Standings
The top team in this week’s performance rankings is the EX Furinkazan. When they needed points the most, they came in clutch. On Tuesday, Matsugase and Katsumata were sent out to help move their team upward and out of 6th place. With a surprise ura 3 for a big baiman, he was able to handily win the game. For Katsumata, it was a close battle, but he was able to eke out a win the very last hand for an EX Furinkazan daily double. adding in another 1st place and a 2nd on Thursday, the team was able to gain +174.7pts for a 104.4pts lead over the Beast Japanext. Beating their rivals Team Raiden 4 times in a row is extremely significant, pushing them into last place and letting them breathe a bit easier. However, the EX Furinkazan will have to ensure that they do not slip in these last two weeks or tragedy might befall them.
The Konami Mahjong Fight and Beast Japanext both had good positive results this week. Sasaki Hisato was able to get the two 1sts this week with 9 hands won in total, moving him out of the negatives and into the triple-digits in the individual rankings. The team is now a bit closer to the top 3. For the Beast Japanext, they fell out of a playoff spot, but a solid 1st place by Sarukawa keeps the team in the running. They will miss playing the EX Furinkazan next week, but they will have a chance at a head-to-head battle in the last game of the season. Then need to gain points now to set themselves up for success in the final faceoff.
The last gaining team this week is the Sega Sammy Phoenix. The good news is that they were able to have positive points, in most part thanks to Uotani and her 1st place on Friday. The bad news is that they are still in 8th place and running out of time. They will unfortunately not be playing the EX Furinkazan anymore this season, but they will be facing the Beast Japanext in 6 of their last 8 games. If they can get good results against them and the other rivals targetting the EX Furinkazan, they will have a shot to get that final spot. In addition, Katsumata’s two wins puts him in the top 3 of the individual standings, having a chance to hit either or both of them during their only chance to face on the 25th.
Losing a few points this week are the U-Next Pirates and the Kadokawa Sakura Knights. With their lead widening a bit, the focus now seems to be on which Pirates player will take be on top of the individual standings. With a slight loss by Yu, Mizuhara is now in the lead. The Kadokawa Sakura Knights remain in 3rd place, but the Konami Mahjong Fight Club is fast approaching.
With moderate losses are Team Raiden and the Shibuya Abemas. Team Raiden was unable to get a 1st this week and resulted in them moving down to 9th place. The gap between them and the 6th place is 286.7pts. They are at a disadvantage since they only have six games left and will be the first team to end their journey. However, a few good 1sts will put them in contention for a playoff spot. It is time strike back and attack like lightning. The Shibuya Abemas are in much less trouble, but they are flirting with the negatives. Sitting in 5th place, going into the semifinals in that position will start them in a chasing position for a spot in the finals. Though the points will be cut in half going into the semis, even a single point can make the difference between advancing and not.
Finally, coming in last in the performance rankings, we have the Akasaka Drivens. Though they aren’t at risk of losing a playoff spot, these major losses will hurt them in the long run. They are losing ground on the U-Next Pirates for that top spot in the standings and all the points will be important in both playoff rounds. Their big chance will come on the 25th, the last time the two teams fill face this season.
And that’s all for this week! There are two more weeks left in the regular season! The EX Furinkazan seems to be far in the lead with that last playoff spot, but anything can happen in two weeks! Can the EX Furinkazan be immoveable like a mountain and stand their ground? Can the Beast Japanext fight back and beat that 104.4pts gap? Can the Phoenix fly above the competition and soar their way into a spot? Or can Team Raiden use the energy and excitement of their fans to come back in a flash? As always, we’ll just have to wait and see!
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