Match Report
On the table this was a mismatch: Albirex Niigata (1st, 84 pts) held a 30-point advantage over Mito Hollyhock (13th, 54 pts). Scoring rates set the scale: Albirex Niigata 1.74 scored and 0.83 conceded per game, Mito Hollyhock 1.12 and 1.1, with the league averaging 1.23.
Recent form was uneven: 12/15 points for Albirex Niigata, 5/15 for Mito Hollyhock.
The match was played at Denka Big Swan Stadium in Niigata (capacity 42,300). Y. Kubota officiated: 51 games logged, averaging 1.4 yellow cards each. Half-time and full-time told different stories: Albirex Niigata led 1-0 at the break, before 1 more goal closed it at 2-0.