Hi Everyone,
Hope everyone's doing well.
As you know, I have not been able to post new entries in the past months. Unfortunately, I don't think this status will change as I have been transferred to a new position and my schedule will become even more inconvenient for staying on top of Japanese football games and news.
Of course I feel terrible, and have been irritated because I have missed practically all the games of the past month -- the All Stars, the overseas players news, and of course the J-League games.
Though I have been holding out some small hope that I would be able to squeeze in articles here and there, I realize now that it is going to be nearly impossible to keep it going on any consistent basis.
So, it saddens me greatly that I will be pausing my activities on this blog for an indefinite time. This means that for now I will not be posting any new entries for the forseeable future.
I will probably not be able to stay away completely, which is why I will keep the blog open for viewing. I hope to return if by some lucky chance I change my position again at work and my schedule allows me more free time.
Things that I will continue to do:
If you happen across this blog with questions about Japanese football, you are more than welcome to email me and say hello and ask me whatever you like. Email depflight@gmail.com
If you are looking for a certain item/jersey/magazine, etc., and want help acquiring it, I will continue to provide help in this area -- check this post for details. I have already sent dozens of people jerseys and goods, and I know how hard it is for people in other countries to get their hands on Japan club or national team goods over the internet.
I have gotten to know many of you through this blog, and it has been so much fun sharing and chatting about the players and the teams. I hope you continue to follow Japanese football, and I certainly hope you stay in touch. My email will be active for many years, and you can always reach me through this address.
Thank you all for giving me a lot of great feedback and support. I am amazed at how many people in other countries are interested in Japanese football, and for me as a fan of Japanese football it has been the inspiration to keep this blog going for as long as it did! Thank you!
A big hug to all of you out there,
Depflight
Hope everyone's doing well.
As you know, I have not been able to post new entries in the past months. Unfortunately, I don't think this status will change as I have been transferred to a new position and my schedule will become even more inconvenient for staying on top of Japanese football games and news.
Of course I feel terrible, and have been irritated because I have missed practically all the games of the past month -- the All Stars, the overseas players news, and of course the J-League games.
Though I have been holding out some small hope that I would be able to squeeze in articles here and there, I realize now that it is going to be nearly impossible to keep it going on any consistent basis.
So, it saddens me greatly that I will be pausing my activities on this blog for an indefinite time. This means that for now I will not be posting any new entries for the forseeable future.
I will probably not be able to stay away completely, which is why I will keep the blog open for viewing. I hope to return if by some lucky chance I change my position again at work and my schedule allows me more free time.
Things that I will continue to do:
If you happen across this blog with questions about Japanese football, you are more than welcome to email me and say hello and ask me whatever you like. Email depflight@gmail.com
If you are looking for a certain item/jersey/magazine, etc., and want help acquiring it, I will continue to provide help in this area -- check this post for details. I have already sent dozens of people jerseys and goods, and I know how hard it is for people in other countries to get their hands on Japan club or national team goods over the internet.
I have gotten to know many of you through this blog, and it has been so much fun sharing and chatting about the players and the teams. I hope you continue to follow Japanese football, and I certainly hope you stay in touch. My email will be active for many years, and you can always reach me through this address.
Thank you all for giving me a lot of great feedback and support. I am amazed at how many people in other countries are interested in Japanese football, and for me as a fan of Japanese football it has been the inspiration to keep this blog going for as long as it did! Thank you!
A big hug to all of you out there,
Depflight
Hi All, thanks for keeping the comments section active in the previous posts! Any links and news info you want to share please go ahead and write in... I always have a great time reading what you all have to say.
Unfortunately, I am still working and will not be able to do the Germany game match report until Monday.
Sunday night will be the Malta game. So Monday (which I have off after a weekend of working..grrrr) I will do a joint report on both games.
I also have to finish populating the table of our 23 men, and before out first WC game I will be posting an entry on Zico Japan's style/philosophy.
My aim is to have all this done before the first game against Australia -- after that it's going to all be about ENJOYING watching the World Cup!!
Sorry for the delay, guys. I will try and catch up ASAP.
Unfortunately, I am still working and will not be able to do the Germany game match report until Monday.
Sunday night will be the Malta game. So Monday (which I have off after a weekend of working..grrrr) I will do a joint report on both games.
I also have to finish populating the table of our 23 men, and before out first WC game I will be posting an entry on Zico Japan's style/philosophy.
My aim is to have all this done before the first game against Australia -- after that it's going to all be about ENJOYING watching the World Cup!!
Sorry for the delay, guys. I will try and catch up ASAP.
Okay, I know some of you mentioned disappointment at not seeing Daisuke Matsui on the World Cup squad list in your comments.
All I can say is: me too.
But grumbling about it won't do any good, so here are some snazzy video compilations of our Dai that were found on youtube. If some of you can't understand why I look at him like I'm watching a chocolate cake, well, maybe this will give you an idea.
>>clip If you don't have time to watch all three, then this one is the best content and quality-wise.
>>clip
>>clip This is of his first year in France, when Le Mans were in the 2nd division.
I miss him already.
All I can say is: me too.
But grumbling about it won't do any good, so here are some snazzy video compilations of our Dai that were found on youtube. If some of you can't understand why I look at him like I'm watching a chocolate cake, well, maybe this will give you an idea.
>>clip If you don't have time to watch all three, then this one is the best content and quality-wise.
>>clip
>>clip This is of his first year in France, when Le Mans were in the 2nd division.
I miss him already.
I present to you, the
2006 World Cup Japan National Football Squad:
Goalkeepers
Yoshikatsu Kawaguchi, Jubilo Iwata
Seigo Narazaki, Nagoya Grampus
Yoichi Doi, FC Tokyo
Defenders
Makoto Tanaka, Jubilo Iwata
Tsuneyasu Miyamoto, Gamba Osaka
Akira Kaji, Gamba Osaka
Alex Santos, Urawa Reds
Keisuke Tsuboi, Urawa Reds
Yuji Nakazawa, Yokohama F Marinos
Yuuichi Komano, Sanfrecce Hiroshima
Koji Nakata, FC Basel
Midfielders
Takashi Fukunishi, Jubilo Iwata
Mitsuo Ogasawara, Kashima Antlers
Shinji Ono, Urawa Reds
Hidetoshi Nakata, Bolton
Shunsuke Nakamura, Celtic
Junichi Inamoto, West Bromwich
Yasuhito Endo, Gamba Osaka
Forwards
Keiji Tamada, Nagoya Grampus
Atsushi Yanagisawa, Kashima Antlers
Masashi Oguro, Grenoble
Naohiro Takahara, (Hamburg SV, but just tranfered to Frankfurt)
Seiichiro Maki, Jef United Chiba
For the most part, this list was the predicted outcome by almost every football fan.
However, as usual in every World Cup announcement, there was one completely unexpected selection: that of Seiichiro Maki over Tatsuhiko Kubo for the forward position. As you know, Kubo is the top scorer in Zico Japan, and that happening despite the fact that he played in relatively fewer games than many of the other forwards. He is considered, in his top form, the best that Japan has to offer in terms of dynamism in front of goal, body balance, and is considered one of few true "strikers". However, after his injury in 2004, that occured just before the Asia Cup, he has been unable to free himself of chronic fitness/injury issues. Though Zico has been most persistent in calling him up to the squad, it was apparent in last week's Kirin Cup matches (he did not play against Bulgaria and looked far from fighting form against Scotland) that it would be unlikely that he could get himself up to true form within the next few weeks. The chonic nature of his mulitple woes made it unlikely that he would make a miraculous full recovery in time for WC play. For this reason, Zico explained, Kubo was taken off the list. Kubo was gracious about his obvious disappointment at not being selected; he kept his comments characteristically brief, but faced the media with a good attitude.
In Kubo's place, Maki got the call-up. And deservedly. Maki has been well aware that his chances at the World Cup squad were close to nil. Despite that, he showed an inspiring spirit of dogged persistence during his appearances this year. He will undoubtedly make life a lot easier for whomever he partners with up front should he get the opportunity to play. Maki's top item on his to-do list is to establish relationships with the players who play in Europe, as he has yet to stand on the same pitch with the likes of Hide, Taka and Shunsuke.
Aside from the Kubo surprise, it was also noted that Daisuke Matsui was missing from the list. Personally, you all know that I was really gunning for Matsui. Zico explained that in his mind the choice was between lefty speed dribbler forward Tamada or dribbling magic-maker Matsui. He opted for Tamada. It was extremely telling that Zico decided on placing 5 forwards in his list at the expense of a creative midfielder. Both Matsui and Tamada can show with their dribbling, but given the overall contribution/experience factor in terms of the National team, and perhaps also the expectation that we needed more options in the forwards group, he went with Tamada.
I was wondering if Yanagisawa would be cut from the squad because he is still not ready to play after the broken bone in his foot that occured a month ago. There was a Nabisco game played yesterday, and Yanagisawa was not even on the bench. I am uncertain how fast Yanagisawa will make his way back to game-readiness.
The team will gather on May 17 for the domestic training camp; on the 26th, they will arrive in Germany. After that, they will have two friendlies against Malta and Germany.
Then, it's game time.
I will return on Wednesday with a discussion of all the players, some interesting stories, and how we hope for them to contribute to the team's success. I would also like to quickly review the history of Japan at the WC, to give you an idea of the general progression of the nature and growth of the Japanese national team over the past 3 WCs to set the backdrop.
I will then try and provide you all with as much chatter, photos, etc, about how the team is doing in practice and in the two remaining friendlies.
I am filled with excitement and pride for these men. So many stories converging at this one point in time. No looking back now.
2006 World Cup Japan National Football Squad:
Goalkeepers
Yoshikatsu Kawaguchi, Jubilo Iwata
Seigo Narazaki, Nagoya Grampus
Yoichi Doi, FC Tokyo
Defenders
Makoto Tanaka, Jubilo Iwata
Tsuneyasu Miyamoto, Gamba Osaka
Akira Kaji, Gamba Osaka
Alex Santos, Urawa Reds
Keisuke Tsuboi, Urawa Reds
Yuji Nakazawa, Yokohama F Marinos
Yuuichi Komano, Sanfrecce Hiroshima
Koji Nakata, FC Basel
Midfielders
Takashi Fukunishi, Jubilo Iwata
Mitsuo Ogasawara, Kashima Antlers
Shinji Ono, Urawa Reds
Hidetoshi Nakata, Bolton
Shunsuke Nakamura, Celtic
Junichi Inamoto, West Bromwich
Yasuhito Endo, Gamba Osaka
Forwards
Keiji Tamada, Nagoya Grampus
Atsushi Yanagisawa, Kashima Antlers
Masashi Oguro, Grenoble
Naohiro Takahara, (Hamburg SV, but just tranfered to Frankfurt)
Seiichiro Maki, Jef United Chiba
For the most part, this list was the predicted outcome by almost every football fan.
However, as usual in every World Cup announcement, there was one completely unexpected selection: that of Seiichiro Maki over Tatsuhiko Kubo for the forward position. As you know, Kubo is the top scorer in Zico Japan, and that happening despite the fact that he played in relatively fewer games than many of the other forwards. He is considered, in his top form, the best that Japan has to offer in terms of dynamism in front of goal, body balance, and is considered one of few true "strikers". However, after his injury in 2004, that occured just before the Asia Cup, he has been unable to free himself of chronic fitness/injury issues. Though Zico has been most persistent in calling him up to the squad, it was apparent in last week's Kirin Cup matches (he did not play against Bulgaria and looked far from fighting form against Scotland) that it would be unlikely that he could get himself up to true form within the next few weeks. The chonic nature of his mulitple woes made it unlikely that he would make a miraculous full recovery in time for WC play. For this reason, Zico explained, Kubo was taken off the list. Kubo was gracious about his obvious disappointment at not being selected; he kept his comments characteristically brief, but faced the media with a good attitude.
In Kubo's place, Maki got the call-up. And deservedly. Maki has been well aware that his chances at the World Cup squad were close to nil. Despite that, he showed an inspiring spirit of dogged persistence during his appearances this year. He will undoubtedly make life a lot easier for whomever he partners with up front should he get the opportunity to play. Maki's top item on his to-do list is to establish relationships with the players who play in Europe, as he has yet to stand on the same pitch with the likes of Hide, Taka and Shunsuke.
Aside from the Kubo surprise, it was also noted that Daisuke Matsui was missing from the list. Personally, you all know that I was really gunning for Matsui. Zico explained that in his mind the choice was between lefty speed dribbler forward Tamada or dribbling magic-maker Matsui. He opted for Tamada. It was extremely telling that Zico decided on placing 5 forwards in his list at the expense of a creative midfielder. Both Matsui and Tamada can show with their dribbling, but given the overall contribution/experience factor in terms of the National team, and perhaps also the expectation that we needed more options in the forwards group, he went with Tamada.
I was wondering if Yanagisawa would be cut from the squad because he is still not ready to play after the broken bone in his foot that occured a month ago. There was a Nabisco game played yesterday, and Yanagisawa was not even on the bench. I am uncertain how fast Yanagisawa will make his way back to game-readiness.
The team will gather on May 17 for the domestic training camp; on the 26th, they will arrive in Germany. After that, they will have two friendlies against Malta and Germany.
Then, it's game time.
I will return on Wednesday with a discussion of all the players, some interesting stories, and how we hope for them to contribute to the team's success. I would also like to quickly review the history of Japan at the WC, to give you an idea of the general progression of the nature and growth of the Japanese national team over the past 3 WCs to set the backdrop.
I will then try and provide you all with as much chatter, photos, etc, about how the team is doing in practice and in the two remaining friendlies.
I am filled with excitement and pride for these men. So many stories converging at this one point in time. No looking back now.
Hi Everyone,
Just checking in to let you know that I will be able to resume my regular blog activities starting next week.
Right now, here is the update on the National Team:
The Kirin Cup is starting, with tonight's game against Bulgaria (at Osaka's Nagai stadium) and then the game against Scotland.
The 23-man squad was announced for these two games:
GK
Yoishi Doi, FC Tokyo
Yoshikatsu Kawaguchi, Jubilo Iwata
Seigo Narazaki, Nagoya Grampus
DF
Makoto Tanaka, Jubilo Iwata
Tsuneyasu Miyamoto, Gamba Osaka
Alessandro Santos, Urawa Reds
Yuji Nakazawa, Yokohama F Marinos
Keisuke Tsuboi, Urawa Reds
Shinji Murai, Jubilo Iwata
Akira Kaji, Gamba Osaka
Yuuichi Komano, Sanfrecce Hiroshima
Teruyuki Moniwa, FC Tokyo
MF
Takashi Fukunishi, Jubilo Iwata
Mitsuo Ogasawara, Kashima Antlers
Masashi Motoyama, Kashima Antlers
Shinji Ono, Urawa Reds
Yasuhito Endo, Gamba Osaka
Yuki Abe, Jef United Chiba
Makoto Hasebe, Urawa Reds
FW
Tatsuhiko Kubo, Yokohama F Marinos
Keiji Tamada, Nagoya Grampus
Seiichiro Maki, Jef United Chiba
Hisato Sato, Sanfrecce Hiroshima
The Bulgaria game tonight will see the following starting members:
---- Kubo - Tamada
-- Murai - Endo - Kaji
---- Fukunishi - Abe
Nakazawa - Miyamoto - Tanaka
------- Kawaguchi
As you might notice, the Kashima Antlers and Urawa Reds players are missing from the starting lineup. This is because they had a game on Sunday (against each other, in which Urawa Reds annihilated Kashima Antlers 4-0) and thus are not fitness-ready for a game two days later. They may substitute in according to the needs of the game.
With the Antlers and Reds players missing, Zico has chosen Endo to move up to playmaking duties -- a first for Endo on the NT.
Bulgaria boasts a team with a great height advantage, and in defense and offense the test for Japan is whether they can and will adjust their tactics and style if Bulgaria comes on strong in the air.
The Japan squad is a full domestic squad, and since everyone has just played three games in the past week for the league already, this week's two games will be a test of their fitness and ability to plow through their fatigue on top of the usual expectations of passing, finishing, and defensive organization.
The World Cup squad will be announced on May 15th. The WC squad is expected to be picked from the pool of the above 23-man domestic players list + 7 players in Europe (H.Nakata, K.Nakata, Nakamura, Takahara, Matsui, Inamoto, Oguro).
Just checking in to let you know that I will be able to resume my regular blog activities starting next week.
Right now, here is the update on the National Team:
The Kirin Cup is starting, with tonight's game against Bulgaria (at Osaka's Nagai stadium) and then the game against Scotland.
The 23-man squad was announced for these two games:
GK
Yoishi Doi, FC Tokyo
Yoshikatsu Kawaguchi, Jubilo Iwata
Seigo Narazaki, Nagoya Grampus
DF
Makoto Tanaka, Jubilo Iwata
Tsuneyasu Miyamoto, Gamba Osaka
Alessandro Santos, Urawa Reds
Yuji Nakazawa, Yokohama F Marinos
Keisuke Tsuboi, Urawa Reds
Shinji Murai, Jubilo Iwata
Akira Kaji, Gamba Osaka
Yuuichi Komano, Sanfrecce Hiroshima
Teruyuki Moniwa, FC Tokyo
MF
Takashi Fukunishi, Jubilo Iwata
Mitsuo Ogasawara, Kashima Antlers
Masashi Motoyama, Kashima Antlers
Shinji Ono, Urawa Reds
Yasuhito Endo, Gamba Osaka
Yuki Abe, Jef United Chiba
Makoto Hasebe, Urawa Reds
FW
Tatsuhiko Kubo, Yokohama F Marinos
Keiji Tamada, Nagoya Grampus
Seiichiro Maki, Jef United Chiba
Hisato Sato, Sanfrecce Hiroshima
The Bulgaria game tonight will see the following starting members:
---- Kubo - Tamada
-- Murai - Endo - Kaji
---- Fukunishi - Abe
Nakazawa - Miyamoto - Tanaka
------- Kawaguchi
As you might notice, the Kashima Antlers and Urawa Reds players are missing from the starting lineup. This is because they had a game on Sunday (against each other, in which Urawa Reds annihilated Kashima Antlers 4-0) and thus are not fitness-ready for a game two days later. They may substitute in according to the needs of the game.With the Antlers and Reds players missing, Zico has chosen Endo to move up to playmaking duties -- a first for Endo on the NT.
Bulgaria boasts a team with a great height advantage, and in defense and offense the test for Japan is whether they can and will adjust their tactics and style if Bulgaria comes on strong in the air.
The Japan squad is a full domestic squad, and since everyone has just played three games in the past week for the league already, this week's two games will be a test of their fitness and ability to plow through their fatigue on top of the usual expectations of passing, finishing, and defensive organization.
The World Cup squad will be announced on May 15th. The WC squad is expected to be picked from the pool of the above 23-man domestic players list + 7 players in Europe (H.Nakata, K.Nakata, Nakamura, Takahara, Matsui, Inamoto, Oguro).
Hi Everyone,
ANNOUNCEMENT: This Blog will take a short break until Mid-May.
I will be unable to post for another few weeks due to job-related travel that will take me out of the country. I've been in and out for the past couple weeks, which is why I haven't been able to post new entries, and have not been able to watch any of the J league games for review on this blog unfortunately.
Sorry to everyone who has been following my reports as their only source of info. However, if you are keen to keep up with the J league rounds until Mid-may, please email me and I can forward links to highlight videos and such. Or if you would like to be notified via email when I resume my entries, email me with a note to that effect. Depflight@gmail.com
Otherwise, I will be back by mid-May, at which point it will be the time to review the two Kirin Cup games against Scotland and Bulgaria, and to look at the National Squad announcement for the World Cup team. (biting my nails already!) From then onwards to the World Cup, the discussion will be entirely about the National team, and we can warm ourselves up for June's gem event by taking a detailed look at the squad members and catch up on related news as it comes in.
Look forward to "seeing" you all then! In the meantime, you are all welcome to post comments on your thoughts about the J league and the National Team, or if you hear news you'd like to share.
I'm in Blog-writing withdrawal already...sniff!
ANNOUNCEMENT: This Blog will take a short break until Mid-May.
I will be unable to post for another few weeks due to job-related travel that will take me out of the country. I've been in and out for the past couple weeks, which is why I haven't been able to post new entries, and have not been able to watch any of the J league games for review on this blog unfortunately.
Sorry to everyone who has been following my reports as their only source of info. However, if you are keen to keep up with the J league rounds until Mid-may, please email me and I can forward links to highlight videos and such. Or if you would like to be notified via email when I resume my entries, email me with a note to that effect. Depflight@gmail.com
Otherwise, I will be back by mid-May, at which point it will be the time to review the two Kirin Cup games against Scotland and Bulgaria, and to look at the National Squad announcement for the World Cup team. (biting my nails already!) From then onwards to the World Cup, the discussion will be entirely about the National team, and we can warm ourselves up for June's gem event by taking a detailed look at the squad members and catch up on related news as it comes in.
Look forward to "seeing" you all then! In the meantime, you are all welcome to post comments on your thoughts about the J league and the National Team, or if you hear news you'd like to share.
I'm in Blog-writing withdrawal already...sniff!
Hi everyone, again my schedule has gone off track and I've been forced to let my blogging duties slide for the past week-ish. I'm very sorry for those of you who are looking for news on the past two J1 rounds -- I will post the goal clips that I can find and also the results and if I can do a brief match report on one or two games. Other than that I will unfortunately have to cut my losses and pick up the normal schedule starting Round 8. If you have a specific game or club you're wondering how their last two round games have been, please leave a comment or email me and I'll touch on those games/clubs first.
We also have some good news from Europe, which I will touch on in the European Weekend round-up tomorrow, and hopefully I will be able to catch everything up by the weekend in time for the next J league round 8 games.
Again, sorry for the blip. Unfortunately the way my schedule works (or in most cases, doesn't), it is going to be difficult for me to post on a consistent regular schedule like clockwork (at least some of the time). I will just have to squeeze in what I can when I can to keep up consistently with the J league and the National Team, which are the priorities of course.
We also have some good news from Europe, which I will touch on in the European Weekend round-up tomorrow, and hopefully I will be able to catch everything up by the weekend in time for the next J league round 8 games.
Again, sorry for the blip. Unfortunately the way my schedule works (or in most cases, doesn't), it is going to be difficult for me to post on a consistent regular schedule like clockwork (at least some of the time). I will just have to squeeze in what I can when I can to keep up consistently with the J league and the National Team, which are the priorities of course.
I'm still working on the J1 Round 6 summary piece, so in the meantime here are a few bits and pieces of news...
Zico Hospitalized
Zico was admitted to hospital for a one night stay this Sunday after complaining of pain in his stomach. It turned out to be acute gastroenteritis (I think that's the term..), and it turned out to be a mild case that went away after a night of rest. No one knows what caused it, but it seems to be a combination of a busy schedule and a weekend party he attended where he said he may have eaten something that disagreed with him.
Today, Zico is scheduled to attend a press conference for Kirin Cup to officially announce the Kirin Cup games that are now officially scheduled for May -- the two friendlies against Bulgaria and Scotland. Though the JFA chairman told him he doesn't need to attend and should rest, Zico insisted he is perfectly fine now and is planning on showing up.
J Ref Picked for World Cup
It was good to hear that Toru Kamikawa, Japan's first professional referee (in Japan we call these pro refs "special referees"), was picked for the second World Cup in a row to blow the whistle in Germany this June. He refereed during the Korea/Japan games four years ago, and is the fourth Japanese to be picked for the job in our history, and is one of two Asian refs for this year's event.
JFA Gives Up on Translator
The ongoing issue of whether Fifa should/would allow a translator into the technical zone during the World Cup has ended for Japan. The JFA is backing off, and it looks like we will be seeing (hearing) Zico yelling in multiple languages this summer. Zico of course speaks Portuguese, but has also spoken in Italian with Hide, and according to his translator Suzuki can speak Japanese at a conversational level. Of course, we have Santos who can speak both Portuguese and Japanese fluently, so there are many ways to (mis)communicate...
Zico Hospitalized
Zico was admitted to hospital for a one night stay this Sunday after complaining of pain in his stomach. It turned out to be acute gastroenteritis (I think that's the term..), and it turned out to be a mild case that went away after a night of rest. No one knows what caused it, but it seems to be a combination of a busy schedule and a weekend party he attended where he said he may have eaten something that disagreed with him.
Today, Zico is scheduled to attend a press conference for Kirin Cup to officially announce the Kirin Cup games that are now officially scheduled for May -- the two friendlies against Bulgaria and Scotland. Though the JFA chairman told him he doesn't need to attend and should rest, Zico insisted he is perfectly fine now and is planning on showing up.
J Ref Picked for World Cup
It was good to hear that Toru Kamikawa, Japan's first professional referee (in Japan we call these pro refs "special referees"), was picked for the second World Cup in a row to blow the whistle in Germany this June. He refereed during the Korea/Japan games four years ago, and is the fourth Japanese to be picked for the job in our history, and is one of two Asian refs for this year's event.
JFA Gives Up on Translator
The ongoing issue of whether Fifa should/would allow a translator into the technical zone during the World Cup has ended for Japan. The JFA is backing off, and it looks like we will be seeing (hearing) Zico yelling in multiple languages this summer. Zico of course speaks Portuguese, but has also spoken in Italian with Hide, and according to his translator Suzuki can speak Japanese at a conversational level. Of course, we have Santos who can speak both Portuguese and Japanese fluently, so there are many ways to (mis)communicate...
One Step Safer for Heracles
Heracles 1-0 Sparta
This game was a crucial one for both teams in the bid to avoid relegation worries. Heracles in 15th place and Sparta in 16th. For Heracles, the only acceptable result was a win and a full 3 points added to increase the point difference to 5.
Sota Hirayama did not start, but the unity of the team was apparent, and Heracles controlled much of the game. Though they were able to only get the one goal, they kept Sparta, who were coming at them with everything they had, from creating many dangerous opportunities. Hirayama was put in towards the end, and given instructions to contribute mostly for the defense. Though Sota had one good header chance, his shot lacked the proper angle and was saved easily. The stadium erupted in a roar of joy, as if they had just won the championships. Though nothing is concrete, it was mentally a significant win in this final home stretch to the end of the season. Especially after >>last week's game where they were bitterly disappointed.
Oguro Hattrick
With the rest of our European players creating not even a ripple, I thought I would have zero news to relay to you after this weekend. So it was great to wake up today and hear that Masashi Oguro scored his 2nd, 3rd, and 4th goal -- one with his head, one each with his left and right feet. Grenoble beat Bastia 5-1.
Heracles 1-0 Sparta
This game was a crucial one for both teams in the bid to avoid relegation worries. Heracles in 15th place and Sparta in 16th. For Heracles, the only acceptable result was a win and a full 3 points added to increase the point difference to 5.
Sota Hirayama did not start, but the unity of the team was apparent, and Heracles controlled much of the game. Though they were able to only get the one goal, they kept Sparta, who were coming at them with everything they had, from creating many dangerous opportunities. Hirayama was put in towards the end, and given instructions to contribute mostly for the defense. Though Sota had one good header chance, his shot lacked the proper angle and was saved easily. The stadium erupted in a roar of joy, as if they had just won the championships. Though nothing is concrete, it was mentally a significant win in this final home stretch to the end of the season. Especially after >>last week's game where they were bitterly disappointed.
Oguro Hattrick
With the rest of our European players creating not even a ripple, I thought I would have zero news to relay to you after this weekend. So it was great to wake up today and hear that Masashi Oguro scored his 2nd, 3rd, and 4th goal -- one with his head, one each with his left and right feet. Grenoble beat Bastia 5-1.
Yokohama FC's Sacking/Boycott Controversy
A little delayed to call "news", but thought it would be of interest.
Yokohama FC's season started off controversially when the club decided to dump manager Adachi after only 1 game played (a loss to Ehime who were just newly promoted from the JFL). This is the fastest axing in J history -- second would be Cerezo Osaka's sacking of Fuad Muzurovic after only two league games.
The reasoning behind it was that the team was showing poorly from the preseason, when they could not score goals even againt university school opponent teams. I guess the defeat to JFLers Ehime was just too much. The club, which is trying to make a serious run for promotion to the 1st division, said they had no choice but to act sooner than later. During the break, the club acquired 17 new players, and people argue that it was too soon for the club to expect Adachi to present a properly working team when everyone was new.
The supporters were indignant, and announced they would boycott their team's game against Tosu in Round 2 (March 11). Which they did. Of course it was a complicated mix of emotions, since the supporters' intention was not to take away support from the players, but they needed to show their anger at the way management handled things.
The new boss is Takuya Takagi, who is among the Doha Tragedy generation -- he was a forward for the national team (45 appearances with 27 goals) and played alongside Ramos (boss for Verdy now), and Hasegawa (boss for Shimizu). He is the fifth person from that generation to be promoted to the top coaching position in the J. Strangely enough, he is 1 year younger than current Yokohama FC player Kazu Miura.
The team has been able to avoid losing since Takagi came on -- two draws and one win. Though still not terribly convincing performances, at least the commotion seems to have settled down.
Killing Each Other with Respectful Stubborness?
The saga continues as the media tries to predict what will become of the butting of heads between Zico and Gamba Osaka. I briefly alluded to the squabble a few days ago, when Zico announced the squad for the friendly against Ecuador.
In a nutshell, the story goes like this. Originally, Gamba had the JFA inform Zico that they need their players for the March 29th game against Omiya that as rescheduled due to ACL duties. And the general understanding was that Zico would NOT list the three regular Gamba players, Kaji, Miyamoto and Endo.
But Zico caught everyone by surprise when these three names were on the list in the announcement this Wednesday. When questioned, Zico said that he kept the names in because he wanted to make sure the players understood their importance to the team as well as issues of motivation, etc. He did not seem particularly adamant, just that he wanted to keep the door open for the players. It isn't unheard of to back out of a call-up -- Yanagisawa did it just before Asia Cup 2004, and Kubo did it when he felt he wasn't up to fitness in Jan 2005.
Gamba are very irritated, because they had assumed this problem was taken care of. The club management asked the players what their feeling was toward this dilemma, and the players said that for the sake of the World Cup and their own chances of being included in the final squad, they wanted to join the NT for the pre-game training and the game itself. Gamba decided to respect the players' wishes and for now are not going to force the players to stay. But Gamba have sent some sort of memo to FIFA asking them to step in an reverse the priority for this one case. Otherwise Gamba have to respect the chain of command, that the NT call-up has priority.
Round 5 Preview Spotlight
A list of Round 5 fixtures can be found at the bottom of the left column of this blog along with the J1 Table.
No question, tomorrow's game between the two so-far undefeated teams Urawa Reds and Yokohama F Marinos is going to be the gem. Yokohama is stronger overall (IMHO), but Reds have the flair. I could see set pieces playing a big role here. Reds midfielder Ono apparently is suffering from a fever, and was a no show for practice today. Marinos Kubo has been unable to start of late due to problems with his chronic injuries; some of the other Marinos forwards have been scoring and doing well in his absence, but Kubo seems better now and may start afterall.
There is also news that Bundesliga's Wolfsburg (currently in 15th place) is checking out Makoto Hasebe for the summer transfer -- they are hoping to find a playmaker. A scout from the club apparently attended one of Urawa's closed door practices. As you know Hasebe has gotten his big break this year -- his international debut, and continued interest from Europe.
I of course will also try and catch the game between Jef Chiba and Kashima Antlers. The news today is that Kashima manager Autuori may continue to test out the diamond midfield, which he used last minute in the game against Kofu (the team used the system in the game without having practiced it prior to the match).
Jef Chiba have been prepping for their Kashima encounter at home, and if their fitness levels are up they will swarm on Kashima to prevent proper passing routes.
The "newly promoted" derby between Kofu and Fukuoka will also be interesting. Both teams will probably come on full throttle, feeling at least a little more confident playing a familiar face. Both teams felt a bit of the J1 blow in their last round, and a full three points is what each team will be after to boost them in the rankings as well as boosting their confidence.
Jubilo's game against Kawasaki could be another one for the record books. In the last round, Jubilo's win against Niigata made them the first J1 club to reach 250 wins. If they score 4 against Kawasaki, it will make them the first to reach 800 goals... though I don't see Jubilo scoring 4 goals in one game.. well, I could be wrong.
And will Cerezo Osaka be able to mark their first win (or even their first point?) against Niigata? There are rumblings that though the General Manager is showing faith in the taem's ability to turn things around soon (immediately!), if Cerezo performs poorly in the next two rounds, it could mean the axe for manager Kobayashi.
A little delayed to call "news", but thought it would be of interest.
Yokohama FC's season started off controversially when the club decided to dump manager Adachi after only 1 game played (a loss to Ehime who were just newly promoted from the JFL). This is the fastest axing in J history -- second would be Cerezo Osaka's sacking of Fuad Muzurovic after only two league games.
The reasoning behind it was that the team was showing poorly from the preseason, when they could not score goals even againt university school opponent teams. I guess the defeat to JFLers Ehime was just too much. The club, which is trying to make a serious run for promotion to the 1st division, said they had no choice but to act sooner than later. During the break, the club acquired 17 new players, and people argue that it was too soon for the club to expect Adachi to present a properly working team when everyone was new.
The supporters were indignant, and announced they would boycott their team's game against Tosu in Round 2 (March 11). Which they did. Of course it was a complicated mix of emotions, since the supporters' intention was not to take away support from the players, but they needed to show their anger at the way management handled things.
The new boss is Takuya Takagi, who is among the Doha Tragedy generation -- he was a forward for the national team (45 appearances with 27 goals) and played alongside Ramos (boss for Verdy now), and Hasegawa (boss for Shimizu). He is the fifth person from that generation to be promoted to the top coaching position in the J. Strangely enough, he is 1 year younger than current Yokohama FC player Kazu Miura.
The team has been able to avoid losing since Takagi came on -- two draws and one win. Though still not terribly convincing performances, at least the commotion seems to have settled down.
Killing Each Other with Respectful Stubborness?
The saga continues as the media tries to predict what will become of the butting of heads between Zico and Gamba Osaka. I briefly alluded to the squabble a few days ago, when Zico announced the squad for the friendly against Ecuador.
In a nutshell, the story goes like this. Originally, Gamba had the JFA inform Zico that they need their players for the March 29th game against Omiya that as rescheduled due to ACL duties. And the general understanding was that Zico would NOT list the three regular Gamba players, Kaji, Miyamoto and Endo.
But Zico caught everyone by surprise when these three names were on the list in the announcement this Wednesday. When questioned, Zico said that he kept the names in because he wanted to make sure the players understood their importance to the team as well as issues of motivation, etc. He did not seem particularly adamant, just that he wanted to keep the door open for the players. It isn't unheard of to back out of a call-up -- Yanagisawa did it just before Asia Cup 2004, and Kubo did it when he felt he wasn't up to fitness in Jan 2005.
Gamba are very irritated, because they had assumed this problem was taken care of. The club management asked the players what their feeling was toward this dilemma, and the players said that for the sake of the World Cup and their own chances of being included in the final squad, they wanted to join the NT for the pre-game training and the game itself. Gamba decided to respect the players' wishes and for now are not going to force the players to stay. But Gamba have sent some sort of memo to FIFA asking them to step in an reverse the priority for this one case. Otherwise Gamba have to respect the chain of command, that the NT call-up has priority.
Round 5 Preview Spotlight
A list of Round 5 fixtures can be found at the bottom of the left column of this blog along with the J1 Table.
No question, tomorrow's game between the two so-far undefeated teams Urawa Reds and Yokohama F Marinos is going to be the gem. Yokohama is stronger overall (IMHO), but Reds have the flair. I could see set pieces playing a big role here. Reds midfielder Ono apparently is suffering from a fever, and was a no show for practice today. Marinos Kubo has been unable to start of late due to problems with his chronic injuries; some of the other Marinos forwards have been scoring and doing well in his absence, but Kubo seems better now and may start afterall.
There is also news that Bundesliga's Wolfsburg (currently in 15th place) is checking out Makoto Hasebe for the summer transfer -- they are hoping to find a playmaker. A scout from the club apparently attended one of Urawa's closed door practices. As you know Hasebe has gotten his big break this year -- his international debut, and continued interest from Europe.
I of course will also try and catch the game between Jef Chiba and Kashima Antlers. The news today is that Kashima manager Autuori may continue to test out the diamond midfield, which he used last minute in the game against Kofu (the team used the system in the game without having practiced it prior to the match).
Jef Chiba have been prepping for their Kashima encounter at home, and if their fitness levels are up they will swarm on Kashima to prevent proper passing routes.
The "newly promoted" derby between Kofu and Fukuoka will also be interesting. Both teams will probably come on full throttle, feeling at least a little more confident playing a familiar face. Both teams felt a bit of the J1 blow in their last round, and a full three points is what each team will be after to boost them in the rankings as well as boosting their confidence.
Jubilo's game against Kawasaki could be another one for the record books. In the last round, Jubilo's win against Niigata made them the first J1 club to reach 250 wins. If they score 4 against Kawasaki, it will make them the first to reach 800 goals... though I don't see Jubilo scoring 4 goals in one game.. well, I could be wrong.
And will Cerezo Osaka be able to mark their first win (or even their first point?) against Niigata? There are rumblings that though the General Manager is showing faith in the taem's ability to turn things around soon (immediately!), if Cerezo performs poorly in the next two rounds, it could mean the axe for manager Kobayashi.
