A breezy and sparkling spring Sunday afternoon -- the perfect day for a football game. And I was really personally looking forward to this match-up between Jubilo and FCTokyo.
In the first half, Jubilo showed their stability in midfield but could not find anything inspirational up front. I liked that Cullen (Jubilo) was used since he's in the middle of a nice growth spurt these days; however Choi has not been getting results lately so I was thinking it would have been scarier for the Tokyo fan to see Nakayama starting instead. Perhaps it was the higher-than-expected temperature (22 degreesC), but Tokyo did not look as spirited going in as they did in some of the past few matches. They were also missing some main members from the starting lineup too, which could also explain the careful start. Tokyo did however create most of the real goal chances. With GKs Doi (Tokyo) and Kawaguchi (Jubilo) asserting their NT quality presence in front of both goals, I didn't really expect a multi-goal result. *Kawaguchi got an ironic but warm welcome back "Yoshikatsu" cheer prior to the game.
Jubilo showed some of their classic style in midfield, but Tokyo were able to retrieve possession through great multi-player defensive work. Tokyo started off with a nice shot from Ishikawa that would have gone in above Kawaguchi's head if it wasn't for a one-handed deflection. There was another perfect moment coming off a goalline grounder cross from Kaji on the right that skimmed in front of Kawaguchi out of reach (38 min). Unfortunately, Tokyo was not able to get to it in time before it was cleared. Another great fast cross from the left met Ishikawa's head as he was running up to the goal but it didn't quite meet at the right angle and sailed out of bounds. Jubilo's players showed some individual superiority in certain moments -- Cullen, Fukunishi, Chano, Nanami, Murai had moments where they gave us glimpses of their technical jazz. However, Tokyo kept up good team focus especially when switching back and forth between attacking and defending. One thing though was that Jubilo's midfield effectiveness during a large portion of the first half did leave fw Lucas frustrated -- he seemed to be trying different things like opening wide or coming down from the front line, anxious to get involved somehow.
With Tokyo being used to more dynamism and activity (and having youth on their side), Jubilo's best chances came during their numerous corner/free kicks in the second half. Though there were a number of instances where Tokyo players lost their mark, or Doi was caught short, and general heart-stopping confusion ensued, Jubilo was not able to get the ball inside the goalframe.
Ironically, the best offensive presences from both teams were their defensive midfielders -- Konno (Tokyo) and Fukunishi (Jubilo). These two were hustling particularly well today, and on top of doing their job defensively they also led their team in asserting themselves offensively. The long-awaited goal came in the last five minutes of the game (when else?) when Jubilo were obviously slowing down. Tokyo was also looking deceptively like they were almost ready to accept a draw. But a nice sequence of multiplayer passing on the left side
left the Jubilo defense flat-footed, and a sideways pass from Konno found Kurisawa (pic) at the top of the penalty area with no mark. He was able to take a clean shot to the left of the goal, a ball that curved away from Kawaguchi's outstretched arms. The Tokyo supporters broke out in such a festive la-la-la rendition of "Aquarela Do Brasil" that it made me feel like heading straight for the beach. It was really perfect timing for a goal, with only minutes left on the clock. After that it was a matter of whether Tokyo would be able to hold off Jubilo's last-ditch efforts -- and scary ones at that too, with another series of corner kicks and almost-goals on Jubilo's part. At this point, Jubilo was sending everyone and their grandmother up front to attempt an equalizer.
The game ended with a 1-0 win for Tokyo and a great cheer from defender Moniwa who had done a fine job today. He must have been more relieved than anyone (except maybe Doi) to have blocked the barrage of Jubilo attacks in the final minutes.
With NT goalkeeper coach Cantarelli watching with Zico, there were plenty of chances for both goalies to show how they were doing -- particularly Kawaguchi as he is playing his first game back in the J and back from his injury. If Zico had anything to worry about, it was probably Kaji's left foot injury that forced him to request a substitution in the beginning of the second half. I have to admit Tokyo was helped immensely by Jubilo's lack of speed and power up front. Cullen did some nice things when he had the ball, but opportunities for both forwards were not many. Thinking ahead to the next NT selection, I was glad Zico attended this game as it showed the endurance limitations of some of the older players in Jubilo like Fujita (who I like immensely but think maybe it's time to put someone younger in soon) and re-exposed the younger generation like Ishikawa (who I think may be a good replacement for Motoyama if Moto doesn't perform better by the next NT game), Moniwa and Konno who each take leadership of their respective lines.
This is the first time in 5 years that FC Tokyo has won against Jubilo.
In the first half, Jubilo showed their stability in midfield but could not find anything inspirational up front. I liked that Cullen (Jubilo) was used since he's in the middle of a nice growth spurt these days; however Choi has not been getting results lately so I was thinking it would have been scarier for the Tokyo fan to see Nakayama starting instead. Perhaps it was the higher-than-expected temperature (22 degreesC), but Tokyo did not look as spirited going in as they did in some of the past few matches. They were also missing some main members from the starting lineup too, which could also explain the careful start. Tokyo did however create most of the real goal chances. With GKs Doi (Tokyo) and Kawaguchi (Jubilo) asserting their NT quality presence in front of both goals, I didn't really expect a multi-goal result. *Kawaguchi got an ironic but warm welcome back "Yoshikatsu" cheer prior to the game.
Jubilo showed some of their classic style in midfield, but Tokyo were able to retrieve possession through great multi-player defensive work. Tokyo started off with a nice shot from Ishikawa that would have gone in above Kawaguchi's head if it wasn't for a one-handed deflection. There was another perfect moment coming off a goalline grounder cross from Kaji on the right that skimmed in front of Kawaguchi out of reach (38 min). Unfortunately, Tokyo was not able to get to it in time before it was cleared. Another great fast cross from the left met Ishikawa's head as he was running up to the goal but it didn't quite meet at the right angle and sailed out of bounds. Jubilo's players showed some individual superiority in certain moments -- Cullen, Fukunishi, Chano, Nanami, Murai had moments where they gave us glimpses of their technical jazz. However, Tokyo kept up good team focus especially when switching back and forth between attacking and defending. One thing though was that Jubilo's midfield effectiveness during a large portion of the first half did leave fw Lucas frustrated -- he seemed to be trying different things like opening wide or coming down from the front line, anxious to get involved somehow.
With Tokyo being used to more dynamism and activity (and having youth on their side), Jubilo's best chances came during their numerous corner/free kicks in the second half. Though there were a number of instances where Tokyo players lost their mark, or Doi was caught short, and general heart-stopping confusion ensued, Jubilo was not able to get the ball inside the goalframe.
Ironically, the best offensive presences from both teams were their defensive midfielders -- Konno (Tokyo) and Fukunishi (Jubilo). These two were hustling particularly well today, and on top of doing their job defensively they also led their team in asserting themselves offensively. The long-awaited goal came in the last five minutes of the game (when else?) when Jubilo were obviously slowing down. Tokyo was also looking deceptively like they were almost ready to accept a draw. But a nice sequence of multiplayer passing on the left side
left the Jubilo defense flat-footed, and a sideways pass from Konno found Kurisawa (pic) at the top of the penalty area with no mark. He was able to take a clean shot to the left of the goal, a ball that curved away from Kawaguchi's outstretched arms. The Tokyo supporters broke out in such a festive la-la-la rendition of "Aquarela Do Brasil" that it made me feel like heading straight for the beach. It was really perfect timing for a goal, with only minutes left on the clock. After that it was a matter of whether Tokyo would be able to hold off Jubilo's last-ditch efforts -- and scary ones at that too, with another series of corner kicks and almost-goals on Jubilo's part. At this point, Jubilo was sending everyone and their grandmother up front to attempt an equalizer.The game ended with a 1-0 win for Tokyo and a great cheer from defender Moniwa who had done a fine job today. He must have been more relieved than anyone (except maybe Doi) to have blocked the barrage of Jubilo attacks in the final minutes.
With NT goalkeeper coach Cantarelli watching with Zico, there were plenty of chances for both goalies to show how they were doing -- particularly Kawaguchi as he is playing his first game back in the J and back from his injury. If Zico had anything to worry about, it was probably Kaji's left foot injury that forced him to request a substitution in the beginning of the second half. I have to admit Tokyo was helped immensely by Jubilo's lack of speed and power up front. Cullen did some nice things when he had the ball, but opportunities for both forwards were not many. Thinking ahead to the next NT selection, I was glad Zico attended this game as it showed the endurance limitations of some of the older players in Jubilo like Fujita (who I like immensely but think maybe it's time to put someone younger in soon) and re-exposed the younger generation like Ishikawa (who I think may be a good replacement for Motoyama if Moto doesn't perform better by the next NT game), Moniwa and Konno who each take leadership of their respective lines.
This is the first time in 5 years that FC Tokyo has won against Jubilo.
With several teams coming into the fourth round without a win to their name yet, much of the media's attention was focused on Reds, Frontale, etc. I was able to watch the Sanfrecce/Antlers game (in Hiroshima), but have only seen clips from the rest of Saturday's games.
Antlers 1 - 0 Sanfrecce: For the first twenty minutes or so, Sanfrecce virtually overwhelmed Antlers with their hunger for a goal (Sanfrecce is one of the teams who have not won a game yet). Antlers had almost no chance to even look towards the opponent goal before they lost the ball to aggressive Sanfrecce pressure. The theme for Antlers seemed to be "bear it patiently", and that they did. Sanfrecce almost got their early goal when a forward rushed the Antlers goalie Sogahata as he was preparing to kick a passed-back ball; luckily for Antlers the ball deflected off the Sanfrecce forward and flew above the goal, not in. But whew! That would have been a terrible way to give up a goal...
Particularly dangerous on the Sanfrecce team was Komano (U-23 Athens Olympics) who sent in numerous high quality crosses from the right side and Beto who had the physical strength to get past defenders and a powerful long-range kick. Sanfrecce had numerous chances at goal, but the ball would just not go in. At about twenty minutes, when Sanfrecce started to show frustration and got their first yellow card, Antlers took it as a sign to start pressing forward.
It was truly fascinating watching Antlers inch their way up the midfield. They kept control of the pace, moved and passed almost nonchalantly to each other, and changed the rhythm of the game almost baiting Sanfrecce who were now showing fatigue from their previous full-throttle activity. Captain and playmaker Ogasawara kept a close eye on team balance and changed positions according to what Antlers' situation was -- he retreated to help out with the defense and was able to help the team keep their heads while slowly changing the tempo when the time came. The first shot from Antlers was from Ogasawara, a middle-range low shot that went wide. A perfect opportunity came when Motoyama started to run up towards the Sanfrecce defense line -- Ogasawara smoothly sent the ball forward and Motoyama found himself face to face with the goalie. Unfortunately, his strange habit of missing these perfect opportunities continued when his right-footed shot past the goalie bounced off the top bar. Antlers kept good possession for the rest of the half, and though they had yet to get the goal the general mood of the team seemed to be "it's only a matter of time".
Antlers came back in the second half to a slightly more energized Sanfrecce who were moving better but were not able to repeat the same performance of the first twenty minutes. Goalie Sogahata redeemed himself of his earlier mishap by keeping some dangerous Sanfrecce shots from going in. Meanwhile, Sanfrecce were getting tired again. They had been running around for most of the game trying to get a handle on the Antlers' passing, but that's probably what all that casual passing in the first half was all about -- to slow Sanfrecce down and confuse them alittle. Sanfrecce started resorting to simple long-feeds while Antlers began to add more variation. At 25 min, a pretty through-pass from Motoyama gave Nozawa entrance and his shot from the left side gave Antlers their winning goal. The rest of the second half was more a game of patience, as Antlers stuck stubbornly to possession and played a mature psychological game. Nothing flashy or fancy, but there is satisfaction in seeing a game like this played in the J-league, like a game of chess almost.
Round Up Bits
Chiba 4-2 Oita -- I had to recheck the data to confirm that the first two goals were made by Oita in the first five minutes...! What a way to start a game. Chiba players said that those two points (the second being an own-goal) were more than enough to wake them up. Fortunately, their new Austrian international forward "Super Mario" Haas was able to connect well with teammates and scored his first two goals in the J-league. Haas's first goal seemed to light a fire under Chiba and they were able to dominate for the rest of the game. At 55 min, captain Abe lit up the Chiba crowds with one of his beautiful free kicks that swerved into the left side of the goal.
Reds 1 -1 Gamba -- The Reds defense line was quite stable, and it was suprising to see Tsuboi in the middle instead of playing as stopper. Rumor had it that not only was Zico in attendance, but representatives from a Serie A team (I think Bologna) and an Italian management company were also checking players out -- the main interest is apparently Hasebe, Reds' shining star midfielder. Unfortunately for Hasebe, Reds were not able to dominate in the same way they did last season -- with more than a few players missing and Emerson still off his game. They did get the first goal at about 30 minutes -- a cross from Santos met by Horinouchi finally gave Urawa something to be optimistic about. Unfortunately, though they had a number of opportunities following that in the first half, the forwards were not able to come through with an additional goal.
As for Gamba who were somewhat overwhelmed by the Reds attack in the first half, coach Nishino decided to substitute in forward Yoshihara for midfielder Ienaga at halftime. The addition of players up front left Reds in a bit of a confusion, and the Reds defense began to lose their mark. Gamba def mf Endo played ambitiously, running up to create structure in the offense. His efforts were rewarded when he timed a nice pass through the defense to meet with Araujo who then faked out Tsuboi to the left and shot with his right for a goal. At 75 min, Gamba decided to pull fw Oguro and sub in def Miyamoto to the midfield (something that they've been experimenting with since the end of last season). Meanwhile, Endo was told to stay on the attack and let Miyamoto take care in back. This tactic almost worked for Gamba when a speedy cross from Endo on the left of the goal went right to Fernandinho's on-coming feet; it seemed to be a sure-thing, but Reds defense were able to throw themselves in front of it.
Omiya 2 -3 Albirex: Although I have not seen this game yet it looks like it contained quite the drama. The scoreline kept bouncing back and forth, and I would have guessed a win for Omiya as they have been playing with good focus in the games so far. Unfortunately, it seems that they lost that focus in that crucial last few minutes of the game, when Albirex Fabinho was able to run up unmarked and head the ball in from a corner kick. If it wasn't for that moment of loss in concentration Omiya would have kept a nice non-losing streak...! Ah well, I am sure this will only make the team stronger. And seeing those tears in Fabinho's eyes when the final whistle blew, well, who can deny them their well-deserved win? From the clips I've seen the crowds were out in all their orange glory; nice to see Albirex supporters still gung-ho. As for Omiya goals, the cross from Tuto for Christian's header goal was superb-- crossed from the right of the goal near the goalline to Christian at the edge of the far post, perfect placement and timing from both players.
Antlers 1 - 0 Sanfrecce: For the first twenty minutes or so, Sanfrecce virtually overwhelmed Antlers with their hunger for a goal (Sanfrecce is one of the teams who have not won a game yet). Antlers had almost no chance to even look towards the opponent goal before they lost the ball to aggressive Sanfrecce pressure. The theme for Antlers seemed to be "bear it patiently", and that they did. Sanfrecce almost got their early goal when a forward rushed the Antlers goalie Sogahata as he was preparing to kick a passed-back ball; luckily for Antlers the ball deflected off the Sanfrecce forward and flew above the goal, not in. But whew! That would have been a terrible way to give up a goal...
Particularly dangerous on the Sanfrecce team was Komano (U-23 Athens Olympics) who sent in numerous high quality crosses from the right side and Beto who had the physical strength to get past defenders and a powerful long-range kick. Sanfrecce had numerous chances at goal, but the ball would just not go in. At about twenty minutes, when Sanfrecce started to show frustration and got their first yellow card, Antlers took it as a sign to start pressing forward.
It was truly fascinating watching Antlers inch their way up the midfield. They kept control of the pace, moved and passed almost nonchalantly to each other, and changed the rhythm of the game almost baiting Sanfrecce who were now showing fatigue from their previous full-throttle activity. Captain and playmaker Ogasawara kept a close eye on team balance and changed positions according to what Antlers' situation was -- he retreated to help out with the defense and was able to help the team keep their heads while slowly changing the tempo when the time came. The first shot from Antlers was from Ogasawara, a middle-range low shot that went wide. A perfect opportunity came when Motoyama started to run up towards the Sanfrecce defense line -- Ogasawara smoothly sent the ball forward and Motoyama found himself face to face with the goalie. Unfortunately, his strange habit of missing these perfect opportunities continued when his right-footed shot past the goalie bounced off the top bar. Antlers kept good possession for the rest of the half, and though they had yet to get the goal the general mood of the team seemed to be "it's only a matter of time".
Antlers came back in the second half to a slightly more energized Sanfrecce who were moving better but were not able to repeat the same performance of the first twenty minutes. Goalie Sogahata redeemed himself of his earlier mishap by keeping some dangerous Sanfrecce shots from going in. Meanwhile, Sanfrecce were getting tired again. They had been running around for most of the game trying to get a handle on the Antlers' passing, but that's probably what all that casual passing in the first half was all about -- to slow Sanfrecce down and confuse them alittle. Sanfrecce started resorting to simple long-feeds while Antlers began to add more variation. At 25 min, a pretty through-pass from Motoyama gave Nozawa entrance and his shot from the left side gave Antlers their winning goal. The rest of the second half was more a game of patience, as Antlers stuck stubbornly to possession and played a mature psychological game. Nothing flashy or fancy, but there is satisfaction in seeing a game like this played in the J-league, like a game of chess almost.
Round Up Bits
Chiba 4-2 Oita -- I had to recheck the data to confirm that the first two goals were made by Oita in the first five minutes...! What a way to start a game. Chiba players said that those two points (the second being an own-goal) were more than enough to wake them up. Fortunately, their new Austrian international forward "Super Mario" Haas was able to connect well with teammates and scored his first two goals in the J-league. Haas's first goal seemed to light a fire under Chiba and they were able to dominate for the rest of the game. At 55 min, captain Abe lit up the Chiba crowds with one of his beautiful free kicks that swerved into the left side of the goal.
Reds 1 -1 Gamba -- The Reds defense line was quite stable, and it was suprising to see Tsuboi in the middle instead of playing as stopper. Rumor had it that not only was Zico in attendance, but representatives from a Serie A team (I think Bologna) and an Italian management company were also checking players out -- the main interest is apparently Hasebe, Reds' shining star midfielder. Unfortunately for Hasebe, Reds were not able to dominate in the same way they did last season -- with more than a few players missing and Emerson still off his game. They did get the first goal at about 30 minutes -- a cross from Santos met by Horinouchi finally gave Urawa something to be optimistic about. Unfortunately, though they had a number of opportunities following that in the first half, the forwards were not able to come through with an additional goal.
As for Gamba who were somewhat overwhelmed by the Reds attack in the first half, coach Nishino decided to substitute in forward Yoshihara for midfielder Ienaga at halftime. The addition of players up front left Reds in a bit of a confusion, and the Reds defense began to lose their mark. Gamba def mf Endo played ambitiously, running up to create structure in the offense. His efforts were rewarded when he timed a nice pass through the defense to meet with Araujo who then faked out Tsuboi to the left and shot with his right for a goal. At 75 min, Gamba decided to pull fw Oguro and sub in def Miyamoto to the midfield (something that they've been experimenting with since the end of last season). Meanwhile, Endo was told to stay on the attack and let Miyamoto take care in back. This tactic almost worked for Gamba when a speedy cross from Endo on the left of the goal went right to Fernandinho's on-coming feet; it seemed to be a sure-thing, but Reds defense were able to throw themselves in front of it.
Omiya 2 -3 Albirex: Although I have not seen this game yet it looks like it contained quite the drama. The scoreline kept bouncing back and forth, and I would have guessed a win for Omiya as they have been playing with good focus in the games so far. Unfortunately, it seems that they lost that focus in that crucial last few minutes of the game, when Albirex Fabinho was able to run up unmarked and head the ball in from a corner kick. If it wasn't for that moment of loss in concentration Omiya would have kept a nice non-losing streak...! Ah well, I am sure this will only make the team stronger. And seeing those tears in Fabinho's eyes when the final whistle blew, well, who can deny them their well-deserved win? From the clips I've seen the crowds were out in all their orange glory; nice to see Albirex supporters still gung-ho. As for Omiya goals, the cross from Tuto for Christian's header goal was superb-- crossed from the right of the goal near the goalline to Christian at the edge of the far post, perfect placement and timing from both players.
Luckily the loss to L2 top team Troyes last round was not the beginning of any bad streak -- Le Mans came back with a solid win against Angers yesterday. Daisuke Matsui did not play in this game. Le Mans are still in third place.
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