Football Season Guide

J2 League
Japan
J2 League
2024
Blaublitz Akita
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Blaublitz Akita

In


Soki Yatagai (gk) Nagano Parceiro; Kosuke Inose (gk) Sagamihara – on loan; Ryohei Okazaki (def) Tochigi; Koji Hachisuka (def) Vegalta Sendai; Kota Muramatsu (def) V-Varen Nagasaki; Keita Yoshioka (def) Montedio Yamagata; Kazuya Onohara (mid) Zweigen Kanazawa – on loan; Hiroki Kurimoto (mid) Omiya Ardija; Ren Komatsu (att) Matsumoto Yamaga; Yukihito Kajiya (att) Sagan Tosu; Shion Niwa (att) Zweigen Kanazawa; Daiki Sato (att) Machida Zelvia – on loan; Koya Handa (att) Verspah Oita – end of loan;

Out


Kaito Abe (r) (def) Fagiano Okayama – end of loan; Ryutaro Iio (r) (def) V-Varen Nagasaki; Keita Saito (r) (att) Fagiano Okayama; Yuki Yasuda (gk) Fernhill; Akihito Ozawa (gk) Imabari – on loan; Yuto Fujita (def) FC Osaka; Yuzuru Yoshimura (def) Nara; Naoki Inoue (mid) Kataller Toyama; Daiki Kogure (mid) Iwate Grulla; Masaki Okino (mid) released; Yosuke Mikami (sp) (mid) end of career; Hiroto Tanaka (sp) (mid) end of career; Shion Niwa (sp) (att) Zweigen Kanazawa – end of loan;

Blaubitz Akita enjoyed a solid 2023 campaign. Despite having the weakest attack in the entire J2, only 37 goals scored in 42 matches, Akita stayed out of trouble and finished in 13th place. This was thanks to the fourth-best defensive record in the division (44 goals conceded) that brought them 12 wins and 15 draws. The ability to defend without panic was noticed though and this winter the team’s captain and main right-back Iio and the impressive centre-back Abe left the team. This, combined with the bad financial situation, brings serious worries regarding the team’s abilities to defend as successfully as they did in 2023. Akita have issues with their finances and this is why the majority of new signings so far had been university graduates with hardly any professional experience. In the past Akita had success using such players, but it is a risky approach and it will require at least one-two of those youngsters to develop fast and become a regular starter. One area that Akita seem to have addressed is their attack. Added 4 new strikers to the ranks already and at least Niwa and Sato should see plenty of action this season. Akita still could find some good loan deals this winter but they will have to improve vastly their scoring record in order to stay out of trouble again.

Target


The only goal is survival. Looking at the squad this might prove a difficult task.