National cups are something special for many teams and supporters. Today's match will decide whether it's Vegalta Sendai or Fujieda MYFC that keep their silverware dream alive.
There’s little time for restitution or working hard at the training pitch these days, with both teams having played their last game less than four days ago.
Vegalta Sendai form and stats
Vegalta Sendai was eliminated in the 3rd round last season in the Emperor Cup.Vegalta Sendai have played 9 J2-League games at their own stadium so far this season, resulting in 4-2-3 (wins-draws-losses).
A good away victory last time out for Vegalta Sendai, who won 2-0 against Tokyo Verdy.
Ahead of that match, Vegalta Sendai won a home game hosting JEF United (2-1).The hosts are modest favourites in this match, with the bookmakers estimating the chance of a home win at about 50% +- five percent. It's interesting to look at how Vegalta have performed under similar circumstances, so here are some numbers: When modest favourites like this (we found 10 games) they have won 7 times, drawn 2 and lost 1.
There's a new fixture coming up fairly quickly for Vegalta Sendai, as the J2-League home game vs Júbilo Iwata is only four days away.
Vegalta Sendai has scored 11 league goals at home this season, in 9 matches. On the other hand, Vegalta have conceded 10 goals.
Fujieda MYFC form and stats
They also participated in Emperor Cup last season. This ended in the 1st round.3 wins, 2 draws and 4 losses. That’s the product of Fujieda MYFC playing as the away team in the J2-League this season.
Fujieda MYFC's last game was the home draw against Tochigi (1-1). The draw against Tochigi came from a losing position. The Fujieda MYFC manager Sudo brought on Yamada as a substitute and the player scored to make the scores level.
Before that, Fujieda travelled to ThespaKusatsu Gunma and returned home with a draw after the J2-League game finished 0-0.Fujieda MYFC are the outsiders in this one, but not by much. Their performance in similar games (being the away team and moderate outsiders) is 3 wins, 2 draws and 5 defeats. From a total of 10 matches.
The visitors will be packing their bags again in only four days as another away game awaits: The J2-League trip to Omiya Ardija.
Fujieda has displayed an ability to score goals in away matches in the league this season, 14 goals from 9 games. Fujieda MYFC struggle to build an impenetrable defensive wall in away matches with a total of 15 goals conceded from these games.
Head 2 Head
Top Goalscorers
  R. Watanabe 10 goals |   Y. Goke 5 goals | M. Nakajima 5 goals |
Vegalta Sendai missing players
Fujieda MYFC missing players
| Vegalta Sendai | Fujieda MYFC | ||||||
| Total | Home | Statistics | Stat | Away | Total | ||
| 25 | 12 | Played | P | 13 | 25 | ||
| 9 | 5 | Won | W | 4 | 9 | ||
| 8 | 3 | Drew | D | 4 | 7 | ||
| 8 | 4 | Lost | L | 5 | 9 | ||
| 27 | 14 | Scored | S | 19 | 37 | ||
| 28 | 14 | Conceded | C | 18 | 35 | ||
| 92% | 100% | Over 0.5 | O 0.5 | 85% | 92% | ||
| 68% | 67% | Over 1.5 | O 1.5 | 69% | 76% | ||
| 40% | 42% | Over 2.5 | O 2.5 | 54% | 52% | ||
| 12% | 17% | Over 3.5 | O 3.5 | 38% | 40% | ||
| 8% | 8% | Over 4.5 | O 4.5 | 38% | 28% | ||
| 48% | 58% | BTTS | BTTS | 54% | 52% | ||
| 28% | 17% | Clean Sheets | C S | 23% | 20% | ||
| 32% | 25% | Failed to Score | F T | 38% | 36% | ||
| 4.6 | 5.2 | Corners for (avg) | C F | 6.7 | 5.9 | ||
| 4.3 | 4.1 | Corners against (avg) | C A | 4.9 | 4.8 | ||
| 1.4 | 1.5 | Yellow cards (avg) | Y C | 1.3 | 1.4 | ||
| 2 | 1 | Red cards | R C | 0 | 1 | ||
| 9.8 | 9.6 | Shots (avg) | S ( | 10.5 | 11 | ||
| 3.7 | 3.1 | Shots on Target (avg) | S O | 4.5 | 4.7 | ||
| 29% | 38% | Goal Efficiency | G E | 32% | 31% | ||
| 9.3 | 7.3 | Shots against (avg) | S A | 8.3 | 9.6 | ||
| 3.4 | 2.9 | Shots on Target against (avg) | S O | 3.6 | 4.2 | ||
| Total | Home | Away | |||||||||||||||||||
| # | Team | MP | W | D | L | F | A | MP | W | D | L | F | A | MP | W | D | L | F | A | +/- | P |
| 1 | Machida Zelvia | 19 | 13 | 3 | 3 | 28 | 10 | 10 | 7 | 2 | 1 | 16 | 5 | 9 | 6 | 1 | 2 | 12 | 5 | 18 | 42 |
| 2 | Oita Trinita | 19 | 10 | 4 | 5 | 25 | 24 | 10 | 7 | 2 | 1 | 17 | 10 | 9 | 3 | 2 | 4 | 8 | 14 | 1 | 34 |
| 3 | Tokyo Verdy | 19 | 10 | 3 | 6 | 24 | 11 | 10 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 8 | 6 | 9 | 6 | 0 | 3 | 16 | 5 | 13 | 33 |
| 4 | V-Varen Nagasaki | 19 | 9 | 5 | 5 | 27 | 17 | 9 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 17 | 10 | 10 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 10 | 7 | 10 | 32 |
| 5 | Ventforet Kofu | 19 | 10 | 2 | 7 | 25 | 21 | 10 | 6 | 1 | 3 | 13 | 9 | 9 | 4 | 1 | 4 | 12 | 12 | 4 | 32 |
| 6 | Júbilo Iwata | 19 | 8 | 6 | 5 | 31 | 22 | 10 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 19 | 14 | 9 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 12 | 8 | 9 | 30 |
| 7 | Vegalta Sendai | 19 | 8 | 6 | 5 | 24 | 18 | 9 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 11 | 10 | 10 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 13 | 8 | 6 | 30 |
| 8 | Fagiano Okayama | 19 | 6 | 11 | 2 | 25 | 17 | 10 | 4 | 5 | 1 | 14 | 7 | 9 | 2 | 6 | 1 | 11 | 10 | 8 | 29 |
| 9 | ThespaKusatsu Gunma | 19 | 8 | 5 | 6 | 22 | 22 | 9 | 5 | 3 | 1 | 9 | 5 | 10 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 13 | 17 | 0 | 29 |
| 10 | Shimizu S-Pulse | 19 | 7 | 7 | 5 | 38 | 16 | 9 | 5 | 3 | 1 | 23 | 6 | 10 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 15 | 10 | 22 | 28 |
| 11 | Roasso Kumamoto | 19 | 7 | 6 | 6 | 27 | 20 | 10 | 4 | 2 | 4 | 13 | 11 | 9 | 3 | 4 | 2 | 14 | 9 | 7 | 27 |
| 12 | Blaublitz Akita | 19 | 7 | 5 | 7 | 16 | 18 | 8 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 6 | 6 | 11 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 10 | 12 | -2 | 26 |
| 13 | Montedio Yamagata | 19 | 8 | 1 | 10 | 29 | 27 | 8 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 13 | 10 | 11 | 4 | 0 | 7 | 16 | 17 | 2 | 25 |
| 14 | Fujieda MYFC | 19 | 7 | 4 | 8 | 28 | 30 | 10 | 4 | 2 | 4 | 14 | 15 | 9 | 3 | 2 | 4 | 14 | 15 | -2 | 25 |
| 15 | JEF United | 19 | 6 | 5 | 8 | 18 | 24 | 10 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 10 | 11 | 9 | 2 | 2 | 5 | 8 | 13 | -6 | 23 |
| 16 | Tochigi | 19 | 5 | 5 | 9 | 18 | 22 | 9 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 13 | 8 | 10 | 0 | 3 | 7 | 5 | 14 | -4 | 20 |
| 17 | Zweigen Kanazawa | 19 | 6 | 2 | 11 | 24 | 33 | 9 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 16 | 9 | 10 | 2 | 0 | 8 | 8 | 24 | -9 | 20 |
| 18 | Tokushima Vortis | 19 | 4 | 8 | 7 | 19 | 28 | 9 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 7 | 13 | 10 | 2 | 5 | 3 | 12 | 15 | -9 | 20 |
| 19 | Mito Hollyhock | 19 | 5 | 5 | 9 | 18 | 35 | 10 | 1 | 3 | 6 | 10 | 24 | 9 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 8 | 11 | -17 | 20 |
| 20 | Renofa Yamaguchi | 19 | 4 | 7 | 8 | 17 | 34 | 10 | 1 | 5 | 4 | 8 | 20 | 9 | 3 | 2 | 4 | 9 | 14 | -17 | 19 |
| 21 | Iwaki | 19 | 4 | 4 | 11 | 14 | 34 | 10 | 3 | 0 | 7 | 8 | 16 | 9 | 1 | 4 | 4 | 6 | 18 | -20 | 16 |
| 22 | Omiya Ardija | 19 | 4 | 2 | 13 | 16 | 30 | 10 | 4 | 1 | 5 | 11 | 12 | 9 | 0 | 1 | 8 | 5 | 18 | -14 | 14 |
