Football Season Guide

J2 League
Japan
J2 League
2025
Mito Hollyhock
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Mito Hollyhock

In


Kenta Matsuyama (gk) Kagoshima United; Konosuke Nishikawa (gk) Oita Trinita; Uwabright Hayakawa (gk) free agent; Sho Omori (def) Tochigi; Tetsuya Chinen (def) Vegalta Sendai – on loan; Travis Takahashi (def) Tiamu Hirakata; Kenta Itakura (def) Tokyo University; Takahiro Iida (def) Kyoto Sanga; Sora Okita (def) Tsubaka University; Kotatsu Kawakami (mid) Rissho University; Kosei Ashibe (mid) Machida Zelvia – on loan; Koya Okuda (mid) Tochigi; Takumi Tsukui (mid) Numazu; Hayata Yamamoto (mid) Senshu University; Ren Inoue (mid) Miyazaki – end of loan; Yusei Uchida (mid) Kochi United – end of loan; Arata Watanabe (att) Oita Trinita; Keisuke Tada (att) Rissho University; Shunta Morimura (mid) Hannan University;

Out


Takumi Kusumoto (k) (def) Fujieda; Hayata Ishii (r) (def) Vegalta Sendai; Riku Ochiai (r) (mid) Kashiwa Reysol – end of loan; Hidemasa Koda (r) (mid) Nagoya Grampus – end of loan; Ryusei Haruna (sp) (gk) Miyazaki – on loan; Nao Yamada (sp) (def) Tokushima Vortis; Kazuma Nagai (sp) (def) Blaubitz Akita – on loan; Shivatafari Nagasawa (sp) (def) Sagan Tosu – end of loan; Koki Gotoda (sp) (def) Okinawa; Kenshin Takagishi (sp) (mid) released; Tatsunori Sakurai (sp) (mid) Vissel Kobe – end of loan; Taika Nakashima (sp) (att) Consadole Sapporo – end of loan; Daiki Tomii (gk) Shonan Bellmare – end of loan; Kaiho Nakayama (gk) released; Koji Homma (gk) end of career; Tatsuya Tabira (def) released; Takaya Kuroishi (mid) Ehime; Soki Tokuno (att) Kochi United – on loan;

Mito flirted with danger last season but ultimately showed enough stability to survive. Finished only in 15th place but full 10 points above the relegation zone. This was 16th consecutive season for Mito in J2, so they have been part of this division for some time now. The main weakness in 2024 was the attack. Scored only 39 goals in 38 rounds. Never found a reliable goalscorer and the team’s leader in that department was winger Seiichiro Kubo with his modest 5 goals. The main strengthening of the attack has been the arrival of experienced Arata Watanabe. He can become a focal point of the attack but his durability is a reason for concern. Over the last 4 seasons Watanabe missed 43% of the matches because he was out injured. His health issues meant he hasn’t scored more than 5 goals in a campaign since 2020. In terms of departures the main ones were in defence and midfield. Lost 2 regulars in each of these areas over the winter months. However, the signing of 6 new defenders should only improve the stability at the back. In midfield, Koya Okuda was added to the ranks and he is expected to become the main ball-handler and chance-creator in 2025. Also, after a breakthrough year last season 23-year-old Yuto Nagao looks ready to become an important figure in midfield too.

Target


Mito have vast J2 experience and this should be enough to give them another mid-table finish.