we got when we suffered a lot of injuries at the beginning of the season and could hardly field all the players may also have played a role, so our current points are the result of a combination of factors."
Currently in the Japan Professional League standings, Kobe Shengfeng currently ranks third in the league with 18 wins, 9 draws and 9 losses. It is at least 6 points behind the top two, and there is not much opportunity to compete. However, the team still needs to fight for the top three in the league to ensure a place in the AFC Champions League next season, and the Emperor's Cup is also a championship that the team must compete for. In the previous 18 away games in the league, Kobe won 8 wins, 5 draws and 5 losses, and the performance was acceptable.
In terms of lineup, Kobe Katsu’s No. 2 goalkeeper Shota Arai was unable to play in this game due to injury. The good news is that No. 1 goalkeeper Dai Maekawa has not been recruited by the national team, so the team’s lineup is relatively complete.
Sanfrecce Hiroshima beat Urawa Red Diamonds 3-0 at home in the league match on November 9. The team suddenly found its competitive form at the end of the season. Attackers Rikujiki Kato and Toshiki Higashi delivered perfect performances one after another, helping the team win the JFJ Cup first, and then defeated strong opponents in the AFC Champions League and league matches. This season, Sanfrecce Hiroshima is also facing turmoil in the lineup. The overseas study of young players such as Satoshi Tanaka and Yotaro Nakajima is on the agenda. It is also more likely that coach Skibe will not renew his contract. There is news that Nagoya may want to hire him to lead the team next season.
After the last round of the league, Hiroshima Sanfrecce coach Skibe said: "We played very well in today's game. We showed strong running ability from the beginning of the game and suppressed our opponents in all aspects. We not only scored goals, but also created many scoring opportunities. I think today's game was very exciting and we deserved this victory."
Currently in the Japan Professional League standings, Sanfrecce Hiroshima currently ranks fifth in the league with 18 wins, 8 draws and 10 losses. They also have the opportunity to compete for the top three this season and ensure that they can at least participate in the intercontinental competition next season. In the 18 away games in league matches this season, Hiroshima Sanfrecce has 9 wins, 4 draws and 5 losses in a better competitive state than Kobe. The team's offense has not declined much in away games. It has also had good offensive performance in away games in cup competitions, and has contributed to the home games of Yokohama FC and Nagoya Whales.
In terms of lineup, Sanfrecce Hiroshima’s foreign aid Marcos Junior is unable to play, and the rest of the players basically remain healthy. Like the other three teams participating in the Emperor's Cup, Hiroshima Sanfrecce goalkeeper Osako Keisuke, defender Araki Hayato, and defender Jin Zhusheng were not selected for the national team's roster.
In the previous 20 matches between the two teams, Hiroshima Sanfrecce had a slight advantage with 10 wins, 4 draws and 6 losses, but Kobe KFC has successfully defeated Hiroshima Sanfrecce in the last three league matches. In this game, Kobe will strive to win its first championship of the season and bring comfort to the fans. Can Sanfrecce Hiroshima pursue victory and dominate the domestic cup front?
