Yokohama FC get their Japanese Emperor Cup underway when they lock horns with Grulla Morioka at the Nippatsu Mitsuzawa Stadium on Wednesday. This will be the first meeting between the two teams since June 2023, when Shuhei Yomoda’s men cruised to a 4-1 victory in a similar cup clash.
Yokohama FC were sent crashing back down to earth on Saturday when they fell to a 1-0 defeat against Kawasaki Frontale at the Nippatsu Mitsuzawa Stadium in the J1 League.
Before that, Yomoda’s side snapped their three-game winless run courtesy of a 4-0 extra-time victory over Cerezo Osaka in the J League Cup second-leg clash on June 8, a result which saw them overturn a three-goal deficit from the reverse leg.
Yokohama, who are currently bottom but one in the league table, now get underway in the Emperor Cup, where they suffered a third-round exit against Sagan Tosu last season.
On the other hand, Grulla Morioka maintained their fine run of results in the Japan Football League as they secured a 1-0 victory over Criacao Shinjuku last Sunday.
Kei Hoshikawa's men have gone four consecutive games without defeat — picking up three wins and one draw — having lost each of the six games preceding this run.
Grulla Morioka turn their focus to the Emperor Cup, where they kicked off their campaign with an emphatic 6-0 victory over North Asia University in the first round on May 25.
Grulla Morioka have put together a fine run of results in recent weeks and will look to show their mettle against top-tier Yokohama.
While Yomoda’s men have struggled for consistency, we predict they will show their class here and come away with a comfortable victory in front of their home supporters.
Prediction: Yokohama 3-0 Grulla Morioka
Tip 1: Result - Yokohama to win
Tip 2: Over 4.5 cards - No (There have been fewer than five bookings in Yokohama’s last 10 games)
Tip 3: Over 10.5 corners - Yes (There have also been at least 11 corner kicks in six of the hosts’ last seven outings)