National cups are something special for many teams and supporters. Today's match will decide whether it's Avispa Fukuoka or Kashima Antlers that keep their silverware dream alive.
These teams have little in common geographically as Kashima Antlers have to travel 1100 kilometers to reach their opponents. The trip home will be especially long if the match ends in defeat.
It’s busy days for these teams as both were in action only a few days ago. There’s no rest for the wicked, or in this case; no rest for Fukuoka and Kashima Antlers.
Avispa Fukuoka form and stats
Avispa Fukuoka was eliminated in the semi-finals last season in the J-League Cup. Sanfrecce Hiroshima was too strong.Avispa Fukuoka have played 4 J-League games at their own stadium so far this season, resulting in 4-0-0 (wins-draws-losses).
Fukuoka lost their last game at Albirex Niigata after a 2-3 scoreline. Did Avispa Fukuoka get overconfident in their match against Albirex Niigata? We'll let you decide, but they did lose a 2-0 lead to end up with a 2-3 defeat. Heartbreak for Fukuoka in their last match as Albirex Niigata's Ito scored the winning goal deep into overtime. Oda was "man of the match" with a rating of 7.22 out of 10. The defender Oda scored one goal and won 4 of 9 duels.
Before that game, the 2-1 home victory against Kyoto Sanga.Avispa Fukuoka are traveling soon after this match as the J-League match at Consadole Sapporo awaits in four days.
The Avispa Fukuoka fans have had their share of opportunities to cheer home goals this season, having seen 7 goals in 4 league matches. From these home matches, Fukuoka have conceded only 3 goals.
Kashima Antlers form and stats
Last season their J-League Cup adventure ended in the play-offs against Avispa Fukuoka.2-0-2 is the win-draw-loss statistic for Kashima Antlers in their J-League matches away.
Kashima Antlers failed to get anything from their last game, a home match vs Vissel Kobe that ended with defeat 1-5. Kashima Antlers lost the plot completely in their previous game, as mentioned above. They need to recover quickly from that 1-5 beating and focus on this one. Suzuki, attacking player, was the top performer on the team in that game, scoring a match rating of 7.5. Suzuki scored one goal and dribled past the opponent 1 of 1 times.
It was a J-League defeat before that one as the away game against Kashiwa Reysol wasn't a success with a 0-1 loss.Kashima Antlers have another fixture that requires travelling in just four sleeps, a J-League game vs Albirex Niigata. A strenuous schedule for the guests!
The travelling fans enjoy Kashima's attacking play in away games, having scored 6 goals in 4 league matches away.
Head 2 Head
Kashima Antlers have won or drawn the last 4 games (3-1-0) versus Avispa Fukuoka.Kashima Antlers - Avispa Fukuoka 1-0 was the score in these teams' previous head-to-head game, earlier this season.
Top Goalscorers
  Y. Yamagishi 3 goals |  Y. Suzuki 3 goals | K. Chinen 3 goals |
Avispa Fukuoka missing players
Kashima Antlers missing players
| Avispa Fukuoka | Kashima Antlers | ||||||
| Total | Home | Statistics | Stat | Away | Total | ||
| 25 | 14 | Played | P | 15 | 25 | ||
| 8 | 7 | Won | W | 4 | 6 | ||
| 6 | 1 | Drew | D | 5 | 8 | ||
| 11 | 6 | Lost | L | 6 | 11 | ||
| 29 | 22 | Scored | S | 16 | 24 | ||
| 35 | 23 | Conceded | C | 17 | 31 | ||
| 92% | 100% | Over 0.5 | O 0.5 | 100% | 92% | ||
| 64% | 71% | Over 1.5 | O 1.5 | 67% | 64% | ||
| 48% | 71% | Over 2.5 | O 2.5 | 27% | 32% | ||
| 24% | 36% | Over 3.5 | O 3.5 | 13% | 16% | ||
| 24% | 36% | Over 4.5 | O 4.5 | 7% | 8% | ||
| 60% | 71% | BTTS | BTTS | 53% | 48% | ||
| 16% | 14% | Clean Sheets | C S | 20% | 28% | ||
| 32% | 14% | Failed to Score | F T | 27% | 32% | ||
| 3.8 | 4.7 | Corners for (avg) | C F | 5.6 | 5.1 | ||
| 4.1 | 4.2 | Corners against (avg) | C A | 4.6 | 4.4 | ||
| 1.6 | 1.5 | Yellow cards (avg) | Y C | 1.4 | 1.3 | ||
| 2 | 2 | Red cards | R C | 1 | 3 | ||
| 9.9 | 11.4 | Shots (avg) | S ( | 10.1 | 10.8 | ||
| 3.7 | 4.3 | Shots on Target (avg) | S O | 3.6 | 3.4 | ||
| 32% | 36% | Goal Efficiency | G E | 31% | 29% | ||
| 10.6 | 9.3 | Shots against (avg) | S A | 10.9 | 10.6 | ||
| 4.1 | 3.9 | Shots on Target against (avg) | S O | 3.5 | 3.2 | ||
| Total | Home | Away | |||||||||||||||||||
| # | Team | MP | W | D | L | F | A | MP | W | D | L | F | A | MP | W | D | L | F | A | +/- | P |
| 1 | Albirex Niigata | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 6 |
| 2 | Avispa Fukuoka | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 4 |
| 3 | Kashima Antlers | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 4 |
| 4 | Kashiwa Reysol | 3 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 5 | -2 | 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 | Vissel Kobe | 8 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 17 | 3 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 1 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 2 | 14 | 19 |
| 2 | Nagoya Grampus | 8 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 10 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 9 | 3 | 7 | 17 |
| 3 | Sanfrecce Hiroshima | 8 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 11 | 5 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 8 | 3 | 6 | 17 |
| 4 | Urawa Reds | 8 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 12 | 7 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 3 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 16 |
| 5 | Yokohama F. Marinos | 8 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 14 | 8 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 10 | 2 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 6 | 14 |
| 6 | Avispa Fukuoka | 8 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 10 | 8 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 2 | 14 |
| 7 | Kyoto Sanga | 8 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 11 | 10 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 7 | 4 | 1 | 12 |
| 8 | Albirex Niigata | 8 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 12 | 12 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 7 | 7 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 12 |
| 9 | Cerezo Osaka | 8 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 12 | 12 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 8 | 7 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 5 | 0 | 11 |
| 10 | Shonan Bellmare | 8 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 16 | 12 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 7 | 6 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 9 | 6 | 4 | 10 |
| 11 | Tokyo | 8 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 9 | 9 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 8 | 5 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 9 |
| 12 | Consadole Sapporo | 8 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 14 | 17 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 6 | 7 | 5 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 8 | 10 | -3 | 9 |
| 13 | Kawasaki Frontale | 8 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 9 | 12 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 6 | 7 | -3 | 8 |
| 14 | Sagan Tosu | 8 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 11 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 7 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 4 | -5 | 8 |
| 15 | Kashima Antlers | 8 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 9 | 13 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 9 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 6 | 4 | -4 | 7 |
| 16 | Gamba Osaka | 8 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 10 | 17 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 12 | -7 | 6 |
| 17 | Kashiwa Reysol | 8 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 12 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 9 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 3 | -7 | 6 |
| 18 | Yokohama | 8 | 0 | 2 | 6 | 6 | 22 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 3 | 12 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 10 | -16 | 2 |
