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[JAPAN SPORTS NOTEBOOK] Yuya Osako and Anderson Lopes Flourishing in the J.League

Sparked by the veteran playmakers, who are the top two scorers in the J.League, Vissel Kobe and Yokohama F. Marinos are tied for the best overall record.

Published

9 months ago

August 13, 2023

Ed Odeven

Anderson Lopes (left) and Yuya Osako are the J.League's premier goalscorers this season. (ⒸSANKEI)

Read the full story on SportsLook - [JAPAN SPORTS NOTEBOOK] Yuya Osako and Anderson Lopes Flourishing in the J.League

There's a direct link between the goalscoring prowess of Anderson Lopes and Yuya Osako and the success of their J.League clubs.

In other words, the totality of their goals is making a big impact in the 2023 season.

Anderson Lopes' Yokohama F. Marinos (14 wins, five draws, four defeats) are tied with Osako's Vissel Kobe (identical record) for the most points (47) in the J.League through Saturday, August 12.

Brazilian forward Anderson Lopes, whose given name is Anderson Jose Lopez de Souza, scored the go-ahead goal on a 51st-minute penalty against Gamba Osaka on Saturday. It was his 16th goal of the season, and Marinos recorded a 2-1 victory.

Anderson Lopes, who joined Yokohama in 2022, has scored 16 of Marinos' 46 goals in the J.League.

Osako has notched nearly 40% of Vissel's goals this season. The 33-year-old Kagoshima Prefecture native has 17 of the club's 43 goals.

In Vissel's 1-0 away win over Kawasaki Frontale on Saturday, Osako scored in the 39th minute at Todoroki Stadium.

J.League Success: More Goals in 2023 for Osako and Anderson Lopes

Osako has already more than doubled his scoring total from the 2022 J.League season (seven goals in 26 matches).

Since the current campaign began in mid-February, Anderson Lopes, 29, has already surpassed his scoring total from last season, too (11 goals in 28 matches).

Continue reading the full story, which also includes news items on baseball, skateboarding, rugby and more, on SportsLook.

Author: Ed Odeven

Find Ed on JAPAN Forward's dedicated website, SportsLook. Follow his [Japan Sports Notebook] on Sundays, [Odds and Evens] during the week, and Twitter ＠ed_odeven.