Oita Trinita hosts Ryukyu in round 6 of the Japanese J2 League. The match will be played on Wednesday, March 23rd at Showa Denko Dome (Oita)
Last season Oita Trinita played in the top division but finished in the relegation zone. It is clear that the bosses decided to change a head coach. Now the team is headed by Takahiro Shimotaira, who has a one-year contract. It began to operate on February 1, and the team, which had undergone changes compared to last season, played seven matches under the new manager. He uses two tactical formations, depending on the opponent: 4-4-2 and 4-1-2-3. The coaching staff tries to involve different combinations of players, so the starting lineup is slightly different in each match. Perhaps that's why Oita Trinita conceded in each of the seven matches, as new players appeared even in the defensive line. However, the team scored in every game as well. In addition to championship matches, Oita plays in the cup. It takes second place in the group with teams from the top division and has not lost yet. In particular, the Blue and Blacks tied against Gamba Osaka (3-3) and Kashiwa (2-2). But after five rounds of J2 League, the youngest Japanese team (founded in 1999) occupies the penultimate line with three points. Three days after this game, Oita will face Cerezo Osaka in the League Cup match. Therefore, most likely the rotation of the squad will continue. In addition to the competent distribution of loads, the coaching staff is still searching for the optimal lineup.
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After a relatively successful last season (ninth place), Ryukyu started the new championship unsuccessfully. It has only one point more than Oita and takes 20th place. The Reds are trying to play modern football with counter-pressing, which involves more than half of the team. It is clear that Tetsuhiro Kina, who is in his first season as a head coach, does not have high-class players at his disposal.
Since both teams are trying to find the best game formation possible, they will probably make a lot of mistakes in the upcoming game. Therefore, the possibility of an exchange of goals is very likely, especially considering the motivation of both teams. I will also add that both sides scored goals in nine of the last ten matches of Ryukyu, except for the game of the starting round against Machida.
Prediction for the match: Both teams to score — yes
