Friday, March 5, 2010

By ANDREW McKIRDY

Staff writer

Team-by-team previews of the 18 teams competing in the first division.

Last season: third in J2

As the last team to clinch promotion last season, Shonan starts the new campaign as the automatic favorite to go back down first.

Bellmare pipped Ventforet Kofu for the third and final spot by a single point, and should really have wrapped things up long before the final day after maneuvering themselves into a good position earlier in the season.

Yasuharu Sorimachi's side will certainly have to step up a level to stand any chance of surviving, but the waters have been clouded by 11 players leaving and 11 arriving over the offseason.

Among those incoming are Tatsunori Arai from JEF United Chiba and Kenji Baba from Vissel Kobe, but it will be stalwarts such as Yoshito Terakawa and Yuzo Tamura who continue to form the backbone of the side.

Previews continued:
Yokohama F. Marinos	Jubilo Iwata
Kyoto Sanga	Omiya Ardija
Vissel Kobe	Montedio Yamagata
Vegalta Sendai	Cerezo Osaka
Shonan Bellmare	Kashima Antlers
Kawasaki Frontale	Gamba Osaka
Sanfrecce Hiroshima	FC Tokyo
Urawa Reds	Shimizu S-Pulse
Albirex Niigata	Nagoya Grampus

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