J1 League Gameweek 3
Machida Zelvia 3 - 1 FT Urawa
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Futmetrix Verdict
84
FT
Wed, Sep 16
Omonia Nicosia
1-0
Celta Vigo
⚡ Form
1
⚖️ Balance
76
🏆 Stakes
100
⭐ Stars
45
Futmetrix Verdict
93
Plzen
vs
Union St. Gilloise
Thu, Sep 17 • 19:00 UTC
⚡ Form
4
⚖️ Balance
100
🏆 Stakes
100
⭐ Stars
45
A gritty start to European nights.
Futmetrix Verdict
31
FT
Wed, Sep 16
AC Milan
0-2
Benfica
⚡ Intensity
32
⚖️ Balance
28
🏆 Stakes
0
🎲 Upset
60
Benfica silence San Siro with clinical display
Match Statistics
Possession
Shots
Shots on Target
Passes
Pass Accuracy
Corners
Fouls
Yellow Cards
Red Cards
Match Events
8' H. Nakamura (M. Duke)
R. Watanabe (T. Kaneko) 45'+1
HT
46' ↓ M. Duke ↑T. Nishimura
54' T. Nishimura (Y. Soma)
61' N. Lavi
↓ H. Ueki ↑T. Seko 68'
↓ Matheus Savio ↑H. Minamino 68'
↓ K. Hayashi ↑M. Yamane 74'
↓ R. Watanabe ↑J. Hayakawa 74'
80' ↓ N. Lavi ↑R. Shirasaki
↓ H. Komori ↑R. Hidano 80'
Y. Naganuma 83'
88' ↓ Y. Soma ↑Y. Matsuo
90'+1 ↓ H. Mae ↑H. Shimoda
90'+2 ↓ G. Shoji ↑I. Dresevic
FT
Player Cards
Our take on every player in this match
Machida Zelvia
Goalkeepers
Kosei Tani 
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
84
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Defenders
Gen Shoji 
SWEEPER
3
Cleanups
3
Cleanups
1
Interceptions
2
Blocks
Daihachi Okamura
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
84
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Yuta Nakayama 
STORMTROOPER
1
Shots
1
Shots
0
Goals
0
On Target
Midfielders
Hotaka Nakamura
SWEEPER
3
Cleanups
3
Cleanups
2
Interceptions
1
Blocks
Hiroyuki Mae
👻 Invisible Nothing to note
Neta Lavi 
SNIPER
100%
Conversion
100%
Conversion
1
Goals
1
Shots
Takahiro Akimoto
SWEEPER
3
Cleanups
3
Cleanups
3
Interceptions
0
Blocks
Forwards
Mitchell Duke 
PROVIDER
1
Assists
1
Assists
1
Key Passes
6.9
Rating
Yuki Soma 
ARCHITECT
3
Key Passes
3
Key Passes
1
Assists
22%
Pass Acc
Tete Yengi 
PROVOCATEUR
3
Fouls Won
3
Fouls Won
7
Duels Won
0
Pens Won
BENCH
Tatsuya Morita 
SPECTATOR
0
Saves
0
Saves
0
Conceded
0
Minutes
Ibrahim Drešević
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
0
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Henry Heroki Mochizuki
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
0
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Yusuke Matsuo
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
0
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Keiya Sento
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
0
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Ryohei Shirasaki
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
4
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Hokuto Shimoda
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
0
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Futa Tokumura
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
0
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Takuma Nishimura 
SUPER SUB
1
Goal
1
Goal
39
Minutes
7.7
Rating
Urawa
Goalkeepers
Shusaku Nishikawa
ARCHITECT
1
Key Passes
1
Key Passes
0
Assists
13%
Pass Acc
Defenders
Kotaro Hayashi
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
74
Total Mins
74
Entry
Danilo Boza
STORMTROOPER
1
Shots
1
Shots
0
Goals
0
On Target
Yuta Miyamoto 
MAGNET
94
Activity
94
Activity
89
Passes
5
Duels
Yoichi Naganuma
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
84
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Midfielders
Takuro Kaneko
PROVOCATEUR
3
Fouls Won
3
Fouls Won
7
Duels Won
0
Pens Won
Kaito Yasui
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
84
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Ueki Hayate
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
68
Total Mins
68
Entry
Ryoma Watanabe 
FINISHER
1
Goals
1
Goals
5
Shots
6.9
Rating
Forwards
Hiiro Komori
LATE SHIFT
10
Late Mins
10
Late Mins
80
Total Mins
80
Entry
Matheus Sávio
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
68
Total Mins
68
Entry
BENCH
Koki Fukui
SPECTATOR
0
Saves
0
Saves
0
Conceded
0
Minutes
Eiichi Katayama
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
0
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Miki Yamane
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
10
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Jumpei Hayakawa
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
10
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Tatsuki Seko
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
16
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Kota Mizunuma
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
0
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Harumi Minamino
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
16
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Renji Hidano
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
4
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Ado Onaiwu
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
0
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Head to Head
| Date | Home | Score | Away | Competition | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 05/22/2026 | Machida Zelvia | 1 - 0 | Urawa | J1 League | New National Stadium |
| 03/22/2026 | Urawa | 1 - 2 | Machida Zelvia | J1 League | Saitama Stadium |
| 10/25/2025 | Urawa | 0 - 0 | Machida Zelvia | J1 League | Saitama Stadium |
| 04/13/2025 | Machida Zelvia | 0 - 2 | Urawa | J1 League | New National Stadium |
| 08/31/2024 | Machida Zelvia | 2 - 2 | Urawa | J1 League | Japan National Stadium |
| 05/26/2024 | Urawa | 1 - 2 | Machida Zelvia | J1 League | Saitama Stadium 2002 |
| 11/11/2015 | Machida Zelvia | 1 - 7 | Urawa | Emperor Cup | Kumagaya Athletic Stadium |
05/22/2026
03/22/2026
10/25/2025
04/13/2025
08/31/2024
05/26/2024
11/11/2015
Machida Zelvia Win
Urawa Win
Draw
League Standings
P: 3 GD: +10
P: 3 GD: +5
P: 3 GD: +3
P: 3 GD: +6
P: 3 GD: +1
P: 3 GD: -1
P: 3 GD: +1
P: 3 GD: 0
P: 3 GD: 0
P: 3 GD: -1
P: 3 GD: -2
P: 3 GD: +1
P: 3 GD: 0
P: 3 GD: 0
P: 3 GD: -1
P: 3 GD: -2
P: 3 GD: -2
P: 3 GD: -3
P: 3 GD: -6
League Standings
P: 7 GD: +13
P: 7 GD: +6
P: 7 GD: +3
P: 7 GD: +13
P: 7 GD: +5
P: 7 GD: +2
P: 7 GD: +4
P: 7 GD: +1
P: 7 GD: +2
P: 7 GD: -5
P: 7 GD: +2
P: 7 GD: -4
P: 7 GD: -3
P: 7 GD: -5
P: 7 GD: -5
P: 7 GD: -6
P: 7 GD: -5
P: 7 GD: -2
P: 7 GD: -6
Match previews and recaps to help you decide which games are worth watching
Machida Zelvia
Urawa
Machida Zelvia
Urawa
Win Probability
Futmetrix AI estimate
Clinical Machida Punish Urawa’s Profligacy at National Olympic Stadium
Worth Watching Futmetrix Score: 59/100. A masterclass in transitional football underlined the severe Stakes at both ends of the table, as the leaders deepened Urawa's relegation fears.
Early Ambush and Possession Futility
Machida Zelvia wasted no time asserting their authority at the National Olympic Stadium, striking with surgical precision just eight minutes in. A perfectly weighted pass from M. Duke carved open the visitors' fragile defence, allowing H. Nakamura to slot home the early opener and set the tone for the afternoon. Despite suffering this early setback, Urawa resolutely stuck to their possession-based philosophy, dominating the ball and pushing high up the pitch in search of an immediate response. Their persistence finally paid dividends in the dying embers of the first half. A well-worked move culminated in T. Kaneko teeing up R. Watanabe, who expertly levelled the scoreline right before the break. This frantic opening 45 minutes set an incredibly high Intensity rating, hinting at a fiercely contested battle where Urawa's 65% possession masked their glaring vulnerability to rapid counter-attacks.
The Super-Sub Masterstroke
The delicate Balance of the match shifted dramatically immediately after the interval, completely altering the trajectory of the afternoon. Machida's tactical pivot yielded spectacular and instant rewards through the introduction of T. Nishimura. Thrown straight into the fray at the start of the second half, the forward restored the hosts' advantage in the 54th minute following a clinical, defence-splitting assist from Y. Soma. Desperate to salvage something from the wreckage, Urawa responded by throwing bodies forward, eventually unleashing a staggering barrage of 20 shots overall. Yet, their frantic attacking efforts were largely restricted to low-percentage strikes from well outside the box, or desperately blocked by a resolute Machida rearguard. The visitors undoubtedly controlled the ball, but they fundamentally lacked the razor-sharp cutting edge required to breach a brilliantly well-drilled defensive unit.
Lavi Seals the Fate
Any lingering hopes of a dramatic late comeback were ruthlessly extinguished just past the hour mark. Stepping up when it mattered most, N. Lavi found the back of the net in the 61st minute, delivering the final, crushing blow to seal a commanding 3-1 victory for the home side. His decisive intervention completely neutralised the Upset Factor, ensuring all three points remained safely in Tokyo. The final whistle cemented two vastly contrasting realities for these clubs. Machida Zelvia march relentlessly on, maintaining a flawless record at the summit of the table by converting their minimal 35% possession into maximum points. Meanwhile, Urawa remain anchored to the very bottom of the standings with zero points from three matches, desperately searching for immediate answers as they find themselves engulfed in an alarming, early-season relegation battle.
Key Questions
What does this mean for Machida Zelvia's season?
It cements their position at the top of the table with a perfect nine points, proving their ruthless counter-attacking style makes them genuine title contenders.
How did substitute Neta Lavi change the game?
While actually starting the match, Lavi's crucial 61st-minute goal broke Urawa's spirit, extending the lead and ensuring Machida secured all three points comfortably.
What is the Futmetrix Score?
The Futmetrix Score is our 0-100 verdict on how entertaining a match is. We look at intensity, balance, stakes, and star quality to tell you if it's worth your time.
Machida's Early Title Ambitions Face Urawa Test
Average Entertainment Futmetrix Score: 43/100. Machida Zelvia look to set a blistering early pace in the title race, while Urawa desperately need a result to avoid falling behind the pack.
The Setup
When these two clash at Machida GION Stadium on August 23, 2026, early J1 League momentum is squarely on the line. Machida Zelvia have come out of the gates flying, boasting an intimidating Form rating after a dominant five-goal opening display. Meanwhile, Urawa find themselves reeling after leaking four goals in their season debut. While the Stakes of a budding title race push the narrative forward, the competitive Balance is heavily skewed in favor of the home side. In fact, our overall verdict suggests you might skip this fixture unless you are a devoted supporter, as the heavy probability gap lowers the neutral entertainment value.
Key Battle
The spotlight falls squarely on the matchup between Yuta Nakayama and Takuro Kaneko. Nakayama's exceptional Stars rating reflects his ability to dictate play from deep, creating a formidable wall that Kaneko must try to breach. If Kaneko cannot find space down the flanks, Urawa will struggle to relieve the relentless pressure applied by the home side's well-drilled unit.
Our Prediction
We expect a comfortable 3-1 victory for Machida Zelvia. The hosts will likely control the tempo from the opening whistle, exploiting the glaring defensive frailties Urawa displayed in their previous outing.