Shuko Mito drew 0-0 with Shimizu S Pulse in the first match of the Japanese Second Division. Although the match was favored by Goddess of Fortune, the team defended well, and finally gained a point after a few hard-fought battles.
Shuko Mito's defense is quite disciplined, which is impressive, and each of their players can maintain a high level of concentration when defending, which is the main reason for their success in grabbing points. In this match, Shuko Mito hope to increase their attacking threat, and I think Hiroshi Maeda will play an important role. He is a physical player who is able to keep the ball at his feet, and also has the ability to receive the ball quickly when his teammates steal it.
Iwaki FC went down 0-3 at halftime in their JB2 opener last weekend, and despite a valiant attempt at a comeback, fell to Fujie MYFC 2-3 at home.
Even though their performance improved in the second half, Iwaki FC did not press their opponents with enough intensity in the early part of the game, and perhaps the fact that this game was against a promoted team led to a little bit of an underdog mentality before the game.
However, there were some takeaways from this game, and I think Kaina Tanemura is a threat up front, as he has become the centerpiece of Iwaki FC's attack.
