J1 League Gameweek 6
Tokyo Verdy 1 - 0 FT Urawa
Match Statistics
Possession
Shots
Shots on Target
Expected Goals (xG)
Passes
Pass Accuracy
Corners
Fouls
Yellow Cards
Red Cards
Match Events
14' I. Someno (K. Morita)
HT
↓ K. Shibato ↑A. Onaiwu 46'
52' Inoue Ryota
56' ↓ K. Saito ↑Y. Fukuda
56' ↓ Y. Arai ↑H. Yamami
↓ R. Hidano ↑S. Nakajima 65'
Kaito Yasui 77'
↓ T. Ogiwara ↑Y. Naganuma 78'
↓ T. Kaneko ↑I. Kiese 78'
79' ↓ R. Hirakawa ↑J. Yamamoto
↓ T. Sekine ↑H. Ishihara 85'
Ado Onaiwu 90'
90'+6 ↓ Y. Uchida ↑S. Tanabe
90'+6 ↓ K. Morita ↑T. Yoshida
FT
Player Cards
Our take on every player in this match
Tokyo Verdy
Goalkeepers
Y. Nagasawa 
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
90
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Defenders
K. Suzuki
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
90
Total Mins
Started
Entry
R. Inoue
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
90
Total Mins
Started
Entry
K. Miyahara 
ENFORCER
4
Tackles
4
Tackles
4
Duels Won
80%
Win %
Midfielders
Y. Uchida 
NPC
89
Minutes
89
Minutes
11%
Pass Acc
6.6
Rating
R. Hirakawa
LATE SHIFT
11
Late Mins
11
Late Mins
79
Total Mins
79
Entry
K. Morita 
CAPTAIN FANTASTIC
0
Contribution
0
Contribution
8.5
Rating
Yes
Captain
D. Fukazawa
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
90
Total Mins
Started
Entry
BENCH
K. Nakamura 
SPECTATOR
0
Saves
0
Saves
0
Conceded
0
Minutes
S. Tanabe
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
1
Total Mins
Started
Entry
T. Yoshida
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
1
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Y. Fukuda
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
34
Total Mins
Started
Entry
J. Yamamoto
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
11
Total Mins
Started
Entry
R. Shirai
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
0
Total Mins
Started
Entry
H. Yamami
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
34
Total Mins
Started
Entry
G. Yamada
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
0
Total Mins
Started
Entry
R. Matsuda
👻 Invisible Nothing to note
Urawa
Goalkeepers
S. Nishikawa
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
90
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Defenders
T. Sekine 
MAGNET
80
Activity
80
Activity
65
Passes
15
Duels
Y. Miyamoto
MAGNET
113
Activity
113
Activity
104
Passes
9
Duels
K. Nemoto
MAGNET
94
Activity
94
Activity
76
Passes
18
Duels
T. Ogiwara
LATE SHIFT
12
Late Mins
12
Late Mins
78
Total Mins
78
Entry
Midfielders
K. Yasui
MAGNET
70
Activity
70
Activity
64
Passes
6
Duels
K. Shibato
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
45
Total Mins
46
Entry
T. Kaneko 
STORMTROOPER
2
Shots
2
Shots
0
Goals
1
On Target
R. Watanabe
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
90
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Matheus Savio 
ARCHITECT
5
Key Passes
5
Key Passes
0
Assists
30%
Pass Acc
Forwards
R. Hidano
STORMTROOPER
3
Shots
3
Shots
0
Goals
0
On Target
BENCH
A. Niekawa
SPECTATOR
0
Saves
0
Saves
0
Conceded
0
Minutes
H. Ishihara
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
14
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Danilo Boza
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
0
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Y. Naganuma
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
12
Total Mins
Started
Entry
S. Nakajima
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
25
Total Mins
Started
Entry
J. Hayakawa
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
0
Total Mins
Started
Entry
T. Teruuchi
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
0
Total Mins
Started
Entry
I. Kiese
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
12
Total Mins
Started
Entry
A. Onaiwu
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
45
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Head to Head
| Date | Home | Score | Away | Competition | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 03/14/2026 | Tokyo Verdy | 1 - 0 | Urawa | J1 League | Ajinomoto Stadium |
| 09/27/2025 | Tokyo Verdy | 0 - 0 | Urawa | J1 League | Ajinomoto Stadium |
| 05/03/2025 | Urawa | 2 - 0 | Tokyo Verdy | J1 League | Saitama Stadium |
| 01/20/2025 | Urawa | 3 - 2 | Tokyo Verdy | Friendlies Clubs | Kincho Football Center |
| 10/19/2024 | Tokyo Verdy | 2 - 1 | Urawa | J1 League | Ajinomoto Stadium |
| 03/03/2024 | Urawa | 1 - 1 | Tokyo Verdy | J1 League | Saitama Stadium 2002 |
03/14/2026
09/27/2025
05/03/2025
01/20/2025
10/19/2024
03/03/2024
Tokyo Verdy Win
Urawa Win
Draw
League Standings
P: 6 GD: +7
P: 6 GD: +7
P: 6 GD: +6
P: 6 GD: +6
P: 6 GD: +3
P: 6 GD: +3
P: 6 GD: +3
P: 6 GD: +4
P: 6 GD: 0
P: 6 GD: +4
P: 6 GD: +1
P: 6 GD: -1
P: 6 GD: +3
P: 6 GD: +2
P: 6 GD: +1
P: 6 GD: +1
P: 6 GD: 0
P: 6 GD: +1
P: 6 GD: +2
P: 6 GD: -4
P: 6 GD: 0
P: 6 GD: 0
P: 6 GD: -4
P: 6 GD: 0
P: 6 GD: -1
P: 6 GD: -4
P: 6 GD: 0
P: 6 GD: +1
P: 6 GD: -5
P: 6 GD: -10
P: 6 GD: +1
P: 6 GD: 0
P: 6 GD: 0
P: 6 GD: 0
P: 6 GD: 0
P: 6 GD: -4
P: 6 GD: -4
P: 6 GD: -4
P: 6 GD: -5
Match previews and recaps to help you decide which games are worth watching
Smash and Grab at Ajinomoto
Skip It Futmetrix Score: 23/100. An early strike from Tokyo Verdy was enough to survive a relentless possession barrage and steal all three points from a frustrated Urawa side.
Early Thunder
The match at Ajinomoto Stadium ignited immediately as Tokyo Verdy completely stunned their visitors right from the opening whistle. The Balance of the early stages shifted decisively in the 14th minute, proving that possession means nothing without penetration. A brilliant sequence of play allowed K. Morita to split the defensive line, finding I. Someno in space. The forward ruthlessly buried the chance to establish an early lead. This wasn't a cautious feeling-out process; Verdy came out swinging to intentionally disrupt the rhythm of Urawa. By striking the first blow, the hosts entirely rewrote the script for the afternoon, forcing their opponents to chase a game they had fully expected to control from the start.
The Possession Barrage
After that shocking opening goal, the dynamic on the pitch flipped entirely. Urawa began to dominate possession, commanding the ball for long, suffocating stretches and setting up a permanent camp in the hosts' half. The overall Intensity soared as the two sides traded counter-punches, resulting in a chaotic combined total of 29 shots. Despite dictating the tempo and firing off 15 attempts of their own, Urawa crucially lacked a cutting edge in the final third. At the back, Kenta Nemoto put in a resolute defensive shift to keep the visitors within striking distance, but his attacking teammates repeatedly faltered against a stubborn green wall that refused to break under heavy fire.
Holding the Line
This fixture ultimately turned into a classic smash-and-grab execution. The remarkably high Upset Factor reflects Verdy's incredible resilience, grinding out a vital victory despite holding the ball for barely a third of the match. Surviving endless waves of pressure, the home side held firm to secure a genuinely gritty 1-0 win. The hard-fought result propels Tokyo Verdy higher up the league table, continuing their highly positive start to the campaign. Conversely, it condemns Urawa to a deeply frustrating defeat, leaving them with serious questions about their attacking efficiency. Our take: this was a defensive masterclass built on clinical early finishing, proving that tactical discipline can easily trump sheer volume.
Key Questions
What made Koki Morita the Man of the Match?
Morita controlled the midfield tempo and provided the decisive assist for Someno's match-winning goal, earning top marks for his clinical creative vision.
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.
Archive note: this preview was written after the match was played.
Top-Four Aspirations Put to the Sword in Tokyo
Worth Watching Futmetrix Score: 60/100. With just two points separating them in the top-half scramble, this clash will serve as a ruthless litmus test for both sides' continental ambitions.
The Setup
On March 14, 2026, Ajinomoto Stadium plays host to a fixture dripping with top-four implications. Tokyo Verdy sit fifth, clutching 13 points, while Urawa trail closely in eighth with 11. Despite Urawa's recent staggering run of four straight defeats before finally grabbing a win, the bookies still edge them as narrow favourites. Verdy, however, have built a genuine home fortress, boasting a formidable 80% win rate in front of their own fans. A sky-high Balance rating suggests this will be a tight affair, but Urawa's questionable Form is a massive liability against Verdy's home dominance. The Stakes might read as modest early in the season, but the race for the top four takes no prisoners.
Key Battle
Itsuki Someno versus Renji Hidano is the narrative that will define this match. Both sides feature highly in the Stars metric, promising flashes of individual brilliance. Someno has been the creative fulcrum for the hosts, already netting twice this campaign. However, he faces an Urawa defence backed by the reliable Shusaku Nishikawa, who has already racked up 14 saves and 3 clean sheets. On the other end, Hidano provides the clinical edge Urawa desperately need to break down the resilient hosts.
Our Prediction
Urawa might be the statistical favourites on paper, but betting against Verdy at Ajinomoto Stadium is a fool's errand right now. Expect the hosts to absorb pressure efficiently and strike lethally on the counter. Our take is a narrow 2-1 victory for Tokyo Verdy, pushing them deeper into the top-four mix.