I will do a full match review tonight or by Saturday, but in the meantime I thought I'd start the process by posting the basic info and some links to photos and video.
Japan 1-0 Ecuador
Jpn: Sato 85 min
Japan Starting Formation
---- Kubo - Tamada
Alex - Ogasawara - Kaji
---- Fukunishi - Ono
Nakazawa - Miyamoto - Tsuboi
------ Kawaguchi
>>a link to the goal video can be found on BS forum
>>here are some game photos (click the thumbnails on the page to enlarge)
Japan 1-0 Ecuador
Jpn: Sato 85 min
Japan Starting Formation
---- Kubo - Tamada
Alex - Ogasawara - Kaji
---- Fukunishi - Ono
Nakazawa - Miyamoto - Tsuboi
------ Kawaguchi
>>a link to the goal video can be found on BS forum
>>here are some game photos (click the thumbnails on the page to enlarge)
(click pic to enlarge)Oita's Big Eye stadium.
I must admit to being rather nervous about this game. Because this is pretty much it. At this time, we don't have any other friendlies scheduled between now and the announcement of the World Cup Japan national squad to take place in mid-May. C'mon Nippon, show us something inspiring, give us some ray of hope to hold onto until June!
Yesterday's NT practice was mostly the team going over set piece strategies and defense, as is the usual tradition. According to Zico, the sudden switch to the 3-back system was because Endo withdrew from the squad -- Zico liked the option of switching to 3 from 4-back, and putting in Tsuboi, instead. Ono was not kicking free kicks during practice because he felt some vulnerability in his ankle -- not a good sign.
As usual, I will aim to have a match report up this weekend.
The first 2006 Yamazaki Nabisco Cup group round games took place last night. You will be able to find the most recent games results at the bottom of the left column, and all of the tournament fixtures and results listed on >>this entry (this page will be updated as the rounds continue).
Since I don't have access to viewing all the games, I can't do game reviews. But here are some highlights.
With the group rounds taking place while the national team players are missing, one of the highlights of these games is to see rookie and young players used and see what kinds of changes managers make to their squad.
Jef Chiba: current title holders Jef had apparently declined the option given to them to skip the group rounds and leap ahead to the knock-out tourney. The club is holding fast to their work ethic, saying that for the growth of the players and club they wish to force themselves to earn the right to make it past the group rounds.
Jef Chiba 2-1 Sanfrecce Hiroshima
JC: Hanyu 2min, Sato 81min
SH: KMorisaki 46min
I think a predictable victory for Jef, though they are still a little shaky in the second half. Yuto Sato (whose twin brother Hisato has been called up for the NT friendly against Ecuador tonight) scored the winner for Chiba. Sanfrecce's Koji Morisaki (who also shares the J leaguer's career with twin brother Kazu, also a Sanfrecce player) was placed in the forward position (he's usually a midfielder) by manager Ono. He's been in a funk and has been out of the league games, so this was a good way for Ono to bring K.Morisaki back into the game.
Yokohama F Marinos 1-0 Avispa Fukuoka
YFM: Magrao 12min
Fukuoka will have to wait until April to get their first win in the J1. This match-up with Yokohama resulted in only 6 shots taken (only 1 shot in the first half), reflecting the degree Marinos overwhelmed them. Avispa are hurting, with many regulars injured. The club's priorities for the league outweigh Cup responsibilities. This meant that in order to rest most of his players for league duties, manager Matsuda switched out 6 regular starters -- two of the switched-in players were making their professional debut -- allowing them to just eke past the Jleague rules concerning player selection. (The rule for the Nabisco is that 6 of the players have to have started in 1 of the 5 league games so far.) Avispa have 2 losses 4 draws but still 0 wins.
Kashima Antlers 4-1 Oita Trinita
KA: Tashiro 11min; Masuda 37min, 89min; Honda 82min
OT: Osmar 59min
When Osmar scored for Oita at 59 minutes, the atmosphere in the team was on the up and up. They had closed the gap to 2-1 at that point, and motivation to catch up and surpass Kashima was high. Oita boss Chamusca made sure express his irritation at the 82nd minute PK call by the ref, which game Kashima their third goal. "We were trying a new system with some new players, and just as we were getting things together in the second half the ref destroyed our motivation." (Chamusca) Kashima's Tashiro scored his first goal in almost a year -- a header off Araiba's free kick. Tashiro injured ligaments in his left knee last summer. Antlers' Masuda also made an impact with two goals.
Urawa Reds 2-0 FC Tokyo
UR: Escudero 62min, Sakai 89min
Escudero marked his first official match goal last night. At 17 years 6 months and 28 days, this makes him the second youngest player to score a J goal (after Verdy's Morimoto). Escudero, as you know, is currently holding Spanish and Argentinian dual citizenship, but dreams of playing for Japan in the future.
Kyoto Purple Sanga 3-4 Kawasaki Frontale
KPS: Hayashi 29min, Alemao 71min, Paulinho 83min
KF: Nakamura 6min; Marcus 11min, 68min, 79min
A truly multi-goal game typical of these two clubs. Kyoto were desperate to catch up after allowing Kawasaki to take a 2-goal lead in the second half, putting in Alemao and Paulinho, but it was just not enough to catch up in time. Sanga's defense line fell apart, and it took them a little time to get it back together. Kawasaki's Marcus ends the night with a hattrick -- what is this, the third hattrick for a Frontale player?
Since I don't have access to viewing all the games, I can't do game reviews. But here are some highlights.
With the group rounds taking place while the national team players are missing, one of the highlights of these games is to see rookie and young players used and see what kinds of changes managers make to their squad.
Jef Chiba: current title holders Jef had apparently declined the option given to them to skip the group rounds and leap ahead to the knock-out tourney. The club is holding fast to their work ethic, saying that for the growth of the players and club they wish to force themselves to earn the right to make it past the group rounds.
Jef Chiba 2-1 Sanfrecce Hiroshima
JC: Hanyu 2min, Sato 81min
SH: KMorisaki 46min
I think a predictable victory for Jef, though they are still a little shaky in the second half. Yuto Sato (whose twin brother Hisato has been called up for the NT friendly against Ecuador tonight) scored the winner for Chiba. Sanfrecce's Koji Morisaki (who also shares the J leaguer's career with twin brother Kazu, also a Sanfrecce player) was placed in the forward position (he's usually a midfielder) by manager Ono. He's been in a funk and has been out of the league games, so this was a good way for Ono to bring K.Morisaki back into the game.
Yokohama F Marinos 1-0 Avispa Fukuoka
YFM: Magrao 12min
Fukuoka will have to wait until April to get their first win in the J1. This match-up with Yokohama resulted in only 6 shots taken (only 1 shot in the first half), reflecting the degree Marinos overwhelmed them. Avispa are hurting, with many regulars injured. The club's priorities for the league outweigh Cup responsibilities. This meant that in order to rest most of his players for league duties, manager Matsuda switched out 6 regular starters -- two of the switched-in players were making their professional debut -- allowing them to just eke past the Jleague rules concerning player selection. (The rule for the Nabisco is that 6 of the players have to have started in 1 of the 5 league games so far.) Avispa have 2 losses 4 draws but still 0 wins.
Kashima Antlers 4-1 Oita Trinita
KA: Tashiro 11min; Masuda 37min, 89min; Honda 82min
OT: Osmar 59min
When Osmar scored for Oita at 59 minutes, the atmosphere in the team was on the up and up. They had closed the gap to 2-1 at that point, and motivation to catch up and surpass Kashima was high. Oita boss Chamusca made sure express his irritation at the 82nd minute PK call by the ref, which game Kashima their third goal. "We were trying a new system with some new players, and just as we were getting things together in the second half the ref destroyed our motivation." (Chamusca) Kashima's Tashiro scored his first goal in almost a year -- a header off Araiba's free kick. Tashiro injured ligaments in his left knee last summer. Antlers' Masuda also made an impact with two goals.
Urawa Reds 2-0 FC Tokyo
UR: Escudero 62min, Sakai 89min
Escudero marked his first official match goal last night. At 17 years 6 months and 28 days, this makes him the second youngest player to score a J goal (after Verdy's Morimoto). Escudero, as you know, is currently holding Spanish and Argentinian dual citizenship, but dreams of playing for Japan in the future.
Kyoto Purple Sanga 3-4 Kawasaki Frontale
KPS: Hayashi 29min, Alemao 71min, Paulinho 83min
KF: Nakamura 6min; Marcus 11min, 68min, 79min
A truly multi-goal game typical of these two clubs. Kyoto were desperate to catch up after allowing Kawasaki to take a 2-goal lead in the second half, putting in Alemao and Paulinho, but it was just not enough to catch up in time. Sanga's defense line fell apart, and it took them a little time to get it back together. Kawasaki's Marcus ends the night with a hattrick -- what is this, the third hattrick for a Frontale player?
The links to goal clip streams have been added to the >>summary of the Round 5 J1 games. The links are embedded in the entry, under the respective game summaries.
(Click pic to enlarge. Oita's Big Eye stadium can be seen in the distance.) A chilly and windy afternoon yesterday in Oita. The team, now joined by Tamada and Kubo, but missing Endo (who has withdrawn due to injury to his thigh), played a practice game against a local high school team.Zico surprised players by suddenly informing the team there and then that they would play 3-5-2 system. A big surprise considering we had been 4-4-2-ing it for most of the recent games; plus it was important for the team to iron out the kinks in the 4-back system after things fell apart in the Bosnia game.
Here are some bits and pieces reported in the sports rags.
3 defense: Nakazawa - Miyamoto - Tsuboi. Miyamoto was reportedly in a grumbling mood after the game, apparently displeased with the way the defense line performed. He claimed there was too much distance between the defenders. Miyamoto has had a slow start to the season, being off the starting squad for Gamba in the first four games -- after Monday's training session, he remained on the grass after the others had left, to practice feeds with the staff. Reports say that Tsuboi showed stability overall, and I guess he has edged Tanaka out of the spot.
Ono, who admits he is stil at about 40%, seemed to thrive in the 3-5-2 system. Claimed it felt like there were more people in front of him to pass to, and since he is a passer he set up many good plays.
Tamada and Kubo started. Zico likes the idea of having two lefty forwards, and if both are fit enough, is planning on starting these two against Ecuador. In the practice game, they were awkward with each other, trying to get a feel for the other's movements. Though they did try some one-touch zigzagging moves. But very little interaction between the two, and did not look effective.
In the second half, (40 min halves) Zico substituted nine players in, but the change that attracted comment was pushing Tamada down a line to play as an offensive half. From here, he fed many good balls into the two forwards Maki and Sato. Tamada, who had not initially intended to play the full game, ended up playing the whole 80 mins. Although it does sound like an added option in theory, in the end it just means we have one more forward who actually can play better as a midfielder....sigh!
The game ended 10-0. With goals from Tamada, Kubo, Sato, Kaji, Nakazawa, Abe, Maki
As for Zico himself, he has been uncharacteristically avoiding detailed questioning from the press, and has not uttered any comments in response to news about Yanagisawa's injury. Insiders say that he was extremely saddened by the Yana news. He avoided commenting altogether on Monday, and on Tuesday rushed past the press while making jokes that it was too cold to move his mouth. I am always intrigued by the way Zico behaves/responds when it comes to his players; especially when something bad happens to any. There's a fierce sense of loyalty and emotion.
Thursday's Ecuador game is reported to be sold out already, and as it is a holiday, the city expects a nice surge of agme-related tourist activity.
The National Team gathered in Oita Monday (yesterday) to begin practice ahead of the Kirin Challenge Cup friendly against Ecuador that will take place on Thursday night.
>>The squad for the game
And then there was two...
Like Francefan mentioned in a previous comment, Kashima forward Atsushi Yanagisawa is indeed out for about 2 months. The club doctors and Yana himself are putting on an optimistic/brave face, saying that it isn't impossible to heal this injury (Yana has elected to operate on the injury) in 6 weeks. Luckily, this bone fracture was not a stress fracture (like Ono's last year), which means that the possibility for a better/faster recovery are higher. It is really unfortunate for Yana, since he did come back to the J league in order to play more and prepare for the World Cup. With about 74 (?) days left until the World Cup begins, I'm sure all players are treading that fine line between playing really hard and not wanting to get injured.
No player has been called to replace Yana's open spot.
Zico had mentioned that he is looking forward to seeing the DragonBall duo (the "Tatsu" of Kubo's first name means "dragon"; and the "Tama" of Tamada means "ball") up front. However both players were a no show at the practice grounds. Both players due to some form of fatigue. I understand Zico's sense of expectation -- this duo has played together in 5 games, but in all these games they got results. But right now, if I were to have to choose, I would not use Kubo or Tamada.
It is rather sad that after all the hubub of Zico announcing 5 forwards to the squad, we end up with 2 on the first day of practice...! :( But both Maki and Sato are apparently keeping the competition tight. Personally I think a Maki/Sato pairing would be interesting to watch. Both have been scoring for their clubs, and both are obviously more fit and ready for the game. Though they are at the bottom of the totem pole, I think they deserve this chance to start.
Hey, nihongo dekimasu ne...
I mentioned before that since FIFA is not going to allow a second person (translator) into the technical area during the World Cup, countries like ours where the players and the manager speak different languages would have to adjust fast.
Well, Zico apparently has. In yesterday's practice sessions, Zico was out on the pitch with the players sans translator Suzuki. And he was seen shouting directions to the players in both Japanese and Portuguese. The players are not unfamiliar with Portuguese, since almost every club has a Brazilian player or two or three (plus managers and staff) in it. And translator Suzuki has shared with the press that Zico actually can speak conversational Japanese no problem. But his policy up until now has been to rely on the translator because he wanted to be able to communicate at a more sophisticated level, with more acuracy in detail and nuance. Now Zico is changing that rule in anticipation of being translator-less during games.
>>The squad for the game
And then there was two...
Like Francefan mentioned in a previous comment, Kashima forward Atsushi Yanagisawa is indeed out for about 2 months. The club doctors and Yana himself are putting on an optimistic/brave face, saying that it isn't impossible to heal this injury (Yana has elected to operate on the injury) in 6 weeks. Luckily, this bone fracture was not a stress fracture (like Ono's last year), which means that the possibility for a better/faster recovery are higher. It is really unfortunate for Yana, since he did come back to the J league in order to play more and prepare for the World Cup. With about 74 (?) days left until the World Cup begins, I'm sure all players are treading that fine line between playing really hard and not wanting to get injured.
No player has been called to replace Yana's open spot.
Zico had mentioned that he is looking forward to seeing the DragonBall duo (the "Tatsu" of Kubo's first name means "dragon"; and the "Tama" of Tamada means "ball") up front. However both players were a no show at the practice grounds. Both players due to some form of fatigue. I understand Zico's sense of expectation -- this duo has played together in 5 games, but in all these games they got results. But right now, if I were to have to choose, I would not use Kubo or Tamada.
It is rather sad that after all the hubub of Zico announcing 5 forwards to the squad, we end up with 2 on the first day of practice...! :( But both Maki and Sato are apparently keeping the competition tight. Personally I think a Maki/Sato pairing would be interesting to watch. Both have been scoring for their clubs, and both are obviously more fit and ready for the game. Though they are at the bottom of the totem pole, I think they deserve this chance to start.
Hey, nihongo dekimasu ne...
I mentioned before that since FIFA is not going to allow a second person (translator) into the technical area during the World Cup, countries like ours where the players and the manager speak different languages would have to adjust fast.
Well, Zico apparently has. In yesterday's practice sessions, Zico was out on the pitch with the players sans translator Suzuki. And he was seen shouting directions to the players in both Japanese and Portuguese. The players are not unfamiliar with Portuguese, since almost every club has a Brazilian player or two or three (plus managers and staff) in it. And translator Suzuki has shared with the press that Zico actually can speak conversational Japanese no problem. But his policy up until now has been to rely on the translator because he wanted to be able to communicate at a more sophisticated level, with more acuracy in detail and nuance. Now Zico is changing that rule in anticipation of being translator-less during games.
The first games for this year's Yamazaki Japan Nabisco Cup will be played on Wednesday March 29.
The groups are split as follows (Note: due to ACL scheduling, Gamba Osaka has been seeded, and will participate after the group rounds):
The groups are split as follows (Note: due to ACL scheduling, Gamba Osaka has been seeded, and will participate after the group rounds):
 Points - Goal Diff - Team so far... In BOLD go to the second round Group A 16 | +9 | Urawa Reds 10 | +1 | Yokohama F Marinos 5 | -4 | Avispa Fukuoka 2 | -6 | FC Tokyo Group B 15 | +6 | Kawasaki Frontale 9 | +3 | Kashima Antlers 9 | -3 | Oita Trinita 3 | -6 | Kyoto Purple Sanga Group C 13 | +3 | Jef Chiba 8 | -0 | Shimizu S-Pulse 6 | -1 | Albirex Niigata 5 | -2 | Sanfrecce Hiroshima Group D 12 | +3 | Cerezo Osaka 10 | +1 | Jubilo Iwata 8 | +1 | Ventforet Kofu 7 | -1 | Omiya Ardija 3 | -4 | Nagoya Grampus | ---- |
March 29 2006 Urawa Reds 2-0 FC Tokyo Yokohama F Marinos 1-0 Avispa Fukuoka Kashima Antlers 4-1 Oita Trinita Kyoto Purple Sanga 3-4 Kawasaki Frontale Jef Chiba 2-1 Sanfrecce Hiroshima Albirex Niigata 3-3 Shimizu S-Pulse Nagoya Grampus 1-3 Ventforet Kofu Cerezo Osaka 1-0 Jubilo Iwata April 5 2006 Jubilo Iwata 2-1 Omiya Ardija April 12 2006 Urawa Reds 3-1 Avispa Fukuoka Yokohama F Marinos 2-0 FC Tokyo Kashima Antlers 3-1 Kawasaki Frontale Oita Trinita 2-1 Kyoto Purple Sanga Jef Chiba 3-2 Albirex Niigta Shimizu S-Pulse 2-2 Sanfrecce Hiroshima Ventforet Kofu 2-2 Jubilo Iwata Cerezo Osaka 1-1 Nagoya Grampus April 26 2006 FC Tokyo 1-2 Yokohama F Marinos Avispa Fukuoka 1-3 Urawa Reds Kawasaki Frontale 4-1 Kyoto Purple Sanga Oita Trinita 1-0 Kashima Antlers Shimizu S-Pulse 1-2 Albirex Niigata Sanfrecce Hiroshima 3-4 Jef Chiba Omiya Ardija 2-3 Jubilo Iwata Ventforet Kofu 1-1 Nagoya Grampus May 10 2006 Ventforet Kofu 0-1 Cerezo Osaka Nagoya Grampus 1-2 Omiya Ardija May 14 2006 FC Tokyo 0-1 Avispa Fukuoka Yokohama F Marinos 1-2 Urawa Reds Kashima Antlers 3-2 Kyoto Purple Sanga Oita Trinita 0-2 Kawasaki Frontale Shimizu S-Pulse 1-0 Jef Chiba Sanfrecce Hiroshima 0-0 Albirex Niigata Omiya Ardija 1-0 Ventforet Kofu Nagoya Grampus 1-1 Cerezo Osaka May 17 2006 FC Tokyo 0-0 Urawa Reds Avispa Fukuoka 1-1 Yokohama F Marinos Kawasaki Frontale 1-0 Oita Trinita Kyoto Purple Sange 2-1 Kashima Antlers Sanfrecce Hiroshima 0-1 Shimizu S-Pulse Omiya Ardija 1-1 Cerezo Osaka May 18 2006 Albirex Niigata 0-0 Jef Chiba Jubilo Iwata 1-2 Ventforet Kofu May 21 2006 Urawa Reds 4-2 Yokohama F Marinos Avispa Fukuoka 0-0 FC Tokyo Kawasaki Frontale 2-1 Kashima Antlers Kyoto Purple Sanga 1-2 Oita Trinita Jef Chiba 1-0 Shimizu S-Pulse Albirex Niigata 0-1 Sanfrecce Hiroshima Jubilo Iwata 2-1 Nagoya Grampus Cerezo Osaka 3-2 Omiya Ardija | |||||||||||||||
| The group stage is complete, I will lay out the tournament in the space below. | |||||||||||||||||
News and gossip about our players in Europe.
Celtic Home Stretch
Livingston 0-2 Celtic
It is a relief to see Shunsuke Nakamura starting for the team again after a shaky past month. He played his full game in weeks in the CIS Insurance Cup, then started against Inverness (marking 1 assist), and yesterday against Livingston (one assist). Now Celtic are in a position to raise the league trophy with 6 games still remaining. If they win the next game against 2nd placed Hearts, they will have increased the gap to 20 points. So the upcoming Hearts game will be It. (And finally, finally, they will broadcast a Celtic game on Japanese network tv.)
Shunsuke's performance seems to be getting back to norm. True, Livingston are at the bottom of the table, but from what I saw he created good rhythm in the midfield dispersing passes well, and along with Maloney and Zurawski found some good touchwork.
His assist was not the prettiest one he's marked, but a quick-reflex featherlight touch on the ball that slightly redirected it to avoid the defender's foot and go through a the legs to reach Zurawski for goal number one. After the game, Nakamura said that as he reached for the ball that came to him from lefy (Maloney), he realized he wouldn't get enough foot on it, so instead toed it over. He said he was glad he didn't mess it up, and the ball went smoothly thru.
As you know, Shunsuke has never won a league title; at Yokohama he won the Stage title, but not the League. And at Reggina his team was mostly struggling to avoid relegation, so psychologically this must be a refreshing position to be in for him. The 10 days waiting period that exist between this last Livingston game and the deciding Hearts game is rather long though -- will it be an advantage or will it mess with the team's momentum?
Not Enough for UEFA?
Le Mans 1-1 Marseille
Celtic Home Stretch
Livingston 0-2 Celtic
It is a relief to see Shunsuke Nakamura starting for the team again after a shaky past month. He played his full game in weeks in the CIS Insurance Cup, then started against Inverness (marking 1 assist), and yesterday against Livingston (one assist). Now Celtic are in a position to raise the league trophy with 6 games still remaining. If they win the next game against 2nd placed Hearts, they will have increased the gap to 20 points. So the upcoming Hearts game will be It. (And finally, finally, they will broadcast a Celtic game on Japanese network tv.)
Shunsuke's performance seems to be getting back to norm. True, Livingston are at the bottom of the table, but from what I saw he created good rhythm in the midfield dispersing passes well, and along with Maloney and Zurawski found some good touchwork.
His assist was not the prettiest one he's marked, but a quick-reflex featherlight touch on the ball that slightly redirected it to avoid the defender's foot and go through a the legs to reach Zurawski for goal number one. After the game, Nakamura said that as he reached for the ball that came to him from lefy (Maloney), he realized he wouldn't get enough foot on it, so instead toed it over. He said he was glad he didn't mess it up, and the ball went smoothly thru.
As you know, Shunsuke has never won a league title; at Yokohama he won the Stage title, but not the League. And at Reggina his team was mostly struggling to avoid relegation, so psychologically this must be a refreshing position to be in for him. The 10 days waiting period that exist between this last Livingston game and the deciding Hearts game is rather long though -- will it be an advantage or will it mess with the team's momentum?
Not Enough for UEFA?
Le Mans 1-1 Marseille
A follow up to the Nakamura+10 vs DelPiero+10 commercial that I introduced before >>here.
Now the two teams play an actual game. No translation necessary.
>>Click here to see the commercial Click Enter, and then the middle link on the right, that say Movie (under the link that has "Recruitment")
There will be a rematch, and Japan is looking for members!
Now the two teams play an actual game. No translation necessary.
>>Click here to see the commercial Click Enter, and then the middle link on the right, that say Movie (under the link that has "Recruitment")
There will be a rematch, and Japan is looking for members!
Cerezo Osaka 3-1 Albirex NiigataCO: Furuhashi 20 min, Ze Carlos 30 min, 82 min
AN: Edmilson 52 min
>>Ze Carlos goal clip
>>Edmilson goal clip
First let me explain the comic strip on the left. A talented fan of J mascots (and personally a supporter of Albirex) presented the strip on his blog >>here at Marchan's Illustration and Albi Supporter Diary. The illustrator depicted Cerezo's pre-Round 5 situation in "Gambare Robbie (the name of the Cerezo mascot -- well actually his full name is "Nobre Valiente Ace Robhito de Cerezo"; though I think I spelled most of that wrong)". 1) Last season they were this close to winning the league title, but currently 4 games 4 losses and 0 points, in last place. 2) He has nightmares of the past 4 games, as depicted by scary-looking versions of the mascots of the teams they have so far played... my favorite is the Marinos duck holding a shotgun. 3) He wakes in a sweat, to shout, "We were unlucky in having had tough fixtures against strong teams so far!" (which to be honest is true, compared to some of the other teams). 4) What's that in the distance? Who's our next opponent? 5) I--It's.. Albi-kun (the Albirex mascot).. "Doh". 5) With eyes alight, Robbie's fighting spirit is back: "W-we just might be able to with this one!" (Obviously not a dys on Albi since the illustrator is a fan, but probably an accurate reflection of some of the hope Cerezo fans clung to as they headed into Round 5.)
And Cerezo did finally get their first win. After the game, manager Kobayashi (who's neck could have been on the line had his men been unable to perform with conviction in Round 5 and 6, it was rumored) breathed a sigh of relief -- and who wouldn't, after aballsy (can I use that word?) change that he made to his right side. Up til now, Kobayashi had been switching the players around on the right side, from Bingo to Yamada to Kawamura. But this time round, he put 21 year old Sakamoto (who only played 7 league games last season) in the right wingback position. It was a risk, but perhaps at the end of his rope a leap of faith was in order. Sakamoto created
Just wanted to let you know I added the links to J's Goal goal clips from J1 Round 4 imbedded in my summary, >>here.
A mish mash of catching up to do for our players in Europe. I'll get started with some of them now -- though if you have news about any of the others, please leave a comment. It's hard for me to keep up with everything... and I would expect some of you have a better access to some of the leagues!
Sota's First (and Last?!) Day as Model
Nope, never want to see this pose again!! -- Sota Hirayama is stretching his wings... as a runway model? I'm not sure whether it's for charity or a favor for a friend of the club, or just fun PR, but I guess the team got roped into it somehow. >>Click to see photos at sotahirayama.nl
In football, Sota hasn't been scoring and has been on and off the starting roster. But I don't think he's been playing poorly -- we've seen scenes where he has shown good control, strength, technique, height and a clear visualization of the shot. I guess really he just needs to score...
At the club website, where they are doing a poll of who fans think is the Best Player of the season, Sota is currently at the top. If you'd like to vote too, >>here is the site.
Celtic Nab First Title of the Season
The finals game between Celtic and Dunfermline in the CIS Insurance Cup took place on March 19. There was a lot of pressure for Celtic to win. Everyone assumed it, expected it, and with the interwining of the day's events with Celtic's tribute to Jimmy Johnstone (all the players's shorts had #7 on the back of the thigh, and after they won, every player changed jersey to Johnstone's 7) and that's a tough thing to play into. Fortunately, Celtic won without too much danger 3-0. Shunsuke Nakamura, who's appearances have been spotty throughout the past month or two, played a full
Sota's First (and Last?!) Day as ModelNope, never want to see this pose again!! -- Sota Hirayama is stretching his wings... as a runway model? I'm not sure whether it's for charity or a favor for a friend of the club, or just fun PR, but I guess the team got roped into it somehow. >>Click to see photos at sotahirayama.nl
In football, Sota hasn't been scoring and has been on and off the starting roster. But I don't think he's been playing poorly -- we've seen scenes where he has shown good control, strength, technique, height and a clear visualization of the shot. I guess really he just needs to score...
At the club website, where they are doing a poll of who fans think is the Best Player of the season, Sota is currently at the top. If you'd like to vote too, >>here is the site.
Celtic Nab First Title of the Season
The finals game between Celtic and Dunfermline in the CIS Insurance Cup took place on March 19. There was a lot of pressure for Celtic to win. Everyone assumed it, expected it, and with the interwining of the day's events with Celtic's tribute to Jimmy Johnstone (all the players's shorts had #7 on the back of the thigh, and after they won, every player changed jersey to Johnstone's 7) and that's a tough thing to play into. Fortunately, Celtic won without too much danger 3-0. Shunsuke Nakamura, who's appearances have been spotty throughout the past month or two, played a full
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.
.......Who on earth is going to buy this?
Dunhill has come out with the final version of the official National Team suit/outfit...(click on the photo above to go to site, where you can browse around). The final version is grey (not dark blue, as we saw it last spring).
Nothing new, really, since I introduced this before, but I just wanted to point your attention to the Price: a whopping 850 thousand Yen (about $8,000) for the entire ensemble (suit, shirt, tie, cufflinks, and I hear there is also a watch).
If you have cash to burn, you may want to hurry...apparently Dunhill is only making 150 of these suits available for "regular folk".
Dunhill has come out with the final version of the official National Team suit/outfit...(click on the photo above to go to site, where you can browse around). The final version is grey (not dark blue, as we saw it last spring).
Nothing new, really, since I introduced this before, but I just wanted to point your attention to the Price: a whopping 850 thousand Yen (about $8,000) for the entire ensemble (suit, shirt, tie, cufflinks, and I hear there is also a watch).
If you have cash to burn, you may want to hurry...apparently Dunhill is only making 150 of these suits available for "regular folk".
For those interested in watching the entire ACL group game between Gamba Osaka and Chonbuk Motors, you can watch a pretty good stream of it free here:
http://news.naver.com/sports/index.nhn?category=a_match&menu=live&game_id=2006030866&sub_menu=vod
or launch it in a media player window here:
rtsp://navernews.hvod.nefficient.co.kr/navernews/amatch_vod/2006030866.wmv
http://news.naver.com/sports/index.nhn?category=a_match&menu=live&game_id=2006030866&sub_menu=vod
or launch it in a media player window here:
rtsp://navernews.hvod.nefficient.co.kr/navernews/amatch_vod/2006030866.wmv
Round 4
Kashima Antlers 3-1 Ventforet Kofu
KA: Uchida 26 min, Alex Mineiro 56 min, 76 min
VK: own goal, 72 min
>>Uchida goal clip
So, after Kashima's almost too-thrilling game against Sanfrecce in the opening round, they have been struggling to find that sense of strength. In the first round, the first goal (a PK) was awarded when 17 year old right sideback Uchida (pic) challenged the Sanfrecce defenders just inside the box. I was really proud of him because given his sudden promotion to the starting team and it being an important opening match, he took the risk and the challenge and instead of passing to someone else to make a play he took on the responsibility himself.
In this game, it was Uchida again who made the first goal and assisted the second. And in this team with all its veterans and players with international experience this teenager was the one to make the difference and has started to solidify a place for himself.
I am especially rooting for the youth generation of players who are playing/starting in side positions at their clubs (which is why I am putting this game review first today). Especially sidebacks. The Japan national team (and Japanese football on the whole) is sorely in need of experienced sideback specialists. This came from the fact that up until recently most J teams were playing with a 3-back defense line to stabilize defense and utilize the numerous quality midfielders. Sideback is a very difficult position, and even looking at other countries and clubs around the world, we see there aren't many truly stellar sidebacks. Currently in the J, we are starting to see vacancies in the sides get filled with the young players -- they are getting experience from an early age at the pro level, which is very good indeedy.
Back to the game: It was a warm spring afternoon at Kashima stadium -- in fact I think it was the official sakura (cherry blossom) blooming day in Tokyo (this is an announcement by the people who go around counting how many cherry blossoms are flowering in different areas of Japan, and declaring when the blossoms are officially "open for business"; in other words, when Japanese people can swarm the parks and eat and get drunk under the sakura trees to enjoy and celebrate the arrival of spring before the petals all flutter to the ground. For a sample photo, >>click here. This photo was taken in Nagasaki in a prior year, and looks like it was taken when the trees were in full bloom).
Okay, back to the game again...
Kofu's "Mr #10" Fujita returned to the starting squad, and Ishikawa who had been filling in for Fujita was able to return to his original position up front. Kofu started off with a 4-3-3 system similar to the one from the end of last year. Kashima's defensive half Fernando had reinjured his knee and was off the team altogether. Masuda filled the spot. It was actually good to see manager Autuori not push Ogasawara down to defensive half like Cerezo did last year when they needed someone to quickly fill in for Fernando. Though the circumstances are a little different now than they were back then, for Kashima's attack to work Ogasawara really needs to be close to the front.
Antlers dominated from the beginning with technique and elegant passing. But they couldn't quite find the space to move forward against a very defensively united Kofu who were waiting for the opportunity to counter. It was starting to look like the same old story of Kashima dominating the midfield but unable to find the final pattern for a clean shot on goal. Though Kashima were able to prevent Kofu from creating anything dangerous, they themselves were stuck as well, and it was starting to feel flat and uncomfortable.
It was then that Uchida cut through the stale air. At 26 minutes, he received a ball on the right side from Aoki, and slid around the oncoming defender while holding furiously on to the ball. He dribbled in towards goal, and took a nice left footed shot for the goal. With that goal, the team was able to revive its spirits.
Kashima Antlers 3-1 Ventforet KofuKA: Uchida 26 min, Alex Mineiro 56 min, 76 min
VK: own goal, 72 min
>>Uchida goal clip
So, after Kashima's almost too-thrilling game against Sanfrecce in the opening round, they have been struggling to find that sense of strength. In the first round, the first goal (a PK) was awarded when 17 year old right sideback Uchida (pic) challenged the Sanfrecce defenders just inside the box. I was really proud of him because given his sudden promotion to the starting team and it being an important opening match, he took the risk and the challenge and instead of passing to someone else to make a play he took on the responsibility himself.
In this game, it was Uchida again who made the first goal and assisted the second. And in this team with all its veterans and players with international experience this teenager was the one to make the difference and has started to solidify a place for himself.
I am especially rooting for the youth generation of players who are playing/starting in side positions at their clubs (which is why I am putting this game review first today). Especially sidebacks. The Japan national team (and Japanese football on the whole) is sorely in need of experienced sideback specialists. This came from the fact that up until recently most J teams were playing with a 3-back defense line to stabilize defense and utilize the numerous quality midfielders. Sideback is a very difficult position, and even looking at other countries and clubs around the world, we see there aren't many truly stellar sidebacks. Currently in the J, we are starting to see vacancies in the sides get filled with the young players -- they are getting experience from an early age at the pro level, which is very good indeedy.
Back to the game: It was a warm spring afternoon at Kashima stadium -- in fact I think it was the official sakura (cherry blossom) blooming day in Tokyo (this is an announcement by the people who go around counting how many cherry blossoms are flowering in different areas of Japan, and declaring when the blossoms are officially "open for business"; in other words, when Japanese people can swarm the parks and eat and get drunk under the sakura trees to enjoy and celebrate the arrival of spring before the petals all flutter to the ground. For a sample photo, >>click here. This photo was taken in Nagasaki in a prior year, and looks like it was taken when the trees were in full bloom).
Okay, back to the game again...
Kofu's "Mr #10" Fujita returned to the starting squad, and Ishikawa who had been filling in for Fujita was able to return to his original position up front. Kofu started off with a 4-3-3 system similar to the one from the end of last year. Kashima's defensive half Fernando had reinjured his knee and was off the team altogether. Masuda filled the spot. It was actually good to see manager Autuori not push Ogasawara down to defensive half like Cerezo did last year when they needed someone to quickly fill in for Fernando. Though the circumstances are a little different now than they were back then, for Kashima's attack to work Ogasawara really needs to be close to the front.
Antlers dominated from the beginning with technique and elegant passing. But they couldn't quite find the space to move forward against a very defensively united Kofu who were waiting for the opportunity to counter. It was starting to look like the same old story of Kashima dominating the midfield but unable to find the final pattern for a clean shot on goal. Though Kashima were able to prevent Kofu from creating anything dangerous, they themselves were stuck as well, and it was starting to feel flat and uncomfortable.
It was then that Uchida cut through the stale air. At 26 minutes, he received a ball on the right side from Aoki, and slid around the oncoming defender while holding furiously on to the ball. He dribbled in towards goal, and took a nice left footed shot for the goal. With that goal, the team was able to revive its spirits.
I got off my schedule and forgot to report on the previous ACL group game results from March 8:
Gamba Osaka 2-3 Chonbuk Motors
Tokyo Verdy 2-0 Ulsan Hyundai Horang-i
Hmmm.
Gamba played again yesterday:
Gamba Osaka 15-0 Da Nang (Vietnam)
There was a clear difference in attitude towards the game between the two teams. While Gamba came onto the pitch with the sole intention of 3 full points and as many goals as possible (given the goal differential rules that may come into play at the end of the group rounds), Da Nang were not taking it too seriously -- they went on a tour of Osaka palace the day before and even on the day of the game spent the day shopping.
But still, with the obvious differences in individual as well as team skill, Da Nang did not make it as easy. It was more like a half-court game with all eleven Da Nang players blocking up the area in front of their goal and all Gamba players (less the goalie) in Da Nang's area.
Well, it started with a PK awarded Gamba at 7 minutes converted by Endo, going into halftime with a 6-0 score. The other 9 goals scored in the second half. Of the 14 players that made an appearance, 8 scored.
>>Click here to watch the full Gamba Osaka 2-3 Chonbuk Motors game stream
Gamba Osaka 2-3 Chonbuk Motors
Tokyo Verdy 2-0 Ulsan Hyundai Horang-i
Hmmm.
Gamba played again yesterday:
Gamba Osaka 15-0 Da Nang (Vietnam)
There was a clear difference in attitude towards the game between the two teams. While Gamba came onto the pitch with the sole intention of 3 full points and as many goals as possible (given the goal differential rules that may come into play at the end of the group rounds), Da Nang were not taking it too seriously -- they went on a tour of Osaka palace the day before and even on the day of the game spent the day shopping.
But still, with the obvious differences in individual as well as team skill, Da Nang did not make it as easy. It was more like a half-court game with all eleven Da Nang players blocking up the area in front of their goal and all Gamba players (less the goalie) in Da Nang's area.
Well, it started with a PK awarded Gamba at 7 minutes converted by Endo, going into halftime with a 6-0 score. The other 9 goals scored in the second half. Of the 14 players that made an appearance, 8 scored.
>>Click here to watch the full Gamba Osaka 2-3 Chonbuk Motors game stream
Round 3
>>J.League 1st and 2nd division digest clip
Ventforet Kofu 1-0 Kawasaki Frontale
VK: Bare 85 min
>>Bare goal video
If you're a Ventforet fan, you can be assured, your boys are doing well. And finally they got their first "W". The previous two rounds were played with good solid content, and really they could have walked away with a win had they had better experience. But perhaps the difficulty of the finish, especially against defensively more stable 1st division teams, was the roadblock. In this game against Kawasaki, from the point of watching the game (and I must admit, rooting for Kofu) it felt like Kofu had the larger portion in terms of possessing the rhythm.
The first half was a balanced split between Frontale and Ventforet, both sides exuding their characteristic style. Kawasaki's stubborn and tall defense kept Kofu from really penetrating, even after they switched to some creamy one touch football. They had to switch to the one-touch plays because Frontale was pressing fast. But it was really great to see a newly promoted team play so accurately and fluidly -- players being where they should, the passes going where they should. It certainly helped them avoid the pitfall of one touch football -- that of getting easily intercepted and falling to the mighty Frontale counterattacks.
>>J.League 1st and 2nd division digest clip
Ventforet Kofu 1-0 Kawasaki FrontaleVK: Bare 85 min
>>Bare goal video
If you're a Ventforet fan, you can be assured, your boys are doing well. And finally they got their first "W". The previous two rounds were played with good solid content, and really they could have walked away with a win had they had better experience. But perhaps the difficulty of the finish, especially against defensively more stable 1st division teams, was the roadblock. In this game against Kawasaki, from the point of watching the game (and I must admit, rooting for Kofu) it felt like Kofu had the larger portion in terms of possessing the rhythm.
The first half was a balanced split between Frontale and Ventforet, both sides exuding their characteristic style. Kawasaki's stubborn and tall defense kept Kofu from really penetrating, even after they switched to some creamy one touch football. They had to switch to the one-touch plays because Frontale was pressing fast. But it was really great to see a newly promoted team play so accurately and fluidly -- players being where they should, the passes going where they should. It certainly helped them avoid the pitfall of one touch football -- that of getting easily intercepted and falling to the mighty Frontale counterattacks.
A 23 name squad for the friendly against Ecuador (March 30) was announced this afternoon.
GK
Yoshikatsu Kawaguchi - Jubilo Iwata
Yoichi Doi - FC Tokyo
Seigo Narazaki - Nagoya Grampus
DF
Makoto Tanaka - Jubilo Iwata
Shinji Murai - Jubilo Iwata
Tsuneyasu Miyamoto - Gamba Osaka
Akira Kaji - Gamba Osaka
Alex Santos - Urawa Reds
Keisuke Tsuboi - Urawa Reds
Yuji Nakazawa - Yokohama F Marinos
Teruyuki Moniwa - FC Tokyo
Yuichi Komano - Sanfrecce Hiroshima
MF
Yasuhito Endo - Gamba Osaka
Mitsuo Ogasawara - Kashima Antlers
Takashi Fukunishi - Jubilo Iwata
Shinji Ono - Urawa Reds
Makoto Hasebe -Urawa Reds
Yuki Abe - Jef Chiba
FW
Tatsuhiko Kubo - Yokohama F Marinos
Atsushi Yanagisawa - Kashima Antlers
Seiichiro Maki - Jef Chiba
Hisato Sato - Sanfrecce Hiroshima
Keiji Tamada - Nagoya Grampus
Narazaki and Tamada are back on the list for the first time since last year; these two have been out with injuries.
With the return of Yanagisawa and Ono to the J.league, I was wondering how Zico could shuffle around the other names in this all-domestic call-up. What was interesting is that he has listed 5 forwards (I don't think we've had 5 forwards in one listing before, or it's been a really long time since). And all the forwards are very different in style and personality. Kubo is still 50/50 with regard to his current condition (some trouble to his back and right leg in recent weeks). So who knows which pairing will get the starting nod. Tamada of course will be under pressure to catch up, given his competition have been gaining a lot of attention and momentum in his absence.
It is great to see Hasebe and Abe, as well as Murai, called back too. I know Motoyama was dropped, but I think balance-wise and overal performance wise, Hasebe deserves to nudge Motoyama out.
Malta Before World Cup
I forgot to mention this before: Japan will play Malta on June 4 -- it will be the last friendly before the World Cup obviously.
Lost in Translation Jokes Getting Old
The JFA has been trying to convince FIFA to allow more than one person (ie. the translator) in the technical area during the World Cup games. This of course is an issue for countries where the managers and the players speak different languages. In 2002, when Japan/Korea hosted, they made a special rule to allow two people into the area at the edge of the pitch, but this time things seem to have gone back to the original rule of "only one". Zico of course has said that he would hope they would allow the translator, but has also said that it isn't as big a problem though a bit of a disadvantage. He is not one to shout a lot of things from the sidelines to begin with, his policy being that the players have been getting instructions throughout the pre-game training week with a visualization of the game, and that the players are expected to think for themselves.
GK
Yoshikatsu Kawaguchi - Jubilo Iwata
Yoichi Doi - FC Tokyo
Seigo Narazaki - Nagoya Grampus
DF
Makoto Tanaka - Jubilo Iwata
Shinji Murai - Jubilo Iwata
Tsuneyasu Miyamoto - Gamba Osaka
Akira Kaji - Gamba Osaka
Alex Santos - Urawa Reds
Keisuke Tsuboi - Urawa Reds
Yuji Nakazawa - Yokohama F Marinos
Teruyuki Moniwa - FC Tokyo
Yuichi Komano - Sanfrecce Hiroshima
MF
Yasuhito Endo - Gamba Osaka
Mitsuo Ogasawara - Kashima Antlers
Takashi Fukunishi - Jubilo Iwata
Shinji Ono - Urawa Reds
Makoto Hasebe -Urawa Reds
Yuki Abe - Jef Chiba
FW
Tatsuhiko Kubo - Yokohama F Marinos
Atsushi Yanagisawa - Kashima Antlers
Seiichiro Maki - Jef Chiba
Hisato Sato - Sanfrecce Hiroshima
Keiji Tamada - Nagoya Grampus
Narazaki and Tamada are back on the list for the first time since last year; these two have been out with injuries.
With the return of Yanagisawa and Ono to the J.league, I was wondering how Zico could shuffle around the other names in this all-domestic call-up. What was interesting is that he has listed 5 forwards (I don't think we've had 5 forwards in one listing before, or it's been a really long time since). And all the forwards are very different in style and personality. Kubo is still 50/50 with regard to his current condition (some trouble to his back and right leg in recent weeks). So who knows which pairing will get the starting nod. Tamada of course will be under pressure to catch up, given his competition have been gaining a lot of attention and momentum in his absence.
It is great to see Hasebe and Abe, as well as Murai, called back too. I know Motoyama was dropped, but I think balance-wise and overal performance wise, Hasebe deserves to nudge Motoyama out.
Malta Before World Cup
I forgot to mention this before: Japan will play Malta on June 4 -- it will be the last friendly before the World Cup obviously.
Lost in Translation Jokes Getting Old
The JFA has been trying to convince FIFA to allow more than one person (ie. the translator) in the technical area during the World Cup games. This of course is an issue for countries where the managers and the players speak different languages. In 2002, when Japan/Korea hosted, they made a special rule to allow two people into the area at the edge of the pitch, but this time things seem to have gone back to the original rule of "only one". Zico of course has said that he would hope they would allow the translator, but has also said that it isn't as big a problem though a bit of a disadvantage. He is not one to shout a lot of things from the sidelines to begin with, his policy being that the players have been getting instructions throughout the pre-game training week with a visualization of the game, and that the players are expected to think for themselves.
I seem to be doing a lot of apologizing on this blog this year, and again I am sorry I am behind on updates. My calendar is relatively clear in the next several weeks, now that certain work emergencies have been taken care of.
Round 3 and 4 were played in the last five days, and I think it will be best for me to tackle those first. Thanks to all who posted comments in the meantime.
I'd also like to get back on news from our Japanese players in Europe soon. And today Zico will announce the squad for the upcoming game against Ecuador. So there is a lot to cover.
I'm going to start working on my posts now, so please watch for new updates starting tomorrow morning. Will be burning the midnight oil, and hope all of you have been having a good week!
Round 3 and 4 were played in the last five days, and I think it will be best for me to tackle those first. Thanks to all who posted comments in the meantime.
I'd also like to get back on news from our Japanese players in Europe soon. And today Zico will announce the squad for the upcoming game against Ecuador. So there is a lot to cover.
I'm going to start working on my posts now, so please watch for new updates starting tomorrow morning. Will be burning the midnight oil, and hope all of you have been having a good week!
A round-up with Video streams of some of the goals, from Round 2 of the J league 1st division:
Cerezo Osaka 1-6 Gamba Osaka
CO: Nishizawa 40 min
GO: Fernandinho 2 min, 60 min, 65 min; Magno Alves 81 min, 84 min, 86 min
>>Nishizawa goal video
>>Fernandinho goal video
An unbelievable "Day vs Night" result at the Osaka derby. The Cerezo PR machine had shifted into high gear in preparation for the ever-popular derby match, the first of the season, with tons of events and a festive atmosphere in and around the stadiuma. No one would have predicted such a complete routing.
Last year, Fernandinho had to play second fiddle to the likes of Araujo and Oguro. But any worries by fans about whether they can depend on him this year to be a central figure in scoring were put to rest with his first career hattrick. Not to be outdone, Magno Alves took the baton in the last portion of the game with a hattrick of his own, as Cerezo fell apart and left the pitch wondering where their cohesion of last season had gone.
Cerezo Osaka 1-6 Gamba OsakaCO: Nishizawa 40 min
GO: Fernandinho 2 min, 60 min, 65 min; Magno Alves 81 min, 84 min, 86 min
>>Nishizawa goal video
>>Fernandinho goal video
An unbelievable "Day vs Night" result at the Osaka derby. The Cerezo PR machine had shifted into high gear in preparation for the ever-popular derby match, the first of the season, with tons of events and a festive atmosphere in and around the stadiuma. No one would have predicted such a complete routing.
Last year, Fernandinho had to play second fiddle to the likes of Araujo and Oguro. But any worries by fans about whether they can depend on him this year to be a central figure in scoring were put to rest with his first career hattrick. Not to be outdone, Magno Alves took the baton in the last portion of the game with a hattrick of his own, as Cerezo fell apart and left the pitch wondering where their cohesion of last season had gone.
Hi everyone,
Sorry for the week of no posts. Have been away on business and was not able to update the blog, so I will try and catch up before the weekend's round of J games.
A big THANKS to all of you who have posted in the meantime, leaving us with comments and links that have kept many of you entertained and informed!
Please check back in the next few days, and I will post the updates ASAP. :)
Sorry for the week of no posts. Have been away on business and was not able to update the blog, so I will try and catch up before the weekend's round of J games.
A big THANKS to all of you who have posted in the meantime, leaving us with comments and links that have kept many of you entertained and informed!
Please check back in the next few days, and I will post the updates ASAP. :)
J's Goal TV has posted clips from Round One of individual goals. For a review of all the games, >>click here.
The video clips come from >>here, and to see all clips from past years and also the J2, all you need to do is complete a simple free registration. For instructions in English, >>Click here. You can also participate in the voting.
>>Shimizu S-Pulse's Cho
>>FC Tokyo's Sasa
>>Gamba Osaka's Kaji
>>Kashima Antler's Yanagisawa
>>Yokohama F Marinos' Kubo
>>Nagoya Grampus' Toyoda
>>Kawasaki Frontale's Ganaha
>>Sanfrecce Hiroshima's Sato
>>Omiya Ardija's Kobayashi
>>Jef Chiba's Maki
>>Kyoto Purple Sanga's Paulinho
>>Cerezo Osaka's Nishizawa
>>Jubilo Iwata's Tanaka
>>Urawa Reds' Washington
>>Avispa Fukuoka's Miyazaki
The video clips come from >>here, and to see all clips from past years and also the J2, all you need to do is complete a simple free registration. For instructions in English, >>Click here. You can also participate in the voting.
>>Shimizu S-Pulse's Cho
>>FC Tokyo's Sasa
>>Gamba Osaka's Kaji
>>Kashima Antler's Yanagisawa
>>Yokohama F Marinos' Kubo
>>Nagoya Grampus' Toyoda
>>Kawasaki Frontale's Ganaha
>>Sanfrecce Hiroshima's Sato
>>Omiya Ardija's Kobayashi
>>Jef Chiba's Maki
>>Kyoto Purple Sanga's Paulinho
>>Cerezo Osaka's Nishizawa
>>Jubilo Iwata's Tanaka
>>Urawa Reds' Washington
>>Avispa Fukuoka's Miyazaki
Just a quickie post ahead of tonight's ACL group stage games.
J-League champs Gamba Osaka vs Korean FA Cup winners Chonbuk Motors
Hmm. I'm not sure how Gamba will do, but perhaps this year's squad is better handled for the ACL climate than last year's. Despite losing the goal-getting duo, Gamba did reinforce in a balanced way this pre-season. And the two games they played against Urawa so far have shown that they are slowly but surely making adjustments. This game against a K-league team should be played tough and intelligently -- my ideal would be to have them score two goals via technique (set pieces and dribbling) in the first half and then hunker down to play physical and defense in the second half.
Emperor's Cup winner Tokyo Verdy vs K-League champions Ulsan Hyundai Horang-i
Verdy have been handed a lucky free pass: two clubs from their group, Tobacco Monopoly of Thailand and Arema Malang of Indonesia, have been disqualified (for failure to register properly). So Verdy and Chonbuk have only to beat each other to go on to the next stage.
Of course, now that Verdy have lost most of their top players after being relegated to the 2nd division, it will be interesting to see if they can be equal to the challenge. They are of course as a club prioritizing their return to the 1st division above all else. I had reservations about allowing a division 2 team represent Japan in the CL, but there is another way to look at it. Having lost some of their star (and let's admit, somewhat coddled) players, Verdy may do better in the ACL than they would have last year, because they may not be a technically superior team but they may have a toughness that J1 teams don't. The players are fighting for their careers, and there is more to prove on various levels.
Let's Not Repeat Last Year:
You may remember from my posts last year that J-league teams have problems in the ACL. First, the amount of coverage of the ACL group stage is anemic. Aside from the fact that the clubs here prioritize the domestic league performance and get little support on their ACL endeavours, the simple fact is that for example, Gamba Osaka playing Urawa Reds is a lot sexier than if they play a Korean or Malaysian or Saudi club. No one knows anything about other Asian league clubs, there are very few players they recognize. And even at the club level, we hear that Gamba has admitted they have close to no information of their opponents...
I'm not sure what the turnout will be like this year, whether the disappointment of last year has changed the mentality of club supporters in Japan with regard to the ACL group games. Last year, the clubs were forced to try and lure spectators with prizes and free food, and in general we saw there was as great difference in terms of passion between the J supporters and those in Thailand or China, etc. Not just turnout, but the amount of atmosphere the crowds can create...making noise, cheering and booing, creating a home advantage using everything within their powers; even the ball boys trying to work things in their favor.
The other issue may be with the style of Japanese football in general. First, because the climate here is one of friendly sportmaship, the referees in the J work under certain guiding principles. The AFC refs will not be the same -- things like what will bging yellow cards, what will award PKs, etc. The J-leaguers need to learn to adjust to the difference in standards quickly. Comparatively, other Asian leagues play a lot more rougher, the physical a big part of their strength. Which is why even if some clubs don't have the technique, their strategy of quick pressure and unyielding body contact has enabled them to give Japanese clubs a lot of problems.
Because the League is considered the priority, clubs here will also have to figure out how to spread out their players between the Jleague and the ACL. Who to rest, which subs to use, whether to change system or strategy. My other concern, which was evident last year, was the way the managers (last year it was Marinos' Okada and Jubilo's Yamamoto) gave the impression of being easily stressed out, especially when they traveled to the opponents' arena. I would like to see this year's managers act with calm confidence, not fretting every time there is a kink in the plans, or the play
J-League champs Gamba Osaka vs Korean FA Cup winners Chonbuk Motors
Hmm. I'm not sure how Gamba will do, but perhaps this year's squad is better handled for the ACL climate than last year's. Despite losing the goal-getting duo, Gamba did reinforce in a balanced way this pre-season. And the two games they played against Urawa so far have shown that they are slowly but surely making adjustments. This game against a K-league team should be played tough and intelligently -- my ideal would be to have them score two goals via technique (set pieces and dribbling) in the first half and then hunker down to play physical and defense in the second half.
Emperor's Cup winner Tokyo Verdy vs K-League champions Ulsan Hyundai Horang-i
Verdy have been handed a lucky free pass: two clubs from their group, Tobacco Monopoly of Thailand and Arema Malang of Indonesia, have been disqualified (for failure to register properly). So Verdy and Chonbuk have only to beat each other to go on to the next stage.
Of course, now that Verdy have lost most of their top players after being relegated to the 2nd division, it will be interesting to see if they can be equal to the challenge. They are of course as a club prioritizing their return to the 1st division above all else. I had reservations about allowing a division 2 team represent Japan in the CL, but there is another way to look at it. Having lost some of their star (and let's admit, somewhat coddled) players, Verdy may do better in the ACL than they would have last year, because they may not be a technically superior team but they may have a toughness that J1 teams don't. The players are fighting for their careers, and there is more to prove on various levels.
Let's Not Repeat Last Year:
You may remember from my posts last year that J-league teams have problems in the ACL. First, the amount of coverage of the ACL group stage is anemic. Aside from the fact that the clubs here prioritize the domestic league performance and get little support on their ACL endeavours, the simple fact is that for example, Gamba Osaka playing Urawa Reds is a lot sexier than if they play a Korean or Malaysian or Saudi club. No one knows anything about other Asian league clubs, there are very few players they recognize. And even at the club level, we hear that Gamba has admitted they have close to no information of their opponents...
I'm not sure what the turnout will be like this year, whether the disappointment of last year has changed the mentality of club supporters in Japan with regard to the ACL group games. Last year, the clubs were forced to try and lure spectators with prizes and free food, and in general we saw there was as great difference in terms of passion between the J supporters and those in Thailand or China, etc. Not just turnout, but the amount of atmosphere the crowds can create...making noise, cheering and booing, creating a home advantage using everything within their powers; even the ball boys trying to work things in their favor.
The other issue may be with the style of Japanese football in general. First, because the climate here is one of friendly sportmaship, the referees in the J work under certain guiding principles. The AFC refs will not be the same -- things like what will bging yellow cards, what will award PKs, etc. The J-leaguers need to learn to adjust to the difference in standards quickly. Comparatively, other Asian leagues play a lot more rougher, the physical a big part of their strength. Which is why even if some clubs don't have the technique, their strategy of quick pressure and unyielding body contact has enabled them to give Japanese clubs a lot of problems.
Because the League is considered the priority, clubs here will also have to figure out how to spread out their players between the Jleague and the ACL. Who to rest, which subs to use, whether to change system or strategy. My other concern, which was evident last year, was the way the managers (last year it was Marinos' Okada and Jubilo's Yamamoto) gave the impression of being easily stressed out, especially when they traveled to the opponents' arena. I would like to see this year's managers act with calm confidence, not fretting every time there is a kink in the plans, or the play