Albirex Niigata vs Gamba Osaka, 2023 Japanese J1 League
· Japanese J.League1 - 3
About
Game Information
Venue: Niigata Stadium Big Swan
Location: Niigata, Japan
Attendance: 21,860
Japanese J1 League Standings
| # | TEAM | GP | GD | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | FC Tokyo | 14 | +25 | 33 |
| 2 | Kashiwa Reysol | 14 | +11 | 31 |
| 3 | Sanfrecce Hiroshima | 14 | +22 | 30 |
| 4 | Machida Zelvia | 14 | +20 | 29 |
Line-Ups
Albirex Niigata
| No. | Name |
|---|---|
| 1 | Ryosuke Kojima (GK) |
| 5 | Michael James |
| 25 | Soya Fujiwara |
| 31 | Yuto Horigome |
| 35 | Kazuhiko Chiba |
| 20 | Yuzuru Shimada  |
| 14 | Shunsuke Mito |
| 8 | Takahiro Koh |
| 13 | Ryotaro Ito |
| 33 | Yoshiaki Takagi |
| 7 | Kaito Taniguchi |
Gamba Osaka
| No. | Name |
|---|---|
| 1 | Masaaki Higashiguchi (GK) |
| 16 | Yota Sato |
| 24 | Keisuke Kurokawa |
| 3 | Riku Handa |
| 2 | Shota Fukuoka |
| 18 | Neta Lavi |
| 29 | Yuki Yamamoto |
| 48 | Hideki Ishige |
| 10 | Shu Kurata |
| 11 | Issam Jebali |
| 47 | Juan Alano |
Japanese J1 League News
Despite it being a friendly match, Japan will have much to play for against Brazil on Saturday -- for more than one reason.
Transfer deadlines are hitting across the globe and, with it, bringing to an end a window that has seen a remarkable surge in interest in players who represented the Socceroos at the FIFA World Cup.
Japan wingback Yukinari Sugawara has reiterated that his team are at the World Cup not just to participate, but to win it.
Socceroos bolter Tete Yengi says his journey to the national team has not been straightforward, but he believes these adventures have played a key role in his pursuit of becoming the "ultimate player" and, more importantly, a World Cup representative.
Even with a couple of key players out through injury, Japan could still be the most exciting team at the 2026 World Cup.