Match Report
On the table this was a mismatch: Urawa Reds (7th, 59 pts) held a 15-point advantage over Shimizu S-Pulse (14th, 44 pts). Shimizu S-Pulse's recent output lagged their position: 19th on form over five rounds while 14th in the table. Scoring rates set the scale: Shimizu S-Pulse 1.08 scored and 1.34 conceded per game, Urawa Reds 1.18 and 1.03, with the league averaging 1.2.
Urawa Reds had been beaten in three straight games.
6 meetings are on record — 1 won by Shimizu S-Pulse, 2 by Urawa Reds, 3 drawn, at 2 goals per meeting. The host's record in this fixture is thin — 17% of meetings won. Only 17% of the meetings produced more than two goals.
The venue was Iwagin Stadium, with room for 20,339 spectators. On the scoreboard, it was 0-0 at the break, and no goals arrived after the restart: 0-0 the final score.
Key stats
Possession: Shimizu S-Pulse 43% · Urawa Reds 57% · Total shots: 9-23 · On target: 2-9 · Corners: 6-5