J1 League Gameweek 5
Mito Hollyhock 4 - 2 FT Kashima
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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
56
OFI
vs
1899 Hoffenheim
Thu, Sep 17 • 16:45 UTC
⚡ Form
7
⚖️ Balance
54
🏆 Stakes
100
⭐ Stars
45
Hoffenheim huge favorites in Crete trip.
Futmetrix Verdict
59
Real Betis
vs
Getafe
Thu, Sep 17 • 17:00 UTC
⚡ Form
43
⚖️ Balance
67
🏆 Stakes
33
⭐ Stars
70
Getafe's survival instincts face Betis test.
Match Statistics
Possession
Shots
Shots on Target
Passes
Corners
Fouls
Yellow Cards
Red Cards
Match Events
21' Arata Watanabe (Yoshiki Torikai)
↓ Matheus Bueno ↑Kento Misao 45'
↓ Naomichi Ueda ↑Kim Tae-hyeon 45'
↓ José Élber Pimentel da Silva ↑Aleksandar Čavrić 45'
HT
48' Arata Watanabe (Taishi Semba)
Léo Ceará (Yuma Suzuki) 53'
55' Arata Watanabe (Yoshiki Torikai)
62' ↓ Yoshiki Torikai ↑Chihiro Kato
62' ↓ Ryo Nemoto ↑Kotaro Uchino
↓ Rikuto Hirose ↑Kyosuke Tagawa 68'
70' Kotaro Uchino
80' ↓ Arata Watanabe ↑Matheus Leiria Dos Santos
80' ↓ Kaito Taniguchi ↑Hayata Yamamoto
↓ Gaku Shibasaki ↑Keisuke Tsukui 81'
Léo Ceará (Keisuke Tsukui) 83'
90'+1 ↓ Koshi Osaki ↑Rei Ieizumi
FT
Player Cards
Our take on every player in this match
Mito Hollyhock
Goalkeepers
Konosuke Nishikawa 
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
90
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Defenders
Takumi Mase
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
90
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Yasuki Kimoto
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
90
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Akinari Kawazura
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
90
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Sho Omori
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
90
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Midfielders
Yoshiki Torikai 
ARCHITECT
2
Key Passes
2
Key Passes
2
Assists
13%
Pass Acc
Koshi Osaki 
NPC
89
Minutes
89
Minutes
19%
Pass Acc
6.0
Rating
Taishi Semba 
SWEEPER
4
Cleanups
4
Cleanups
4
Interceptions
0
Blocks
Kaito Taniguchi
LATE SHIFT
10
Late Mins
10
Late Mins
80
Total Mins
80
Entry
Forwards
Ryo Nemoto
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
62
Total Mins
62
Entry
Arata Watanabe 
HAT-TRICK HERO
4
Goals
4
Goals
4
On Target
9.9
Rating
BENCH
Jakub Słowik 
SPECTATOR
0
Saves
0
Saves
0
Conceded
0
Minutes
Y. Tamura
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
0
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Rei Ieizumi
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
1
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Hayata Yamamoto
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
10
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Chihiro Kato
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
28
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Kotaro Uchino
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
28
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Patryck Ferreira
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
0
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Matheus Leiria
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
10
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Kashima
Goalkeepers
Tomoki Hayakawa
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
90
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Defenders
Rikuto Hirose
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
68
Total Mins
68
Entry
Naomichi Ueda 
STORMTROOPER
1
Shots
1
Shots
0
Goals
0
On Target
Ikuma Sekigawa 
MAGNET
124
Activity
124
Activity
116
Passes
8
Duels
Ryoya Ogawa
MAGNET
87
Activity
87
Activity
85
Passes
2
Duels
Midfielders
Yuta Matsumura
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
90
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Gaku Shibasaki
ARCHITECT
3
Key Passes
3
Key Passes
0
Assists
77%
Pass Acc
Matheus Bueno
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
45
Total Mins
45
Entry
Élber
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
45
Total Mins
45
Entry
Forwards
Yuma Suzuki
MAGNET
64
Activity
64
Activity
54
Passes
10
Duels
Léo Ceará 
CLOSER
1
Late Goals
1
Late Goals
0
Late Assists
75
Minute
BENCH
Taiki Yamada
SPECTATOR
0
Saves
0
Saves
0
Conceded
0
Minutes
Keisuke Tsukui 
PROVIDER
1
Assists
1
Assists
1
Key Passes
6.0
Rating
A. Motosuna
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
0
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Kim Tae-Hyeon
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
45
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Kento Misao
MAGNET
65
Activity
65
Activity
60
Passes
5
Duels
H. Hayashu
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
0
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Minato Yoshida
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
0
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Kyosuke Tagawa
STORMTROOPER
3
Shots
3
Shots
0
Goals
1
On Target
Aleksandar Čavrić
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
45
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Head to Head
| Date | Home | Score | Away | Competition | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 05/06/2026 | Kashima | 3 - 0 | Mito Hollyhock | J1 League | Mercari Stadium |
| 04/04/2026 | Mito Hollyhock | 1 - 1 (PEN 4-2) | Kashima | J1 League | Best Denki Stadium |
| 02/10/2024 | Kashima | 1 - 0 | Mito Hollyhock | Friendlies Clubs | Kashima Soccer Stadium |
| 10/14/2015 | Kashima | 0 - 0 (PEN 2-3) | Mito Hollyhock | Emperor Cup | Kashima Soccer Stadium |
05/06/2026
04/04/2026
02/10/2024
10/14/2015
Mito Hollyhock Win
Kashima Win
Draw
League Standings
P: 5 GD: +11
P: 4 GD: +5
P: 5 GD: +4
P: 5 GD: +9
P: 5 GD: +3
P: 5 GD: 0
P: 5 GD: +1
P: 5 GD: +1
P: 4 GD: 0
P: 5 GD: -1
P: 5 GD: -2
P: 4 GD: +1
P: 4 GD: -1
P: 4 GD: -2
P: 5 GD: -2
P: 5 GD: -5
P: 4 GD: 0
P: 4 GD: -5
P: 5 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
Mito Hollyhock
Kashima
Mito Hollyhock
Kashima
Win Probability
Futmetrix AI estimate
A Masterclass in Efficiency: Watanabe Dismantles Kashima
Must-Watch Futmetrix Score: 98/100. A stunning upset where clinical counter-attacking entirely obliterated sterile possession.
Early Warning Signs
Kashima walked into Best Denki Stadium with a flawless winning streak and immediately controlled the tempo, eventually dominating possession with a staggering 76% of the ball. But Mito Hollyhock cared absolutely nothing for aesthetics. They opted for sheer tactical violence. An eighth-minute penalty from Arata Watanabe lit the initial fuse, completely disrupting the visitors' rhythm. The hosts happily absorbed relentless pressure, defending deep while waiting for their transitional moments. By the 21st minute, Watanabe struck again, converting a sharp delivery from Yoshiki Torikai. The early Stakes were heavily skewed toward the title chasers, but the visitors looked completely shell-shocked by this ruthless, low-block efficiency. They were getting a harsh lesson in clinical finishing.
Seven Minutes of Chaos
The match truly exploded immediately after the break. A staggering flurry of net-bulging action completely shattered whatever Balance was left in the contest. First, Watanabe completed an extraordinarily rare hat-trick in the 48th minute, courtesy of a clever ball from Taishi Semba. Kashima desperately scrambled to respond, pushing men high up the pitch. Yuma Suzuki managed to tee up their talisman Léo Ceará, who rifled one home in the 53rd minute. But Mito instantly crushed any lingering hope of a comeback. Just two minutes later, Watanabe buried his unthinkable fourth goal of the afternoon. Torikai provided yet another incisive assist, capping off a lethal counter-attack. The sheer Intensity of this chaotic seven-minute spell left the title contenders completely exposed and bewildered.
The Ultimate Smash and Grab
Kashima continued to pass the ball endlessly around the perimeter, ultimately racking up 824 passes compared to Mito's meager 271. Yet, all that sterile possession yielded only a late, meaningless consolation strike. Substitute Keisuke Tsukui managed to find Léo Ceará in the 83rd minute, allowing the forward to seal his personal brace. It was far too little, far too late. This historic Upset Factor completely shakes up the J1 League narrative early in the campaign. The second-placed visitors lose their invincible aura and drop crucial points in the chase for the top spot. Meanwhile, Mito Hollyhock celebrate a monumental mid-table boost. This 4-2 thriller stands as a breathtaking exhibition of how to mercilessly win a football match without needing the ball.
Key Questions
What made A. Watanabe the Man of the Match?
Watanabe delivered a historic four-goal performance from just seven team shots, displaying ruthless efficiency and single-handedly destroying Kashima's perfect start.
What caused the 6-goal thriller?
A combination of Kashima's high-line vulnerability despite 76% possession, and an insane seven-minute second-half spell that produced three rapid-fire goals.
What does this mean for Mito Hollyhock's season?
This massive underdog victory boosts Mito's mid-table standing, proving they can outgun title contenders through lethal counter-attacking and organized defending.
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.
Kashima's Title Charge Rolls On
Average Entertainment Futmetrix Score: 53/100. Kashima's flawless start to the season makes them clear favorites, and dropping points here could severely dent their early championship momentum.
The Setup
The visitors arrive at Best Denki Stadium sitting second in the table with a perfect nine points from three matches. Kashima has established a phenomenal Form rating, scoring freely and putting the rest of the J1 League on notice. Mito Hollyhock, sitting in seventh with four points, have had a mixed but respectable start. While the overall Balance tilts heavily toward the away side, the Stakes remain incredibly high as Kashima looks to maintain pressure at the summit. Kashima boasts undeniable Stars like Léo Ceará who can change a game in an instant, and they will look to stamp their authority early against a resilient home side.
Key Battle
With no specific individual matchups taking center stage, this contest will be decided between Mito's defensive structure and Kashima's fluid frontline. Kashima features lethal attacking options like Y. Suzuki and Aleksandar Čavrić pulling the strings and causing havoc in the final third. Mito's backline must stay disciplined, communicate flawlessly, and plug the half-spaces. If the hosts lose focus for even a second, the visitors possess the ruthless efficiency required to carve them open with ease.
Our Prediction
Expect Kashima to dictate the tempo from the opening whistle. Mito will likely sit deep, looking to absorb the pressure and spring traps on the counter-attack. However, Kashima's sheer attacking firepower should eventually break through the home side's resistance. We see the visitors securing a comfortable multi-goal victory, breaking down Mito's defense in the second half to keep their title hopes burning bright.