Ready to go – Part 3: Predictions
With just hours to go now until the J. League season kicks off with, above all, an Osaka derby, it’s time to put my cards on the table. Despite an unconvincing start in the Asian Champions League, Nagoya Grampus and Kashima Antlers are surely the class of the field, and I have gone for Dragan Stojković’s men to just about clinch a second straight championship. Gamba Osaka cling onto third, mainly by virtue of the fact that no one member of the chasing pack look categorically stronger, but Cerezo drop to ninth – and possibly lower if Vegalta Sendai and Kashiwa Reysol hit the ground running – as their slim squad battles on multiple fronts. Sanfrecce Hiroshima and Urawa Reds to enjoy the most improvement, but J1 to be a tough challenge for both Avispa Fukuoka and Ventforet Kofu. Finally, Vissel Kobe will still struggle but the final relegation spot goes to Montedio Yamagata. Fans of the latter should be comforted by the fact that I nominated them for the drop in 2009 and 2010 as well.
2011 J1 table prediction
1. Nagoya Grampus
2. Kashima Antlers
3. Gamba Osaka
------------
4. Sanfrecce Hiroshima
------------
5. Urawa Reds
6. Kawasaki Frontale
7. Yokohama F. Marinos
8. Shimizu S-Pulse
9. Cerezo Osaka
10. Vegalta Sendai
11. Kashiwa Reysol
12. Albirex Niigata
13. Jubilo Iwata
14. Omiya Ardija
15. Vissel Kobe
------------
16. Ventforet Kofu
17. Montedio Yamagata
18. Avispa Fukuoka
Permalink | Comments (3) | TrackBack (0)
TrackBack
TrackBack URL for this entry:
http://app.cocolog-nifty.com/t/trackback/222697/51031309
Listed below are links to weblogs that reference Ready to go – Part 3: Predictions:
Comments
Cerezo Osaka will be the disappointment of the season?, Great start to the derby Ozaka, Adriano Ferreira scored to Gamba Ozaka him when he played at C.Ozaka.
Posted by: Yoshua Vega | 03/05/2011 at 12:53 AM
Hi...best regards from Italy, i'm Richard, a soccer reporter in rome. First of all i would say that you have a nice site....really..then why don't we make an exchange of links? visit mine and let me know if you like it...you find me on Twitter and facebook...have a good day and thanks again STADIO GOAL (http://stadiogoal.com) p.s. I follow you on twitter, i hope you'll do the same for me...thanks mate
Posted by: Riccardo | 03/08/2011 at 03:27 AM
So sorry for what has happened to Japan, Ben and I noticed that you haven't blogged since then. I hope you're OK. The TPL games all had a minute's silence last weekend.
Posted by: Greg | 03/15/2011 at 09:42 PM