Football Season Guide

Inability to defend led to a logical relegation from J1. Only the single team below them conceded more than the 63 goals Shonan allowed. The individual errors at the back kept on coming all season. During the transition Vision League offered better defending but still lacked consistency. Only 19 goals conceded in 18 rounds during the league phase not enough for more than third place and top 12 finish overall. To try and improve their defending added solid centre-back Dohana this summer. He is a proven top defender in J2 and should help straight away. His aerial presence is bound to help Shonan deal with set pieces much better. Captain Takeda should remain the main figure in midfield. Up front striker Yamada is staying. This is huge and he is the front-runner to win the Golden Boot in J2 this season. Serious concerns remain on both flanks. Lack quality players out wide, even after adding Kozuki and Nishino to the ranks. If the threat from the flanks is not neutralised Shonan could struggle against top teams.